Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Corey (the shared pseudonym of Ty Franck and Hugo-nominated fantasist Daniel Abraham) kicks off a sprawling space opera series with this riveting interplanetary thriller. Relations among Earth, Mars, and the unincorporated "Belter" settlements of the asteroid belt and outer planets are rarely more than cordial. When ice hauler Jim Holden investigates an emergency beacon on a derelict Belter ship, he finds-and broadcasts-evidence that it was attacked by Mars forces. Burnt-out Ceres Station detective Joe Miller is puzzled by a drop in organized crime violence and an oddly compelling case involving a missing Earth heiress and a cutting-edge biochemistry company, Protogen. As interplanetary civil war heats up, egged on by the aggressive IRA-like Outer Planets Alliance, Holden and Miller fight and think their way through a sticky web of politics, corporate secrets, and a possible alien invasion. The strong characterization and excellent world-building will have readers jonesing for the planned sequels. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
This panoramic tale of war in space successfully blends top-notch space opera with noir detective fiction. At the heart of this outstanding series opener is a pair of unlikely heroes driven by their dedication to the truth. (LJ 4/15/11) (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A rare, rattling space operafirst of a trilogy, or series, from Corey (aka Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck). Humanity colonized the solar system out as far as Neptune but then exploration stagnated. Straight-arrow Jim Holden is XO of an ice-hauler swinging between the rings of Saturn and the mining stations of the Belt, the scattered ring of asteroids between Mars and Jupiter. His ship's captain, responding to a distress beacon, orders Holden and a shuttle crew to investigate what proves to be a derelict. Holden realizes it's some sort of trap, but an immensely powerful, stealthed warship destroys the ice-hauler, leaving Holden and the shuttle crew the sole survivors. This unthinkable act swiftly brings Earth, with its huge swarms of ships, Mars with its less numerous but modern and powerful navy, and the essentially defenseless Belt to the brink of war. Meanwhile, on the asteroid Ceres, cynical, hard-drinking detective Millerwe don't find out he has other names until the last few pagesreceives orders to track down and "rescue"i.e. kidnapa girl, Julie Mao, who rebelled against her rich Earth family and built an independent life for herself in the Belt. Julie is nowhere to be found but, as the fighting escalates, Miller discovers that Julie's father knew beforehand that hostilities would occur. Now obsessed, Miller continues to investigate even when he loses his joband the trail leads towards Holden, the derelict, and what might prove to be a horrifying biological experiment. No great depth of character here, but the adherence to known physical lawsno spaceships zooming around like airplanesmakes the action all the more visceral. And where Corey really excels is in conveying the horror and stupidity of interplanetary war, the sheer vast emptiness of space and the amorality of huge corporations.A huge, churning, relentlessly entertaining melodrama buoyed by confidence that human values will prevail.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
