Verselva Blues (Inner Universe #6)

Verselva Blues, Inner Universe book 5. Balfour's Story book 3.

By Natalie Kelda.

Find it it here: Link to Natalie's webpage

Read my review of:

Under Far Galaxian Skies

Rubbles of Magrath

A satisfying and sweet end to a heart-wrenching trilogy about finding your home, your place of belonging, and your heart in a galaxy far, far away.

---

I've been waiting for the final installment of this trilogy for some time because Balfour is my favorite damaged, anxiety-riddled Golden Retriever boi. Though after this book I'll say that his sorta-kinda friend, the blue-fanged Charlie, is right up there sharing the first place!

Verselva Blues digs straight into the action of introducing the known enemy (Thalia) from the previous books into Balfour's slowly healing life. To my great joy, old friends are reunited quite quickly before disaster strikes and everyone is portal'ed from the safety of home to a dangerous jungle planet with blue-glowing animals and slave traders. Now, the main plot is to find home again and on the way perhaps get rid of the dangerous Thalia, restore democracy, and help a rude little stoat to get off some charges of theft and other mischief. Easy-peasy.

So plenty of things happen throughout the book, but what steals the show (for me) is the friendship between Balfour, Skye, and Charlie. Their banter and trust in one another is fun and learning more about Charlie's origins adds lovely complexity to his character. Add to that Balfour and Skye's failed attempts to find some privacy to kiss and get intimate, which isn't easy when you're running through a jungle hunted by slave-traders and in company with your friends and siblings, the story holds plenty of fun and heartwarming moments to combat some of the devastation.

As in previous of Natalie's books, mental health holds a big priority for the storyline. She conveys it convincingly with the ups and downs, slow and nonlinear healing, and how it in the worst of moments will make us unreasonable, mean, and vulnerable.

I think the main thing I've truly loved with this trilogy, which I know has been Natalie's endgame too, is the portraying of the difficulty of living abroad. How it feels to be torn between multiple homes and families, and how it can hurt to having to decide between them. How you know you'll always be torn and miss some part of you, and the struggle of having to choose between people you love equally much.

The bitter-sweet sting is so well-written and it's clear that it's written from experience. As an expat myself, I relate deeply to all of it.

Balfour's Story has been a fun ride throughout and I'm glad he got his well-deserved peace in the end. And with well-crafted writing, Natalie has managed to place a good hook of interest in the destiny of Charlie, so I very much doubt this is the last I'll pick up of her Inner Universe series!

Enjoy my content?

Buy me a coffee <3