Spear of Light by Brenda Cooper – Review

Tags

5 stars, artificial intelligence, Book Review, Brenda Cooper, favorite, robots, scifi, series, space opera

Review by Riley

About Spear of Light

When the post-human Next suddenly re-appear in a solar system that banished them, humans are threatened. Their reactions vary from disgust and anger to yearning to live forever like the powerful Next, who are casually building a new city out of starships in the heart of the re-wilded planet Lym. The first families of Lym must deal with being invaded while they grapple with their own inner fears.

Ranger Charlie Windar is desperate to save his beloved planet. The Next are building strange cities he never imagined, and other humans who want to destroy the Next are his worst enemies.

Ambassador Nona Hall strives to forge links between the powerful station she’s from, The Diamond Deep, and the people of Lym. The formidable merchant Gunnar Ellensson appears to be up to no good, and as usual his motivations are suspect. Why is he sending ships to Lym, and what does he intend to do with them when he arrives?

The Shining Revolution threatens to undo everything by attacking the Next on Lym, and their desire to eradicate the post-humans is greater than their desire to save humanity’s home. It is entirely possible that they will draw the wrath of the Next onto all of humanity.

In the meantime, the Next’s motives remain inscrutable. Why are they here at all? What do they want? Why are they interested in the ancient past of a planet that has been ravaged and rebuilt at least once?

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Review of Spear of Light

First, some background. Many humans refer to the Next as soul bots. What they are is a highly evolved community of complex intelligent beings. I actually grew to admire the Next when I read Edge of Dark. They evolved from robots created by humans but were eventually forced out into space because they were feared by their creators. Well, they are back and now have a distinct tactical advantage over humans. But there is a deal, worked out between the Next and representatives of both the planet Lym and the Diamond Deep space station/community. Those representatives, Charlie, the planet saver,and Nona the diplomat will have important roles in Spear of Light.

In Spear of Light, the focus is on the human reaction to the Next’s occupation of the planet Lym. They don’t occupy all of the planet, just carefully chosen territories. Why are they even on Lym? Can they be trusted? Why should the people of Lym just give in to them? What happens to human communities outside of Lym? And what, if anything, can the highly advanced Next do for humans? Questions lead to speculation which leads to opinions and taking sides. Sides that disagree as to how to handle the Next.

Despite having not the faintest clue about what the Next want on Lym, the some residents are determined to fight them. And to fight anyone that does not want to fight the Next. Other residents want to honor the agreement with the Next, just as the Next have also honored the agreement. There is a third, space-based contingent, that just wants to wipe out all soul bots. These human reactions are what makes the story ‘real’ to this human. Ignorance and fear are as motivating as reason and respect.

Putting the broader picture aside, a couple of characters stand out. Yi is one of the four humans-turned-Next that played a role in the current state of affairs between humans and Next. Yi and his family were Next representatives because they were closer to human. In Spear of Light, Yi embraces becoming Next and yearns to evolve further and know more. Yi seems to be an outlier in typical scifi where being forced to become a robot should be terrifying and abhorrent to humans. Yet, here is Yi, eager stretch into his new existence. He does this without forgetting what it means to be human. This depiction of Yi’s transformation is refreshing and hopeful.

Charlie Windar, the ranger has, perhaps, the most substantial human role in Spear of Light. He has always worked to restore the natural world of Lym, keeping the wilds safe from humans. He loves Lym and fears what the Next will do to his planet. Yet, as a broker to the current arrangement, Charlie has done everything he can imagine to save Lym from being completely taken over by the Next. Now he faces his friends and neighbors on Lym who believe Charlie is a betrayer because he gave in to the Next. Charlie’s struggle is the most poignant in Spear of Light and absolutely pulled at my heart. And because I am a romantic at heart, Charlie’s and Nona’s continuing romance, what they do for each other and how they even manage to stay together is an inspiring counterpoint to the struggles around them.

Without spoiling anything, I have to say that I did not see the ending coming at all. While I thought the Next’s motives were suspect, due to the fact that they were not at all willing to talk about them, when I found what they were up to I was surprised.  And I do like surprises.

