Book Review: Regina Shen: Resilience
Regina Shen: Resilience. Lance Erlick. Finlee Augare Book, May 4, 2015, Trade Paperback and Kindle, 241 pages.
Reviewed by Serena Wadhwa.
As a sci-fi fan, I previously reviewed other books for this author and really enjoyed his stories. If you are a sci-fi fan, chances are you will enjoy this series as much as I did.
In this first of four books, the author introduces Regina Shen, a 17-year-old female who seems like most 17-year-olds. She is clever and inquisitive, interested in boys (and maybe more so since they don’t exist on her planet), a bit rebellious, and searching for a better life for her sister and herself. As someone who is at the bottom of the “caste” system in the series—living in the swamps—Regina wants to know the reasons she and others like her cannot move up in the world, without having to sacrifice something in return.
This book provides a solid foundation to understand how the world Regina lives in was set up and how the GODS—Grand Old Dames—rule the world. Most of what the GODS designate, at least from what I gather from Regina’s perspective, has some foundation in fear.
Regina finds herself in situations where she is trying to do the right thing. Guided by a woman—whom Regina calls Mo-Mere—who treats Regina as her own and exposes Regina to the world of real books and how-things-were-before-the-GODS-took-over (the Great Collapse), Regina believes that the current world can be better for everyone. She realizes that much of what existed before—books, historical artifacts—had been destroyed by the GODS.
If you like action, this has much of that. The descriptions provided by the author are amazing. I visually had the images within my mind’s eye while reading. The book is a quick read, it’s not a complicated story, and there are a few plots to keep one’s interest.
Through the twists and turns, Regina comes face-to-face with the head Inspector, a woman pursuing Regina, as she and the GODS believe Regina holds the key to the survival of the female species. Originally, females were “produced” through a fertilization process; however, as time passed, this process began losing its efficiency. The GODS, worried about extinction, are desperate to find a solution, as eggs are no longer as viable as they once were.
In this first volume, the author introduces the main characters of this series. I enjoyed learning about each character’s personalities and their motivations. Erlick vividly portrays hints of the hierarchy of women in power and how the caste system in this futuristic world works. The reader is introduced to how harmony must be maintained at all costs.