Review: Engaging space story.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 04 15, 2013
There were many enjoyable moments in this book perhaps the highlights being the action at the Scrapyard and the interplay between naval officers who were stranded in a seemingly impossible situation. There was exciting action and convincing technical detail and descriptions. I dont care if the technology is impossible but if I can imagine the action and visual details I am hooked. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the space station and the various journeys individuals had to take through it. These were the strenghths of the story.But for a book set five hundred years in the future not much has changed with society and I found the parallel between the religious strife of today and that happening in the future uncomfortable. It didn't ring true. I would have preferred a more narrow view of society- dare I suggest just some evil baddies out to make a fortune. There was no need for this whole religious backstory that just seemed to bog the flow of the action.It was an easy construct to just overlay the space and orbital society with Earth's today. I want to read about new societies when I read science fiction not just a pale copy of my own. Sadly, many characters particularly those on the space station seemed cartoonish. Who gets to organize the food and sleeping quarters? Well, of course its the little woman.Philip Nolte has the potential for a rousing space series as the Scrapyard is a unique setting with lots of potential plot lines. I hope we get to meet more of the Clan who are intriguing and it will be interesting to see what adventures Harris and Carlisle meet with in the future.