Category: Wesley Chu

In Ben Aaronovitch, Faith Hunter, Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Harry Connolly, Jane Yellowrock/Soulwood, John Scalzi, News/Misc., Science Fiction, The War Arts Saga, Twenty Palaces, Urban Fantasy, Wesley Chu

2023 Favorite Non-Crime
Back when I started this site, I knew the content would be largely “genre”-oriented. I’d have wagered the content would be roughly 1/3 Mystery/Detective fiction, 1/3 Urban Fantasy, and slightly less than 1/3 SFF, with “non-genre” fiction, humor, and non-fiction being enough to make my one-thirds just an approximation (honestly, if you asked me what I read regularly, that’s pretty much how I’d describe it today). Actual numbers show that’s wrong—it’s almost 40% Crime/Thriller Fiction, the rest of fiction is around 30% combined. Which is just a long-winded way to get to these two points: because Crime Fiction takes such a big chunk of my reading, it gets its own “Favorite” list, but none of the others really garner enough numbers for their own.

When it comes to this list of favorites, I had to choose—top five or top eleven. There are six I just couldn’t choose between—but hey, it’s my list, so here are my favorite 11 non-Crime Fiction Novels of 2022. It took me very little time to regret trying to write anything new about these books—I’m supposed to cover these in a measly paragraph? I borrow from my original posts, and really say less than I wanted to (or this post would be about 5 times as long as it is).

As always, re-reads don’t count—only the works that were new to me.

(in alphabetical order by author)

Amongst Our Weapons

by Ben Aaronovitch

My original post
Any installment in this series is a strong contender for a favorite of the year even before I open it, and this one is a great example of why. While telling a pretty strong story, Aaronovitch expands this world and the reader’s understanding of it, a whole new magic system, and seemingly introduces the next major story arc for the series. We get to see almost every major (and more than a few minor) characters, too. For a fan, this book was a heckuva treat.

4 1/2 Stars

Wistful Ascending

by JCM Berne

My original post
This novel—a Space Opera/Super-Hero mashup—hit just about every button I have and probably installed a couple of new ones (talking space bears, for example). If I try to expand on that I’m not going to shut up anytime soon. Read my original post—or just read the book.

4 1/2 Stars

The Veiled Edge of Contact

by James Brayken

My original post
Brayken’s debut surprised me more times than I thought was possible. Every time I thought I knew what direction Brayken was taking for the story, the protagonist (or major characters), tone, or even genre—he’d make a sharp turn and make the book better than I thought it was. I have questions and qualms about some aspects of the novel—but this is going down as a highlight of 2022 anyway.

4 Stars

The Art of Prophecy

by Wesley Chu

My original post
In my original post, I said, “I don’t know that I can really express how excited I am about this book. The last time I was this enthusiastic about a Fantasy novel was Kings of the Wyld, and I’ve read some really good Fantasy since then. But this is a whole different level.” It features my favorite new-to-me-character of the year. It’s just a glorious read. I’ve read (and enjoyed) a lot of Chu’s previous work and this is so far beyond those that it’s hard to describe.

5 Stars

The Iron Gate

by Harry Connolly

My original post
Every Twenty Palaces novel is better than the last—and The Iron Gate is no exception. This novel is a better version of everything Connolly has delivered before. We get character growth in a character I’d have considered pretty unchangeable, a dynamite plot (two, actually), and a disturbing monster to boot. There’s just so much to commend here—both for this novel and what it promises for the future.

4 1/2 Stars

The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True

by Sean Gibson

My original post
This is not a book to read if you’re in a “find out what happened and get to the end of the story” frame of mind. This is a “enjoy the trip, not the destination”/”stop and smell the roses” kind of book. The destination/what happens is fully satisfying, but the getting-there is so much better. This Fantasy/Comedy sends up and celebrates so many Fantasy mainstays that fans (and detractors) of the genre will have a blast on that front alone. The cast of characters is a blast and the protagonist, the bard Heloise, is even better.

4 Stars

Final Heir

by Faith Hunter

My original post
The fifteenth Jane Yellowrock novel was the series finale and the series went down the way it should—with a lot of heart, a lot of love, a lot of violence, and so many buckets of blood. I’ve been reading these for so long that I really didn’t want to see the series end (but it was time). From the jaw-dropping first chapter to the last lines that genuinely made me misty, Final Heir was a great ride.

