Book review: Hera by Chrystalla Thoma

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Description:
Hera, member of the Gultur race governing the Seven Islands, thought she knew right from wrong and what her future held in store. A chance meeting with a lesser mortal, though, will turn her world upside down and force her to see her race and the laws with different eyes. For Hera, knowledge means action, so she sets out to put things right and change her world.

Taking place in the World of the Seven Islands almost three years before the events in Rex Rising, this is the story of Hera's first confrontation with the truth.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

Review:
Despite not having read Rex Rising or any other novel set in that universe, I found Hera to be a great short story. It sucked me in from the start, and I found that I could follow it easily without requiring any additional background information.

The author did a great job of creating interesting characters in the short framework of the story. I found myself understanding Hera and sympathizing with her within the first few pages. The plot was entertaining and well-paced.

Several authors have suggested the strategy of pricing a story at 99 cents or free to attract new readers to their other works. Ms. Thoma has done a nice job of that with Hera because it certainly made me want to read her other books!