An engaging and unconventional thriller with a vibrant heroine.
An act of sabotage gives a teenage girl some remarkable new abilities in this debut SF novel.
Diana Dunphy is a normal 16-year-old girl whose parents’ work is anything but ordinary. Her divorced parents, Rita and Aaron Dunphy, are scientists collaborating on a project called the Tachyon Chamber, affectionately nicknamed the “Crock Pot.” Designed to tackle the twin problems of oil scarcity and waste disposal, the Tachyon Chamber sends discarded materials back in time, where they will become oil for present-day use. But on the night of the project’s demonstration, terrorists posing as high school friends of Diana’s attack the attendees in an effort to download the software that makes the chamber possible. Diana tries to intervene, but she is pushed into the chamber. Her parents rescue her; then, her father is killed trying to dispose of a bomb left by the terrorists. While recovering in a hospital, Diana notices something is different about her. She craves rare meat and uses her tongue to smell. Her mother tests her DNA and discovers similarities with a Tyrannosaurus rex’s genetic material. Diana must keep her new powers and instincts under control as she returns to high school, but her efforts are complicated by her desire to seek revenge against the terrorists responsible for her condition and her father’s death. Gleisser’s novel is a fast-paced SF thriller bolstered by a dynamic heroine and well-staged action scenes. The narrative is anchored by Diana, whose world is turned upside down when her DNA is spliced with that of a dinosaur. She is surrounded by a strong supporting cast, including her mother and Chuck Leadingham, a classmate who eventually develops a romantic interest in Diana. The investigation into the sabotage that led to Diana’s transformation leads to some of the tale’s most intense action sequences, particularly her use of her sense of smell to uncover the location of the terrorists. That said, there are a few minor editing inconsistencies. For example, the name of the institute supporting the Dunphys’ research is spelled both “Gotelle” and “Gottelle.”
An engaging and unconventional thriller with a vibrant heroine.Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-948374-21-7
Page Count: 328
Publisher: Hydra Publications
Review Posted Online: Feb. 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
PROFILES
A fast and ferocious finale sure to please fans.
Following Steel Tide (2019), a high-stakes trilogy conclusion on the high seas.
No longer after simple revenge against Lir or even the rescue of her brother, Donnally, Caledonia’s goal is huge: to completely change the world, liberating everyone from the Bullets (and the Bullets from Silt, the drug used to control them). She’s still outnumbered, though, and so must add to her unlikely coalition of allies as well as take advantage of shake-ups in the ranks of the Bullets while Lir consolidates his power. Caledonia struggles under the mantle of leadership, especially when plans go awry and when she’s forced to make brutal choices that have her fearing that to beat Lir, she must become too much like him. The conflict plays out in sabotage, espionage, naval battles large and small, and close-combat with fists and knives; action sequences are obstacle-packed and skillfully drawn. What makes the action land, though, is that the stakes stay real: Characters can (and do) die, and those that do (including those who died in earlier books) are missed and mourned. Romantic storylines of many different gender constellations anchor personal stakes for the characters while not slowing down the action. Refreshingly, female friendships are given equal weight to romance. Though Caledonia, Donnally, and Lir are White, the world is racially diverse (and Caledonia’s love interest and best friend both have brown skin).
A fast and ferocious finale sure to please fans. (Science fiction. 12-adult)Pub Date: Feb. 9, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-451-47886-3
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin
Review Posted Online: Aug. 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An interplanetary tale that’s both intelligent and entertaining.
In this second installment of a hard–SF series, a 23rd-century Earth government sends a brilliant student to spy on a secretive moon colony that may be planning a terrorist attack.
Priya Radcliffe is anxious about a military man’s requested meeting. But it turns out Col. Jenkins wants to recruit her on behalf of the governing United Nations’ First Council. The plan is to send Priya to Chrysalis, a moon orbiting the planet Epsilon. A “rogue element” on Chrysalis is supposedly responsible for two missile strikes against Earth, the latter of which killed Priya’s parents, with a third attack evidently in the works. Investigating won’t be easy, as previous U.N. spies to the moon’s mining colony haven’t returned. But Priya, traveling to Chrysalis under the guise of an intern, has the benefit of ancestry: Her many-times-great-grandparents helped save humanity during an event known as the Great Exodus. Unfortunately, the colony’s wary people, including head of Chrysalis security Terry Chapper, quickly have their eyes on Priya. With her “hidden companion” (an exceptional artificial intelligence named Harold) at her side, Priya tries accessing the mine’s level 12, where the U.N. anticipates a hefty secret. But learning more about Chrysalis may lead Priya to question her orders. Considering the dense backstory, Rothman’s novel is relatively short. But he astutely concentrates on Priya while hinting at myriad details, from the possibility of aliens to Harold’s murky origin. Some of these narrative components are mysteries with eventual answers, like the fate of other characters tied to the Great Exodus. At the same time, there’s a constant threat: If Priya can’t identify someone plotting an assault, the U.N. may simply obliterate the over 3 million people on Chrysalis. The story’s fact-based science doesn’t always serve the plot, such as Priya’s serving in the temporary role of a teacher to 10-year-old kids. But this scene, like most, is brief, aiding the book’s steady pace.
An interplanetary tale that’s both intelligent and entertaining. (author’s note, addendum, author bio)Pub Date: April 1, 2020
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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