Spear of Light is the awesome conclusion to The Glittering Edge duology. Book 1, Edge of Dark, was such an amazing story that I had a hard time believing it could be matched. Maybe that is why I let 7 months elapse between books, even though I had book two in hand. Spear of Light proved that, as a whole, The Glittering Edge duology is an insightful observation of humankind, filled with hope, hard hitting reality and a sense of humanity’s place in the future universe.

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NOTE:  If you haven’t read Edge of Dark, I highly recommend starting there.  If you are interested, here is my review of Edge of Dark.

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Links

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Purchase The Glittering Edge duology:

 

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Cypher by Christina Westcott – Review

Tags

5 stars, artificial intelligence, cats, Christina Westcott, cybernetics, favorite, scifi, scifi romance, series

Review by Riley

For part of this week, we will have a theme.  I call it I’ve Got You Under My Skin.  If you are familiar with the old jazz song, perhaps you will think about the verse as you read these posts.

Today, we have a review of Christina Westcott’s Cypher.  Tomorrow Viola Carr will be here to talk about her fascinating character from The Dastardly Miss Lizzie.  Then I hope you will return on Thursday for a very special guest post from Christina Westcott.

 

About Cypher

A murderous computer program has attacked her cyborg partner’s body and mind, turning him into a super assassin who is driven to destroy everything she’s vowed to protect.

In a high-stakes game of cat and gerbat, Kimber FitzWarren faces her deadliest challenge yet, an assassin with all the skills and knowledge of her partner Wolf Youngblood, but controlled by the mind of a killer. Fitz must find a way to protect her Emperor while keeping her adversary alive until she can free her partner from the program’s influence.

A prisoner in the dark labyrinth of his own mind, Wolf struggles to regain control of his body, concocting a plan to use the killer as a Trojan Horse to lead him to his attacker. In the meantime, he can only watch as a helpless passenger as the assassin plots to kill all the people he loves.

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Review of Cypher

“Oh shit, we are so screwed.”

Said Jumper.  Jumper is a cat. Well, he is a bit more advanced than the typical house cats many of us serve in our own homes. But, you know, still a cat. Cats are easy going. Seemingly lazy. Sleep a lot. And assume we humans will take care of them. So when Jumper is concerned, there is likely to be a crisis brewing.

He is not wrong. Did you read the book blurb? I did, and still, when Wolf-who-is-not-Wolf makes his first appearance, “Oh shit”, was exactly my reaction. Me and a telepathic cat think alike.

Before the story gets to that point, there is a little setup. First of all, the Dragon Emperor has a new face. One that Kimber is willing to follow. As Ari Ranashov’s chief of security, Kimber FitzWarren has her job cut out for her. Constant vigilance is required. That is where her cyber-enhancements come in handy.  And the alien symbiont that heals pretty much any injury is good to have too. Both features have become vital tools in her risky occupation.  Kimber is one cool security chief.

You get a sense that the threat of trouble is ever present. Wolf Youngblood, as the emperor’s military Triumvir is also concerned with security. Between Kimber and Wolf, all threats must be dealt with.

But this time, the threat is Wolf himself. And the nasty bit of bad guy that messed with Wolf. Janos Tritico, who first appeared in A Hero for The Empire, is back and is pulling more strings, causing more problems and just generally, making a huge nuisance of himself. And where Tritico goes, so do the Tzraka, the nasty giant bugs. The bugs are still a bit of a mystery, but every little bit one learns about them causes a shiver. I don’t think they are good for humanity.

The best part of Cypher is the character of Wolf-who-is-not-Wolf. Wolf is a complex character before the addition of what is basically an AI in his body. I find the relationship between the two intelligences to be fascinating. Wolf’s struggle with his body hijacker consumes a large part of the plot and is at the same time an engrossing study of two characters.

The relationship between Kimber and Wolf is intense. If you’ve read A Hero for the Empire, you are aware of everything these two went through to get to the point they are now. Very much in love, each devoted to the other. So when Wolf-who-is-not-Wolf showed up it was a real heartbreaker for Kimber. I truly felt the difficulty that Kimber experienced doing her job, tracking down her love, while all the time, there is a possibility she will have to hurt him or worse. This bit made my eyes water:

“Fitz slid down the slippery tiles into a tight ball of misery. The warm water running down her face disguised her tears. In the short time she’d known Wolf, she’d cried more than the rest of her life combined, because now she had something precious to lose.”