5 Stars

The Kaiju Preservation Society

by John Scalzi

My original post
This book delivers all the ridiculous fun that the title (and premise) promises. Scalzi calls it a pop song, I tend to compare it to a popcorn movie. It’s not meant to provoke thought, to be pondered over, or analyzed. It’s meant to be enjoyed, it’s meant to be light and entertaining. Consider this me writing on the literary equivalent of a bathroom stall, “For a good time…”

5 Stars

Station Eternity

by Mur Lafferty

My original post
A Murder Mystery set on a living Space Station with only three human characters surrounded by some of the strangest alien species you’ve seen (those three humans are pretty odd, too). This novel is one for mystery fans open to aliens walking around, SF fans interested in a different kind of story, and readers who like good things. Social commentary, a twisty narrative, a clever mystery, and more chuckles than I expected to get from this. An inventive read that’ll leave you wanting more.

4 Stars

Theft of Swords

by Michael J. Sullivan

My original post
Multiple people over the years have told me to read this book (some multiple times). I finally did, and regret not paying attention to them earlier. It’s more “traditional” Fantasy than the others on this list, there’s almost nothing that someone who’s read/watched a handful of fantasy series hasn’t been exposed to before. It’s the way that Sullivan has assembled these tried and true elements that is going to make you happy. The sword fights are fantastic. The imagination showed in the magic system, the magical creatures, and the politics—between races, within the remnants of the human empire, and the ecclesiastical politics—are really well conceived and effectively portrayed. I can’t wait to dive into the rest of the trilogy.

4 1/2 Stars

Adult Assembly Required

by Abbi Waxman

My original post
This novel starts in the same bookstore that Nina Hill works in, and she’s around a lot—but this isn’t her book. It’s the story of a woman who moved across the country to start her life over, and the results aren’t what she expected. Adult Assembly Required is funny, it’s sweet, it’s heartwarming, and will make you feel good all over. It’s full of the Waxman magic.
5 Stars

The Days of Tao by Wesley Chu: A Fast and Fun Post-Script to the Trilogy

By HCNewton

On September 21, 2022

In Science Fiction, Wesley Chu

The Days of Tao

by Wesley Chu

DETAILS:
Series: Tao Trilogy, #3.5
Publisher: Hunter & River, Inc
Publication Date: April 30, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 104 pg.
Read Date: September 10, 2022

You can do this, Cameron. You have intelligence, competence, and experience on your side.

“You’re right. I can handle this job on my own. I got this,” he huffed as he tried to make himself believe those words.

I was referring to me.

What’s The Days of Tao About?

Cameron Poe is about to graduate from college—he would’ve graduated already if he hadn’t picked up a D in Art History, of all things. To make up for that before he can start training to be a full-fledged Prophus operative, he’s taking a summer class in Greece with a couple of his friends. It’s a relaxing time in a fascinating part of the world with an interesting group of students—and a chance for one last college romance before he has to focus.

But then a Prophus agent needs immediate extraction because he has vital information to share, his life is in danger, and the Genjix are about to take their aggression to the next level throughout the world. And Cameron’s the closest thing that the Prophus have to an operative in the country.

Cameron can’t abandon his friends, though—and they won’t abandon their classmates—so he ends up dragging along most of the group on his rescue mission (why make things easy for himself?)

What did I think about The Days of Tao?

I bought this shortly after its publication, and have no idea why I didn’t read it until now (and don’t get me started on The Fall of Io). If it accomplished nothing else, it got me thinking about the series and remembering how much fun it was.

I don’t remember what I thought of them while reading them (and I’m not going to look), but I remember the Tao novels being a little longer than they needed to—that’s not a criticism, but I think they could have been tightened up a bit. Not this—the advantage of the novella—there’s not an ounce of fat to this, not one wasted word. That’s not to say that it’s all plot or anything— Beyond the action and the extraction, there are some good character moments, some necessary development of Cameron, and a couple of laughs—but this novella never slows or drags for a moment. Once the agent says he needs extraction (and, even before that), we’re off to the races and you’d better be buckled up.

Looking at this book’s place in the series, it serves to put the action and the characters (including Io) in place for The Rise of Io. Was this a necessary bridge between the Tao and Io books? Not really no. That’s one thing about these Subterranean Press books—they’re a nice bonus to completists, but people who don’t want to/are too slow to shell out the money for the nice hardcovers (and don’t want to go ebook or audiobook) don’t miss anything they need. But man, it was a nice way to spend an hour or so with some old friends. I really enjoyed this and would commend it (even at this late date) to fans of Tao and the Tan family.

