The Journey is a work in the science fiction, adventure, and interpersonal drama subgenres. It can be enjoyed by mature young adults and adult readers alike and is penned by Kathy Porter. In the third novel in the Gray Guardians book series, we pick up the adventure where Escape From Nuur left off, finding ourselves post-war with Amanda Hartman, the child of a Gray surrogate parent. Amanda hears things in her mind, channeling the mental communications of others, and she reports a potentially devastating conversation to the President of the United Pyramid City of Nuur, Rosa De Angelo. The Ja seems to think that conflict is far from over, and ignoring the trouble brewing beneath the surface could lead to the destruction of everything that the different species have built together to form a fragile peace.

Kathy Porter offers a novel that works on many levels, from its interesting and intricately-plotted political drama across different nations and species to the individual struggles of abducted people searching for meaning, their loved ones, and a new kind of survival after such struggles. I enjoyed the multi-perspective element of the work, where we travel with the omniscient Porter to different locations to see all the different aspects of this science-fiction conspiracy, mystery, and war story coming together. The dialogue is also incredibly well used for exposition and explanation of the plot without the need for extensive prose, making the reading experience feel faster and sharper. Overall, The Journey is an exhilarating must-read for existing series fans. I’d recommend the whole series to fans of inventive and deeply involved science fiction with all the emotive space opera elements one could want.