Tethers Torn by Utunu

Sequel to Far Flung

Topics: Fennecs, Hyenas, Gay, Polyamory, Psionic powers, Spaaaace

Genre: Sci-fi, borderline slice-of-life

Age Rating: PG-13 for sexual references

Available in Print and eBook

You may want to continue this series if you:

• Are worried about Tuther, Bori, and Samna now that they're marooned on another world

• Want to uncover some secrets, and some more mysteries, about the colonies

• Enjoyed the borderline slice-of-life vibes of the first book

• Are hoping for improved pacing, a faster story, and a lot more intrigue

• Eat way too much shellfish

Review summary:

Tethers Torn is an intriguing follow up to Far Flung that dares to dive deeper into dramatic territory while while still maintaining the borderline slice-of-life vibes that make this series so special. It's far better-paced as well, with more plot-turning moments bolstered by deeper intrigue. The book focuses much more on Tuther, exploring his past, powers, and mind to make him even more of an exemplary standout character. It also seems to be setting up a focus on Samna for the future, which is very welcome. I can't wait to see what's in store for the third book.

Full Review:

As much as I loved Far Flung, I often had difficulty describing it when making a recommendation. It's a book with a slow, methodical pace, letting you sit with and enjoy the characters, refraining from too much action and drama while still making you care about what happens next. It took me a while to realize that this was essentially describing slice of life, and that realization has made me see this series in a whole new light. These books have a borderline slice of life vibe that's occasionally punctuated with dramatic sci-fi moments. That feels like a much better descriptor, and it's the one I think I'll use from now on.

Tethers Torn maintains that slice of life vibe, though with a bit more of that dramatic punctuation sprinkled throughout. Bori, Tuther, and Samna have Flung to Archipelago, one of the uninhabited planets in their solar system, to escape from Gehrn, the Psiogeneticist who doesn't understand medical consent. There they've found sanctuary from the Verdant colony, but seem to have lost parts of themselves. Tuther saved Bori from mindvoiding, but at a cost - Bori's psionic powers are gone, and Tuther's carefully organized psionic mind seems to be degrading, leading to occasional seizure-like episodes.

As the three friends survive on Archipelago, the council on Verdant attempts to figure out what the heck just happened. In fact, the book basically starts with them scolding Gehrn for "overreacting," which I found delightful. I'm a sucker for when a book recognizes and echoes what every reader is thinking. But more importantly, one of the data crystals containing lost knowledge from before the colonies, which can only be read when certain conditions are met, has unlocked. It reveals ominous information about different psionic abilities, and which ones should be "culled" to prevent "societal collapse." However, it reveals very little about these abilities other than their names and their danger levels. This leaves the council with a mystery to solve by speculation alone, and it's not hard to see how it may spell danger for our beloved triad.

It's easy to put two and two together and imagine that the data crystal's revelation has something to do with Bori, Tuther, and Samna. Specifically, it bolsters the mystery and seriousness of Tuther's condition, as his psionics have proven unusually complex and powerful, and they now seem to be destabilizing. Tuther was my favorite character in Far Flung, even winning the Favorite Character award in my 2024 Shiloh Awards, so I was happy to see this story revolve more around him. He's just such a supportive, emotional, and intelligent little fennec, so the unfair peril he's faced with in this book due to that data crystal got me more invested in finding out what happens. I even opened Photoshop to meme about it.

You know a book is good when it makes me open Photoshop.

So, if you were a fan of Tuther in Far Flung, like I was, you're going to appreciate this book a lot. You get a really good look at his inner world here, and since he was built up as such a loveable character in the first book, it's wonderful to spend more time with him.

You'll also enjoy this book if you enjoyed the dynamics between Bori, Tuther, and Samna in the first. I tend to say that Utunu's dialogue is so charming that I could just read his characters having a conversation for a whole novel. That's true here as well. Bori, Tuther, and Samna continue to work great together, protecting and supporting each other every step of the way. This continues to be one of the most wholesome relationships I've read about, as just experiencing these three being together is endlessly heartwarming.

Those who found the pacing inconsistent in the first book will find this one much improved. The act structure is a bit more apparent, and the story beats ring a bit louder. I think those readers will also appreciate the story moving a bit faster. It still maintains a careful, methodical pace that I love, but dramatic moments happen more frequently here than in Far Flung. And finally, I've heard complaints about a general lack of intrigue in Far Flung once Bori, Tuther, and Samna arrived at Verdant, but you can rest assured that PLENTY of intrigue is introduced in this book that I absolutely cannot wait to get more answers on in the third installment.

I should also point out the wonderful artwork done by Maricela Ugarte (www.chutkat.com) for this book. The cover is gorgeously vibrant, and there's probably nothing that could have made me want to desperately read the book to find out what's happening more than a disintegrating Tuther. The interior art is also great, and I have to point out that the hyenas in particular look absolutely adorable. There's a lot of happy Samna. We love a happy Samna.

Speaking of, if the first book focused mainly on Bori, and this book focused mainly on Tuther, I have to wonder if the third book will focus mainly on Samna. There are certainly signs that he's about to shine a bit more. He has psionic abilities now, as revealed at the end of Far Flung, and he gets a lot more time to theorize and solve problems in this book. He may also still feel a bit insecure about his place in the triad, though I can't quite discern if that was the intended message here or not. It all makes me very excited to see what's in store for Samna in the third entry.

I have such a soft spot for this series. I'm happy to see it's still going strong and that everything I loved from Far Flung is both present and improved upon in Tethers Torn. If you couldn't tell, I'll be eagerly awaiting the third, and apparently final, entry in the series, though it'll be very difficult to say goodbye to such wonderful characters.