3.5 Stars

The Art of Prophecy by Wesley Chu: Will Simply Blow You Away

By HCNewton

On August 30, 2022

In Fantasy, Fiction, The War Arts Saga, Wesley Chu

The Art of Prophecy

by Wesley Chu

DETAILS:
Series: The War Arts Saga, #1
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication Date: August 8, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 528 pg.
Read Date: August 19-24, 2022

What’s The Art of Prophecy About?

Briefly (cuz, boy howdy, I could go on and on and on about this): There’s a prophesied Champion who will save his kingdom from the Eternal Khan, but he’s a spoiled brat who is not as skilled a warrior as he believes—and he’s even less skilled than he needs to be. But that’s okay, because the prophecy is broken—or wrong. The greatest living practitioner of magically-enhanced war arts has decided to take over his training and protection. Two incredibly dangerous women from very different backgrounds and for very different reasons have decided he needs to die.

Taishi

Taishi is almost certainly my favorite new character of 2022*. She’s elderly—exactly how old, I don’t think we’re told. In her prime, she fought the Eternal Khan to a stalemate more than once. Somewhere along the line, she lost the use of one of her arms. Her age and the loss of her arm have slowed her down and made her less effective. But not so slow that anybody but her can tell. She’s practically a force of nature. Since then, she’s pretty much retired but is strongarmed into checking in on Jian’s training. It’s hard to say what she’s less-impressed with—him or the work of his expert trainers—she’s spreading the scorn all around.

* Sure, it’s possible the next four months will bring someone better across my path, but not really likely.

She’s opinionated, set in her ways, cantankerous, and stubbornly determined. Pity those who try to get in her way. Once she determines that she needs to shepherd and educate Jian, nothing (including Jian) is going to stand in her way.

Taishi’s voice—both in dialogue or as it comes across in the narration—is strong, sardonic, and sarcastic. I loved every second of her point-of-view chapters (seeing her through other characters’ eyes was just as good, though). I was mildly annoyed every time the point-of-view changed, while still being curious about the other arcs.

Wuxia

Wuxia is my new word for the month—from at least one article online (so it must be true), I’m not a total novice when it comes to this genre—I watched the first two Kung Fu Panda movies with my kids when they first came out. But that’s it. So I don’t know how much of this story/world is Chu using or playing with or subverting the conventions of the genre. But it looks like he’s using several of them, and seems to be having fun with them (at least he’s getting the reader to have fun).

I can say that I’m pretty curious about the genre now—and intend to keep an eye out for more opportunities to expose myself to it.

Obviously, one of the defining characteristics of wuxia is the martial arts, and what’s the point of a martial-arts-based fantasy without fight scenes? The Art of Prophecy delivers those in spades. Maybe even by the bucket. I’ve always enjoyed Chu’s fight scenes, but these make the stuff in the Tao books look basic. They’re just fantastic—and littering them with the quips from the point-of-view character (either expressed or kept internal) made them all the better. I could read these all day.

So, what did I think about The Art of Prophecy?

I don’t know that I can really express how excited I am about this book. The last time I was this enthusiastic about a Fantasy novel was Kings of the Wyld, and I’ve read some really good Fantasy since then. But this is a whole different level.

I’m going to leave it at that—if I went into the kind of depth I want to, I’d either spend another week or so trying to get it all out (or would never finish because I was dissatisfied with it). I could do a couple of hundred words on the nature of prophecy and free will in this universe alone (and someone smarter than me had better do that soon)—or even the importance of honor, role, and manners (do not try to cut in line around these people). So I’m going to go shallow with this post—this is a great premise—and the execution of the premise is as great. The world-building is fascinating, and the history that’s hinted at is some of the best I can remember. I loved every one of these characters (none as much as Taishi, but that’s nothing against the others) and feel like I could’ve read a version of this book that was 50% longer just for more time with them. Probably the best action scenes I’ve read this year. It’s too long to read in a single sitting, but it’s the kind of book you want to read in one.

Stop wasting time reading about it, start reading The Art of Prophecy.

