This review was first published by Booklist on July 15, 2024.

**STARRED REVIEW** No one remembers how humanity came to live on the planet Anjiin. Then the alien Carryx arrive to enslave mankind. Caught up in an age-old conflict they had no idea was even happening, and thrust into a far wider galactic community of aliens, the survivors from Anjiin must figure out how to navigate their subjugation and maybe even find a path back to freedom. Writing duo Corey (Memory’s Legion, 2022) once again does a masterful job of populating their settings with deeply drawn, unique characters. The settings are immersive and interesting, and the history of the Carryx provides compelling depth to the grand conflict of the story. The Carryx are an insectoid villain race, but Corey explores their worldview, mindset, and culture more deeply than is typical, making them more believable and interesting than the usual genre stereotype. They’re the most well-developed insectoid baddies since Orson Scott Card’s original Ender Trilogy. The Mercy of Gods starts in an unspecified part of the galaxy, assumed to be far from Earth, at an unspecified, far-future time, giving it a more speculative, fantastical feel compared to Corey’s Expanse series. This is old-fashioned space opera on a grand scale and a promising start for an epic new series.

This review was first published by Booklist on June 1, 2024.

A warrior who can’t be killed and who doesn’t understand why. A government agency studying him. Ancient powers who worship him and seek to destroy him. And an immortal deer-pig. A novel cowritten by beloved sf movie star Reeves and beloved sf author Miéville (The Last Days of New Paris, 2016) doesn’t disappoint, but it may not be quite what anyone expects. Set in the same universe as Reeves’ BRZRKR graphic novel series, the nature of the narrative is revealed somewhat slowly, and the writing style is oddly anachronistic and very erudite. It’s stylistically daring, combining sf, fantasy, parascience, history, and action. It’s violent, propulsive, and introspective, ultimately offering a philosophical exploration of identity and the meaning of mortality, chaos, and entropy. The Book of Elsewhere gets under your skin and into your mind and revels in a pervasive sense of mystery. Or it could just be a weird riff on some of the most popular Reeves internet memes. Whatever it is, it works.

HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Reeves and Miéville each have their own legions of fans, and their collaboration is bound to draw both groups in.

This review was first published by Booklist on May 1, 2024.

Ander Rade is a genetically modified and psychologically conditioned corporate soldier-for-hire. Imprisoned after a failed mission, he’s released by a new U.S. government agency to help stop a terrorist attacking corporate sites—a terrorist who used to be a member of Rade’s squad. Set in a near-future, reshaped United States, this taut, violent, race-against-time thriller is a tale of one man coming to terms with the evils of his past and exploring the possibility of redemption. It’s also a stark warning about the dangers of unchecked corporate power and government corruption. Topping (Wake of War, 2022) refuses to make simplistic judgements about his characters. While it’s clear who the good and bad guys are, they all have understandable reasons for what they do, and they’re all caught up in the larger machinations of powerful corporate and government interests. Topping’s military experience shines in the vivid fight scenes and his descriptions of the characters’ surroundings. It makes the action more believable and compelling. Recommended for fans of espionage thrillers, as well as military sf readers.

This review was first published by Booklist on March 15, 2024.

Ashton (Antimatter Blues, 2023) sets his latest stand-alone in a near-future world where artificial intelligences exist and humans—especially wealthy ones—technologically enhance their bodies, while a growing movement of dispossessed people opposes this use of technology. Armed conflict flares between the enhanced Federalist forces and unenhanced Humanists. But not all is as it seems, and the Humanists may not be as pure as they claim. Mal, an artificial intelligence living in the infosphere who specializes in infiltrating other systems, embeds himself in the corpse of a cyborg human to learn more about the conflict on the ground. Through a series of gruesome and darkly comic mishaps, he becomes deeply embroiled and cut off from the infosphere. This is a funny, fast-paced, fish-out-of-water tale that should satisfy Ashton’s growing fan base. Exploring the nature of AI is a hot topic, and the contrast between the literalism of computers and human emotions is perennially fascinating. As we’ve seen in his Mickey7 series, Ashton has a talent for handling nonhuman characters. This should also appeal to fans of Martha Wells’ Murderbot Diaries series.