Review: Slip Point by Karalynn Lee

Title: Slip Point
Author: Karalynn Lee
Genre: Science Fiction
Heat Index: 3 out of 5
Release Date: November 7th, 2011
Word/Page Count: 35,000 words
Format: NetGalley

From childhood, Shay had one dream—to join the Space Corps with her best friend and sweetheart, Jayce. When the Space Corps reveals that the father she thought was dead is actually an infamous pirate and rejects her application, the dream dies and she leaves the planet without saying a word to Jayce.

Ten years later, Shay is a pirate herself. She captains her own ship and has earned a reputation as one of the slipperiest pilots around. That's why she's recruited for a dangerous secret government mission. But the cargo she's assigned to smuggle turns out to be a woman with a government bodyguard—Jayce.

Jayce never thought he'd see Shay again, and when the mission forces them together on her ship, he isn't sure he can forgive her for deserting him; but their desire for each other is stronger than ever. Jayce knows he wants to be with Shay, but how can he trust a woman who's both a pirate and the girl who broke his heart?

Arai's Review:

Slip Point introduces us to a futuristic society set in space. Jace and Shayalin met as children on an "homesteader" planet, which would be somewhat similar to the space-age equivalent of the Amish. Our two main characters bond over mutual love of space and ships, both planning on leaving the planet once they're of age to join the Corp and become pilots. However, while Jace is accepted, Shay is denied based on the fact that her father, whom Shay thought to be dead, is a very much alive pirate.

At this point, I do have an issue with the storyline. I felt that it was a little off for Shay to virtually disappear the way she did, without a word to Jace about any of the events that transpired. Granted, her thoughts during this event are later explored, but by that point, I wasn't as willing to give her sympathy for the situation she was in. I wish there would have been more of a push to explain her feelings and behavior initially, especially since I felt there were too many open-ended options for her to blindly follow this one. For me, this was a bit of a weak spot in the story.

Shay decides to track down her pirate father and, with a bit of resourcefulness, manages to convince him to take her on as a protege. Ten years later, Shay inadvertently meets up with Jace when her father arranges for her to take the wife of a government official off planet and through a barricade. Anger, action, and reuniting smut commences.

Slip Point is a great quick read but it unfortunately falls into one of my pet peeves with short-stories; I want more. I want more about the universe and about the people. I don't want it in another book or as part of a series. I want more information about the universe/characters as it pertains to the events that are currently happening. I would have liked to see more about the slip points, the spokes, the years that Shay spent with her pirate father, and the compass that she uses to navigate. Granted, we have enough to make the story work so you're not lost or confused, but there are times where you feel shorted, that you could have gained much more from that exchange.

It's obvious from the detail that Karalynn Lee put in the book that she has a very well-thought out and and rich universe but we only get to see a very small glimpse of it in short story. Lee has the world-building and talent to give us a 300+ novel and leave us still wanting more. It's something I hope she does in the future. In the meantime, I definitely plan to check out her other short stories; if they have as interesting a universe as this one, it's well worth the read.