BLEND

In Kennedy’s sci-fi novel and series launch, an ex-con returns to his home planet, where political unrest threatens his family.

After serving five years for a crime he didn’t commit, Arliss Dubai returns to the planet Teton. He hopes to ease his way back into family life with his wife, Meera, and their 12-year-old son, Kip. Arliss is a “Blend” with bioengineered enhancements that grant him qualities like superhuman vision and strength. Humans originally engineered Blends to help perfect their megacities in Teton’s unforgiving climate. In the years since, those like Arliss, instantly recognizable by their blue skin, have been treated like lesser people. That’s also the case for blue-freckled “Patchworks” (or “Patchies”), the hybrid children (like Kip) of Blend/non-Blend parents. The discrimination has only gotten worse during Arliss’ incarceration, with more security checkpoints and nodes for Blends than ever before. The “Pure Breathers,” a group that began as “fringe extremists,” has garnered power via members in government; the faction’s goal seems to be segregation followed by forced migration of the Blends. Some of the blue-skinned locals want Arliss to serve as the muscle in their resistance, but he’s determined to stay out of trouble; he’s already got his hands full as he struggles to reconnect with Kip. The tween has been running around with the “Pikers,” an anti-government group of youngsters that may occasionally dabble in criminal acts. Arliss is up for the challenge of protecting his family while struggling to maintain peace with a corrupt government and people who hate his kind.

Kennedy has crafted a fascinating world and equally absorbing characters. Meera, for example, is the daughter of Galen Keet, a “Wind Reader” (one of a religious group that acts as “vessels for the planet’s voice”), who practically disowned her years ago upon learning that her baby-to-be was a Patchie. Everyone in the cast is boldly defined, and there’s no obvious villain—just individuals who might do dubious things or follow a misguided path. They all live in the megalopolis of Vandress among its ten towering Megas, including the “architecturally convoluted” Sinquin (where the Dubais’ apartment is located). The bulk of the story is conveyed through dialogue as the narrative perspective shifts among those of Arliss and members of his family, the Pikers’ leader, and a member of the governing Unified Council. The topics of conversation include politics, Arliss and Meera’s concerns about their son’s potential issues, and the Pikers’ plans. There’s little in the way of action, though one scene in particular is both exhilarating and dramatically arresting. As the story progresses, mysteries pop up, from details about Arliss’ imprisonment to the strange duo who helps Arliss when “Enforcement Q” officers gang up on him. The story truly picks up steam in the latter half, which offers such juicy bits as a startling betrayal, a life-changing decision, and striking deaths. Numerous questions that arise remain unanswered at the end, including a terrific subplot that’s left glaringly open, which gives readers plenty of incentive to hang on for the sequels.

A riveting opening series installment that introduces spirited characters and an unforgettable dystopian world.