I have been very busy for the last 10 days and haven’t had a chance to blog this book that I finished about a week ago. This was an interesting read. I didn’t know the gender of the main POV character until about half-way through the book. It didn’t matter, and I think that was a choice by the author. I also liked how the tech is described in just enough detail that you know what is going on, but not in so much detail that you completely understand. For example, the characters have brain implants called “foxes,” and while I didn’t think it was the Terran mammal “the fox,” I wasn’t sure if it was something like the Douglas Adam’s babel fish, a genetic construct, or alien tech until more than halfway through the book as well. In the end, I didn’t mind it. In some ways it helped me remain immersed in the story. Not knowing all the details made me want to read on to find out more.
The story follows a salvage ship with a sentient AI. The main character is named Haimey Dz. As might be expected, they find more than they bargained for. A derelict hulk containing evidence of illegal piracy and the killing of presumed sentient “space whales,” for lack of a better term. But there are more than one faction of pirate, and the salvage crew gets in awfully deep and has to extricate itself and flee to the galactic center to find help.
Of course, the help they find is also corrupt, and Haimey loses her crew and her sentient ship and gets launched away from the supermassive black hole which hid a secret ship for thousands of years with a pirate, though who is captive and who is captor is not clear. Or are they both captive aboard this ancient tech?
The book ends with a climactic battle and several new and interesting creatures, as well as hints to the ancient past with the originator species (of unknown number) who have left behind the ancient tech. I am glad that there are two more sequels (one published, and one I know was just sent to the publisher). I enjoyed this world.
Some minor quibbles with the writing. There were some repetitions of words that were uncommon enough that I noticed. I also wasn’t a huge fan of the two cats and the relatively central role they played in the story. But like I said, these are minor quibbles. I generally liked the tone and style of the book. I was taken in to the story and the world and I am looking forward to book 2.