Zenith (The Androma Saga, #1) by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings | ★★★☆☆ (3.5)

As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via Edelweiss by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
The first thing you must know about Zenith is that it's fun. Pure, simple, fast paced fun--with fantastic characters and a whole lot of action. The second thing you must know, is a fact that lay in the blueprints of the beginnings of the series--Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings are a dynamic duo both on and off page.

Between the two, when story meets paper, Zenith is as unstoppable as any devoted reader could hope. It is every bits as spellbinding as any sci-fi enthusiast could hope. Both the authors and the characters found in the book command your attention instantly. In short, Zenith is the sort of novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seat in suspense and promise.

Readers who hope to find the perfect combination of angst, intrigue and an out-of-this-world cast of characters, will be satisfied with the roller coaster Zenith takes them on. In terms of science fiction, it is not easy to come by one that is wholly satisfying but Alsberg and Cummings take the genre and make something entirely their own. While there was the occasional miss and pages that felt to drag on, it was still a fun experience to flip through its pages and get lost in the spaces between.




There is so much left to explore in these characters and the rumblings of a well-developed, promising continuation of them is highly appealing. As far as first books in series go, it can be difficult to truly get into plots and characters, and while Zenith has its lackluster moments, it still manages to stand firmly on its feet and make readers want to know all they can about the characters. Surely, this is a promising start to what could be a much-beloved set of novels.

Which leads me to what I hope we can get in any sequels: 

• World-building. This is essential. There are a lot of gaps in the novel that brought down the rating a bit and made me long for more in terms of the who's, the what's and the how's of the settings. I want some history. I want some intrigue. I want so much more. 
• Further development of the characters. Because there are so many characters in Zenith, there is a space in each of them that needs desperately to be filled. They are fascinating. But, and I doubt anyone will disagree with me, there is this feeling that they are only just beginning to lay the groundwork for everyone. While I have that feeling that Alsberg and Cummings have much more up their sleeves, should they expand further, about their characters, I do wish we had a bit more to build on in this first installment. 

I understand that there is a bit of frustration targeted towards this novel and I can honestly say I don't know why. From what I gather, this is solely about Sasha Alsberg's social media presence and for that I will only say that it is quite petty for people to be targeting her for merely doing what she loves.

That being said--if Zenith is any indication of what we can expect from Alsberg in the future, with and without Cummings, we are in for a real treat. For now, I'll be patiently awaiting any sequels to further explore the dynamics of these characters, the adventures they might have and all that jazz. I had a fun time reading Zenith and would gladly pick up any sequels in the future.