5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Time Siege by Wesley Chu

By HCNewton

On October 24, 2016

In Fiction, Science Fiction, Wesley Chu

Time Siege

by Wesley Chu
Series: Time Salvager, #2

Hardcover, 341 pg.
Tor Books, 2016

Read: August 15 – 16, 2016

This is, in a sense, one of the most pointless posts I’ve done. If you’ve read Time Salvager, then I can’t imagine you needing to be convinced to read Time Siege, maybe you need convincing to move it up on your TBR, or just a reminder that this is out there. If you haven’t read Time Salvager, you shouldn’t read Time Siege yet because it won’t make all that much sense. But I’ll try to say a little about the book.

This book really could just be the next chapters of Salvager. It’s just taking the story to the next step — yes, there are distinct plot and character arcs, but on the whole, it’s just what should come next. Making it hard for me to know what to say. Some things that I thought were pretty well resolved in Siege are dealt with again, and hopefully resolved (or closer to it) now. Some characters come back in ways that I couldn’t have expected, some in ways that were exactly what I expected.

One thing that’s crystal clear now — and has been evident all along, really — is that Wesley Chu can write a fight scene. Whether it’s single combat or larger forces, he delivers. The scenes are suspenseful, intense, and believable. He captures what I imagine both the chaos and order of a battle would be like for those involved and those behind the lines.

Somewhere along the line, I got the impression that this was a duology, not a trilogy. So I spent most of the book thinking that this could be a dark, yet satisfying ending. Definitely not an “Everybody Lives happily every after” ending, but one that wraps things up well. Then the satisfying part became untenable (possible, but not likely) . . . and thankfully, it quickly became clear that it was going to be a trilogy. That said, everything is hanging in the balance here at the end of Time Siege, and it’s going to take a lot of heroics for there to be even a chance for an ending that doesn’t involve the doom of humanity. Even with a lot of heroics, that’s a distinct possibility — part of me wants that to happen, just to see how Chu pulls it off.

I remember liking Salvager more than I did, but whatever — the sequel did everything it needed to do to push the story forward into the third book, with heightened action, more investment in the characters and what happens to them. Chu accomplished everything he needed to here and more. I could really use a time machine now to get my hands on the concluding volume.

—–

4 Stars

The Rise of Io by Wesley Chu

By HCNewton

On October 4, 2016

In Fiction, Science Fiction, Wesley Chu

The Rise of Io

by Wesley ChuA
Series: Io, #1

eARC, 352 pg.
Angry Robot, 2016

Read: September 27 – 29, 2016

“Stick with me, kid ,” he said. “We’ll introduce you to a bigger world with all sorts of new people who will want to kill you.”

Let me start by saying that while this is a sequel to the Tao Trilogy (taking place a couple of decades after The Rebirths), you don’t have to have read them to enjoy this. You’ll miss some nuances, not understand some references and will spoil events in books that you’ll end up wanting to have read. But, it’s not essential — and this would be a great jumping-on point. If you’ve read the Tao Trilogy, let me assure you that this is a worthy successor, just as fun — a part of the same series, but it feels fresh enough that you don’t feel like you’ve read this book before.

Ella Patel lives in an Indian slum — in part of the world hardest hit by the war between the Quasing factions and their human allies (while I feel bad for these fictional Indians, I’m so glad to see alien combat not centered in the U.S.). She lives on her own, orphaned by circumstance and a Gengix attack — between her small size, quick wit and almost all-consuming greed she lives life on her own terms, two steps ahead of the law and one step ahead of criminals she’s wronged. I could’ve read at least 100 pages more of her antics before we introduced a single Quasing from either side and been entirely content (not a complaint about when we got Quasings, however), Ella’s just instantly likeable in a way that no one in these series has been (with the possible exception of Cameron).

Io’s host is in India doing some off-the-books investigating into one of the Gengix’s most ambitious projects yet. That investigation doesn’t go so well and suddenly Io needs a new host — there’s the impetuous woman who tried to help her host nearby (and a much better option than anyone else), so Io makes a choice and the Queen of the streets becomes so much more. Their relationship defines rocky initially (see Tao and Roen, but worse).

It should be obvious (but isn’t) that not every Quasing will have had as illustrious existence as Tao — Io’s haven’t developed a martial art, conquered legendary kingdoms, etc. Which isn’t to say that Io didn’t leave her mark on history — for example, I trust the name “The Maginot Line” rings a bell.

