Turning Point by Lisanne Norman is a rousing bit of space opera. This obviously first novel is rough in areas in the writing, characterizations and dialog. Hey, that is what first novels are for. But I liked it and am glad I can start the second in the series right away.

Let me get the negatives out of the way. Carrie is an spoiled irritating bratty kid. The first half of the novel seems different from the second half. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and keep straight.

Now the good points. Carrie is vulnerable yet strong and talented. The first half of the novel introduces us to Carrie and Kusac, our main characters, in ways that explain their motivations and behaviors. There are a lot of characters who have different motivations and points of view. I think this last factor is one of the features that make the series seem attractive to me. The book narrative shifts from POV to POV and I need to remember what is the motivation and goals of each different character. Good practice for me in my old age.

I almost got tired of Carrie's whining. At times she seems like a spoiled child. But I accept it, mostly, as she is part of a struggling colony of Earthlings enslaved by the evil Valtegans and can't even get her family to respect her. She is having a really bad day. So, she gets a pass for some of the whingin and crying.

My new favorite thing in SciFi stories is intercultural/interspecies relations. No, I don't just mean hook-ups. This story introduces three species, humans, Valtegans and Sholans. The Sholans are cute and adorable, like our pets here on Earth. Seems kind of kinky to me. The relation between Carrie and Kusac becomes deeper and more important from page to page. It reaches the point where the interstellar progress of war efforts against the alien enemy are dependent of the progress of the relationship between these two. What a lot of pressure to put on a young couple.

I even like that the relationship does not seem overtly sexual in this novel. Maybe it is heading in that direction, In this book there is tension as to which human is Carrie likely to bond with or will she be forced to live with.

The other big theme in this book, in addition to the interspecies hookup, is telepathy. Both Carrie and Kusac are telepaths, while most of the other humans and Sholans are not telepathic. Telepathy plays a major role in the conduct of hostilities against the enslaving soldiers and even is responsible for the first connection between the two main characters and the ongoing reason they need to stay together.

I even like the storyline that her fellow humans are not very supportive of Carrie, who almost singlehandly (with the help of Sholans and some human fighters in the hills) frees the entire colony planet from the evil enslaving aliens. She pretty much is forced to go off alone with the Sholans after the battle is over. Isn't that the way is always is? Your family doesn't appreciate your sacrifices and hard work, and just wants to impose their baggage on you!

I give 4 stars to this first in the series. It benefits from some grade inflation due to it being a first novel, and having 7 more to follow in the series. Certainly the audience for this book is somewhat specialized. One should be OK with science fiction which includes space exploration. The reader needs to put up with a fair amount of fighting between small units of ground troops. The reader should not be offended by cross-cultural hookups; although this book is rated G for zero sex, so it is safe. And the hardest part for most people will be the choppy writing style and abrupt ending. I don't worry about the abrupt ending because this was written in the 1990s and the followup novels have been published for years.
Enjoy it and tell your friends. ( )