Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Bannister debuts with the ambitious if somewhat muddled first Spin novel, set in a solar system created by machines. Fleare Haas, 22, is the estranged daughter of ruthless megacapitalist Viklun Haas. She continues her years-long rebellion against her notorious family name by joining the fringe anti-capitalist militia group known as Society Otherwise. There she befriends a ragtag band of scoundrels, including Muz, her onetime lover turned personal guardian. During an enemy attack, he loses his physical body but retains his personality and consciousness in the form of a shape-shifting cloud. After staging a prison break, Fleare and Muz discover someone who could lead them to the Creation Machine, a piece of ancient technology used in the creation of the Spin and all the planets and suns therein, setting the stage for tremendous loss and devastating conflict. Bannister's storytelling displays some growing pains as the characters attempt to develop beyond one-dimensional archetypes of principled and scrappy protagonist and mustache-twirling, life-devaluing antagonist, and the plot loses steam near the end. Nevertheless, the worldbuilding is unusual and inspired, lending readers some hope that future entries in the series will be something to look forward to. Agent: John Jarrold, John Jarrold Literary. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUt Fleare Hass is the only prisoner on an isolated moon at the edge of the artificial galaxy known as the Spin. Incarcerated there since she and her fellow rebels lost their war against the Hegemony, she's broken out by Muz, a onetime fellow soldier and lover, now without a physical body. Meanwhile, in the inner region of the Spin is the Fortunate Protectorate, a society so barbaric that its neighbors prefer to leave its members to practice their schemes on one another. Among the schemers is Alemeche, who wants to leverage his knowledge of the discovery of a powerful artifact in a bid for more control. The artifact, found on one of the planets claimed by the Fortunate, might be a remnant from the creation of the Spin. VERDICT Bannister cleverly brings it all home in this engaging, propulsive space opera debut that veers lightly into cyberpunk, as a simulated intelligence becomes key to the power struggles for the artifact. Fans of Iain M. Banks and Peter F. Hamilton will enjoy.-Megan M. McArdle, Lib. of -Congress, -National Lib. Svc. for the Blind and -Physically -Handicapped © Copyright 2019. 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.
