Eva Pasco

5.0 out of 5 stars

A Super Sci-Fi Serving!

Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2023

Verified Purchase

Author J.S. Frankel’s ‘The Replacement’ is a super sci-fi serving of interplanetary adventure. Orphaned at the age of seventeen due to the death of his parents, with a debt of back taxes to pay, Lorne Kimbrel places an ad in the local paper, capitalizing on his skills as a part-time short-order cook. Dass, a recruiter for the Occludians, part of the Peace Federation, whisks Lorne away through a portal to Outpost Twenty-Seven on the Kallinian galaxy.

Lorne’s ability to hurl knives with accuracy becomes a lead-in for him to go on scouting missions for the purpose of resettling refugees with Miki, his soon-to-be girlfriend.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting all of the different interplanetary characters with their unique physical features. Scouts battling the Outliers symbolize standing up for what’s right to thwart evil powermongers. I especially zeroed in on Lorne’s trip back home to Tacoma, Washington with Miki in tow which garners a racist brawl.

One of the many reasons I’m an avid fan of J.S. Frankel’s novels is because of his effective jabbing at the ills perpetrated by the mob mentality inherent in any society. In the name of kindness, decency, and integrity—‘The Replacement’ is highly recommended food for thought.