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Stealing Ares is a futuristic love story between the protagonist and the prince. Like many romances, the couple faces seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Unlike the typical romance, their struggle reflects much larger concerns, such as saving an entire colony abandoned by the Earth coalition that sent them there.
The novel is set in 25th-century Mars, following a catastrophic event on Earth. Conrey builds a world both familiar and alien as she describes the methods used to make the new environment habitable. The journey to Enceladus, a frigidly hostile outpost controlled by the Chinese, demonstrates her ability to take the reader seamlessly from one environment to another.
Her heroine, Harlow Hanson, is a fierce fighter for those who migrated to form a colony that is key to the survival of those left on Earth. For most of her life, Harlow has been plagued with a speech problem that makes it difficult for her to express her deep love of the troubled planet and its people – her people. So, she shows her devotion through her rash, yet heroic actions.
Once extremely important to their home planet, the loss of a crucial spaceship jeopardizes the future of the colonists. The resulting hardships drive Harlow into a life of petty crime. Not so petty is her plan to strip the sleeping spacecraft of materials that will ease the troubles of her people.
Prince Jack Windsor, heir to the British throne, is determined to put the ship back online and resume its role, Harlow believes, enriching those who oppress the citizens of Mars. His position makes him an easy target for the venomous disdain of the colonists.
When Harlow sneaks onboard the ship, it begins to awaken, bringing her to the immediate attention of Prince Jack. He’s struck by her spirit and beauty, but not only is she a commoner, she’s a common thief.
However, he quickly discovers she’s not common at all.
She’s the key to his dream of restoring the ship.
But Harlow has no intention of being used in an enterprise that could hurt those she loves. Thrown into the ship’s prison, she struggles with her attraction to a man who represents values she’s learned to fear and hate.
Conrey creates her characters with the boldness of an author who knows exactly where she wants to take them. She imbues Harlow with a believable fierceness, while giving her a vulnerability that’s just as real. As a man fighting against an inborn sense of entitlement, Jack transforms into a devoted family man who embraces the colonists and their cause.
The author’s minor characters, from tough soldier to unwavering holy woman to menacing villain, are well-developed and true to life.
The novel’s engaging realism has a universal appeal. And Harlow Hanson is an “unexpected beauty” because “the holiest things usually are.”
Kim Conrey will be Georgia Writers Museum’s “Meet the Author” presenter Feb. 7, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and Conrey beginning her presentation a half-hour later.
The event also will feature “moon” shine tasting, along with finger foods and “out-of-this-world” desserts such as Milky Ways and MoonPies.
Admission is $45 each (or $40 each for two or more). Contact Georgia Writers Museum (109 S. Jefferson Ave., Eatonton) or visit online at georgiawritersmuseum.org to register.
-Contributed by Katherine Nichols