What do you think?
Rate this book
The Legacy Chronicles #2
Strength
First she has to fight to adopt her son; then she has to fight to keep him.
Reemah is a Ra’hos. She has led a life of privilege and luxury, flouting the rules to suit her every whim. Now she must face the consequences of breaking those rules to save a human infant. What will her father demand in return for allowing her latest, most reprehensible, disobedience?
Mahsan has grown up in a world where he doesn’t belong—always alone, always less than his peers. He longs for a place to fit in, a place to be himself. Can discovering the truth about his past hold the key to his future happiness?
Amidst court intrigue and deadly plots, will one mother and son out-manoeuvre unseen enemies to stay together, or will rash decisions tear them apart?
Reemah is a Ra’hos. She has led a life of privilege and luxury, flouting the rules to suit her every whim. Now she must face the consequences of breaking those rules to save a human infant. What will her father demand in return for allowing her latest, most reprehensible, disobedience?
Mahsan has grown up in a world where he doesn’t belong—always alone, always less than his peers. He longs for a place to fit in, a place to be himself. Can discovering the truth about his past hold the key to his future happiness?
Amidst court intrigue and deadly plots, will one mother and son out-manoeuvre unseen enemies to stay together, or will rash decisions tear them apart?
- GenresScience Fiction
265 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 27, 2019
1 person is currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Lauren H. Salisbury
14 books62 followersLauren H Salisbury writes science fiction and fantasy stories about courage, love, and redemption. She includes all kinds of relationships in her novels but loves a good found family trope when she comes across one.
When she's not engrossed in fictional worlds, she enjoys crafting, nature, food, and sleep. She lives in Yorkshire, England with her husband and a rampant cheese plant but tries to follow the sunshine south in winter.
A one-time avid collector of physical books, she made the switch to an e-reader when she discovered they could hold far more than one large suitcase. Her only complaint about them is that they're no good for taking bookish pictures.
To find out more, go to laurenhsalisbury.com
Happy reading!
When she's not engrossed in fictional worlds, she enjoys crafting, nature, food, and sleep. She lives in Yorkshire, England with her husband and a rampant cheese plant but tries to follow the sunshine south in winter.
A one-time avid collector of physical books, she made the switch to an e-reader when she discovered they could hold far more than one large suitcase. Her only complaint about them is that they're no good for taking bookish pictures.
To find out more, go to laurenhsalisbury.com
Happy reading!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 5, 2019
I loved this story. It reminded me of the Biblical story of Moses while pulling me into an alternate universe - that of an Esarelian Space cruiser.
Mahsan, a human from the slave colony on the planet of U’du is the adopted son of Reemah, an Esarelian princess.
Reemah’s father Ashal had ordered the children on U’du to be killed, but the human baby was found and saved by Reemah. Ashal was against the unsanctioned adoption, but Reemah was a really strong character who stood up to him, her mother and the other disapproving people on the cruiser.
The world building was great, although the characters seemed all too human when it came to the rejection and bullying that Mahsan experienced.
There are three other people on Mahsan’s side – his mother’s friends Selah and Velay, and Lorith the Na’hor – the Military Commander who acts as a mentor to Mahsan, his top pilot cadet.
I liked the realistic portrayal of the characters. The Esarelians don’t show their emotions but Reemah’s warmth shines through.
Another thing I liked was how the life in space on the cruiser was described. One of my favourite scenes was the Lumbul fish exhibit in the Wildlife suite, where Mahsan watched a smaller Lumbul Fish retreat with it’s light dimmed after it was nipped and attacked by the bigger fish.
Mahsan had sympathy for the little fish - he understood being the underdog, and despite his love for his mother he felt out of his element on the ship. It became clear he did not have a future with the Eseralians.
Things build to a climax and Mahsan has to make a choice.
I don’t normally read this genre, but if I can find Sci-Fi books this good I want to read more of them. And it did get me thinking about the story of Moses. I will be reading Endurance, the next book in the series.
I don’t know how the Humans ended up in slavery but I hope to find out in the sequel.
