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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
In R.D. Moreno’s ZADA 5: The Window Splinters, Connor Balcazar, a newly named duke, works to secure an interplanetary empire led by Empress Christina while Lorenzo rebuilds his power after escaping captivity. He prepares an assault on the capital world of Markus 2 using portal technology that enables direct entry into the palace. Connor digs into stolen research tied to that system and uncovers spies operating in the palace security, realizing that Lorenzo’s plan depends on precise timing and inside access. As the portal begins to behave unpredictably and creates the risk of movement across altered realities, Connor develops a strategy that turns Lorenzo’s own entry point into a controlled space. The operation places Connor in a position where a single error could expose the empire to a takeover, forcing him to act within a narrow window while maintaining control of the situation.
R.D. Moreno’s The Window Splinters is a brilliant continuation of the ZADA 5 series, and I love Moreno's portal rupture angle and the parallel reality. Connor is likeable as someone who puts others ahead despite his own status. After a failed assault nearly costs his team their lives, he hands command to a seasoned officer he trusts, so decisions are made by someone better positioned in the moment. He also returns to the cavern on Zada 5 and keeps working to communicate with Baylen, a dragon he once kept trapped, choosing to respond to it as a living being asking for release. Sam is awesome as an intelligent operative with compassionate resolve, ready to enter guarded sites alone. The author makes the settings work as active parts of each scene. The cavern on Zada 5 becomes a barrier Connor must work across while Baylen pushes against a metal enclosure, and the guarded laboratory on Castia forces infiltration plans to follow patrol movement and restricted entry points. With excellent writing and sophisticated world-building, this is the perfect read for lovers of science fiction centered on interplanetary rule and portal travel across multiple worlds.
