Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue by Hugh Howey

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Broad Reach Publishing; 1 edition (August 22, 2009)
Kindle Edition
ASIN: B002CMLE04
Book 1 of the Molly Fyde Saga

Review by Nila E White

Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue is a story about a young woman aiming to make her mark in the Navy, but those ambitions are shattered when she’s kicked out of the Naval Academy for something she didn’t do.

Set in a future when space travel is the norm, trade between alien races is thriving, and a long-drawn out war between humanity’s sworn enemy, the Drenards, is well established, our heroine is thrown into a family mystery that will put her life on the line - several times.  We soon find out that not every corner of the star-charts is safe when Molly, along with her boyfriend Cole Mendonco, begin a journey across the galaxy to recover her father’s space ship - the Parsona.

Along the way, Molly picks up a few strays that help to fill out her thin crew, and we encounter new races with starling perspectives than our own.  The mystery of her father’s disappearance deepens as does the danger when she realizes she may be on the wrong side of the Navy’s arsenal.  At each step she takes towards recovering the only thing left to her from her parents, she encounters betrayal and corruption, slowly stripping away her trust and naivety.  She tackles each challenge with perseverance, compassion and her wits.

The first in a three part series, Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue is a fun, quick read.  Filled with lots of action, and a little bit of romance, a young adult reader transitioning to more adult material will find a lot to like, and maybe love, about this book.  Molly Fyde’s character feels real and immediate.  Her dilemma is touching, and I found myself rooting for her the entire time as she struggles with what is the right thing to do.

With that said, there were a few times during the book where I had to turn up the suspension of disbelief by a factor or two.  Our two main protagonists are in their late teens, and some of their antic would have swamped someone with far more training and experience behind them.  There were also a few times in the book where the point of view was switched in a seemingly indiscriminate manner that had me re-reading a couple of passages.

Regardless of the few faults, I completely enjoyed this book and would recommended it to anyone who likes their science fiction packed with action and a bit of mystery. 

Nila E. White, February 2012

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