There’s also a love interest with Lorith’s interest in Reemah and I am looking forward to seeing what happens with those two.
I recommend this book to lovers of good fiction - you don't have to be a Sci-Fi fan to enjoy this.
Mahsan, a human from the slave colony on the planet of U’du is the adopted son of Reemah, an Esarelian princess.
Reemah’s father Ashal had ordered the children on U’du to be killed, but the human baby was found and saved by Reemah. Ashal was against the unsanctioned adoption, but Reemah was a really strong character who stood up to him, her mother and the other disapproving people on the cruiser.
The world building was great, although the characters seemed all too human when it came to the rejection and bullying that Mahsan experienced.
There are three other people on Mahsan’s side – his mother’s friends Selah and Velay, and Lorith the Na’hor – the Military Commander who acts as a mentor to Mahsan, his top pilot cadet.
I liked the realistic portrayal of the characters. The Esarelians don’t show their emotions but Reemah’s warmth shines through.
Another thing I liked was how the life in space on the cruiser was described. One of my favourite scenes was the Lumbul fish exhibit in the Wildlife suite, where Mahsan watched a smaller Lumbul Fish retreat with it’s light dimmed after it was nipped and attacked by the bigger fish.
Mahsan had sympathy for the little fish - he understood being the underdog, and despite his love for his mother he felt out of his element on the ship. It became clear he did not have a future with the Eseralians.
Things build to a climax and Mahsan has to make a choice.
I don’t normally read this genre, but if I can find Sci-Fi books this good I want to read more of them. And it did get me thinking about the story of Moses. I will be reading Endurance, the next book in the series.
I don’t know how the Humans ended up in slavery but I hope to find out in the sequel.
There’s also a love interest with Lorith’s interest in Reemah and I am looking forward to seeing what happens with those two.
I recommend this book to lovers of good fiction - you don't have to be a Sci-Fi fan to enjoy this.
June 26, 2019
Lauren Salisbury’s Strength, which is Book 2 in her Legacy Chronicles series, was thoroughly enjoyable to read; I received a free copy from the author in order to participate in a Review Session on Goodreads. I hadn’t read the other books in this series, but I was able to jump right in and discover the world and characters she developed. The main setting is a space ship from which war vessels travel the solar system, and to which different alien races travel for trade and political purposes. The time stamp at the beginning of each chapter is puzzling, but it is accompanied by a description of where the action is to take place, which was a nice touch and helped moved the story along. Ms. Salisbury’s characters are varied and well developed, with good guys and bad guys, bullies, friends, potential suitors, spouses, half-breeds, and next generation relationships that make the story compelling. I especially enjoyed the budding attraction between Lorith and Reemah, which I hope will be developed into a sequel. If not, I will be very disappointed!
Universal themes include social inequality, genocide, parenting, coming of age and romance, faith, betrayal and rebellion, prompting the reader to consider their own beliefs. The outline based upon the life of Moses is faint, but recognizable even though it is projected into another time and place. Overall, this was a great story!
Universal themes include social inequality, genocide, parenting, coming of age and romance, faith, betrayal and rebellion, prompting the reader to consider their own beliefs. The outline based upon the life of Moses is faint, but recognizable even though it is projected into another time and place. Overall, this was a great story!
May 27, 2019
Mahsen’s story continues as Ra’hos Reemah, First Daughter of the Esarelian Empire is finally able to bring her adopted human son aboard the cruiser where she lives. As expected, the full-blooded Esarelians are less than pleased with her decision to adopt a slave child who should have died in a culling. Her father, the Na’hor, ruler of the empire, allows her to keep the child only if Reemah fulfills certain obligations. To keep her son, Reemah agrees.
The bulk of the story takes place when Mahsen is sixteen. He has been bullied by his classmates and ostracized by most of the others on the cruiser his entire life. Still, he hasn’t given up and works hard to gain acceptance. One of the things I especially enjoyed while reading Strength was the development of the bond between Reemah and Mahsen. Their mutual love and respect is portrayed so well it pulled me even further into the story and made Reemah’s actions to protect her adopted son feel natural and admirable.
