Author: Jenn Burke and Kelly Jensen
Publisher: Carina Press
Pages/Word Count: 216 Pages
At a Glance: The best book in the Chaos Station series yet!
Reviewed By: Jennifer
Blurb: Zander and Felix’s relationship has been to the brink and back: the Human-Stin War, imprisonment and an actual death/resurrection. Zander’s death, to be specific, and the experience has left him…changed. The mysterious race known as the Guardians chose to revive him and appointed him as their emissary. A high honor, but he could do without the group of would-be cultists following him around the galaxy.
When a recently discovered species destroys a stin probe, Zander’s new role soon commands all of his time and focus. The human ambassador—Felix’s ex-lover, much to Zander’s annoyance—pulls them into strategy talks aimed at preserving galactic peace. Soon everyone is relying on Zander’s Guardian tech to telepathically communicate with the strange aliens.
Only Felix seems concerned with the strain piling up on Zander, but he has his own resolve tested when the very stin that imprisoned him show up to a summit. Zander and Felix will both have to find a way to face their doubts and preserve their love—while preventing another galaxy-wide war.
Review: Over the course of the last four books in the Chaos Station series, I have discovered Jenn Burke and Kelly Jensen like to rip out your beating heart, stomp all over it, patch it up, and then mercilessly shove it back into your chest with a Band-Aid to patch it up. And yet, the pain is so beautiful and good. While the angst wasn’t nearly as high as in the second and even third book, it’s still there, and part of me wants to slap Zed and Flick, but the other part wants to just cuddle them and keep them in a safe bubble forever.
Following the events of the third book, the galaxy is awaiting the arrival of a fourth species to the Hub. As the emissary to the Guardians, Zed is expected to be there to help communicate with them, but how will he accomplish this? To make matters more difficult, Flick’s ex, Theo, is the human ambassador, and the two quickly fall back into an easy friendship, which sends Zed into a jealous spiral. When one disaster after another threaten not only the peace of the galaxy but their lives, will Zed and Flick be able to hold on to each other? Or are they not meant to be together after all?
This book is my favorite of the series. And I know I likely say that every time, but honestly, the books just keep getting better, and I cannot wait to see what these talented authors have in store for the final (NO!) book in the series, Phase Shift. This book is filled with even more character development, more heart-wrenching moments, and awesome new aliens who just immediately make you happy, as if they are also communicating with you.
This new species is fascinating, and I don’t want to give too much away, because the initial introduction to them is just fascinating. They are completely unlike the other species already at the Hub: humans, ashushk, and stin. And yet, because of the Guardians, Zed is able to communicate with them. They seem peaceful enough, so that must be good for the humans and ashushk, right? I wish I could talk more about them, but it would give away critical information, so instead I’ll talk about my love for Qek and how it continues to grow with every book. She’s so fascinating to watch navigate the human world. And then there’s Zed and Flick. Their love for each other just deepens no matter what is tossed their way, even when all seems lost, they refuse to give up on each other. It tugs on the heartstrings and makes you pray for a happy ending.
Of course the book is tense. The stin are back to negotiate with the new species, and one of them is Flick’s former captor. This sends Zed into a tailspin. Between playing interpreter and trying to help Flick, he can barely catch a break, and this causes him to deteriorate to a degree. It doesn’t help matters when he sees Theo touching Flick or sharing secret smiles. I mean, really, Zed, have you two not learned anything over the course of the last three books? Trust him!
If you’re new to the series, I highly recommend going back to the first book and reading through, because events from the others are referenced in this one, and it would be a shame to miss anything. The series is truly great if you’re a sci-fi fan. Burke and Jensen have created a universe filled with fascinating species and technology, and it’s a place that I would like to live.
If it were stin free, at least.
You can buy Inversion Point here:
The Novel Approach Reviews 
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