Axiom's End

First encounter stories are a genre themselves within science fiction. They generally follow a pattern of two beings, alien to each other, overcoming their differences to become friends while being chased by one or more adversaries. Axiom's End is such a story, but it's still engaging.

The protagonist Cora is somewhat along for the ride throughout the book with plot points and other characters directing her what to do next. She lacks control over most of the situation where she encounters an alien who needs her help whether he realizes it or not.

Ampersand, the alien on the run, was really well-conceived and I appreciated the conversations over what makes two or more races “alien” to each other. Ellis did a good job explaining why we shouldn't want to learn an alien's language and the problems that can cause. I would've appreciated much more of this mindful thought-provoking type of discussion.

Throughout the book is a sub-plot about Cora's father, which never really comes to fruition for me. All the elements about her father could've been removed from the book and not affected the story.

The story is probably best suited for young adults or those who wouldn't normally dive deep into science fiction. The writing is straight-forward, which I appreciated, and doesn't bog down in technical detail.