I received an ARC of this book from the author. Thank you, Rex. My review is honest, and my opinions are my own.
‘Hide and Seek’ is the second book in Burke’s ‘Star Runners’ series and begins where the previous book left off, with our heroic crew hiding out on a remote farm on Kallax. The boy, Sol, who they rescued in book 1, is with them, learning how to play and act like a kid among the family of Dix’s old sergeant, Sarge, after many years living as a bioweapon and test subject. Sol must remain hidden from the monks of planet Hauga, who are on his trail and show up on Kallax looking for him. The crew, Dix, Drake, Alard, and Vaskez, have become tight-knit during the escapades of book one and their current exile. They are picking up work here and there, and one such job leads to their getting to know Jindar, a nerdy tech wizard whose skills are really unbelievable and extremely useful in the latter part of the book.
The crew gets caught up in a smuggling and human trafficking operation and has to use everything available to them to attempt to steal a ship from the bad guys and eventually get off Kallax. I was a little unsure whether this was a wise decision, as they had been taken to Kallax and had their identities stripped from them for their own safety. Reentering space-society will definitely be fraught with danger, and I can’t wait for the next book to see exactly what that will look like!
The character of Sol is adorable in this book. He has become assimilated into farm life enough that he no longer seems completely robotic and alien, learning from the two children, Fent and Karey, how to play and live like a child. However, he still has a lot to learn, and his remarks and mannerisms are often hilarious.
Jindar was a fabulous addition to the cast. His tech wizardry knows no bounds. He is a trustworthy and nice guy, but willing to steal money from the accounts of his big bad boss, Lox Wessel, particularly when it will help those wronged by Wessel. I hoped he would become a permanent crew member and leave Kallax with the others at the end. With Wessel in deep trouble with the Axis, I think he is going to be out of a job now.
‘Hide and Seek’ has all the elements needed to be a really gripping and entertaining read. The book has plenty of action with a spaceship heist, a rescue from a hospital, a motorbike chase with Jindar manipulating the traffic management system, bar fights and more! There is also plenty of heart. This crew have grown close, and they each really care for Sol. The ‘Star Runners’ series is going from strength to strength, and I look forward to reading more of this motley crew’s adventures!
Author: Sue
