This is a recent review that was written for a publication (not published) and therefore the tone is more ‘professional’ – i.e. not my usual sweary style.
Debut author Jessie Mihalik blasts into the scene with this fast-paced, action-packed science fiction novel that covers everything from love, honour, betrayal and dubious government politics. From the very first sentence, you are thrust directly into Ada’s world (mid capture!) and the pace is relentless until the conclusion.
Ada, a ‘spare child’ of the Head of one of the ruling families, is on the run from a forced political marriage. Using the advantages of a highly educated woman of high society groomed solely to become a corporate spy for her family, she uses her training to evade capture for years.
Ada is smart, strong, mistrustful of everyone around her, and in a surprising turn for such a strong character, aware of her physical and mental limits. It’s a fine line to have a character that is so competent without veering into Mary-Sue territory, but Mihalik walks it with accuracy (for the most part). Ada’s fight strategy, for example, is to incapacitate, run and hide. Ada is competent and able, but she is not the best at everything.
Ada is complicated. There are times when you get a clear sense of her being a woman in charge of her thoughts and destiny and there are times when you see a lonely child seeking approval. She’s keenly aware of how other’s actions are designed to make her feel, so you can’t help wondering if she’s a survivor of abuse, like her sisters seem to be. It appears to be institutionalized misogyny, although there are tones of something more sinister hinted at throughout (though never explicitly mentioned), including a throwaway line that suggests Ada’s sister, Bianca, may have murdered her abusive husband. Despite her repudiation of her family, she still thinks herself as one of them, continues to seek her unfeeling father’s approval, and remains in contact with her siblings. For all her bluster Ada hasn’t truly picked which side of the fence she’s on, and she doesn’t until she’s forced into a situation where her choices will not only affect her friends, but global stability.
Ada’s counterpart, the infamous criminal Marcus Loch with whom she is forced to share a cell during her first-chapter capture, is equally competent and complicated. He knows exactly who and what he is, although we only see snippets of this as the story is told through Ada’s point of view. His backstory is hinted at early and frequently, with the truth revealed much later, but the payoff is somewhat lacklustre given its purportedly world-shaking ramifications.
Ada frequently uses the term “sharks” to describe the politics of the ruling Consortium of Houses, so it is somewhat disappointing that we do not meet these beastly figures until the last 90 pages. This is my biggest criticism – the myth of the ruling Houses and the hints throughout of an underlying conspiracy are rushed through to an ultimately underwhelming finale, which includes the revelation of Loch’s secrets, doing his character quite the disservice. However, given this is the first book in a planned trilogy, I feel these threads will be picked up in the second volume.
It would be remiss not to comment on the romantic elements of the story, given it is marketed as a space-romance. Ada and Loch’s romance is treated carefully, with them coming together as equals and, surprisingly, with an explicit solicitation of consent. It is refreshing to see, not just in a post #metoo world, but also as a subtle subversion in the rogue archetype. The rogueish ‘power play’ is still there, but significantly watered down so there is no suggestion of Ada being submissive. The sex is not overly gratuitous, although the use of the word “clit” feels very jarring as one of the few ‘crudities’ within the book. Ada and Loch are well matched in capability and temperament, and what started as mistrust blossoms into mutual respect and admiration.
The world-building is intriguing, without getting too bogged down in the minute details of a futuristic society. The story is chomping at the bit and once the gates are opened it’s off at full gallop, not wanting to stop for the reader to endure tedious exposition. It reads similarly to Elizabeth Moon’s Vatta’s War series, without being held back by Moon’s propensity to describe military strategy in excruciating detail. Ada is a mid-series Kylara Vatta, coming into her own, making hard choices based on her unique version of honour, rejecting the institution that rejected her and, in her nosiness, turning out to hold the winning cards. We skip the setup with Ada – when the story starts, she’s already been on the run for two years, whereas it took Moon a whole book to establish Kylara’s trajectory after kicking her out of the military. It’s a tactic that works because we are immediately invested and wanting to know more about this feisty woman. The global conspiracy in Vatta’s War was also slow to unfold, but incredibly intricate, so I have hope that Mihalik has plans to take to take readers on a similar path, as she has done excellently with the setup, despite the rushed ending.
Ultimately, this was an entertaining read that ticked a lot of boxes for both the feminist and sci-fi lover within me. This is an extremely strong entry for a debut author, and I look forward to seeing where the next book takes us.
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