When Planets Fall is the first book in a space saga that starts on the planet of Scarlatti. There are three races that live here, and they all seem to be in constant conflict and live in communities that resemble war compounds or complexes. There's a really fun cast of characters, and they all have a bit of a surprise hidden around the corner of their personalities.

There are a lot of things going on in this book, and it sets up the series for some really interesting adventures. We have a three-way tribal war between humans and the two other species occupying the planet, a girl with metal wings, and several power-hungry leaders. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what this book was about. Several storylines seemed to be worked together and at times it lost its way a little.

The discovery of the starship should have been a major turning point in the story, but it was usurped by the actions of the Herons (one of the species living on the planet) and the subsequent rescue of Malani. The starship seemed to get lost in the background, and I really wanted to see more about it and how Breaker repaired and fixed it up.

Malani was a bit of an odd character, but as we learn more of her past, we see why she seems so damaged emotionally. Her story was my favorite. She was a great balance of strength and weakness and had some fun tricks hidden up her sleeve. The relationship between her and Breaker was confusing. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to see a romance between them and want them to be together or not.

Overall, this was a fun story. It lost it's way a couple times and meandered around before coming back, but maybe those wanderings will be important down the line. I'm anxious to see what happens to Breaker, Malani, and their spaceship next.

**I voluntarily received a review copy of this book**