Reviewed by Robert Collier III for Readers' Favorite

Mona “Ripper” Ripple and her crew, Karcass Five, take center stage in Jarrett Brandon Early’s Lovestruck Maggot, plunging readers straight into the rugged, alien world of Kalderra. The planet itself is unforgettable: glowing subarashi trees rise from volcanic calderas, a huge violet moon looms overhead, and massive jellyfish-like kameeba drift through toxic forests. Mona and her lover, Darien, are indentured scavengers trying to buy their freedom by harvesting the energy cores of dead kameeba—a very deadly line of work, I must add. While the team gears up for a Class IV kameeba mission, Darien is snatched by a dangerous rival, leaving Mona to navigate a tense partnership with Mickie Brass, a brash space cowboy she can’t fully rely on. Between swarms of rotters, the sudden attacks of strange predators, and the awkward friction of working with Mickie, Mona has to stay sharp to keep her team alive. With danger closing in from all sides, can love actually survive on a planet that seems driven to tear it apart?

Jarrett Brandon Early delivers a gripping sci-fi story full of frantic missions and growing suspense. The pacing is relentless during the tech-heavy scavenging scenes, while calmer parts of the story are used to explore the bond between Mona and Darien. I love how the team’s personalities shine, one by one. Mickie Brass’s sarcasm is a nice balance to Mona’s sharp edges, and the less experienced crew members add unpredictable moments to the story, too. Even minor events, like the low hum of their gear or the eerie light overhead, make you really notice the world around them. The Class IV scavenging mission is nerve-wracking, with the kameeba's explosive power and dangerous predators making every step a gamble. Lovestruck Maggot is an exciting journey that balances high-tech carnage with lots of human emotion. I couldn’t stop thinking about how far Mona would go for love. Overall, it's brutal, beautiful, and impossible to put down.