Light Years

Gr 7 Up—Only the best and brightest enter the prestigious Quatra Fleet Academy to be honed into a well-oiled, military machine. Because the threat from the enemy fleet is so great, the academy has opened its enrollment to include candidates from outlying colonial planets. These "Edgers" are not welcomed with open arms, and there are open acts of hatred against the new recruits. Cormak is posing as his brother Rex, who was killed in a mining accident after applying to the academy. Vesper, whose high-ranked mother has pulled strings to help grease her admission, is devastated when her scores merely place her as pilot rather than captain. Meanwhile, Arran is smitten with the appropriately named Dash, whose commander father has been quite forthright in his disapproval of including colony residents at the academy. To top it off, Orelia is a spy who has managed to infiltrate the academy to send back its coordinates to the approaching enemy. The shifting among characters, although cumbersome at first, becomes manageable over the course of this phenomenal series opener. The cast is well drawn, there are several romantic interests established, and the backstories are elaborate. Many readers will be itching for more when they finish this long volume, which merely serves as an introduction to the books to come.