MONGRELS UNITED By Tracy Cooper-Posey

I'm still smiling from having read this exciting new and much-awaited book from the Endurance series. I've loved every book, but so far I think this is one of the most exciting ones. I think the interaction between the two main characters is more involved than in previous stories and I loved every minute of it. From the very first time they the heroes see each other, the look the hero gives her from across the room and the heroine's physical reaction upon seeing him, to the romantic ending, you just can't wait for them to give in to their feelings. The discovering and unwinding of a horrendous mystery was at a great pace, keeping the readers on their toes. Unwrapped surprises just kept coming from beginning to end. As I'm reading a book I like to try and figure out who the bad guy is, and I'm usually correct. This time the author had me rethinking my guess more than once, which I love. If you've loved this series as I have, I highly recommend you read this book in this amazing series of living on a ship that is leading mankind to a new beginning, but one that will take more than several lifetimes to reach. A lifetime of hard work, political upheavals, danger, surprises, and love. If you're on the list of those who haven't read this awesome sci-fi series, I don't know what to say, except you don't know what you're missing.

Allow me to begin by saying, Cooper-Posey's premise for this entire Endurance series is pure genius. Not only does she have 5000 people on a ship set to reach a destination in 1000 years, but her books bounce around in time, to offer a unique perspective on what is happening on the ship during that particular point in time (it should be no surprise that society is evolving on the ship over time). I'm not a big fan of science fiction but I LOVE this series - and this latest installment of Mongrels United is my favorite thus far. Her created world on board the Endurance is interesting and thought-provoking - you'll thoroughly enjoy meeting her characters and seeing how they develop,

Apathy has been taking over the ship over the past years and Chief of Staff to the Captain Grady Read has been tasked with trying to discover why. Petty crime is on the rise, no one seems to care what Captain Carpenter has to say, and tankball is barely in existence. What is going on?

During her investigation, her path crosses that of Nash Hyson, bad boy extraordinaire - or so everyone seems to think. But, oddly enough, their paths merge and Grady begins to peel back the layers to Nash's background - which somehow might hold the key to the growing apathy on board the ship - and begins to see the man beneath the mask. What these two uncover is shocking and has the potential to destroy the ship. So, settle in and get comfortable, because you're going to enjoy a read full of action, suspense, romance, and intrigue - and when you're done, go back and read the other books in the series!

We continue with the history of Endurance, as always with Tracy Cooper-Posey the character creation is impeccable. Mongrels United is part of the Endurance series but can be read independently. With a good action pack and intrigue that keeps you interested throughout the book.

The construction of the world is very good, the narration allows us to feel how it would be lived in a ship that goes through space, generations have developed in the Endurance to reach their destination.
Not only the main characters but also the secondary ones have interest, which makes Mongrels United a great novel, the complete package between action and romance, is highly recommended.

I couldn't get enough of these compelling characters and their intriguing story!

The environment and characters held me completely captivated...I read this exciting story in one day (got to love a public holiday!). Life aboard the Endurance has many complexities that are well thought out and easy to follow. The tension and intrigue to the story travels beautifully in parallel with the romance blossoming between the two main characters.

The intricacies of life on the generational spaceship Endurance continue to intrigue me even after seven books, a short story and two novelettes in the series! As with other books in the series I look forward to the next instalment but appreciate that while there's continuation of the environment, the characters are new to each book because of the progression of time on the ship (100 years since the last book).

I highly recommend this book and also advocate starting the series at the prequel and reading all, in order, including the two novelettes.

I have read other books from this author but this is the first SF and first in the Endurance series. Completely worked as a stand-alone book but will be going back to read the rest of the series. Throughly enjoyed going through their relationship as they worked through what happened with Nash’s dad and couldn’t wait to figure it out.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader copy of this book.

