The Bretton Katt Alliance

Margaret Garside
Outskirts Press (2007)
ISBN 9781598009255
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (6/08) 


The year is 2441 and Anna Helsak, the Chancellor of the Bowman pact, allies herself with her old enemies while breaking the old alliance with her father’s people, the Neorans. Although she’s been warned that the new alliance will bring discord to both her family and her country, not to mention her race, Anna persists in her endeavors – much to the chagrin and disbelief of her closest friends and family. Her motive is not disclosed – at least not in this, first installment in the Lorrondon Cycle.

Quite captivating, but oftentimes slow-moving and rather confusing, the story Margaret Garside weaves in ”The Bretton Katt Alliance” is not your standard science-fiction fare. Although there are space-ships, aliens and gizmos galore, the focus tends to be more on the political machinations and family dynamics than on the warfare, weaponry and battles. At the same time alien and strangely familiar, the life on Bowman IV is shattered by an unlikely and very unexpected decision made by Anna Helsak, a decision that tears her family apart and even in this first book demands numerous victims. Interesting interactions, both within her colorful family and the threatened independent city of Bretton Katt, draw the reader in quickly, yet the story does not move forward enough nor fast enough for my liking. The great number of characters is confusing enough without the habit of addressing the same character in several different ways and by several different nicknames. While “The People” section at the beginning of the book helps to some degree, it is rather tedious to have to go back to it so often to try and straighten out the “who’s who and what to whom” logistics.

Another jarring note in an otherwise pleasant composition was lack of editing and proofreading. While some of the mistakes are quite cute (a naval orange definitely brings to mind a dashing navy uniform on an orange and the wind glasses must be useful for catching some of the breezes at the party…), relying on a spellchecker usually does not guarantee professional results.  

I’ve enjoyed “The Bretton Katt Alliance” quite a bit more than I’ve expected based on the synopsis found on the back cover, both for the competent writing and interesting storyline offered by Margaret Garside. If the story becomes a bit more streamlined in the next installments and if more secrets are revealed, I think this series just might grow on me considerably. Intelligent and engaging, this is science-fiction for those who look for more than just gadgets and strange looking aliens; and if you like family sagas, this book should be a must on your summer reading list.

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