This Versatile Layer collection by Thomas K Davis includes a fun set of science fiction novels. Not young adult, exactly, it still contains great coming-of-age stories. It’s reasonably clean, so I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it for teens.

This sweeping space opera follows stories of people stuck in a conflict between civilizations. I enjoyed the fast-paced action, well-drawn characters, and complex political intrigue.

I particularly like that the “bad guys” in this are never one-dimensional. Each has their own stories and passions, making them easy to understand.

My favorite character is probably Adeola, a woman of the Arez, who is a gifted warrior and politically powerful (a literal princess), but also true to her principles. I’d read this collection to meet her alone. However, there are plenty of other great characters in here (especially Jake Takeda).

Though I was occasionally thrown off balance by shifting verb tenses, POV shifts that I wouldn’t have made, and other small things that annoy me (I’m a bit of a grammar nerd, I’m afraid), the story here was strong enough for me to usually sail past these things.

Truly enjoyable read. If you like scifi, you should try this one.