In Adventurer’s Spirit speculative novel by Amanda Schmidt, cultural tensions escalate between two races: the Sunstons and the Trilumas. Caught in the middle are Alyxzandra and Jared, two people who deeply care about each other. The book starts with a horrific genocide, leaving our main character, Alyxzandra without a family and home. The heartbreaking scenes in the first chapter of Alyxzandra finding her dead family warn the reader the way forward will be an uphill struggle.
The army responsible for the death of her people endangers Alyxzandra’s life. However, she is rescued by Jared, a soldier who refuses to kill her tribe, after she saves his life. From there begins a series of adventures for Alyxzandra as the last remaining of her race, the Sunstons. The Sunstons with their teeth and large jaws are considered savages by Jared’s people, the Triluma, who seek to destroy every last one of them. The Triluma’s main aggressor is Jonah, Jared’s father, who attempts to kill Alyxzandra at every turn.
With its themes of anti-colonization, ecology, and humanity, Adventurer’s Spirit flows from one surprising revelation to another. Not all is as it appears with the Sunston people. As Alyxzandra learns more about her origins, she must decide who she is to become: a fierce defender of her world or a person who cares more for another person than herself.
The exciting plot owes a lot to the deep world-building constructed by the author. As more and more elements are revealed from Alyxzandra’s perspective, the narrative expands and the results of the choices of the characters aren’t so clear-cut. The detailed thought that went into the Sunston people and Alyxzandra’s character help to increase the stakes as the plot unfolds. As the main character, Alyxzandra is both an innocent in the ways of the world and also a fierce warrior hardened by her past. This contrast builds the reader’s investment in her plight.
The anti-colonization is not heavy-handed yet always present. As with all moral tales of this type, replacing Earth and its history with another planet allows for a more objective view on the topic. At the same time, Adventurer’s Spirit is an intensely personal novel of a wronged young woman who must make her way in a foreign world. Her desperate situation rings true as the reader discovers more and more about her and the history behind the Sunstons and the Trilumas.
The novel properly escalates the tension from beginning to end, making Alyxzandra’s situation more and more dire. Each scene builds on the one before, and the characters’ options become increasingly limited. Suspense is at an enjoyable high at the climax.
Speaking of the climax, the book may surprise some readers in the penultimate chapter. However, this review believes the risk taken by author Amanda Schmidt pays off. Nine times out of ten, going an unconventional route often leads to frustration on the reader’s part, but this time it works. The final scenes will stick in one’s memory long after the final page is turned.
While Adventurer’s Spirit is full of action-packed scenes, the novel also slows down at times. In the middle, a character “catches the reader up” on what’s going on, and a major element is introduced in the middle of the plot that plays a key role at the climax. The rest of the book is strong with the majority of scenes full of self-revelation and action. In particular, one scene in the middle of the book where Alyxzandra realizes something important when following Jared on a mission is a highlight.
Adventurer’s Spirit, an unconventional take on racial tensions on a different planet, has many important things to say about our world. With an edgy main character, a healthy respect of culture, and some excellent world-building, this novel demonstrates a willingness to take risks. And its success is to the reader’s benefit.