In this exciting YA science fiction adventure, Theo and Meghan live on another world, in the colony of Stephen's Point. Colonisation costs money, and this generation are the first born debt free. But they're not entirely free, nor free from hunger. Resupply ships have stopped coming. Theo's skill with computers could get him punished if it's found that he stole a list of names - and added his own.

CHIMERA is a space ship being rebuilt, and young people are needed to crew it on a voyage back to Earth; Meghan's name is on that list. Theo doesn't get the same kind of grades, so the only way to stay with his friend was to force the addition of his name. Now the real selection process will start, and it won't be easy. Added to the physical toughness is the fact that big bully Marcus aims to get a hold over the light but skilled Theo. Survival is hard enough.

I enjoyed the landscape descriptions, with a sun emerging from twilight behind a nearby planet to illuminate an alkali lake. Interestingly the colony is on a moon orbiting a gas giant planet. There's also new tech, such as a spider neural net that helps a pilot interface with and fly a trawler - a space ship hunting for metal ores, not fish. A great deal of thought has gone into creating this world. Selena, a trawler pilot under her dad's stern eye, is more inclined to take risks than she should be, needing money for her family. Her flying record is good - so far. She doesn't even consider making the list, but before she can find out if her name is called, she's about to have the crash of her short lifetime.

Another engaging feature is that the original colony ship navigator Stephen has been elevated to godlike status, and the CHIMERA waits in hope for him to be reborn. We see the different personalities of the characters changing as they grow, and learn some background which has shaped their mindsets. These young people find that their desperate, contracting society is willing to jeopardise their lives in order to expand again. CHIMERA, which contains mildly strong language, has been written by a trio of authors as N.J. Tanger and is the first instalment in 'Universe Eventual' series. I found similarities to Joelle Charbonneau's The Testing. I'll be very interested to see how the well-detailed, multi-layered story continues.