Ms. Salisbury’s attention to detail in her worldbuilding is excellent. From the scientific details to the arrogance and superior attitudes of the Esarelians, from the exotic plants to the other races of aliens, everything rang true. Though this is a Moses retelling, this story takes on a life of its own. And though it isn’t overt, there are hints of a higher power working throughout the action that I greatly appreciated. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Strength. I think it is my favorite in the series so far. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Science Fiction as well as those who enjoy creative Bible retellings.
The bulk of the story takes place when Mahsen is sixteen. He has been bullied by his classmates and ostracized by most of the others on the cruiser his entire life. Still, he hasn’t given up and works hard to gain acceptance. One of the things I especially enjoyed while reading Strength was the development of the bond between Reemah and Mahsen. Their mutual love and respect is portrayed so well it pulled me even further into the story and made Reemah’s actions to protect her adopted son feel natural and admirable.
Ms. Salisbury’s attention to detail in her worldbuilding is excellent. From the scientific details to the arrogance and superior attitudes of the Esarelians, from the exotic plants to the other races of aliens, everything rang true. Though this is a Moses retelling, this story takes on a life of its own. And though it isn’t overt, there are hints of a higher power working throughout the action that I greatly appreciated. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Strength. I think it is my favorite in the series so far. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Science Fiction as well as those who enjoy creative Bible retellings.
April 10, 2019
Strength by Lauren H. Salisbury is part two in her literary saga that is loosely based on the Biblical life of Moses. The characters, settings, and even the plot are completely reimagined and a reader could easily read Strength and never know it was based on a Bible story. Probably the most peculiar thing about this book, and what attracted me to it in the first place, is that it has been turned into science fiction.
Strength picks up with Mahsan (the representation of Moses) as a teenage boy living on an enormous space cruiser with his adopted mother, the Ra’hos Reemah, and a host of other Esarelian aliens. The fact that Mahsan is a human has made life among the superior alien race very difficult for the boy and his mother. He is treated like an outcast and it leads him to dream of going to the planet where he was born so he can learn what other humans are like. His mother warns him to never act on that dream, but pressure from some of the more prideful Esarelians pushes him to his limit and he takes a step that he would later regret.
Ms. Salisbury has created an alien race of beings that is very complex and intriguing, to say the least. There are aliens who are royalty, politicians, scientists, and military, all maneuvering and plotting to get their needs met above all others. Her characters are interesting and all are colorful in their own particular way. Whereas part one in the series, Courage, focused mostly on the humans who brought Mahsan into the world and protected him, Strength turns the spotlight onto his adopted mother Reemah, her friends, family, and enemies. Ms. Salisbury is particularly skilled at capturing the interplay between characters and describing their innermost thoughts and motivations. The fact that this book is a science fiction reimaging of the story of Moses is like icing on the cake for me. However, readers who are not familiar with the story of Moses and do not like sci-fi will still find much to love in Strength. At its core, this book is a well-written, character-driven story full of political intrigue, family bonds, action, and romance.
Strength picks up with Mahsan (the representation of Moses) as a teenage boy living on an enormous space cruiser with his adopted mother, the Ra’hos Reemah, and a host of other Esarelian aliens. The fact that Mahsan is a human has made life among the superior alien race very difficult for the boy and his mother. He is treated like an outcast and it leads him to dream of going to the planet where he was born so he can learn what other humans are like. His mother warns him to never act on that dream, but pressure from some of the more prideful Esarelians pushes him to his limit and he takes a step that he would later regret.
Ms. Salisbury has created an alien race of beings that is very complex and intriguing, to say the least. There are aliens who are royalty, politicians, scientists, and military, all maneuvering and plotting to get their needs met above all others. Her characters are interesting and all are colorful in their own particular way. Whereas part one in the series, Courage, focused mostly on the humans who brought Mahsan into the world and protected him, Strength turns the spotlight onto his adopted mother Reemah, her friends, family, and enemies. Ms. Salisbury is particularly skilled at capturing the interplay between characters and describing their innermost thoughts and motivations. The fact that this book is a science fiction reimaging of the story of Moses is like icing on the cake for me. However, readers who are not familiar with the story of Moses and do not like sci-fi will still find much to love in Strength. At its core, this book is a well-written, character-driven story full of political intrigue, family bonds, action, and romance.