As the minutes ticked by, Io clarified some of the dreams of her glorious career inhabiting humans. If anything, it comforted Ella that the Quasing weren’t all-knowing and powerful, that they were just as culpable and mistake-prone as any human.

Nevertheless, just by having existed for a few millennia on earth, Io’s got a lot of wisdom and experience to pass on to her new host. Slowly — and with several appeals to her mercenary streak — Io convinces Ella to begin training to become a Prophus agent. Eventually, Ella begins to make a sort of peace with her new life partner and something approaching friendship begins to develop.

Incidentally, Ella’s not the only one comforted by a not-all-that-perfect Quasing.

Meanwhile, a couple of Gengix Adonis agents are vying for control over India — with the citizenry of the slum (and the nation, really) acting as pawns. Shula is one of the more lethal women you’ll come across — both politically and physically. She’s not one you want to cross in almost any situation — but that doesn’t stop many.

At some point, Prophus agents come to town and everything gets turned upside down — Ella finds a desire to help the Prophus, Shula seized the opportunity for personal power, and Io has her chance at doing something that’ll leave her mark on history.

The fight scenes (training and otherwise) are up to Chu’s pretty high standards, the humor is crisp, the characters (including a couple of old friends) are just right, and the plots are among his best — I just don’t know how else to put this. The book was a solid winner and had me eager for the next installment, and then Chu hits us with one of the best Epilogues that I can remember, making me more than eager for whatever’s next (not really sure what the word for “more than eager” is, eager squared?).

Great characters, twists, suspense and grins — I dug this one so much. He keeps the magic of the Tao books, reinvigorates it and expands it. I expected Chu to deliver just what fans wanted without it being a case of “second verse, same as the first,” I just didn’t expect it’d be this good. Get on this one, folks.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Angry Robot via NetGalley in exchange for this post — thanks to both for this.
N.B.: As this was an ARC, any quotations above may be changed in the published work — I will endeavor to verify them as soon as possible.

—–

4 Stars

Time Salvager by Wesley Chu

By HCNewton

On September 18, 2015

In Authors, Fiction, Science Fiction, Wesley Chu

Time Salvager

by Wesley Chu
Series: Time Salvager, #1
Hardcover, 380 pg.

Tor Books, 2015

Read: September 12 – 15, 2015

Guess I should start with this: there’s nothing in these pages that’ll remind you of Chu’s Tao books. They could be written by completely different authors. Which is a combination of good news and bad news. The good news is that the reader doesn’t get a deja vu feeling reading, Chu’s ability as a writer and worldbuilder is displayed, and we get to see that he’s not a one-trick pony. The bad news is, the Tao books were better.

Not that this is bad, it’s just not Tao.

Chu is really smart about the way that he introduces us to the world, to the concept of Time Laws, and ChronoCom and all the rest of the things that you can read about in the jacket copy (or at the link above). Maybe it shows that I read too much bad SF as a kid, but I’m still really impressed by SF writers who are able to blend things into dialogue and story rather than just resorting to info dumps.

This is a Time Travel story where the Time Travel’s not really all that important. It’s just a tool. Like a cell phone — something that people use, but don’t really understand. No one (well, one person) here understands how it works, but they can use it. Ditto for all the nifty future-gadgets. So it makes it easy for us to not worry about it, too, and just go with the flow.

When you clear away all the bells and whistles this is a pretty straight-forward story about corporate greed, ecological/societal collapse, and a few people trying to do the right thing with the cards stacked against them (even if that pits them against each other). The bells and whistles turn this into a SF/Time Travel/Dystopian Love Story.

Not the best thing I’ve ever read by Chu, but interesting enough to make me glad I read it, and I’ll be back for #2. Maybe with is he can do something to make the series something I can get excited about.

—–

3 Stars

The Rebirths of Tao by Wesley Chu

By HCNewton

On June 24, 2015

In Authors, Fiction, Science Fiction, Wesley Chu

The Rebirths of Tao

by Wesley Chu
Series: Tao Trilogy, #3

Mass Market Paperback, 506 pg.
Angry Robot Books, 2015
Read: June 15 – 20, 2015That was satisfying.

Really, that’s about all I have to say about this one. But let’s see if I can’t expand a bit. Overall, I enjoyed The Lives more than this, and this one engaged me more throughout than The Deaths did, but The Rebirths brought the Tao Trilogy to a satisfying conclusion, wrapping up what needed to be wrapped up, dealing with all the arcs that needed to be concluded and generally leaving things in a place where we can say goodbye to these characters (not that we necessarily want to, but we can) — oh, and was a solid SF adventure in its own right.

