Critical point

S. L. Huang

Book - 2020

"Math-genius mercenary Cas Russell has stopped a shadow organization from brainwashing the world and discovered her past was deliberately erased and her superhuman abilities deliberately created. And that's just the start: when a demolitions expert targets Cas and her friends, and the hidden conspiracy behind Cas's past starts to reappear, the past, present, and future collide in a race to save one of her dearest friends"--

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SCIENCE FICTION/Huang, S. L.
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Subjects
Genres
Suspense fiction
Science fiction
Dystopian fiction
Thrillers (Fiction)
Fantasy fiction
Published
New York : Tor 2020.
Language
English
Main Author
S. L. Huang (author)
Edition
First edition
Item Description
"A Tom Doherty Associates book."
Physical Description
364 pages ; 25 cm
ISBN
9781250180360
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

The third book featuring the morally gray gun-for-hire Cas Russell (after Null Set, 2019) starts with a bang and never lets up. When Cas' close ally Arthur goes missing, she discovers that he has been hiding an ex-husband and several children--most likely to keep them safe from Cas and her dangerous life choices. Arthur's disappearance coincides with an explosion at Cas' office; additional explosions suggest the involvement of a notorious serial bomber, while the presence of a singularly unmemorable man may point to the group of telepaths that Cas has antagonized before. When Cas and her team discover that someone has been surgically altering people's faces to influence the emotions of those around them, the suspect pool only gets more murky. Will they be able to rescue Arthur, stop a bomber, and keep the world safe from unknown numbers of facelifted people? Huang incorporates plenty of close-call scenes featuring Cas' marvelous ability to see the math in the world, but the heart of Critical Point is her ongoing and literal identity crisis, particularly in terms of her personal relationships. Does Cas even need friends? What if the friends she has won't accept the choices she makes, regardless of collateral damage? How compromised is her moral compass? These kinds of questions elevate the entertaining superhero action series and give readers a glimpse into a found family worth rooting for.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Huang's exciting third novel to feature mercenary Cas Russell (after Null Set) finds Cas taking baby steps toward living a normal life--until she discovers her friend is missing. Cas's investigation gets off to a dangerous start when a man with the magical power to make people instantly forget about him blows up her Los Angeles office. The action only escalates as clues lead Cas to both a freelance bomber and a recently deceased plastic surgeon. Huang allows plenty of opportunities for antihero Cas to showcase her supernatural mathematical skills by defusing bombs, examining evidence, and executing fantastic feats during the exhilarating action sequences. Less successful are the tale's quieter beats: the dialogue tends to become incoherent when characters are flustered, and some introspection grows tedious as Cas struggles with ethical questions. The reveal of the true antagonist also falls flat, but Huang still manages to bring this complex, many layered plot to a mostly satisfying conclusion. Cas's continuing development will please series fans, but new readers may find the backstory overwhelming. This fast-paced sci-fi thriller makes up for its flaws with clever plotting and thrilling action. (Apr.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

Cas Russell is a mathematical genius, and uses those skills as a mercenary. Unfortunately, after saving the world from a shadowy organization that planned to brainwash most of the population, she discovers that her skills were a result of their machinations--and her past identity was erased. Or so everyone thought. Now dealing with memories and flashes of the past, Cas finds that she has gained the unwanted attention of someone who likes blow things up. When that attention moves onto one of her closest friends, Cas races to discover answers that could result in killing everyone she cares about. VERDICT High-stakes action and emotional velocity are hallmarks of Huang's writing, creating an engaging and flawed protagonist that many will identify with, even when her internal conflict overwhelms some of the quieter plot threads. The third entry in the "Cas Russell" series (after Null Set) is a sf thriller that fans will truly enjoy.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

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