Those Who Resist — An Action-Packed Conclusion To An Epic Space Opera Trilogy

Blurb

We are all Idran-Var. We are those who resist.

A dark shadow has fallen across the galaxy. The curators—a hive mind made from the memories of countless past civilisations—have finally returned, ready to finish the experiment they started millions of years ago.

A splintered resistance with a desperate plan is all that stands in the way of utter annihilation. As Alvera Renata and her old crew join forces with former enemies and unlikely allies, all eyes turn to the Omega Gate—a twisted contraption formed of the mysterious waystations. Destroying it might give them a fighting chance against the curators—if they don’t destroy each other first.

To have any hope of succeeding, Alvera and her new alliance will have to overcome old wounds and fresh losses to gather the forces of the galaxy for a final stand. But even in the face of extinction, every disparate faction still has their own agenda, and bringing them together might be more trouble than it’s worth.

As star systems fall and the curators close in, trust hangs by a single thread. Only one truth binds them together now: if they don’t stand united, the galaxy will be lost to all of them.

The book cover below includes alt-text.

This is book 3 of The Waystations trilogy. Start with Those Left Behind if you haven't read it yet.

TL;DR

A satisfying ending of the trilogy with non-stop high-stakes action that provided a thrilling reading experience. The characters put their grievances and differences aside to work together and save the galaxy. The main characters' arcs reached fulfilling conclusions. It's worth your time if you've read the previous books.

Impressions

This book was full of high-stakes action with the fate of the whole galaxy hanging in the balance. There was hardly a breather, just a chain of thrilling, intense scenes where failure could mean the end of everything.

This is definitely a befitting ending for a space opera, and I think the author did a great job. However, I probably read it at the wrong time, because I'd just finished another high-stakes space opera trilogy (check out The Protectorate), and I was a bit tired of the grand scale. I should have waited longer, but I was also really curious how the story would end, so I jumped into it ignoring my own resistance. That resulted in me taking a really long time to finish the book and having a hard time connecting with the character's struggles.

For me, the unrelenting tension turned out to be too much. I wanted a moment to catch my breath between the action scenes. There is, of course, nothing wrong with high stakes, especially in the final book of a space opera trilogy — on the contrary, it is to be expected, so it's just me. However, I have a feeling that the book could benefit from a few breathers. That's just my personal preference, but I like when tension comes in waves with moments of calm in between.

The characters were forced to make unlikely alliances, forget their grievances and work together to save the galaxy. I liked the message, but I felt that it was a bit too easy, and everyone went into it a bit too readily. It's what I'd like humanity (and, in this case, aliens too) to do when facing a serious existential threat, but unfortunately, that's not what usually happens in reality. In the previous books, the characters made a lot of wrong choices believing they were doing the right thing, and I liked it a lot. In this book, everyone who mattered made the right choice, even when it involved huge personal risks, or trusting parties they had no reason to trust. I like when characters take such leaps of faith. These are beautiful and touching moments, but I think they lost some of their power because everyone was doing it.

I missed some wrong choices — it was all a bit too perfect. Of course, there were obstacles and individuals who didn't want to take the right course of action, but they hardly mattered. Everyone who had an important role to play turned out good and selfless, even those who used to be the bad guys. When a character surprises the readers with a heroic decision in a critical moment, it can be a cathartic experience, but when everyone does it, it becomes the norm, and therefore less impressive.

Don't get me wrong, it's a good book! It provides a satisfying ending to the series and fulfilling conclusions to the characters' personal arcs. The characters grow and face the consequences of their actions, while new leaders and new ways of solving problems emerge. You'll see many extraordinary women, who are all very different from each other and have completely different strengths and approaches. You'll see LGBTQ+ characters kicking ass. If you've read the two previous books, this one is definitely worth your time. It's fun, exciting, and hopeful. It shows how much we can achieve if we put our differences aside and work together.

You might enjoy the book if you liked the two previous ones, and if you are into high-stakes space operas with lots of action.

You can get the book on Amazon.

Read my interview with the author.

Featured image by Gordon Taylor.