Captain Glint Starcrost and his crew are back for more adventures in Space Drifters: The Iron Gauntlet. The bulk of the story involves Starcrost's competition in a reality show where he his life is on the line for the Iron Gauntlet and a huge prize. He's assisted by the Emerald Enigma, which, readers of the first Space Drifters book will remember, is a necklace that gives the wearer some extraordinary abilities. He quickly finds that he is a pawn in a larger game that is playing out as the reality show competition is playing out.
The Iron Gauntlet retains the character--and characters--of the first book. We learn a little more about the backgrounds of Starcrost's motley crew. Regnier even includes a few chapters told from their perspectives. In the first book, The Emerald Enigma, Regnier worked in a few theological questions and the characters dealt with the Christian faith. The Iron Gauntlet scales that down quite a bit, with very little mention of faith in passing. Also, lizard guy Blix's gift/curse of things coming into reality from his imagination is strangely absent.
Regnier's story is great fun to read. It has the feel of YA fiction with its action-packed, dialogue-heavy pace and light-hearted tone. Don't expect hard science fiction when you pick up the Space Drifters series, but look forward to a wild, imaginative ride.
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