For a genre that I watch a lot more of than I read (I think this was actually my first book like this to read), I was just as captivated in Tellermoon as if I were watching it on tv.

There were a lot of elements that seemed familiar. The combination of the complex characters and political story lines from Battlestar Galactica, mixed with a young-crew-in-training-having-to-take-control like Starship Troopers, and layered on top of it a manipulative, self-serving evil corporation manipulating everything in the background a la Dune – is where I found myself with Tellermoon. 

Lee added his own special element to the combination by making the characters feel like real people. In addition to dealing with all the ‘space stuff,’ the crew of the Tellermoon was constantly checking their social media feeds, navigating calculating parents, getting annoyed when the wifi wasn’t working, and wondering if that boy (or alien) likes them. 

For book club, there’s a ton to unpack. Political power grabs, conspiracy theorists, imposter syndrome, and tensions between Earthlings and Thorins gives you plenty of fodder for discussion.  

Tellermoon was a quick read that pulled me in, kept me interested and left me wanting more adventures (which I hear there are more to come). The characters were fun, the story was punchy, and it made me think about how I would react if my spaceship was under attack (spoiler: probably not as well as these folks did).  

I recommend. Go buy it here!