November 30, 2019
This book is really great! After reading the first book and the supplemental novella, I had difficulty reading this book because it is mainly about Reemah, a character who wasn't my favorite, from her previous books. However, after putting this book down for a few months, I was able to read it without my prior reservations. On its own, the book shines as science fiction with political intrigue, slow-build romance, and an emotional journey well-worth reading. Even though Reemah and Lorith weren't my favorite characters in the prior books, I fell in love with them as I continued to read. I did like them in previous books, but in this book, they really showed their depth. I also connected the hints from the previous books with this one and was happy to see them all come together. I can't wait to read the sequel!
April 29, 2019
There is so much going on in this book. An adopted teenager struggling with his identity, a mother trying to protect her son in an elite society where he is obviously different, political intrigue as key players jostle for position. Although Ms Salisbury has chosen to set this series in a science fiction setting it resonates so well with the situations found in any society. The characters are believable, the plot masterfully woven and some interesting twists that I didn't see coming. I was anticipating finding out how the Moses story would be woven into this retelling and I wasn't disappointed.
June 2, 2021
Ok, so this book. I'm all set to start reading Discernment (book 3) so I look it up on GR and then I go eh, how come I didn't review book 2???
Grab a copy and start reading and go... BUT WAIT I HAVE READ THIS. WHY DID I NOT REVIEW IT?
[Then I realise when I got to the acknowledgements that I probably didn't review it because I beta read it and then I forgot lol]
That doesn't change my opinion that this is a brilliant, brilliant book.
If you've ever wondered what happens between the time when the Pharoah's daughter adopts baby Moses and then he goes out and murders an Egyptian guard before running away, Salisbury's wonderful reimagining does a lot to fill in the gaps. Remember though, that this is (no longer baby) MOSES IN SPACE so obviously, not Egyptian, not earth.
Strength covers Moses' teenage years. Mahsan has grown up an outcast in the Esaralian cruiser - and his only friends are really his mother, Reemah, and her two friends, Velay and Selah. He reaches that age where he really wants to know about his birth family - and defies his mother to do so, and then gets into all kinds of trouble, where he has to flee. I mean, that's the bare bones. You know how the Bible story goes.
But Salisbury's writing focuses on the women surrounding Moses, so where Courage focused on Gilla, Mahsan's birth mother, Strength focuses on Ra'hos Reemah, the Esaralian princess who defies all court and social conventions to adopt a human son. I love the strength that she shows in standing up for her son, even if that means curbing her own wild and adventurous nature, and becoming somewhat of an outcast herself so that Mahsan can grow up just like the pure-blooded Esaralians, with all their advantages.
There's political intrigue, of course, and help from unexpected quarters, including just a little bit of romance.
I love it and am excited to go on to read Discernment!!
Grab a copy and start reading and go... BUT WAIT I HAVE READ THIS. WHY DID I NOT REVIEW IT?
[Then I realise when I got to the acknowledgements that I probably didn't review it because I beta read it and then I forgot lol]
That doesn't change my opinion that this is a brilliant, brilliant book.
If you've ever wondered what happens between the time when the Pharoah's daughter adopts baby Moses and then he goes out and murders an Egyptian guard before running away, Salisbury's wonderful reimagining does a lot to fill in the gaps. Remember though, that this is (no longer baby) MOSES IN SPACE so obviously, not Egyptian, not earth.
Strength covers Moses' teenage years. Mahsan has grown up an outcast in the Esaralian cruiser - and his only friends are really his mother, Reemah, and her two friends, Velay and Selah. He reaches that age where he really wants to know about his birth family - and defies his mother to do so, and then gets into all kinds of trouble, where he has to flee. I mean, that's the bare bones. You know how the Bible story goes.
