The Bookwyrm's Review of The Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira by Lou Diamond Phillips

Author: Lou Diamond Phillips

Length: 308 Pages

Release Date: October 20, 2020

Publisher: Aethon Books

Genre: Science Fiction

Amazon Link

It's not very often you see someone who's mostly known as an actor that can also add good sci-fi author to their resume. For every William Shatner and Claudia Christian, both of who's books I love, there's ten others that took a swing based on their fame and missed. I'm glad to say that Mr. Phillips' skills developed acting, directing and screenwriting are obvious throughout the book, and he uses them to finely craft a page turner of a sci-fi adventure.

PLOT SUMMARY

Everson didn't want to be a soldier. His parents forced him to serve, as all good Indiran men should. The only problem? His first battle against their mortal enemies goes horribly wrong and he winds up stranded on the enemy planet.

Now, Everson has to survive in this strange new land where everyone is out to get him. Not to mention, the planet Mano is covered in unforgiving desert. And he's the target of traitors who want to use him in a dastardly plot to overthrow their mad king, Xander the Firm, by having him retrieve a piece of mysterious and powerful ancient technology known as the Tinderbox.

But everything changes during a chance encounter with the king's daughter, Allegra. Despite her station, she's in as grave of danger from her own people as Everson is. And though their peoples have been at odds for centuries, an unlikely spark forms between them.

As their worlds come crashing down around them, their forbidden love might be the only chance to end this war forever. Or, it might just be the doom of everyone...

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

While the plot and story are tightly paced, well thought out, and keep you turning pages wanting to know what's going to happen next, I think the characters and world building really shine brightly throughout. Everson especially is such a good character, and I mean that in multiple ways.  We see he was a callow youth, struggling to get out from under the yoke of expectation and tradition of his position, when he is suddenly thrust into a wholly new life as an unknown enlisted recruit in the Indiran Army, with the real possibility of combat down the road. He must sink or swim in a crucible he feels unprepared for, and it is this trial by fire that tempers him into the man he was meant to be. 

Allegra is also an interesting character. Sequestered by her father King Xander of Mano due to a prophecy that she potentially spells his doom, she has lived a sheltered life, longing to be free of what basically amounts to a sumptuous prison. Her story proceeds in some fascinating directions, and we get to see the true strength she has: strengths of character, intelligence, courage and will to do what she feels is right, even in the most trying of circumstances. She and Everson are actually likable, sympathetic characters, trying to deal with destiny thrust upon them. 

The secondary characters are also fully fleshed out, whether it be a simple farmer that helps the alien-to-him Everson to find an ally on Mano, to Queen Nor of Mano, seeing the potential for ruin to all that she loves, and willing to make almost any sacrifice to ensure the planets survival. The antagonists are actually quite well thought out, with more than just the usual lust for power aspirations so many villains get stuck with today. They have realistic rationales for their actions, even if they may be misguided. Definitely not the usual evil overlords laughing maniacally in their tower.

I think that the world building is incredibly creative, with a backstory that leads to the current situation in such a logical fashion. The destruction and reformation of the planet from one into two livable, but very different planets, and the disparities in technology, wealth and knowledge between the two are stark. The underlying hatred of each other based on who got to go on which of the escape ships that later returned to the two new planets set up the inevitable conflict, which only grew more heated over the years. Mano and Indira are so different, and the legends and stories try to separate the fact that they were once the same planet and the same people. Its such a good use of making the opposing side that "other" that seeks to destroy what you hold dear, with only a superficial difference between them making them the other.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I got my  review copy through Netgalley, so I have to thank the fine people there for providing it. Aethon usually has a good eye for storytellers, and in this case, its another win for them. I think this book will appeal to such a wide range of sci-fi fans, and even just to people looking for a well crafted story with characters that aren't all grimdark and shades of grey, but are sympathetic and relatable. I highly recommend you give this one a read, you won't regret it. I hope to see many more books by Mr. Phillips in the near future.