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minutes, ASIN: B0CQZ5RD9R, narrated by Jefferson Mays) (audio book
review by Joe Karpierz)
After the completion of the nine books (ten if you count MEMORY'S
LEGION, a collection of short fiction) series "The Expanse", fans
of both Corey and "The Expanse" could rightfully wonder a couple
of things: what's next, and how do you top that?
What's next is a projected three-book series (I can't remember
whether I heard Ty Franck or Daniel Abraham, the duo who make up
James S.A. Corey, say it was only going to be three books because
they didn't want to write nine again) entitled "The Captive's
War", and whether it tops "The Expanse" is yet to be seen. Book
One is THE MERCY OF GODS, and while there are many similarities
with "The Expanse", THE MERCY OF GODS is a different kind of story.
The novel begins on the planet Anjiin, where the humans co-exist
with the native life that has a completely different biochemical
basis. The humans themselves are not native to Anjiin, but their
history seems to indicate that they arrived on the planet a few
thousand years in the past. As the story opens, a research team,
lead by Tonner Freis, has just reconciled the two different types
of life. Tonner and his team are celebrity researchers, having
solved the secret that has been baffling scientists for centuries.
There are the usual squabbles between teams, of course, as others
are trying to poach members of Tonner's team to join their own.
All of that comes to a screeching halt as an alien species, the
Carryx, invade Anjiin, kill one eighth of the human population
(just to show who's boss), and capture the best and brightest of
the rest. They are taken, under squalid conditions and via a
massive transport ship, to a expansive world-city where they are
given quarters, food, shelter, and a task, all under the watchful
eye of a Carryx simply known as the Librarian. The Librarian
informs them that while the task is somewhat similar to what they
worked on back on Anjiin, the test is of their usefulness. If
they prove useful to the Carryx, they will survive. If not, the
remaining humans will be destroyed.
The group must overcome many challenge, both from without and
within. The alien species known as The Night Drinkers attack them
and destroy their lab and work, and it becomes apparent that it's
every species for itself. One of the group, Jessyn, is battling
mental health issues and is rationing her medicine to the point
where it is basically ineffective. Relationships within the group
are strained; Tonner and Else are a couple, but Else drifts away
from Tonner and takes up with Dafyd, a research assistant who is
the wild card in all of this. It becomes clear that Dafyd will be
the key to humanity's survival, although the path to that survival
is not that straightforward.
And then there are the Carryx. They are engaged in a long, drawn
out bitter war they have been unable to win against a resourceful
enemy. While we don't see the war or the enemy, we do see an
emissary of the enemy, an entity known as the Swarm, which
infiltrates groups captured by the Carryx in an effort to get
knowledge back to its masters. And so we come to a tipping point
in the story. There is an organized rebellion growing within the
human camp, and the success or failure of that rebellion may be
the key to the survival of the human race. Dafyd plays a key role
here, and Corey sets up quite a dilemma for him.
THE MERCY OF GODS is a throwback to an earlier era of science
fiction, but one with modern sensibilities. One of the main
differences between The Expanse and The Captive's War is that in
the new series, there are aliens. Lots of aliens. Lots of
different aliens, that all look different, sound different, and
smell different. And they have their own views on their current
situation and the human rebellion. While THE MERCY OF GODS is
still a human-centric story, that story is affected by the aliens
around them. The similarities? Great character development,
great writing, and great storytelling. And it's Space Opera.
Well, I guess that's fairly obvious from what I've said here so
far.
Jefferson Mays once again narrates for Corey, and he too does not
disappoint. While there is certainly a danger that Mays'
narration may make THE MERCY OF GODS sound like an Expanse novel,
and to a certain extent it does, the text makes it that this is
something completely different. Mays' voice give weight to the
story, the weight that it deserves. I can envision no one else
narrating this book.
THE MERCY OF GODS is a terrific and riveting start to "The
Captive's War", and I highly recommend it. [-jak]
===================================================================
TOPIC: THE LIFE OF BRIAN (letters of comment by Peter Trei and
Paul Dormer)
In response to Evelyn's comments on THE LIFE OF BRIAN in the
10/11/24 issue of the MT VOID, Peter Trei writes:
Two bits of background.
I attended an English boarding "public school" (ie, private and
expensive) in the 60s and 70s. Latin was mandatory.
John Cleese's torturing the correct grammar out of Brian matches
my Latin teacher's approach (barring the sword to the throat),
and instantly recognizable as such.
Similarly, the litany of resistance groups was a clearly a play on
the alphabet soup of Palestinian resistance groups opposing the
Israeli government at the time the film was made.
Here's just the P's:
Palestine Liberation Army
Palestine Liberation Organization
Palestinian Freedom Movement
Palestinian Joint Operations Room
Palestinian Liberation Front
Palestinian Liberation Front (Abu Nidal Ashqar wing)
Palestinian National and Islamic Forces
Palestinian Popular Struggle Front
Palestinian Popular Struggle Front (1991)
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command
Popular Resistance Committees
Plenty more at
[-pt]
Paul Dormer replies:
Although, my father, who was in the Labour Party in the UK from
the late forties, reckoned that part of that bit was influenced by
all the left-wing splinter groups that were around in the Forties
and Fifties. [-pd]
Peter says:
I suppose its possible, but the Palestinian groups were active at
the time the film was being made, in the right place, and like
Brian's group, fighting against a colonial power. [-pt]
And Paul says:
Could have been both, of course. [-pd]
===================================================================
TOPIC: This Week's Reading (book comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)
THE BOOKSHOP by Evan Friss (Viking, ISBN 978-0-593-29992-0) is a
history of bookshops in the United States, consisting of chapters
about various famous bookshops (including the Strand) interspersed
with chapters on various aspects of bookselling. Obviously, the
chapters about bookshops one is familiar with are more interesting
than those about totally unfamiliar bookshops, but there is plenty
of interest for anyone who loves bookshops.
THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE ALBINO'S TREASURE
by Stuart Douglas (Titan, ISBN 978-1-783-29312-4) captures the
flavor of the Sherlock Holmes stories, but the solution is far
more convoluted than anything Doyle would have written. Even so,
as with the Titan series in general, this is certainly worth a read
for Holmes fans.
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