Author: Alechia Dow
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Released: January 4, 2022
Received: NetGalley
Warnings: Body shaming, war, poverty, captivity, mind control, torture

The Kindred is Alechia Dow’s latest novel, and I have been hearing SO much about it. I just knew that I had to give it a try. Okay, I’ll confess that the title also caught my attention.

A galactic kingdom took drastic measures to prevent a revolution – they ensured that every person, regardless of wealth and class, was heard. They did so by creating mind-pairings, where every person has a mind-linked partner.

Joy Abara and Felix Hamdi are one such pair. They have never met in person and have very little in common. Unless you count their connection, of course. Yet events are about to spiral in such a way where their meeting is inevitable – as they will have to work together to survive.

“I love her with every part of my body, soul, mind, and molecules.”

I’m struggling to find words for how The Kindred made me feel. On the one hand, I enjoyed it. On the other hand, I feel like the concept could have been pushed even further. Maybe that’s just me?

I absolutely adore that The Kindred merged romance with science fiction. I’m a sucker for that combination if I’m being honest. I also love the LGBT rep that was included and many other elements (including the mind-pairing concept).

I think part of the problem is that I didn’t read The Sound of Stars (it’s on my TBR list!), and while The Kindred isn’t technically a sequel to it, it is very clearly based in the same universe. So I’m reasonably confident that I missed out on a fair amount of nuance and worldbuilding. I will have to go back and read The Sound of Stars ASAP so I can better appreciate The Kindred.

Interestingly, it does feel like The Kindred is more like two books. The first part of the book has heavier science fiction elements and lots of creative worldbuilding decisions. Then there’s a sudden shift, creating a sharp transition to something that leaned more romantic and contemporary. I’m not complaining here – just noting how quickly it shifted. Overall, I think I liked the first part more, but that is just my love for science fiction speaking.

Thanks to Inkyard Press and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.