The Upstream Writer: Reader's Review: "Alienation" by S. E. Anderson

Synopsis from Amazon:

Sally Webber's dream is coming true: Zander is back and taking her out for a night on the town--on a planet hundreds of light years away from Earth. But when an accident separates her from her alien tour guide, she’s thrown into the seedy underbelly of an insane city where nothing is as it seems.

Suddenly lost and desperate to get back home, Sally is willing to do anything to get out, even if it means accepting spontaneous marriage proposals, crashing some fancy parties, or joining what appears to be the space mob.

All she wanted was some decent interstellar pizza, but now it might be the end of the world as evil nanobots and an out-of-control AI try to take the universe by force, and the only one who can stop them is missing in action. Sally has no choice but to try to stop them herself--if she can stay alive that long.

>>>>>>>>>>>

It was back in 2019 when I finally got around to reading this book I'd been seeing hyped, not only on the author's page, but also in some writing groups we shared. I went in hoping against hope that it wasn't going to be some kind of smutty alien/human romance, that I would at least find something in at least one character that I found relatable, ready to abandon the story if it got too dramatic for my tastes.

It was one of the most entertaining books I read in 2019. I loved it through and through. So the next time I had a gift card to spend on ebooks, I definitely knew I was going to pick up the next two books in the series!

Which brings us to Alienation, my foray back into the Starstruck Saga after three and a half years. It was like I never left. Anderson picks up right where she left off, and takes Sally, Blayde, and Zander on another wild galactic chase. What begins as just a quick planetary "tour" so Sally can see what life is like on the other side of the galaxy ends up stranding her in the strangest sidetrack she has ever faced. From the most bizarre case of food poisoning (betrayed by pizza, no less!) to ending up in the underbelly of the towering city with no means of returning to the elevated portion, an almost forced marriage, being roped into a high-stakes heist, and infiltrating a government-sponsored party, to trying to stop a sentient computer program from taking over the planet... Sally Webber wanted to see the galaxy, and she's beginning to find out just how big it all really is!

This is where Anderson shines, with her diverse alien races and cultures to match, each one relevant through Sally's basic sensibilities and yet completely foreign to anything we have here on our little planet--I may have only read two of her books so far, but I am seeing a pattern emerge from her of every story being littered with unique and yet relatable characters, eclectic personalities, and always some little detail that presents itself as a clear sign that they aren't all "humanoid." The fact that this is a ten-book series is a feat in itself--but I have a feeling each book is going to be more enthrallingly bizarre and mind-blowing than the last!

I would give Alienation the full *****5 STARS***** rating. Every aspect of the novel was on-point, and I can't wait to see how this series of adventures unfolds! If you're someone who likes a good space-based sci-fi adventure led by a smart, capable, curious woman, and full of creative alien races and spectacular worlds, but without the heavy dependence on romance that a lot of these "space travel" novels typically contain... then I can confirm that the Starstruck Saga is just the thing for you!

Further Reading: (Space-Based Adventure/Awesome World-Building/Sci-Fantasy)

The Children of Dreki--N. R. Tupper
-TYR

-Countless As The Stars--Steve Trower
-The Secret King: Letháo--Dawn Chapman
-The Arena--Santana Young
-Excelsior--George Sirois