Pawns by Patrick Hodges is the first book in the Wielders of Arantha series. Complex and creative don’t begin to explain the story weaved here. Following the lives of three very different women, Pawns is an exciting adventure off-planet, a last hope mission to save Earth from the invading Jegg.

The story begins with Maeve and her teenage son Davin. They’ve just escaped Earth and the Jegg, suffering devastating losses in the process. Losing their entire team of scientists including her own husband, Maeve and Davin are enroute to a primitive planet that holds a power that may stop the Jeggs once and for all. Despite their tragedy, Maeve and Davin are determined to complete the mission, and they won’t stop until they do.

Kelia is known as the Protectress, the leader of her women-only tribe. Long ago, their ancestors escaped slavery at the hands of men and now live in seclusion. Some are wielders, able to manipulate the elements, a gift from Arantha, the goddess they worship. Kelia is one such wielder, the most powerful which is why they call her Protectress. Her job is to keep her tribe safe and watch the signs Arantha sends her. A new vision of violence and an object falling from above lead her Maeve and Davin, where she learns that not all is as she thought.

Elzaria is also a wielder and sister to the usurper Elzor. Together they are burning the countryside, taking one kingdom at a time, in search of the mythical Stones. These stones are said to offer power to the wielder who holds them. Both are jaded and dangerous and haunt not only Kelia’s visions but that of the high mage.

Overall I really enjoyed Pawns. The world-building, Kelia and her tribe, and all the different characters bring the story to life on the pages. If you enjoy sci-fi, I highly recommend you grab a copy of this one. It does not disappoint.

Maeve and her son Davin find themselves stuck on a primitive planet that holds secrets they'll soon uncover. In PAWNS, Patrick Hodges weaves an excellent tale that's full of action and adventure. I loved how the chapters switched POVs in PAWNS. It gives insight to what's really going on with the residents of this planet and there's so many characters for you to fall in love with.

It begins with Maeve who lost her husband in the attack from the Jegg, but she won't stop this mission until it's completed. There's something on this planet that can save her and her son's planet from the Jegg and they won't stop until the mission is completed.

Then, there is Kelia who is the leader of the women's only society. They live in fear of men and seem to be thriving without them. They reproduce by seeking out men for that reason only. And we can't forget Kelia's daughter Nyla. She was my favorite character and I enjoyed all the scenes that contained her. The women of this society are known as wielders because they each hold a power within themselves. But to the rest of the planet, it's abnormal for women to wield powers, which is another reason Kelia fears what would happen if they were ever discovered.

Lastly, you have Elzor and Elzaria. Elzaria is also a wielder who can see bits of the future. These two siblings are wanting to conquer the planet and become the supreme rulers. Even though they're the bad guys, I still enjoyed their characters. Patrick Hodges does an excellent job of making the characters personalities different, so you can't help but to remember who's who.

Final Verdict: Fans of Science Fiction novels will enjoy this read. It was one of the first science fiction books I've read and it leaves me wondering what I've missed out on. I'm eagerly waiting for the second one to hit the shelves and hope it will be as powerful as this one was.