One personal note, a large part of the action takes place in Ontario, Oregon. Most people reading this book aren’t going to think much about that at all, but I grew up about 10 minutes away from Ontario — so I thought that was pretty cool. On the other hand, now I know how Bostonians feel when reading Robert B. Parker or Dennis Lehane, or a life-long Chicago resident when reading Jim Butcher. The geography is bad, and if you wanted to buy a nicer car, you wouldn’t bother driving to Boise, you’d get the same car (probably cheaper) in Ontario.

But that matters so little to the book as a whole, that those four sentences are at least two too many.

So, anyway, this book (like The Deaths) takes place a few years after we’d left Roen and the rest. His son, Cameron, is a teenager — with all the stubbornness, rebellion, and hormone-addled fun that entails. Of course, his rebellion takes the form of wanting to join in the war against the Genjix, while his parents do all they can to steer him away.

It’s safe to say that very few (if any) of the Quasing are happy with Jill’s little revelation at the end of The Deaths — Genjix or Prophus — which puts them in the same boat as humanity. Governments all over the world are attempting to hunt down any and all Quasing. Which hasn’t done any favors for the Prophus, but at least seems to have hurt the Genjix effort more.

Which is not to say they’re down for the count by any means. Enzo, the Adonis, is still out there strutting like a peacock and working to bring about the end of humanity. We finally get to see the Genjix plan in full, and I’ve got to say, reading about their plan for re-making Earth makes me really glad that this is fiction.

Right?

So, we’ve got the Ontario storyline — which looks like a pretty routine mission for Roen and Marcos (yeah, not quite Felix & Oscar, but close enough), until it gets bad. And then worse. There’s a conflict in the leadership of the Genjix (so nice to see that even some of them don’t like Enzo). And then there’s a major breach in security which leaves the rest of our Prophus friends on the run — our focus is on Cameron, but not exclusively here. I was a little surprised how Chu concluded the Ontario storyline — which is what made it effective, really. These three threads, ultimately, naturally, converged into one big battle — like the two books before.

Once again, what Chu did with Roen between the books isn’t exactly what one expects, but it fits his character. Ditto for Jill. We didn’t know Cameron enough for me to say. Tao? Sure — Tao’s the same, being centuries old helps him stay consistent. When it comes to the machinery of the Genjix, Prophus and the US Government (and/or everyone else) — things didn’t go the way I figured they would following The Deaths — but I think I liked it more that way. It’s because of the fallout from Jill’s revelation that most of the character changes happened the way they did. Chu really was effective here.

There are some great fight scenes, if that’s your kind of thing (and if it’s not, why are you reading these books?). The final scene is as epic — yet personal — as you want from the end of a third book in a trilogy. Part of that battle are back-to-back hand-to-hand combat scenes featuring an Adonis vessel and people near and dear to us. By this point, I had no idea what Chu was going to give us and I was hanging on every hit. I’m so glad that Chu sprinkles so much humor through these books — after these fights were over, I needed the joke that followed.

It may not work for everyone, but I really liked where everything was left off. Particularly for Enzo.

A really solid novel, a satisfying conclusion — making the Tao trilogy a keeper. I’m very much looking forward to what Chu’s got in store next.

—–

4 1/2 Stars

The Deaths of Tao by Wesley Chu

By HCNewton

On October 29, 2014

In Authors, Fiction, Science Fiction, Wesley Chu

The Deaths of Tao

by Wesley Chu
Series: Tao Trilogy, #2

Mass Market Paperback, 462 pg.
Angry Robot Books, 2013
Read: October 17 – 24, 2014
It’s been a few years since the events of The Lives of Tao, and things have not gone well for Roen Tam, either personally or in the war. He’s basically dropped out of everything, going rogue, running covert ops for Tao while ignoring Prophus’ command structure. Tao’s sure he understands what’s going on in the world better than anyone else, and so he pushes Roen to leave everything behind and find evidence for Tao’s theory.

Meanwhile, Jill — and Raji — have wormed their way into the corridors of power in the Capitol, moving and shaking on behalf of Prophus while also keeping her cover as a Senatorial aide intact. This is where Prophus seems to be holding its own – but barely.

