Rae
While I enjoyed the book overall, I was fascinated by the lack of female characters in the entire plot. There was really only the main protagonists wife mentioned in any detail, and her character development was particularly shallow, so much so that I wondered if it was on purpose.
Overall the feel was more 50s scifi than a modern work
Strong to the last word
This is episode 8 and while you might expect a fade this far into a story line, Ryk Brown has provided a strong narrative through the this book. The personal line but through the devastation meshes well with story lines about older adversaries and allies, yet takes the time to introduce new characters and situations. These promise more for future episodes
Terrific direction for th is series
Glynn Stewart continues to impress through this series. People die, lots of people die, but Stewart manages to convey for the most part the reasons for their deaths. While his ears are the grist of all space opera you get clear view of its consequences, both intended and unintended
I was sent a review copy of the third book in the Universe Eternal series, which reminded me I hadn't read the second book. Since I'd enjoyed Chimera, the first book so much I decided to binge, buying Helios, and then diving into Ceres.
One of the fascinating parts of this series I'm finding is that we are talking youthful characters stepping up to take on big roles in their worlds. This continues as the Chimera travels to find an older colony ship, Ceres. The first book laid out the generational reasons for the ships crews to be so young, and in a way this latest episode develops the characters as the young people would be developing in their own right.
Add in another world, a lost society, another psychopath, and a couple of new young characters and Ceres is a gift to sci-fi. I can't wait until the next in the series.
Following Chimera, this second book in the series follows most of the same characters and has a similar set of features including the rites of passage. That said, we shouldn't expect this to be just an update on book one as some of the characters gain significant depth, and some just die.
In Marcus you have a complete psychopath, comfortable at manipulating others to get to his goals, and killing them if they threaten him. Of all the characters Selena's and Theo's develops the most, though in very different ways.
Being only the second book in a series don't be looking for ‘happily ever after' but do expect gripping hard sci-fi
Chimera is billed as YA Science fiction, and as with the best YA fiction it will appeal to a much broader audience.
The book starts at a fast pace and almost immediately introduces two of the main characters, with the hint of a third. The reader soon finds themselves in a dystopian universe, the colony of Stephens' Point is dying, abandoned by Earth.
The characters of Theo and Selena are well detailed while the other two main characters Marcus and Megan are less so, but still very real.
As a start to what appears to be a series, ‘Universe Eventual', this is very impressive. I would have given it five stars except I couldn't really envisage the environment and place in which it was set as well as I would have liked.
I'm looking forward to more in this universe!
