Review: Fun Sci-Fi Series with Humor and Wit
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 15, 2013
This omnibus edition of the Royce Ree adventure encompasses the first five serial novellas (from volume one, “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” to volume five, “Imperial Command”). The story begins at the end—with Ree being interrogated by the Skymaster after Ree’s mission to Baldasshi, where he was sent on a covert mission and returned with a royal princess, half of the country’s parliament, battleships, and a menagerie of wild animals.How he arrived back at home with such an entourage is the fun of the story, as is his relationship with Les, his ex-husband—who Ree runs into while on his mission. Before long, the two of them have infiltrated the Baldasshi royal circle, serving as style consultants for the Princess, and evading the evil and thuggish Kovan, who have invaded the Baldasshi land.The story mixes humor with science fiction, taking tongue-in-cheek jabs at certain aspects of our own culture as cloaked in alien customs. Ree is a good-humored and entertaining hero, with the more serious Les an excellent foil for him. The different races of aliens (if that is the right phrase for them) are well-described and distinct, creating an interesting galaxy of characters—the dangerous situations Ree and Les find themselves in keep the plot moving along. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy light science fiction (especially that imbued with wit), as well as spy stories.