“I’m going to kill him,” Cole said, pushing up from his chair.
Molly turned to him, trying to convince herself by convincing him. “Cole, there’s only two people besides me that spelled my name that way. And both of them are dead. Do you think—?”
“Not even Lucin?”
“No, my parents would’ve taken that to the grave. And who would even care to know? It was just to avoid the xenophobia wild in those days.”
“Maybe—” Cole began, but the computer interrupted.
WHERE WERE YOU BORN, MOLLIE?_
Both of them looked at each other again. “Shouldn’t she know?” Cole asked.
Molly wasn’t listening. She was inputting the answer.
LOK_
As soon as she hit the enter key, the next question coursed across the screen.
SPECIFICALLY_
She typed, absorbed in the conversation as if it were real.
IN THE COMMONS OF A SMALL VILLAGE_
A few heartbeats elapsed… then:
WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE VILLAGE?_
“Molly? What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. Hold on a sec.”
IT DIDN’T HAVE A NAME_
Their screen went blank. Then:
MOLLIE_
The typing paused for a second, the curser flashing as if it needed to think. Then it continued:
I NEED TO ASK YOU FOR A FAVOR. A LARGE ONE. IT WILL REQUIRE A LOT OF TRUST. THERE WILL BE MANY DANGERS INVOLVED_
Molly reached over and gripped Cole’s hand in hers. She squeezed it and pecked at the keyboard with one finger, blinking away the hope that this may actually, somehow, be her mother she was conversing with.
ANYTHING_ she typed.
She pressed the enter key once more. And when the response came—Molly sobbed once, then caught her breath. She read the message over and over again, her right hand crushing Cole’s.
The words stood there in green phosphor. Impossible and promising:
I NEED YOU TO HELP ME RESCUE YOUR FATHER_
Howey’s first novel is fast-paced, combining elements of military science fiction, space opera, and even romance, to flesh out his story of a young girl becoming a woman. The excitement never lets up, and the conclusion works perfectly to wrap up the novel and leave a huge tease for the second book, 2010’s
Howey does an excellent job in a book that rarely reminds you it is a first novel, and is a wonderful example of the big boys not always having the best books. This is one not to miss. And after you read it, you will be waiting in line, along with me, for the sequel.
A charming, well-written and beautifully realized story. I loved it.
Vivid writing and fast-paced story line, Molly Fyde is a definite recommend.
The Parsona Rescue is one of the best YA sci-fi novels I’ve read the entire year. I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait for the next installment. Don’t let it pass you by! Whether you are a sci-fi fan, or simply a fan of adventure and love stories, this novel shouldn’t be missed!
Hugh crafted great worlds where anything is possible. With the way this book ended, I can’t wait to read the next installment in this series.
After ten years of traveling the world by boat, visiting islands as remote as undiscovered planets, Hugh Howey fell in love and gave up his life as a ship’s captain. Settling in the mountains of North Carolina with his lovely wife Amber and his faithful dog Jolie, he now writes about the adventures of Molly Fyde and the crew of the starship
