SLIPSHOT

In this third installment of Aibo’s SF series, survivors in a devastated post-war realm pursue one another through portals and across worlds.

A mysterious event known as the Great Re-frag ended the war in the Griddish Realm. The war was a conflict between Griddish’s ruling Engineers and the ultimately victorious Slaves (essentially the working class). Now, Mechanic Class Slave Rive Amber is the realm’s leader; her top priority, it seems, is getting information about the metallic, crab-like Vérkatros transportation machine (called Blinky) at the center of the Great Re-frag. How did Blinky get such power? It was granted by another Mechanic Class Slave, Cythiria Crenshaw— or so Rive believes. She sends Mora Thrembroke, a combat-trained Bestiar Class Slave, to track down Cythiria. Meanwhile, Blinky manages to reunite with his old friend Cythiria and communicates the only way he knows how: printing out a numerical code. The code is likely a reference to the mysterious and apparently significant One, a person who, Cythiria guesses, is on planet Var 7 (aka Farth), where she was once stranded. She can head back there via a Slipshot Silo portal, though most of these are either damaged or closed entirely. With Mora hot on Cythiria’s trail, Rive complicates matters further by seeking additional help from Matere Songgaard; he’s the Engineer who created both Vars 7 and 8 (the latter, aka Earth, is where he currently resides). The Slipshot Silo-traversing chase soon includes Blinky, who stumbles upon an ally and hopes once again to reconnect with Cythiria, though he’s just one of quite a few looking for her.

The returning cast of Aibo’s ongoing series continues to shine. Cythiria, a former Bestiar, is perpetually tormented; she has “broken” memories of Farth and, in this novel, practically clings to her close, reliable friend Judith Merlon. Other notable characters include the dour Mora, who detests Cythiria (as she’s apparently Rive’s favorite), and Cythiria’s loving adoptive parents on Farth. There’s some evolution evident among the series regulars, especially regarding Cythiria and Blinky’s relationship. Griddish is shrouded in mystery; Engineers first constructed the Vérkatrae so long ago that no one knows much about them. Similarly, the Great Re-frag is a head-scratching enigma, and how exactly the Slipshot Silos work isn’t known. The uncertainty makes for a tense narrative, as the characters are never sure if they can depend on certain tech, Silos, planets/realms, or even people. Throughout the novel, the author deftly sets the mood, whether in action scenes or quieter moments: “She looked up, glimpsing the gentle yet bright glow of the planetary ring, whose edges glimmered from the light of the setting parent star, now long out of sight below the horizon of its turning host.” Notwithstanding this installment’s solid conclusion, the final pages suggest the series isn’t over—lingering questions about various cast members and plot points will have readers clamoring for a fourth volume. Kirillova and Choi illustrate, and the text includes images from earlier artists Sunada-Wong and Juarez; they all deliver character profiles along with full-color, sometimes double-page-spread artwork.

Another diverting, worthwhile venture into a fascinating realm of discord and astonishing technology.