ISBN: 0-312-87720-X Order from: Amazon.com
A fast-paced, frequently exciting plot and decent concepts are counteracted by implausible plot devices, awkward style and heavy moralizing, to achieve a mildly entertaining novel.
Reviewed by David on July 01, 2001
Genre: Science Fiction (Nanotechnology, Intrigue)
Synopsis: In a not-too-distant future, humanity has achieved interstellar flight, but such travel is prohibitively expensive, and is used mostly for exploration of rare, ancient alien artifacts.
Genetic engineering allows children to be selected for exceptional health, intelligence and strength, but its cost is almost prohibitively expensive for all but the rich. The same goes for nanotechnological augmentation and the best schools.
While there are still exceptions, increasingly, the best opportunities: positions leading to wealth, power and fame, are accessible to the children of the rich, powerful and famous. Once again, the society is stratifying—and social tension is rising.
Daryn is a younger, non-political son of a very rich family. Refusing his family's money, the former pilot has carved out a comfortable existance with his own talents as an analyst.
When someone attempts to kill him, Daryn is puzzled. Neither his personal job, nor his position in the family seems to justify this. As these attempts multiply, and other victims fall, Daryn reluctantly plunges into a confusing, political investigation, which forces him to become a player in the game of global power.
Full Review: The major concepts of this adventure—power, the desire to keep it by those who have it, and the deadly resentment of those who are denied it—form a plausible, ever-relevant plot. However, the actual implementation of the plot in this book is strained. In some ways, this book is comparable to Walter Jon Williams' better-written Aristoi.
While fast-paced, the plot is implausible on numerous occasions. The "good" guys' methods are incredibly byzantine. There is some justification for this in the novel, but it is insufficient in building either sympathy or plausibility for their actions.
The main character's tactics appear simplistic and not particularly plausible either, although the portrayal of a society split by conflicting viewpoints ring true.
Finally, the main opposition appear to have paradoxically great malevolence and scope together with little effectiveness. This, perhaps, can also be sttributed to the lack of unity in their ranks.
Combined with the author's typically pedestrian narative style and heavy moralizing, this generally exciting but flawed book provides, on the balance, a modicum of entertainment.
Overall: 5; Plot: 5; Characters: 5; Style: 4.5; World-building: 6; Originality: 5.5;
Copyright date 2001, Tor, February 2001, Cloth
ISBN: 0-312-87720-X Order from: Amazon.com