Book Review: Caprinian Saga
By Elizabeth Suggs
The Caprinian Saga: An Anthology of Space Travel, War, and Hope by Melissa Myring is a collection of twenty short stories and four sneak peeks into Caprinian life and culture.
Our story takes place in the year 2026. Caprinians have come to Earth as refugees, living and working alongside humans after the Caprinians’ world was destroyed during war. The humans take them in with open arms, despite their odd appearance, from their height to their protruding head horns (sometimes envied by other Caprinians). Even so, they feel very human to me. They think and feel and struggle, just like humans.
What I really like about these stories, aside from the descriptive and imaginative tales, is that it’s very reminiscent of what we, as humans, have to deal with. Caprinians are like human refugees, moving to a new country and mixing in an unknown culture.
The Caprinians settled all over Earth; however, in The Caprinian Saga, we focus on a settlement in Arizona. While this worked well to hone in on what was happening with each person, I felt there were points lacking. So much goes into this world that I’d love to see more of it and understand it more deeply. Also, I was a little disappointed that some of the stories cut quickly, making it feel a little jarring, but overall, I enjoyed the stories.
If you’re looking for a typical sci-fi space adventure, you’re not going to find that here, which makes this collection better, in some ways. The Caprinian Saga becomes its own sort of sci-fi.
I liked this collection, but it’s not for everyone. It’s best to go into this collection with an open mind.
Elizabeth Suggs is the owner and founder of Editing Mee and co-owner of Collective Tales Publishing. When she’s not writing or editing, she loves to dive deep into books (the weirder, the better!), and she loves to take random long walks to unplanned destinations. Check out her recently released book Collective Darkness with eleven other authors. Buy your copy here: www.CollectiveDarkness.com