Heather’s Bookshelf: Last Star Standing
Author: Spaulding Taylor
Released: 02/18/21
Genre: Dystopian SciFi
“—Even though I’m supposed to have a complex. I don’t suppose you could explain this so-called complex, in words of one syllable?
—It’s called a Messiah complex. Basically, people who have i feel that it’s up to them to save the world. Although psychologists quite often disagree about-
—But what if they really can do something to help the world? What if this might really be my time?
—I suspect that most people would probably take that as confirmation of the diagnosis.”
“Last Star Standing” begins in the not-so-distant-future after WWIII and after an alien invasion. The aliens, or Xirfell, essentially sweep through the Earth and eradicate a majority of the humans. A few survive, including Aidan, a self-proclaimed genius and member of the rebellion.
Aidan has been captured, tortured, and interrogated by the Xirfell King and his designated minions. One such interrogator happens to be the King’s daughter and Aidan’s ex-girlfriend, Ravene. Aidan’s past with his ex, how he became a part of the resistance, and how he was able to survive the invasion are all revealed throughout the story as well as through flashbacks of previous events. The intertwining relationships and backgrounds push the story forward while providing an element of mystery as to true motivations and who should be trusted.
Trigger Warning: violence, sexual situations, adult language
Overall, I enjoyed this story. Aidan, as a main character, is entertaining, sarcastic, driven, and absolutely flawed. He manages to get himself into and out of situations through sheer will, luck, and arrogance and I loved that. He’s accused of having a Messiah complex, to which he answers completely with his ego- see full quote above. It sums up a chunk of his personality nicely. I also really enjoyed the scifi elements in this story including the DNA tech and many of the species or creatures (like MF or the creature). I found them creative and different from those in other stories that I have read or watched before. The story lost me a little bit half way through. I felt that it didn’t have the same tension as the beginning and in that it lost a little of what propelled the tale forward. The ending rebounded a bit to both tie things together while leaving it open enough for a sequel. I would like to read more in the future about Aidan and his adventures to save the world.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A dystopian tale with a strong and memorable protagonist that starts out strong, tapers in the middle, and then rebounds by the end.
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