Book Series Review: Firmament

I suppose, technically, watching Star Wars with my dad was my first experience with sci-fi. Or maybe it was my Dora and the Purple Planet video game, although I feel like that doesn’t count.

Either way, I was little then, and I didn’t give sci-fi another thought for years. If I had thought about it, I would have said I didn’t like it any more than I liked my boring middle school science classes. I might have said Star Wars was an exception, but I hadn’t even watched that in years and didn’t care much anymore.

I think the reason I never gravitated toward sci-fi was because I knew nothing about it. I assumed it would just be boring and technical—and some of it can be—or would be too much like fantasy or dystopia, two genres I’ve never loved and still don’t.

So, when I was given the first book in Grace Pennington’s Firmament series, I was skeptical. A story set in 2380 about a medical assistant on a starship?

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, there’s no suspense here. I ended up loving the book, devouring each installment in the series as soon as it came out, and eventually becoming an all-around sci-fi geek, or nerd, or whatever the term is.

It’s not that Grace’s books are not like other sci-fi. She has clearly been influenced by some of my favorites in the genre. It wasn’t because Firmament was different that I ended up liking it. It was because it showed me my assumptions were wrong.

The scientific topics it explores are not dry or academic, they are fascinating and directly involved in the characters’ lives. The setting is neither fantastical nor dystopian. It is the sleek, beautiful starship Surveyor exploring the wonders of the universe.

I found myself immediately drawn into the setting. Now, I feel just as at home on the ship as the crew does. Stories set on starships and space stations have become some of my favorites. I love the almost symbiotic way the crew interacts with their surroundings. I also love the way a confined setting allows for compact action and complex interactions, things Grace handles well in her stories.

The best part of Firmament, however, is its characters, which is something else I did not associate with sci-fi. I always assumed it would be only science or action driven. (Don’t get me wrong, I love action, but I had expected nothing but endless space battles.) Now my favorite part of the genre is its incredible, compelling, and diverse characters.

I don’t hesitate to say that Grace Pennington ranks with the best of them in this regard. The main character, Andi Lloyd, almost feels like a childhood friend. I started reading the series in my early teens, so I’ve grown up with her, in a way.

I’ve seen a lot of bad “strong female leads,” but Andi is not one of them. She isn’t trying to prove herself to anyone, and Grace hasn’t fallen into the common trap of just giving a girl masculine characteristics to make her seem unique and strong. Andi has all the usual struggles and feelings of a young woman along with plenty of truly special characteristics. Even when she saves the day, it isn’t without doubts, struggles, and a little help from her friends.

Andi’s adoptive father, Dr. Lloyd is another amazing character. He is Andi’s protector and friend. I’ve always been close to my dad—and Dr. Lloyd sometimes reminds me of him—so I find their relationship especially touching.

I also enjoy watching the relationship between Andi and her biological brother grow. They meet for the first time in the first book, so we get to see them both go through a lot of development over the course of the series.

Mr. Guilders, the Surveyor’s helmsman is another favorite of mine. His dignity and competence as an officer earn my respect, and the deep care for the ship and his crewmates that hides underneath wins my love. He is a source of quiet strength on the ship and in the books.

There are plenty of other fantastic characters, like the charismatic Captain Trent; Andi’s charming and dare-devilish cousin, Crash; the motherly and wise ship’s cook, Almira; and other interesting people that only appear in one or two adventures as friends or adversaries.

Another part of the series that stands out is the way Grace includes Christianity. Unfortunately, sci-fi seems to get a worse rap than other, equally non-Christian, genres. There’s a deficit of Christian sci-fi that isn’t allegorical or lives up to what fans of the genre want. Firmament goes a long way toward filling the gap. Many characters are open about their faith, yet they aren’t preachy or perfect. Their faith is real and relatable. While some of the plots directly relate to faith, most are simply fun and fascinating space adventures.

I’m frequently unimpressed by modern Christian fiction, so the fact that Firmament ranks among my favorite series of all fiction says a lot.

I considered doing mini reviews of each book, but there are too many. Besides, I’m not great at doing short book reviews that are actually helpful. However, there are three books I want to talk about specifically.

Book 2: In His Image

This is actually not my favorite book of the series in many ways. The planet Kainus Ge is not my favorite setting, nor has Elasson, the young man the crew meets there, been my favorite character so far.

However, I absolutely love the premise Grace explores in this book. Since her books are explicitly Christian, she can’t include actual intelligent, non-human aliens. (I know there are some who would argue that Christians could believe in that, but I’m not here for theological debates.) Yet, meeting life on another planet is one of the most intriguing parts of sci-fi. The way Grace makes it work is wonderful. I’m sure it’s been done before, but I first saw it in this book and was instantly captivated. I know this is vague, but I’m being spoiler-free here.

Book 5: Gestern

This book holds the distinction of being one of very, very, very few books that have made me cry. It may be the only one, but I’m notorious for having a bad memory when it comes to books, so I won't make that claim.

I said before that I found Andi’s relationship with her father touching. In this book, there is another father-daughter relationship that is even more poignant. Grace does an amazing job portraying tender, moving family dynamics without being sappy or sentimental.

Even though this book is less sci-fi-ish than most of the series, it may well be my favorite. It has the perfect blend of adventure and feeling. I have to be engaged mentally to be touched emotionally.

Book 6: No Man

This book has some great themes about trust. There are two main plots: Andi, her father, brother, and a new acquaintance must travel across space to find a replacement for the implant that keeps Andi alive. Guilders must find and help Andi’s cousin, Crash, who is on earth running from the law.

I love the dynamics of Andi’s plot line. Putting four people in a confined space for an extended period is dramatic dynamite—especially when the stakes are as high as they are in this book. I also really liked the character of Book Talbot, an unusual man who assists Andi and her family. I’m interested to see if he returns to the series.

As I said, Guilders is one of my favorite characters, so experiencing some of this story from his point of view was great. And the ending was… let’s just say impactful and leave it at that.

Some more notables for me were Machiavellian, which had some dramatic irony as Andi and her friends trust someone I’m instantly wary of; Reversal Zone, in which the crew pass through a phenomenon in space that alters their personalities; and Humanoid which launches the book into new—and timely—scientific realms.  

If you enjoyed this post, go check the Firmament series out. And check out Grace’s other books or her blog https://jgracepennington.com/. Not only did her books start my love for a now-favorite genre, they inspired my own writing journey. Grace and I have similar backgrounds and she started writing as a teen and young adult. I’d never read something by a young, indie author before, so finding her books and other content made writing seem more attainable. If you like what I’m doing, go support what she’s doing too.