Sasha Naradnyo is a gangster. He's a gangster with heart, sure, but Sasha sticks his neck out for no man. That's how you stay alive in Crack City, a colony stuffed deep into the crust of the otherwise unlivable planet Peezgtaan. Alive only—because if you're human, you don't prosper, at least not for long. Sasha is a second generation City native. His parents came to this rock figuring to make it big, only to find that they'd been recruited as an indentured labor force for alien overlords known as the Varoki.
Now a pair of rich young Varoki under the care of a beautiful human nanny are fleeing Peezgtaan, and Sasha is recruited to help. He'd prefer to rather leave the little alien lordlings to their fate, but certain considerations—such as Sasha's own imminent demise if he remains—make it beneficial for him to take on the job.
Sasha discovers his simple choice has thrust him in the midst of a political battle that could remake the galactic balance of power and save humanity from slow death by servitude. Now all he has to do is survive and keep his charges alive on a hostile planet undergoing its own revolution.
But it's the galaxy that had better watch out. For now the toughest thug in Crack City has gotten his first taste of real freedom. He likes it, and he wants more.
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Product Review
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Product Review4-4.5 stars
Purchased this book from Baen's eARC program.
I have never read any of Frank Chadwick's works before this story but the summary and sample chapters showed that it was almost exactly the type of sci-fi books I enjoy reading. you can find the preview here. The story was very character driven with the information about the universe spread throughout the story and never weighed down with too much technical jargon.
The lead character is very well thought out and has a two-part depth that I haven't seen much of before. I know that most of the stories I read are as much driven by being a bibliophile as anything else. That said the story reminded me of the Dresden files, the main character takes on a small job and by doing what he feels he needs too changes everything.
Sasha would benefit from having a bit more of the true comedian in him but otherwise I did enjoy how much I seemed to slip into his mind throughout the story.
I will say that I thought one of the main twists wasn't very well concealed. It could be that it might be different if I was more fully immersed in the tale instead of bringing my own thoughts to the process.
The Cottohazz in general is a great setup and the thought that went into its make-up really sells some of the story for me. I also liked how the author didn't weigh us down with technical or unfamiliar works and the ones he did use were almost always either explained in context or easily recognizable.
This story was very much a guilty pleasure read and will not make the history books for anything. However Chadwick has given us a great new universe and ended the story with a great point for future works. In fact I think that if the rest of the series is as good it will become a must buy.
gallandroPosted on