Actually, don't, that might be a bit of a stretch here. But still, my point remains. I've never been a fan of sci-fi, just a casual observer of the genre. But this story just might change that. And in a good way.

Grand Design is something new in the genre, something that will please both fans and outsiders alike. It is something daring, spanning an entirely new, unexplored stroyline. One that might put reader outside what they've come to expect from the genre. And i love that.



Story:

Post-apocalypse. Post SCI-FI Apocalypse. That's what comes to mind when i think of this story. Oh, i kbow that the description doesn't do the story justice, with it's deep, complex gistories and fascinating mythos, but that's what i sum it up as. It tells the story of Jesri Tam, and artificial life form, set on completing a mission she and her sisters were built for by the most brilliant minds Earth had to offer.

After humanity is dead, gone and forgotten. I personally love this narrative, the brilliantly done backstories and the very real feeling of an impossible mission with the highest stakes imagineable. No one knows her and her sisters fight and struggle, and most don't care. Yet, there they are, soldiering on through the eons, always laboring to complete their task.

The very first impression the storytelling makes, and one that stays with it right up to the current chapter, is Quality. Plain and Simple. Instea dof falling back on old plot lines and stereotypes, the author creates something new. So far, we haven't seen the threat they face, yet it feels very real, the effect of it's decimation of humanity still felt centuries after it happened. Go ahead and put THIS galaxy as one of the top five places you WOULDN'T want to live in. That's how dangerous it is.



Style:

With a great story, comes a great style. I neevr say much regarding style in my reviews, and I have to say, i like this author's unique touch. The information and description are spaced perfectly, never semeing to drag or rush along the plot. Keep it up.



Grammar:

Again, flawless. A much better job than i myself have done.



Characters:

Fug, where do i even start?

Okay, the short version. They're awesome. That's all you need to know.

And now, the long version. They feel like people. Like real, live, people. With strengths, weaknesses failings, times when they hesitate. When they lose their way. When you might, for a minute, stop cheering for them, then look back and realize you couldn't have done anything different.

Jesri is someone i both like, and admire as a fictional character. Despite the experience of eons, and mountains of bodies dragging her down, both friend and foe, she soldiers on. She's not cold to the world, but has the feeling of someone who, despite having danced this dance before, is willing to try it again. She's a good person, recognizing her own shortcomings and failings, but sometimes forgetting to adress them. She's not invincible, won't always find that burst of strength at the final moment, yet is someone you want to cheer for.

Anja, is a sharp contrast to her. She's someone who is more effected by what they've gone through than Jesri is, and is harsh and at times, uncaring. The cast slowly grows from there, showing the lives of the mostly ordinary people ( and robot dogs ) that get caught up in a struggle far too big and dangerous for them.

Even the villians, when shown, can be people who view wgat they are doing as the right thing, or making actually logical points about their deeds. I won't spoil, but the latest villian managaed to surprise me somewhat. I mean, i could see what she was going to be a few chapters ahead, but her actual reasoning made sense to me.



Closing:

Whatever your doing, wherever you're getting this inspiration from, keep it up. We need more stories like this, even if RRL doesn't realize it yet.

Cheers, L.