We bounce around between Roen, Jill, and a new Gengix host, Enzo, who is trying to find a level of dominance very quickly for himself in the Gengix hierarchy. He’s rash, impetuous, and egotistical — not the signs of a great leader. But the Gengix he’s hosting is wise, methodical, honorable and tries to impress these characteristics on this host.

But like I said, things aren’t going well for the Prophus — they’re on the verge of losing this war once and for all, clinging to power and influence some areas, absolutely losing it in others. They’re so close to the brink that they eventually are driven to one final act of desperation that will change everything forever.

As the title suggests, The Deaths of Tao is darker (like any good 2nd volume of a trilogy), not as fun (understandable given the darkness, but would’ve been helpful), and slower paced than The Lives of Tao. But, still, I was enjoying it enough to keep going — and I wanted to see what happened to Roen and the rest. Hopefully get to see my favorite Prophus host whip that Gengix Enzo around a bit. But Chapter 29? Made everything up to that point worth it. And excitement, the pace, and the stakes picked up after that (not the stakes for the whole armies, obviously, but for Roen and Jill)

Still, it took until Chapter 29 for this really to come together for me — and that’s far too long. Which is strange, because up until that point, I’d say this was better structured than its predecessor. It built better in plot development, character and tension. But Chapter 29 made me rethink that, it’s just too much of a jump in development and voice.

I find it hard to understand — except for strength in numbers — just how the Gengix are winning this thing. The Prophus seem to come out on top — if not even with — the Gengix almost every time we see them. It’s difficult to extrapolate from this to them almost losing this war. Yet that’s exactly the situation they’re in, and you believe it, up until you think about it a day or two later.

Giving it three stars — as good as the last 150 pages or so were, as huge as the ending was — it was a slog up until that point. I just couldn’t connect with Roen or Tao (or anyone else). But believe you me, I’m anticipating The Rebirths of Tao and expect it to blow me away. Just wish this had done that.

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3 Stars

The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu

By HCNewton

On June 5, 2014

In Authors, Fiction, Science Fiction, Wesley Chu

The Lives of Tao

by Wesley Chu
Series: Tao Trilogy, #1

Paperback, 460 pg.
Angry Robot, 2014
Read: May 29 – June 4, 2014

Last spring, it seemed that every writer I follow on Twitter was gushing about this book, but it really didn’t seem like my kind of thing. But last week, I saw it on the new book library shelf and decided to give it a shot. So glad I did. In case you haven’t seen it, the back cover blurb is:

When out-of-shape IT technician Roen woke up and started hearing voices in his head, he naturally assumed he was losing it. He wasn’t. He now has a passenger in his brain – an ancient alien life-form called Tao, whose race crash-landed on Earth before the first fish crawled out of the oceans. Now split into two opposing factions – the peace-loving, but under-represented Prophus, and the savage, powerful Genjix – the aliens have been in a state of civil war for centuries. Both sides are searching for a way off-planet, and the Genjix will sacrifice the entire human race, if that’s what it takes. Meanwhile, Roen is having to train to be the ultimate secret agent. Like that’s going to end up well…

Roen’s obviously not your typical hero, or even your atypical hero. But he’s a good guy that you eventually like (as difficult as that can be to imagine when we first encounter him). Which is good, because he’s our entry point in to this world, and an entry point that you can’t stand doesn’t make for fun reading. As he gets to understand his place in this new reality he’s been exposed to, as he begins to understand how these aliens have changed world history — we get to, too.

This doesn’t seem like Chu’s first book, he writes with panache, skill and confidence. His action scenes feel authentic, his world is intricate and believable, and he tells his story in a compelling manner that keeps you turning pages.

There’s some real heart here amongst the SF action. Often in SF, particularly the more high-concept SF, characters can be 1- or 2-dimensional. Not here, the most minor of characters seem real, seem like someone you could bump into at the water cooler, public transportation or a government office. You get to like them as people, not just as representatives of Prophus or Genjix — and that’s key. People with convictions, aspirations and relate-able motivations. As long as Chu keeps that up, this series will be one to stick with.

While I liked the banter, the back-and-forth between Roen and Tao, Roen and the others — but I didn’t find the book as hilarious as so many others have. I just see it as a good suspense novel (with a wicked twist) featuring some snarky characters. And that’s good enough to enjoy this and to bring me back for more.

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4 Stars