Review: A Rolling Sci-Fi Actioner
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 22, 2012
Zack Mbele is a man of few words; a semi colon like the one you just passed would have him moving on to read something else.  He's the protagonist in Bruce Davis's sci-fi action thriller titled Glowgems for Profit.  Once the action in Davis's tale gets rolling, it never really stops.  In command of his own private ship, the Profit, Zack traverses our solar system in a far future, where arcologies, asteroid-based colonies, and cities on Mars and the Moon are a mundane reality.  Mentally and physically, Zack is haunted by the legacy of a war of rebellion that happened years ago on Mars.  He offers the services of his ship to ferry high-priority cargo around the system, but he cannot forget, and his only solace would seem to be in revenge.  After a botched shipping run, Zack runs afoul of a devious conspiracy involving an evil crime lord and his gang, as well as other dark forces straight from Zack's tortured and painful past.  In the midst of all of this trouble appears a fable, a fantastic treasure of exotic glowgems, and the even more beautiful (and deadly) Cleopatra Lee.  The lady is in distress and needs Zack's help.  In a world where the careful bat of an eye may be the difference between living and dying in a lethal gunfight, what's a man to do?  Zack has friends.  His tough sidekick Deuce always has a plasma rifle to cover Zack's back, and never fails with an honest opinion.  Their 'slicer' friend Rabbit is a paraplegic genius, with more than enough words to compensate for Zack's spare dialogue.  Will Zack go for the glowgems or the girl?  Will he live long enough to possess either?  Will he get his revenge, and will it satisfy him if he does?  You should read to find out!  I really like this story (and its follow-on) very much.  It certainly holds one's attention, and the writing style is convincing, brisk, and proficient.  The plot, action, dialogue, and descriptions all flow well; just a few minor glitches that wouldn't bother most readers.  The characters are a strong point, and all (even the bad guys) have a unique and necessary contribution to the plot.  The story lets you in on a private world of adventure, where you can become the hard-boiled master of your own space-faring destiny in a time where deception and intrigue are everywhere, and there is wealth to be had- it lets you be Zack.  Davis's strength is in keeping the action going, whether it's a gunfight in a crowd, or a hard-core interrogation in an isolated room.  In fact, my only criticism is that the action is truly relentless, which requires Zack to brood quite a bit- this story is no play and all business.  While the story describes much about the future that will require huge leaps in technical advancement, covering the details of those technologies is not really the point here.  It will appeal to those who love action, whether they are fans of sci-fi, pirate and smuggler stories, westerns, spy thrillers, or war and combat stories.  Davis has got your back on that, you can count on it.  -RSW