Genre: Sci-Fi
Rating 13+
Price: $11.95

In the final volume of the series, Prince Jimsa and his twin Affle are reunited and join forces in the battle against the Enemy, the seemingly unstoppable machine race whose mysterious origins slowly become clear.  As the Enemy progressively colonized up to 90% of Planet Astrias, the Elder decides that only the most drastic measures will be able to stop it in its path-even if it means the possible destruction of humanity in the bargain.

All of the dots are connected and loose ends tied in this final volume of Andromeda Stories.  Who the Elder is and why he is so desperate to stop the Enemy.  Why the Enemy is doing what it is doing.  How Il and Arc fit in.  Everything is brought together into an ending with a message that is seen in sci-fi, again and again.  Life Goes On.

Andromeda Stories final volume is filled with all the action and drama expect from a sci-fi story, as well as some romance.  The battle between the humans and the machines reaches it final stage, so there is plenty of fighting and sacrifices made.  Affle and Jimsa finally meet, and through their bond they discover, not only a power to fight the machines, but also an empathic connection that helps Affle to continue to fight and lead the humans.  Jimsa, who in the last volume seemed very self-absorbed, steps up to help Affle, to the point of risking his own life to protect hers.  He finally matured with the lost of his mother, Queen Lilia, to the machine's lure of utopia. Jimsa and Affle have only each other now, daring to cross the taboo line of loving each other as more than brother and sister.

There are a lot more battle scenes as the final confrontation between the humans and machines approaches. The Enemy sends drones and tanks as well as converting the planet to exterminate the humans that resist it's offer of utopia.  The more advanced technology of Arc and his spacecraft help the humans hold them off for a little while, but it isn't long before the Enemy adapts and pushes forward again.  I liked the design of the ships, with Arc's smooth, featureless and abstract design, while the Enemy's change from simple triangles to more sleek fighter planes.

What I really enjoyed in this volume was the way all the themes were brought together in this volume.  Not only is this about man vs. machine, but it's also a story of man vs. self.  It's humanity's desire for a perfect world that makes them fall for the Enemy's trap again and again, but the loss of their humanity makes them want to destroy what they desired so much.  To lose your humanity is to lose your reason for living.  But there is also a message of hope.  As long as there are people unwilling to give up their humanity, and keep living, there is still hope.  And hope is the greatest strength that humanity has. Despite the futility of their fight, just the hope that some of them will survive is enough for them to keep on fighting to the last man.  Even Jimsa and Affle's forbidden relationship is not only overlooked, but condoned, because Affle is the only health female left.

Andromeda Stories has turned out to be a wonderful story examining what it means to be human, and how fragile our existence can be.  As we strive for a perfect world, it asks is it something we can, or even should try for?  It gives no answers, leaving the reader to make these decisions for themselves, as good sci-fi should.  It ends on not a happy note, but a hopeful one.  Life finds a way to goes on, and where there's life, there's hope.

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