“Oh shit, we are so screwed.” I know, I already quoted Jumper, but I get such a kick out of that line, because it is coming from a cat.  I love Jumper and his ability to state the obvious. His observations and telepathic comments (hence the italics) are always entertaining.

“….when the Emperor says she’s bringing her cat, all a ship’s captain can say about it is ‘What kind of food does she like?’ You’re along to accompany Faydra.” “Guess that makes me the Emperor’s cat’s consort, huh?” He stood and stretched. “I could get used to being a kept cat.” ”

Jumper is not really a kept cat. He really earns his keep. He is Kimber’s eyes, ears, and intuition in dicey situations. His ability to communicate telepathically is ever so handy.  Jumper is one cool cat, hence his affiliation with a cool security chief.

There was a lot of tea with cream and sugar in this book. It happens to be favorite morning beverage, so I am very pleased to know that tea, cream and sugar are easily obtained in the futuristic world of the Late Scyran Empire. There are just enough earthisms in the story to make it accessible but not too many.  The futuristic homeworld of the empire is majestic and gritty – the perfect backdrop for this story.

Like A Hero for the Empire, Cypher begins with a Late Scyran Empire definition:

“Cypher. (Late Scyran Empire— 532 to 893 ER) (1) n. A secret way of writing; a code (2) n. A person of no importance, especially one who does the bidding of another and seems to have no will of their own. (3) v. Military. To erase all records of an individual, rendering them nonexistent.”

These definitions are stage-setters and should not be passed over.  Which definition applies in his book? Hmm.  That is for you to determine.

I think Cypher is even better than A Hero for the Empire, which I loved (review here). The characters are complex and the plot is rich with galactic possibilities. There is non-stop scifi action, gut-wrenching emotion and plenty of twists and turns in the plot. While it is a continuation of book 1 in The Dragon’s Bidding series, Cypher is a stand-alone story. Cypher is a new book for my favorites shelf. I. Love. This. Series!

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Links

Add Cypher to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase Cypher or A Hero for the Empire:

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I’ve Got You Under My Skin

I’ve got you under my skin.
I’ve got you deep in the heart of me.
So deep in my heart that you’re really a part of me.
I’ve got you under my skin.
I’d tried so not to give in.
I said to myself: this affair never will go so well.
But why should I try to resist when, baby, I know so well
I’ve got you under my skin?

Passages by Laurel Wanrow – Review

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, cyborgs, favorite, Laurel Wanrow, scifi, scifi romance

Review by Riley

About Passages

“Find someone you can trust.”

For decades, Eve and her fellow electorgs—part human, part machine—have worked on the quiet planet of Aarde, beating back toxic spores that threaten to poison the native people. When the new commander halts work right before a deadly spore release, Eve frantically plots to protect the villagers she considers friends and family.

On the run after an ambush, Quinn holds a secret that nearly got him killed. If only he knew what it was. Though the attack scrambled his memories, Quinn is sure of one thing—he can’t trust the electorgs. But they know information he desperately needs to puzzle out who wants him dead, and why.

With the fate of life on Aarde in the balance, the logic of joining forces with Eve overrides Quinn’s fears…and erupts into an attraction that could prove fatal for both of them.

Because the planet’s commander might just be Quinn himself.

 

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Review of Passages

D’Air this is a good book!

Lets start with what sets Passages apart from most books I’ve read lately. It’s creative. Laurel Wanrow’s development of the world of Aarde, its physics, biogeography, the goud and most especially, the electorgs and their socio-political structure is very thoughtful and quite original.

One might say that electorgs, or ‘torgs, are just cyborgs and therefore not original. Maybe yes, they are cyborgs, but face it, the Docga have very specific criteria for selection of humans that could become cyborgs. First, they had to have some special talent. And second, they had to be dead. So, not your typical scifi-physically-enhanced human.

