Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

This epic sci-fi, space opera adventure will take you on an amazing ride through the galaxy – but not the on you’re familiar with now. Instead, you will take a journey through a new, beautifully constructed universe full of gorgeous, sentient, exciting creatures. And you won’t regret a minute of it!

About the Book

“Through the winds of change, we stand tall as trees.”

All Jag knows is life with his brother, Sixxis, on Rixxon Prime. But after trailing a group of strange visitors through the jungle—who, like Jag, are different from all the other Rixonnians—the brothers are swept up in a galactic conflict far beyond the confines of their primitive planet.

Aided by the mysterious Arbiters and their advanced technology, Jag and Sixxis travel to astounding new worlds as they assemble a team to stop the Prospectors’ Guild from spreading chaos across the galaxy. But the further they unveil the conspiracy, the deeper they realize it goes. And the closer they get to the fiendish Advocate, the more they find undeniable connections to Jag’s unknown past.

Get ready to immerse yourself in an epic new universe on this fast-paced, action-packed adventure! Join Jag as he grapples with fate in search of his grand purpose—the truth behind his identity—and discover how he came to be here, 2.5 million light years away from his native home.

Don’t hesitate—dive into book one of this new and exciting SciFi trilogy!

My Thoughts

My absolute favorite part of any story is usually the characters. And while sci-fi isn’t my top favorite genre, when I like a story – it’s usually because the characters are amazing, and Identity Crisis is no different. The author has developed an amazing cast of characters with unique, distinct voices and clear differences in appearance, personality, and voice. The original two characters are so loveable, though Sixxis is just adorable and won my heart so much quicker than his brother. But the introduction of the rest of the main crew brought with it each more and more loveable and quirky characters.

Science fiction and fantasy both require epic world building skills to be done right, and this author has the goods. Each world the crew visits is unique, well-described and easy to picture. I was walking along the forests and cities right alongside the characters. Portions reminded me of Star Trek, Doctor Who, Firefly, and a myriad of other popular sci-fi shows, which isn’t to say it’s derivative. Instead, this is its own creation, the author clearly taking bits of inspiration from the greats and building his own new idea.

The action carried me from the get-go, not lagging anywhere. Even when the characters weren’t fighting a battle or hatching a big plan, they were interacting in ways that I personally found enjoyable. And, as is typical of the genre, there were clear messages buried in the text about various social ills and moral lessons.

Since this is billed as a young adult novel, I appreciate that the lessons are clear, but don’t beat you over the head with it. They are written in a pleasant, enjoyable way, and I picked them up along the way as I watched characters grow and learn. I am so looking forward to the next installment, and can’t wait to see what happens! Also, if you’re a fan of that moment when you realize why the book is called that, I actually had several of those “aha” moments, which was an extra special treat!

I will admit, I am not familiar with space opera as a genre, so I don’t know how this fits into that well. I’ve only read the more mainstream ones like Ender’s Game and Hitchiker’s Guide. I’ve dabbled in scifi – more as a young adult, less more recently but still plenty – and a good bit of fantasy. I am an epic Firefly fan though, which is considered a space opera.

I am so pleased that the author and Love Books Tours included me on this tour, and it has not affected my review.

Who’s It For

If you love fast-paced, action-adventure stories with a little Star Trek or Doctor Who flavor, this is absolutely the book for you.

Content Warning: Adult Language, Violence, Mild Adult Situations, Death, Suicidal Ideation

About the Author

Clayton Pulsipher has spent his life moving in and out of great stories in virtually every medium. A former music educator, he dove head first into the professional writing and editing world in 2020, and now there are few things he loves more than creating complex worlds and the “rules” that run them. Identity Crisis is his debut novel.

Clayton writes for his day job, too! He works in learning and development, writing and designing learning experiences that help others better themselves by changing their behavior and habits. When he’s not writing, he enjoys walks in the woods, good movies, dog snuggles, and tacos. Really, just set him up with his partner, pup, and some uninterrupted time in nature, and he’ll be good to go.


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