Science Fiction Review

The Sentient Advantage
by Chris Pugmire
ISBN-10: 1595261400
review by Heather Froeschl

Having grown up watching the original Star Trek shows I have a soft spot for light science fiction. Chris Pugmire's "The Sentient Advantage" offers a light speed ride full of action, romance, humor and telekinetic ability. It is a fun read that will keep you turning pages in between looking up at the sky in wonder at what it really out there.

Kayla meets Jaros in an ordinary sort of way when she rents him a room in her house. Save for the way in which Jaros enters the story to start with, by falling from the sky and landing in the ocean, the strangeness begins as he runs to her aid in the night as she screams from nightmares that haunt her. But he runs to her before she starts screaming and the nightmares turn out to be foreshadowing of a very real danger. Stranger still is the uncanny pull toward each other, almost as if they were destined to be together.

But Jaros has no memory of his life and it turns out he isn't supposed to. When the two escape from the Gronch after blowing up Kayla's house and then find themselves facing down the enemy while floating in space, Jaros expresses his feelings. Not long after that they both awake inside of another ship. They've been rescued and are right where they need to be, for the time being. Jaros takes a memory unblocker pill and remembers who he is. Meanwhile Kayla is given lessons in telepathy and telekinesis.

From there the story gets active with the threat of intergalactic war and the picture becomes clearer as Kayla is told about the colony of Alceron. It seems that many of the Earth's UFO sightings and abductions were likely due to this colonization and the desire to build an army of humanoids with telekinetic powers. All in the process of protecting the planet of course, from the Gronch. Will the war be a huge loss for Alceron and Prince Jaros? Will Kayla discover why she is so drawn to this man? Will the Earth be in danger as our evolution in technology and telepathic abilities develop?

Chris Pugmire has written a delicious bit of entertaining Sci Fi. One can't help but compare it positively to the wit and delight of watching classic Start Trek and rooting for one's favorite characters. The use of technology is at a perfect level. Who doesn't like a good house computer that will clean, turn down lights and cook, albeit badly? The mixture of adventure, action, fun, romance, mystery and intrigue all roll up into a very good read.