But Salisbury's writing focuses on the women surrounding Moses, so where Courage focused on Gilla, Mahsan's birth mother, Strength focuses on Ra'hos Reemah, the Esaralian princess who defies all court and social conventions to adopt a human son. I love the strength that she shows in standing up for her son, even if that means curbing her own wild and adventurous nature, and becoming somewhat of an outcast herself so that Mahsan can grow up just like the pure-blooded Esaralians, with all their advantages.
There's political intrigue, of course, and help from unexpected quarters, including just a little bit of romance.
I love it and am excited to go on to read Discernment!!
May 18, 2019
I've really enjoyed The Legacy Chronicles thus far. I was wondering how the second installment was going to turn out, and I must say it was pretty satisfactory. There wasn't as much physical action or danger as there was in book one, but the plot did not lag, and there was a really surprising twist at the end.
I liked Reemah's point of view more than I thought I would. And I really liked how the author worked in the idea of God, even while barely mentioning the topic.
Overall, it was a good clean read, and I am looking forward to the next installment.
I liked Reemah's point of view more than I thought I would. And I really liked how the author worked in the idea of God, even while barely mentioning the topic.
Overall, it was a good clean read, and I am looking forward to the next installment.
December 27, 2023
There are three books currently published in Lauren Salisbury's Legacy Chonicles series: Courage, Conviction, and Strength (links go to my reviews). However, rather than being books number one, two, and three, they are numbers one, one point five, and two. The series is a re-imagining of the story of Moses from the Bible. The farther I get into this series, the more fascinating the idea is to me; while remaining true to the Bible, Salisbury has transported the familiar characters into a sci-fi landscape filled with space cruisers, aliens with complicated social constructs, and purple trees. The majority of Strength takes place on the lead cruiser, allowing a closer look at the ruling race than the previous books.
Even though I knew approximately what would happen in Strength based on my knowledge of Moses, the story still held my attention. All of the characters in Strength are more tangible than in previous books, and I enjoyed seeing the world from Reemah's perspective very much, as we had only gotten glimpses of this before. My favorite character this time around is Lorith, one of Reemah's father's advisers and a military elite.
Since Strength covers the period Moses spent in the Egyptian palace and the Bible has very little to say about this time, there is certainly plenty of room for the author's creativity. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Mahson's life as Reemah's son, learning about the political and social expectations of the alien race, and seeing how Salisbury would continue to weave Biblical truths into science fiction. This series sets itself apart as unique, substantial, and praiseworthy. I cannot wait for the next installment! I strongly recommend this series to fans of Biblical Fiction or Science Fiction. My only warning is that if you dislike alternate histories, you are not likely to enjoy this.
Even though I knew approximately what would happen in Strength based on my knowledge of Moses, the story still held my attention. All of the characters in Strength are more tangible than in previous books, and I enjoyed seeing the world from Reemah's perspective very much, as we had only gotten glimpses of this before. My favorite character this time around is Lorith, one of Reemah's father's advisers and a military elite.
Since Strength covers the period Moses spent in the Egyptian palace and the Bible has very little to say about this time, there is certainly plenty of room for the author's creativity. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Mahson's life as Reemah's son, learning about the political and social expectations of the alien race, and seeing how Salisbury would continue to weave Biblical truths into science fiction. This series sets itself apart as unique, substantial, and praiseworthy. I cannot wait for the next installment! I strongly recommend this series to fans of Biblical Fiction or Science Fiction. My only warning is that if you dislike alternate histories, you are not likely to enjoy this.
November 26, 2021
The Legacy Chronicles are an enthralling series. This Sci-Fi journey of a slave destined to liberate the oppressed, and the people who loved and protected him is both exotic and familiar, but the setting is out of this world.
Whether Lauren takes you into a high-tech society or dusty, downtrodden planets, you will discover that her Legacy Chronicles are a great place to lose yourself.
Whether Lauren takes you into a high-tech society or dusty, downtrodden planets, you will discover that her Legacy Chronicles are a great place to lose yourself.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews