INDIE EBOOK – Review of Time Sniffers – Shadow World series by C.S. Lakin

I have not been reading or writing about self-published books, because when I first acquired a Kindle a couple of years ago, the dross I had to wade through convinced me that Life was too short to bother. However, with the market share of self-published books steadily increasing and a number of writers I respect making the decision to publish their own work, this stance was no longer possible if I wanted to keep up with events in the publishing world. So, here is my first review of self-published author C.S. Lakin’s offering.

This ebook is a YA science fiction adventure, very much aimed at the early/mid-teen market. Bria Harrison, brilliant teenage daughter of two prominent scientists, searches for her mother, whom she insists is alive, despite the devastating explosion at the National Laboratory. While re-creating her mother’s last experiment in her basement, Bria, her autistic brother Dylan, and four friends cause a rip in time-space – and out of the resultant black hole tumbles K-Six, a time sniffer who has come to get them.

The blurb chatters on for a few more lines, but as it contains a number of spoilers I have decided to leave it there. The intriguing title and well-written sample convinced me to download this book. But would the subsequent story hold me?

Written in Bria’s viewpoint in first person, the start of this novel is emotional as she and her family grapple with the death of her brilliant mother. The trauma and grief caused by the bereavement is well depicted and I also found Dylan’s autism believable. But Bria becomes convinced her mother isn’t dead, the pace starts to pick up and the adventure shifts into top gear.

Lakin set herself a hard task – Bria and Dylan are accompanied by a veritable posse of friends and companions. So, in addition to narrating a fairly complex time-travelling story where the party of youngsters visit a variety of very different worlds, Lakin also has to ensure that we learn about each of the group’s personal journey and what impact all the danger and adventure is having. Writing science fiction is a technically demanding task – which is why there are so many mediocre efforts out there. But, Lakin manages to braid the unfolding action, the changing backdrops and the various personal crises besetting the group very deftly. There is even a spot of romance…

I found Bria’s character and narration convincing and the story compelling – I certainly wanted to know what was going to happen next. Lakin manages to produce a clear story arc for each character and in addition to providing a satisfying conclusion to all the excitement, she also has a twist that sets the team off on their next adventure. Altogether, an entertaining, engrossing read with some interesting ideas about Time and our conception of the universe. I shall certainly be looking for more books by this author.
8/10

Review of Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold

This is the latest offering from Bujold’s long-running Miles Vorkosigan series – or is it the last instalment? It certainly feels as if this is a final round-up of some of the major characters that we’ve seen steadily develop over the years as we’ve followed Miles’ adventures.

Captain Ivan Vorpatril sometimes thinks that if not for his family, he might have no troubles at all. But he has the dubious fortune of the hyperactive Miles Vorkosigan as a cousin, which has often led to his getting dragged into one of Miles’ schemes, with risk to life and limb – and military career – that Ivan doesn’t consider entirely fair. Although much practice has made Ivan more adept at fending off his mother’s less-than-subtle reminders that he should be getting married and continuing the Vorpatril lineage.

Fortunately, his current duty is on the planet Komarr as staff officer to Admiral Desplains, far from both his cousin and his mother back on their homeworld of Barrayar. It’s an easy assignment and nobody is shooting at him. What could go wrong?

Plenty, as it turns, out when Byerly Vorrutyer, an undercover agent for Imperial Security shows up on his doorstep and asks him to make the acquaintance of a young woman, who seems to be in danger. That Byerly is characteristically vague about the nature of the danger, not to mention the lady’s name, should have been Ivan’s first clue, but Ivan is no more able to turn aside from aiding a damsel in distress than he could resist trying to rescue a kitten from a tree. It is but a short stage down the road of good intentions to the tangle of Ivan’s life, in trouble with the Komarran authorities, with his superiors, and with the lethal figures hunting the mysterious but lovely Tej and her exotic blue companion Rish – a tangle to test the lengths to which Ivan will go as an inspired protector.

In the rest of the books, Ivan is depicted as the physically handsome, rather feckless cousin that Miles manages to drag along in his wake, who is allergic to any real responsibility – not a helpful attribute to one of the main heirs to the Barrayan throne. So it was a real treat to find him the main protagonist in this romp.

For those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading the Miles Vorkosigan books – don’t open this book, yet. Track down at least one omnibus edition of Miles’ adventures – better still, give yourself the best present of the decade and tuck into the whole riveting canon. Bujold’s world is a joy and her ability to depict a complex world undergoing major social upheavals through the viewpoint of one very driven, high-ranking character with singular physical disabilities has earned her a hatful of awards and a unique place in the science fiction world. While it is possible to enjoy this book without having read any of the previous novels, there are so many asides, allusions and in-jokes referring to Miles that you will miss if you haven’t read anything else set in this world.

This book doesn’t have the frenetic forward tilt of Miles’ adventures, mainly because Ivan has lived his life trying to stay away from the sort of excitement that Miles generates by being… Miles. It is far more a romance with a sharply clever under-achiever as the main protagonist, who once more finds himself in a mess not of his own making. Bujold’s characterisation is absolutely spot on – she knows these characters inside out, and it shows in the slick writing and enjoyable humour that constantly bubbles under the surface.

At times, that humour tips into farce – the fate of the Imperial Security headquarters, for instance, had me laughing aloud. Yet, it is finely balanced. Barrayar is always dogged by its recent violent past – and the account of the short memorial service to Ivan’s dead father is poignant and one of the standout moments of the book for me, more so because it is so beautifully understated.
While it isn’t Bujold’s best book – and there is one glaring anomaly with the world that her beta readers certainly should have picked up – it was a joy to read and a worthy addition to an awesome series.
9/10

Review of Doomsday Book by Connie Willis

I picked up this copy of the book as an SF Masterworks because as a solid fan of many women fantasy and science fiction writers, I had never read her work and I discovered it was a Hugo Award winner. I’m so glad I did…

When Kivrin Engle travels back through time to complete her doctoral thesis, due to an accident she lands in the middle of a major crisis her Faculty were struggling to avoid. Meanwhile the Oxford she left behind is laid low by a mysterious strain of influenza and, with no one willing to risk arranging her rescue, time is running out…

This book, indeed, deserves to be part of the SF Masterworks series – from the moment I opened the first page I knew I was in the hands of a great writer at the top of her game. Willis sets the scene in Oxford’s near future with deft dexterity, her characters crackle with humanity and there is a bone-dry humour running through the whole story that helps to make the grim adventure Kivrin endures bearable.

Mr Dunsworthy – who opposed the whole hare-brained notion of Kivrin going back to this particular time, yet somehow found himself caught up in helping her – is an outstanding character. The book is largely in his and Kivrin’s viewpoint and as the situation in both timelines slides away into chaos, it is these two main characters on whom the whole story arc rests. Willis lays bare the internecine struggles within the famous University with a sense of gentleness that is refreshing in a genre which often exposes human frailty with ruthless savagery. There are a couple of characters who resort to petty rule-hugging in order to protect themselves, but most of the people depicted step up and do their best in increasingly awful circumstances.

Be warned though – Willis can lull you into a false sense of security. While the writing style can seem gentle, she is unflinching in her depiction of one of the worst tragedies in human history. Part of the ironic humour is the academic studies – with often ludicrous pontificating by esteemed members of the History Faculty – set against the terrible reality that confronts Kivrin. Willis manages to make the medieval family that takes Kivrin in, entirely plausible – despite her initial struggles with the translating device that doesn’t work as planned – and we get to know them well, from the curious and bright five year old Agnes right through to the rigidly proper mother-in-law from Hell… And if anyone is in any doubt that this is the best Time to have been born, especially for a woman, then read the account of a small village on the outskirts of Oxford struggling to survive a harsh winter. Personally, I snuggled under the covers of my electrically heated bed and offered up silent thanks.

I have a soft spot for time travelling books – when done well, as in Kage Baker’s Company novels, they take a lot of beating. This offering from Connie Willis is right up there with the best of them and if you come across a copy, pick it up. Better still, give yourself a treat and actively hunt down this book – you won’t regret it.
10/10

Review of Earthgirl by Janet Edwards

I met up with Janet Edwards at last year’s Fantasycon, when she told me that Earthgirl was due to come out in the coming year and we also exchanged a few words at Eastercon, when I heard enough about the book to put it onto my reading list. So I loaded it onto my Kindle for the journey to Brighton for this year’s Fantasycon.

In the far future, the universe is divided into two different groups: the Norms, who can portal between planets, and people like Jarra, the one in a thousand born with an immune system that doesn’t allow them to survive anywhere but Earth.  Norms come back to Earth for one reason: to study human history – like the ruins of what was once New York City. But only if they don’t have to interact with any Apes along the way. 18-year-old Jarra has a plan to change that.

This debut novel is a delight – it is marketed as YA, but this adult science fiction fan found it completely engrossing, as did my husband. Jarra is a strong protagonist – spiky, yet believably vulnerable. About halfway through the novel, there is an episode that appears to have split Earthgirl readers into those who feel that it is unrealistic and those who don’t. I’m in the latter camp. The series of events leading up to the shock that catapults Jarra into behaving as she does is entirely convincing – as is her reaction.

So Edwards has set up a strong female character and an intriguing situation – has she also managed to depict a sufficiently detailed and complex future? Absolutely. One of the characteristics of YA fiction – which is probably why you see a lot more Urban Fantasy, rather than Science Fiction in this genre – is that it is generally fast-paced. So it is a big ask for authors working with a primary world where the surroundings and customs are significantly different from our own time – unlike most urban fantasy offerings which are mostly set in modern cities with a few extra supernatural touches laid over the familiar landscape – to produce a satisfactory setting without holding up the narrative drive.

Edwards manages to provide plenty of interesting insights into her future world as part of the plot progression – an achievement a whole lot more difficult than the author makes it look. In fact, the world and the reasons why archaeological teams are frantically mining these decaying cities was – for me – one of the main treats of this book.

Any grizzles? Well – it is a minor niggle, but I did feel that I would have liked the ending to be slightly less… tidy. But that observation doesn’t detract from the fact that Earthgirl is a thoroughly engrossing read by a talented author, who is definitely One to Watch.
9/10

Review of We Can Be Heroes by Scott Fitzgerald Gray

This YA crossover science fiction techno-thriller (you may have gathered it’s something of a genre mash-up…) is the first of Gray’s work I’ve read – although it didn’t take long to realise We Can Be Heroes is the work of a fluent, experienced writer.

If you press them, anyone who games will admit to some variation on the idea of how they’d love to be the hero for real, just once. Just for one day. But right now, I’m on an empty street five hundred kilometers from home, barely able to walk. I’m soaked and shivering, wearing someone else’s clothes, and with way too many memories of almost dying rattling around in my head. And right here, right now, all I can think about is what I’d say if anybody asked me how much I want to be a hero…

This short paragraph gives a small slice of the narrative voice by űber-stroppy teenager, Scott Gray, sometime gamer and conspiracy theorist teetering on the edge of dropping out of school. Like an increasing number of books, it is written in present tense which works well – particularly once it gets going.

If you track down this book, my first piece of advice is – keep reading, it gets a whole lot better. I understand why Gray wanted to take time to fully establish his character, setting and situation – but in my opinion, his approach is just a tad too leisurely for the genre and subject matter. However, once this book hit its stride, I was gripped.

This story isn’t just about Scott, it is also about his gaming team – Mitchell, Breanne, Rico and Molly. I liked the fact that there were two girls in there and was impressed that Gray managed to keep all five main protagonists fully engaged and developing throughout the mayhem – a feat far more technically demanding than Gray made it look. I wondered about having a team of five, rather than three or four, but came to the conclusion that using five quite different personalities, Gray was able to fully explore the notion of heroism and how it plays out in a variety of ways. Over-arching the whole narrative, though, is the self-absorbed, arrogant yet vulnerable persona of young Scott. The voice is a joy – those of us who have had the misfortune/privilege to have lived alongside an overly bright sixteen year old male will be forcibly reminded of the experience halfway down the first page. I even confess to sneaking feelings of sympathy for Seth, his permanently enraged father… Does this mean that my allegiance to Scott wavered? Nope. Not even at his most obnoxious. I am a sucker for a strongly written, complex first person narrator and Gray certainly delivered. Unlike so many techie-minded male authors, Gray manages to write his main character with depth and humanity.

In addition to exploring the idea of heroism, Gray also has his protagonist musing on the nature of isolationism, what defines humanity, as well as confronting him with the fallout when someone unexpectedly dies. All this without letting the narrative pace fall below frenetic once the action starts kicking off…

Other than my one niggle about the book being a bit slow at the beginning, I found this an engrossing, highly enjoyable and accomplished read and have marked Scott Fitzgerald Gray as One To Watch. I’ll be hunting down his back catalogue – in the meantime, I suggest you upload We Can Be Heroes, or order a print copy. Now that the summer is rapidly drawing to a close, you’ll need a bit of action to keep you warm – and this book has it in spades…
9/10

Review of Cibola by James H. Cobb

I’m a sucker for a really cool spacescape on a book cover – and this offering shouted READ ME, so had to be plucked off the shelf. And I’m very glad I did…

Being the cop on the beat is never easy, especially in the 22nd century, where mankind has the capacity to reshuffle the heavens and humanity and even reality itself is a matter of opinion. Just ask Free Marshal Gain Chandry of the United Nations Law Enforcement Authority, who is about to take the wildest ride of his career – and maybe even his life.

Fresh from his latest assignment chasing smugglers, Chandry is handed the Cibola Project, The Johannesburg United Metals Combine is using the largest space vehicle ever built, the robotic mass driver tug MD-24, to move a gold ore-laced asteroid into near-Earth orbit. If the project succeeds, it could revolutionize cis-lunar industrial civilisation. If it fails, the resulting ecological catastrophe could be the greatest since the extinction of the dinosaur.

And someone wants Cibola to fail.

Is it a deep, multi-layered and meaningful treatise into the possible dangers that lie ahead of humanity? Nope. It’s a great, escapist romp written by an experienced author with an engaging protagonist, Gain Chandry. That said, there are some really nice touches. I think Cobb has managed to depict deep space mining more effectively than many other sci fi writers. I enjoyed his world and the characters – and as for the whodunit, I really didn’t see it coming. However, I wasn’t wasting too much time and energy trying to unravel the plot – Cobb’s fluid style whisks the story along at a good clip and I read it in one greedy gulp.

Like all enjoyable whodunits, as well as a good spread of suspects, Gain is part of a team – however, this being the 22nd century, his side-kick isn’t your average human companion… This cyber-buddy is a great wish-fulfilment. I want one, too! Someone who can subsume him/herself into any system with a plug and switch; someone who doesn’t need to breathe, or eat; someone who can keep you company and kiss it better when it all goes wrong…

Overall, this is great fun and my only sadness is that I cannot find any kind of sequel or follow-up to this entertaining offering. Hopefully, Cobb will see the error of his ways and provide Cibola with a follow-up book. Please??
8/10

Review of The Red Men by Matthew de Abaitua

Being a shallow sort, I was lured into picking this book off the shelves by the sheer elegance of the cover (kudos to Snow Books for this outstanding effort, by the way…) and was rewarded by discovering an unexpectedly thought provoking treatment that will – I feel – be with me for longer than usual.  This near-future literary thriller is remarkably prescient, given its attack on corporate aspirations and thinking, as it was published in 2007, well before the series of grubby scandals that rocked the banking world.

A police helicopter hovers above Hackney. Snipers surround the siege house. Fascinated, Nelson edges forward to watch the advance of the negotiator: a robot, uncannily tall and serene, designed to empathise with the despair that has turned a bitter executive into a cornered gunman. But the robot is too late; an explosion engulfs the house. As Nelson watches the burning machine burst out onto his street, he realises that the world has shifted beneath his feet; a strange and unexpected future has arrived on his doorstep.

Welcome to the adventures of young father Nelson Millar and his friend and manic poet Raymond Chase in the imminent technologies of tomorrow. Nelson unwillingly works on a project that threatens the nature of democracy, the simulation of a town and its citizens to create the ultimate focus group. Meanwhile, Raymond is hired to assist the mysterious Red Men, digital copies of the rich and powerful whose vile appetites and hatred for real life soon lead to murder.

Firstly a health warning – the initial chirpy tone and thread of black humour running through this book gets steadily darker. It is compelling, clever and terrifyingly plausible. It is also savagely violent. As a sharp and accomplished writer, de Abaitua is completely capable of delivering a nuanced, satirical take on the subject. For instance, it is Nelson Millar’s determination to provide a steady income for his young family that sucks him into working for Monad – not his earlier freewheeling ‘creative’ days working as editor for the magazine Drug Porn… While the technological details, such as the robots, Dr Easy and Dr Hard, are enjoyable – it is de Abaitua’s pinsharp observations of human nature that make this an uncomfortably standout read for me.

The impact on Nelson of being subsumed into corporate life, while forced to spend long periods apart from his wife and child, rings all too true in a world where families have to face these dilemmas on a daily basis. He has the stunning misfortune to have to deal with a number of executives who could all be labelled as ‘the boss from Hell’, from the charismatic figurehead, Hermes Spence, to Stoker Senior whose testicle transplant is an attempt to keep himself ever-young and virile – and his immediate superior, and the bullying Morton Eakins. Not to mention the unspeakably horrible Red Man, Morty…

Any grumbles? I’m not a fan of the limited omniscient viewpoint and there were times that I felt hopping between viewpoints in the same scene compromised the degree to which I identified with the characters. While I fully concede that Nelson managed to still bounce off the pages, Raymond’s character seemed particularly undermined by this treatment and at times, I found myself skimming the scenes which featured him to get back to Nelson… Given de Abaitua’s evident skill, I do think that this is an avoidable glitch.

Other than that, though, I think this book is a powerful glimpse into some of the possible dangers that our children may face. And as a cautionary tale about how the corporate ethos can pervert and twist the best-intentioned objectives, it is chillingly accurate. It should be required reading for all Bob Diamond and all his cronies…
8/10

Review of Deep State by Walter Jon Williams

This is the second book in the Dagmar Shaw series, exploring the cyberworld and its potential to change reality. This Is Not A Game started the trilogy off with a bang, when Dagmar, an alternate reality games designer, found herself in the middle of a violent revolution in Jakata which was the start of a series of brutal events that sucked her into a world of violence every bit as frightening as anything she has ever designed…

So – the question is, does Deep State deliver the same smart, cyber-cool storyline and enjoyable slices of humour?

Dagmar Shaw is one of the world’s hottest designers of alternate reality games. She is the Puppetmaster and thousands of gamers are dancing on her strings. But when the campaign she is running in Turkey comes into conflict with the new, brutal regime, she realises that games can have very real consequences.

When an old friend approaches Dagmar with a project so insane, so ambitious, she can’t possibly say no, she is plunged into a world of spies and soldiers. As a nation hangs in the balance, the bullets become real and gamers start dying. In this world of intrigue and betrayal, the master player must face the possibility that she has, herself, been played…

Williams has certainly fixed the slight wobbles in Dagmar’s characterisation apparent in This Is Not A Game – I found her a much stronger, more believable protagonist this time around. I particularly liked the fact that despite her evident skills and charisma, she has been left with post-traumatic stress syndrome after events in This Is Not A Game. A pleasant change to find violence causing such believable mayhem in a fictional character…

As for the storyline – there were some clear parallels to the way social media was used during the Arab Spring and how Williams’ fictional characters decide to harness the likes of Twitter and Facebook to attempt to overthrow the brutal regime. However, this is a work of fiction and the fact that those similarities quickly break down under closer examination doesn’t particularly detract from the book, as far as I’m concerned. As long as Williams’ world persuaded me to suspend my disbelief for the duration of the novel, then I was more than happy to go along with the proposition that various staged gaming events could pose significant problems for a military regime unaccustomed to dealing with flash mobs.

I also found the violent response all too believable – along with the evident ramping of tension, consequences and costs. Another feature of this book I thoroughly approve of – is that when people die, it is treated as a major event that leaves everyone shaken and upset. There are still the gamers and their response to what is going on – although it did occur to me that if you hadn’t first read This Is Not A Game, you may be slightly scratching your head at their appearance, which is a lot more piecemeal and less coherent in this novel. However, unlike many series, I do think that you could comfortably read Deep State without having read the first Dagmar Shaw adventure.

All in all, this is an entertaining slice of near-future action that may have some similarities with totalitarian regimes and their reluctant populations. However, I don’t recommend it on the grounds that it has any political significance – I’m not convinced enough that Williams’ has sufficiently nailed the underlying tensions and sheer complexity of Turkish society for that to be the case. But as an enjoyable piece of fiction, it is certainly worth reading – and is far more than a placeholder that second volumes all too frequently end up being.
9/10

Review of This is Not a Game by Walter Jon Williams

This near-future thriller has a feel of Charles Stross’s Halting State – apart from the second person viewpoint and constant dry humour. There is the same sense of everything teetering on the edge of precipice, ready to slide into chaos at a few keystrokes from the wrong sort of people…

Dagmar is a game designer trapped in Jakarta in the middle of a revolution. The city is tearing itself apart around her and she needs to get out. Her boss Charles has his own problems – 4.3 billion of them to be precise, hidden in an off-shore account. Austin is the businessman. He’s the one with the plan and the one to keep the geeks in line. BJ was there from the start, but while Charlie’s star rose, BJ sank into the depths of customer service. He pads his hours at the call centre slaying online orcs, stealing your lot and selling it on the internet.

They all knew each other at college. They all promised to keep in touch. But when one of them is caught up in an international emergency, they are all sucked into a series of events that changes everything.

This enjoyable adventure comes with a caveat – stick with it. The start is rather a slow burn, but once you get fully into Dagmar’s point of view, the pace picks up and the narrative voice starts to convince. The bursts of violence are wholly believable because of the horror experienced by the protagonist. All too often in such books, a major character pickforked into a shocking situation seems to take it far too much in her stride – not so here. Williams manages to make me feel the enormity of the events as they unfold and by the end, I was reading late into the wee small hours to discover exactly who was doing what – and had a thorough blast with the denouement and climactic ending.

It is the voice and pacing that slightly slips at times and I get the impression that Williams isn’t entirely happy writing from a feminine point of view. However, the story and scenario are sufficiently compelling that I was prepared to overlook the slight unevenness in the main protagonist. For those of you who don’t know my tastes – this is a big Get-Out-of-Jail card, as I’m a gal who zeroes in on characters all the way, and is a testament to the pulling power of the plot. While I’ve concentrated on the thriller aspect of this book, there are some really enjoyable touches of humour – Williams’ has great fun with his gamers and their responses to the unfolding drama – which both manages to give some welcome relief to the gritted tension elsewhere, yet also highlight the gravity of the underlying situation. It’s a neat trick to pull off.

This is the first in a trilogy and I’m delighted to have managed to track down the other two books in the series, Deep State and The Fourth Wall and shall be shortly tucking into them. Watch this space for more Williams’ adventures.
8/10

Review of EBOOK Principles of Angels – Book 1 of the Hidden Empire series by Jaine Fenn

I met Jaine Fenn at Bristolcon, where she was the sole female science fiction writer speaking on the various panels. I had a chance to chat to her during the evening and made a mental note to get hold of her writing. I’m very glad I did, as her debut novel on my Kindle made a long train journey zip by in a blur of excitement and action.

Khesh City floats above the surface of the uninhabitable planet of Vellern. Topside, it’s extravagant, opulent, luxurious; the Undertow is dark, twisted and dangerous. Khesh City is a place where nothing is forbidden – but it’s also a democracy, of sorts, a democracy by assassination, policed by the Angels, the elite, state-sponsored killers who answer only to the Minister, their enigmatic master. Taro lived with Malia, his Angel aunt, one of the privileged few, until a strange man bought his body for the night, then followed him home and murdered Malia in cold blood. Taro wants to find the killer who ruined his future, but he’s struggling just to survive in the brutal world of the Undertow. Elarn Reen is a famous musician, sent to Khesh City as the unwilling agent of mankind’s oldest enemy, the Sidhe. Though they come from different worlds, Taro and Elarn’s fates are linked, their lives apparently forfeit to other people’s schemes. As their paths converge, it becomes clear that the lives of everyone in Khesh City, from the majestic, deadly Angels to the barely-human denizens of the Undertow, are at risk. And Taro and Elarn, a common prostitute and an uncommon singer, are Khesh City’s only chance.

I know that my rant about blurting blurbs must be getting tedious – but I have heavily edited the above because if I hadn’t, you would have encountered a couple of major Spoilers in the opening action. Once more, I am grateful that I never read the back cover before starting a book.

So… this floating city with the privileged living a vastly better life than the underclass who – literally – struggle for survival under their feet – is it convincing and does it rise above the inevitable clichéd feel of that description? Yes – in my opinion it certainly does. And I’ve been startled to read some really unpleasant, sneering reviews about this book. What places it outside the norm for this genre is that Principles of Angels is completely character-driven. Perhaps the omission of a limited omniscient info-dump is perplexing some of those reviewing the book.  Well, it’s fine with me – I happen to think one of the reasons why Fantasy is currently trampling Science Fiction underfoot, is that the majority of best-selling Fantasy authors write punchy, character-led stories which readers find accessible and engrossing. And a large number of Science Fiction writers don’t…

Fenn drops her readers right into the middle of the action in Taro’s viewpoint as he battles for his life – his character sings off the pages from the start and continues to sparkle right through the book. He survives as a prostitute and while Fenn doesn’t flinch from showing us the seamy underbelly of such a trade, at no time does she slide into gratuitous detail. Overall, I felt the world-building was strong and convincing – we see slices of Khesh City from both above and below and I particularly liked Taro’s disorientation when he reaches Topside. The other detail in this book that I appreciated was the dialogue – complete with appropriate slang. Stupidity or absentmindedness (lethal when negotiating hanging walkways with holes or climbing nets) is known as being gappy; in comparison anything commendable is bolted.

The other main protagonist is off-world visitor, Elarn, who is on an unexpected singing tour. Her character is far more opaque – though it rapidly becomes clear that her tour is a cover for another mission. Khesh City is further fleshed out as we get to experience it through Elarn’s viewpoint as a newcomer with access to all the privilige and luxury the City has to offer. However, her plans quickly go awry when she encounters charismatic politician Salik Vidoran.

The pace sweeps onward from the first page and gets ever faster as we reach the climactic ending, which more or less ties everything up while leaving a couple of major issues dangling for the subsequent books in the series. Which means I’ve more opportunities to visit Fenn’s rich, engrossing world. Yay!
9/10