That begs the question, who/what are these Docga, that can take a dead person and turn it into a living being? And these beings still appear to have souls, if I am allowed a spiritual observation. Again I ask, who are these seemingly benevolent beings that give life to the ‘torgs and then send them around the universe to do their bidding.  I must admit to wanting to know much more about these beings, one of whom appears in the form of a sentient wolfhound in Passages. (Appealing to the dog-lovers.) On the other hand, the mysteriousness of the race is just another thing that I appreciate about the them.

The two main characters, Quinn and ‘torg Eva, alternate first person viewpoints from chapter to chapter. If you are the type of person who tends to ignore chapter headings in an effort to get straight to the story, don’t! Each chapter is headed with either “Quinn” or “Eva”, so the readers knows whose viewpoint is being followed. When the action continues directly from the previous chapter, these headings become very important.

I enjoy first person narrations, because I so like getting into the head of a character. Even if a) the character has had a memory loss and therefore, there is not much to get into (Quinn) or b) the character tends to deny some of her past (Eva) in order to not have to deal with it in the present. You many now begin to see also, why I liked these characters so much. They have depths to be explored, they are complex and both are also quite flawed.

And they are drawn to each other, with a number of complications that constantly keep them apart – with good reason. The romance between these two is heartfelt and complicated and perfect. Of the two, Quinn is most interesting. He has lost so much of his memory, but at times seems very capable. Who or what is he? It was very cool to watch him grow into the hero. And the lover.

I find the ‘torg social structure to be quite fascinating and not like anything I’ve run across in other scifi. Therefore, it is another of the aspects of Passages that make the book stand out to me. B-runs, associations of three ‘torgs who live together as a family and work in the community they are assigned to, make up the main ‘torg workforce. Eva, Evard and Evangeline make up a B-run. Each has his or her own function that the Docga thinks is beneficial to the world or community they are serving. In this case, this run of ‘torgs lives in and runs the bookstore Passages while they help the Zeffir Island community with their botany, veterinary, and psychological talents.

E-runs, are the elite ‘torgs or the ministers. The administrative runs are formed from 5 ‘torgs and again, each member of the quintad has a separate, but important, function. You will be slowly introduced to a key e-run in Passages.  As members of the administrative class, you might surmise that they are also a source of intrigue.

While Eva and Quinn are the main characters in Passages, there are several secondary characters that really help flesh out the rest of the story. Primarily, the other two members of Eva’s B-run – Evangeline and Evard. Each has their own story to tell, but only part of is shared in Passages. (I want more!)

Perhaps the most interesting story that is only partially told belongs to Sabein. Sabein is the matriarch and leader of the Zeffir Island community and there is much to her, as you might expect of one who reaches her position. She is especially close to Eva and for that matter, all three ‘torgs in Eva’s group are her friends, despite the fact that they are not natives. She works closely with them within her community. But Zeffir and the residents are her top priority.

Passages is not comprised solely of compelling protagonists. Do you want to talk about the antagonist(s)? Evil? Yes. Clever? Smart enough to get around the good guys – at least early on. Power hungry? Absolutely. I wasn’t 100% clear on the bad guy’s motivation, other than that power-hungry thing. But sometimes, you don’t really need to know more than that.  These adversaries to Eva, Quinn and their friends provide the conflict, the intrigue and the ultimate climactic scenes.

There are so many things about Passages that I appreciated, but this review is getting quite long.  So let me leave you with a list of teasers:

1. Goud – is it a gem, a weapon, a pharmaceutical, or…..?
2. Transporter technology
3. Botany
4. Blackguards
5. Death Discs
6. Long lives and how to avoid overpopulation
7. Alphabetical order
8. The Waters

In addition to my 5-star recommendation of Passages, I would also like to recommend the series of guest blog posts that Laurel Wanrow did to introduce Passages. You can find the complete list on her guest post at Whiskey With My Book: https://whiskeywithmybook.wordpress.com/2017/02/01/laura-wanrow-author-of-passage-guest-post/. Ms. Wanrow has put a great deal of thought into the world she has created – from the dynamics of the ‘torg social structure – to the biology of a dangerous spore – to the creation of the compelling characters and drama that make up the story of Passages. This one is going on my favorites shelf!

The author provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

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Links

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