Found: Book One of the Vinyi Chronicles

Long Way From Home

Michelle Arensen, her husband David Collins, and younger brother Phil live in a Mars colony as part of humanity�s third attempt to settle the red planet. Michelle and Phil�s mother Katherine passed away after a long battle with Alzheimer�s and Adam, their father, committed suicide four months later. That�s when Phil came to live with them. Phil is a teenager still in school and even though Michelle�s specialty is linguistics, she works in the greenhouse because everyone does their fair share of pitching in. Dr. Petra Morgan, Michelle�s co-worker, a genius in her field, works with plants doing research in advanced genetic manipulation.

While in the greenhouse one day, they experience a Marsquake and Michelle and Dr. Morgan lose consciousness. They wake up in a strange room with other people from the Mars colony who are being held prisoner by alien beings who then proceed to conduct horrifying experiments on them. One by one, they are each taken away and when it�s Michelle�s turn, she fights them off until she passes out.

Eighty years later, she ends up among another alien race, the powerful Vinyi who find her and Dr. Morgan drifting on a vessel in a cryogenic state. Michelle manages to make a new life among the Vinyi who for the most part don�t accept the idea of an inferior being living among them. All she wants is to find her way back to her family on Mars, but survival becomes her priority as her life becomes increasingly difficult. Space exploration is not easy; it takes strong people to survive the hardships that come with it. Michelle Arensen is smart, focused, and above all, resilient. Even though she dislikes Dr. Morgan, she picks up her survival skills which help her get through the tough times.

In ââ?¬Å"Found: Book One of the Vinyi Chronicles,ââ?¬Â? Lesli Weber has created a thrilling, and sometimes heartbreaking, space adventure. It follows Michelleââ?¬â?¢s journey as she navigates the dangerous politics of alien races. Sheââ?¬â?¢s a tough woman and has overcome obstacles before, but this time, with all odds against her, she must determine when itââ?¬â?¢s time to move on with her life.

The theme of space exploration drew me to this novel, and it exceeded my expectations. It starts off like most other Mars colonization stories. Michelle is cautiously optimistic that they can make this work and even though it�s not easy, everything is going as planned. From there it takes a darker tone as they�re abducted by an alien race who are anything but friendly. By the end of the third chapter, I was hooked and had so many questions. Who are these aliens? What do they want? Will they kill Michelle? I felt uneasy but had to find out more. When the seriousness of the situation begins to sink in, she feels numb and empty as she waits for the worst.

This fascinating blend of science fiction, fantasy, and adventure recounts humanity�s efforts at colonizing Mars. It ultimately puts them in danger amid the sobering reality of the vastness of the universe and in a cruel twist of fate, they end up being viewed as an inferior species by a much bigger and more powerful race. Weber�s world-building is outstanding, offering readers a detailed universe filled with diverse cultures, technologies, and complex moral dilemmas. The pacing is steady, allowing for a deep exploration of character development, especially the Vinyi characters. The heroic battles are reminiscent of the best of Star Trek, and the language is vivid and descriptive:

The glorious symphony of color in the Martian sunrise lit the sky as Michelle walked to the greenhouse.

Overall, Lesli Weberââ?¬â?¢s ââ?¬Å"Found: Book One of the Vinyi Chroniclesââ?¬Â? combines action with philosophical questions about identity, destiny, the nature of power, and the definition of ââ?¬Ë?humanityââ?¬â?¢ as experienced by non-human entities. As a social commentary, it makes us reflect on how we treat those who are different than us. Itââ?¬â?¢s an engaging and thought-provoking start to a series that promises much more. Fans of space exploration adventures and speculative fiction will find it to be an exciting and worthwhile read.

She glared back at the lead Snake. It was going to kill her, but she was damn well going to make it earn the privilege.