Assessment:
Plot/Idea: In Catanzarite’s tightly written sci-fi story, Earth is struggling with a division between human inhabitants and the genetically engineered clones living alongside them. While all the power rests with the non-human Jovian royal family, the ones responsible for creating the clones, there’s cracks appearing in their relationships, and the upheaval on Earth may be just a hint of the trouble to come.
Prose: The novel’s creative worldbuilding, in which clones—though technologically superior—are considered second-class citizens, is striking, and Catanzarite writes polished prose that makes this elaborate sci-fi easy to follow.
Originality: Catanzarite laces the story’s intensity with character-driven moments that spark musings on the human side of AI, as well as elicit fears of their potential to take over, making this imaginative plot distinctly unique.
Character/Execution: The book’s characters are solid and relatable. There’s Evander, a Jovian-human hybrid who promised his mother he’d do his best to protect the human race, Fran, a human security leader who senses changes are afoot, and various members of the Jovian royal family, all of whom are forced to navigate the looming danger and unrest. The Jovians, for the most part, are calm and methodical, in a chilling way that skillfully highlights their detachment from humans, though the changes brewing for Earth and other planets foreshadow potentially devastating consequences for all involved.
Date Submitted: April 18, 2023
STARRED REVIEW
Bright Blue Planet
Kim Catanzarite
Forster Publishing, 253 pages, (ebook) $4.99, 978173592246 (Reviewed: April 2023)
Bright Blue Planet is the third novel in Kim Catanzarite’s captivating science fiction series featuring protagonist Evander Peterman of the wealthy, mysterious Jovian family.
This installment, told in third person, is the first not narrated by Evander Peterman’s mother, Svetlana. The story picks up more than 10 years after the last. While readers can benefit from reading the previous books, They Will Be Coming for Us and Jovian Son, this story can stand alone: The situation is set up quickly, the characters and backstories introduced smoothly, and the narrative immediately embraces readers effortlessly.
Since the previous novel, Evander was elected U.S. president. He was so popular and effective— bringing world peace and solving pressing problems such as climate change— the Constitution was changed so he could serve an unprecedented third term.
Now, he’s out of office and living with his wife and children (and a Secret Service detail) in the small Pennsylvania town where the Jovian family’s aerospace corporation, Starbright International, is headquartered. The Jovians are actually a race of aliens from Jupiter who have watched over humans to care for the Earth. Evander is the first Jovian-human hybrid and has special abilities to connect with people, in addition to the Jovian ability to communicate telepathically.
This time, he finds himself facing a crisis between humans and clones who have been relegated to second-class citizens in low-paying, expendable roles as police, security and front-line personnel. As the clones seek to choose their own lives, clashes with humans are inevitable. The drama also involves Jovian family dynamics and a former FBI agent from earlier books who now is part of Starbright’s security force.
Catanzarite is a fine storyteller who engages readers with clear, direct writing and believable dialogue. She’s built a credible Jovian universe and populated it with characters she knows through- and-through, which helps readers feel comfortable with and look forward to every step of the ongoing saga.
Fans will be thrilled to learn that the story’s ending indicates another installment will follow.