Worldbuilding. I’m quite convinced, now; worldbuilding is the single most important factor in excellent science fiction. It’s not the only important factor, mind you, but it is the one thing that makes the most difference. Building an entirely new world is something at which this author excels, and nowhere is it more evident than in the Endurance series.

I have come late to the party, in some ways, and Mongrels United is the first book in this series that I have read. (It takes a while to learn the significance of the title, though the journey is well worth it to make the discovery. It’s important, trust me on that.) The book was so well-plotted, the characters so well-developed and — dare I say it — relatable, that I almost couldn’t tell that I was stepping into the latter parts of a lengthy series. That, in itself, is a gift from the author: I was welcomed, even though I hadn’t arrived at the beginning.

The Endurance, a generational ship that was built in space and has now been traveling toward its final destination for over 600 years, is as much a character as the people who are its passengers. As the plot progresses, the Endurance becomes a living, breathing character of its own, and the story of the ship marches alongside the stories of the captain’s chief of staff, her friends, and the discoveries they make as they attempt to find a solution to an ever-deepening problem. The world of the Endurance is deeply multi-textured and the detail of the everyday lives of its 5,000 inhabitants (not more, not fewer) is astonishing. One of my favorite moments in the book is an excellent example of this exquisite attention to detail. Grady, the chief of staff, shows us her writing box. Inside were items we would recognize: a pad of paper and a pen. Nash, who she is interviewing, is out of his depth. He guesses that it’s paper, though he has never seen any before. The pen is confusing, and when she writes he can’t read it and thinks she must be writing in some kind of code. He can read her printing, with some effort, since it doesn’t look exactly like text on a screen. But, Nash wonders, why has she learned how to do something so unnecessary? Grady answers in one of my favorite moments of the book: “My father learned of theories that the physical act of writing makes learning more thorough and efficient. The hand-eye coordination is part of it. To write out something yourself makes the words stick in your memory.” (Truer words...)

I highly recommend Mongrels United. It’s an exciting story with all shades of emotions, a mystery (that I did not solve, which doesn’t happen often these days), a romance, and so many intriguing details that you will enjoy discovering for yourself. How to name children when they are assigned to you, rather than being born to you? There’s an answer for that, and it’s a marvelously inventive one. What about food, clothing, furnishings, education, entertainment, transportation, maintenance, and all of the other thousand-and-one details of life? There are answers for all of those, too, and it’s a fascinating ride. Dive right in! I did, and it was a great read. I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh,yes. In addition — for those sticklers out there like me, and I know there are some — I abhor bad spelling, usage of the wrong words and, most of all, the misuse of homophones – those pesky words that sound alike but do not mean the same thing. I’m happy to note that all I found in this book was a handful of typos and nothing else on my bad list. The fun factor in reading this book was much higher because of this.

These stories are definitely a “level above”. They are clever and engaging,with each detail having a special importance. You must pay attention as you read - and it is well worth it!

The endurance is a self-contained ship on a 1,000 year journey. Keeping the “balance” in this closed system is a key component. Events in earlier stories have upset that crucial balance, and one historical issue is coming back around to impact today’s ship.

Politics, tank ball, an intricate ecosystem, brilliant characters, and the drive to save the ship combine into a fascinating continuation of this stellar series.

Mongrels United (The Endurance series) by Tracy Cooper-Posey, is number 7.0 in the sequence, set about 100 years after the previous story, Skinwalker’s Bane. It’s ship year 735, as the Endurance continues its voyage to a place called “Destination”. Each story in the series contemplates a shift in the society, told through the events shaping those people as they hurtle through space. Grady Read is the Chief of Staff for the captain of the ship; Nash Hyson is the black sheep of the ship, with his fingers in every imaginable and unsavory pie. When Bellish, a hellish drug, resurfaces, Grady and Nash join forces to uncover those behind the insidious, highly-addictive, and ultimately, terminal to use, drug, secrets are revealed and a relationship born. A wonderful and creative series, just as I always expect from Cooper-Posey. Looking forward to the next installment.