“The Monarch Mission Files: Conspiracy” by Jenn Nixon
One of the earliest memories of my
childhood was the desire to be an astronaut. I always answered as such whenever
an adult would ask me the silly question of ‘what do you want to be when you
grow up?’. There is something to the idea of being able to escape this world, literally
and figuratively, to reach the stars and uncharted territory that makes my
spirits soar out of this atmosphere. That dream has always burned inside me and
to this day I am drawn to the skies and beyond. After reading “The Monarch Mission
Files: Conspiracy” by Jenn Nixon I’ve been able to satisfy my craving for the universe
for a little while longer.
Conspiracy
starts off on an Earth of the future, but we’re almost immediately off to a
lunar military base. From there we travel to Mars with Mari Yosoto, Trevor
Nash, and a motley crew to find the daughter of a VIP. Low and behold, the
original mission leads to the discovery of an epic secret, bringing the past
and the present on a collision course where the result is a matter of life and
death.
This story seemed right up my
alley. Nixon’s words and writing style are unassuming and simplistic, meaning
that anyone would be able to pick it up and delve right in. The plot to the
story, while showing layers upon layers of potential, could have gone deeper. Having
not read this author before I’m hesitant to suggest that this is how all her
stories flow but based on the title I’d think that this book is really just one
chapter of a longer and more impressive story to come.
The characters are endearing. Mari
is damaged but badass; Nash is the protector of all, not just the person he’s
falling in love with. Sam is a teenager with a wicked brain for tech and Kuna
is the lovable brother that we wish we all had, especially when he’s cooking
breakfast. I would like to see stronger character development with Mari and Nash’s
relationship, and not just her protesting the sharing of secrets and he being
stubbornly patient. They have to have flaws. I’d love to see how Nixon explores
their flaws in the future. I’d also like more interaction between Mari and Sam,
and maybe more of Sam’s backstory as well. This world has untapped potential
and I’d be interested in reading how the rest of the story unfolds.
