Firefly: What Makes Us Mighty – Book Review

Firefly – What Makes Us Mighty by M.K. England

Synopsis:
A simple job
Serenity is bound for the planet Kerry with a hold full of sealed, unidentified cargo for the planet’s highest-ranking nobleman. The duke is a surprisingly genial man whose court brings all the fanciness and fun of Persephone’s high society but little of the pretension—and, most importantly, he’s got the promise of more work.

Some fine hospitality
Obliged to stick around while Inara is with a client—and hoping to score future employment—the crew settles in. The liquor flows freely at court, and there’s food, entertainment, and comfortable lodgings to enjoy. Everyone is thrilled but Zoë. Her gut says something is off.

A vicious massacre
When the duke’s estate is attacked in the middle of the night, Mal sends Serenity to safety while he and Zoë investigate. What they find turns the whole story of Kerry upside-down. Revolution is brewing, and each of them will have to decide where to make their stand, even if it lands them on opposite sides…

Review:
This is another novel set during the series, before the feature film. Mal and the crew have brought a load of cargo to a duke who showers them with hospitality. But as several of the group notice, something is off. And soon, the crew of the Serenity find themselves in the middle of a revolution, whether they like it or not.

I loved this Firefly novel. It felt just like watching an extra episode. The characters are spot-on, from Mal and Inara’s will-they-won’t-they to Jayne’s morally ambiguous behavior. There is plenty of humor throughout, especially with Wash’s and Jayne’s characters – as to be expected. And while there isn’t a lot of mystery surrounding the revolution, there is still plenty of suspense. And events build to a fun and satisfying ending. While the story is similar to others, the character building and certain other events make this a memorable one.