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Writer's pictureLa Crimson Femme

Review: Trailblazer by Michelle Diener

★★★★ @MichelleDiener

If you haven't started this series yet, pick it up from book one. This is book three. It could be a standalone. It is better to read this after reading the first two books. In Trailblazer, it kind of starts a new story arc with Tally survived an impossible situation and she's afraid of sharing how she did it. The military may think she is crazy? What do they do instead? Send her off for some "outdoor therapy". Camping and following along the footsteps of a historical race through the forest on a protected planet sounds like ... fun?


Veltos is an untouched planet under the protection of the Verdant String. It actual sounds like a wonderful place to decompress and become grounded back into the simpler life. Ms. Diener creates a peaceful background to what becomes a fight for survival.


I enjoyed the premise of this story. I also liked how Ms. Diener shows both the good and bad of the military. So many authors unfortunately like to either vilify or glorify it. This nice balance is appreciated. Tally and her band of PTSD afflicted are thrown into a secret mission they know nothing about. Ben, one of the special forces infiltrates this survivor group to figure out what is going on Veltos.


There is a specific group of humans that aren't part of the Breakaway nor part of the Verdant string which is now mentioned is couple of these books. I'm still not sure exactly where they come from or their origins. What I do know is that they are warlike and have zero ethics or loyalty. What I like about this series is how the main characters have integrity and they think about more than just themselves. Sometimes they wrestle with their personal needs against the greater good. Sometimes their personal need is more important. I like this balance too. Tally's special abilities now can land her in hot water. She could hide it completely and not help out, or she can use her abilities to the max so that she can safe both her people and enemies who have been betrayed.


This book adds another layer to this series and I am loving it. I can completely see this series as either a Syfy original series or made into movies. I love it. The plot is thought provoking. The characters are admirable. I enjoyed Tally and Ben interactions and how they learn to trust each other. This is a feel good book. I highly recommend this book to sci-fi/fantasy readers.



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