Book Review: Halo: Cryptum SPOILERS!

In 2010, sci-fi legend Greg Bear was asked to pen a trilogy of Halo novels that became the Forerunner saga, set 100,000 years in the past, before the Flood were eradicated, before the Master Chief and Cortana, before the world as we know it. Synopsis: One Hundred Thousand Years Ago, the galaxy was populated by a great variety of beings. But one species--eons beyond all others in both technology and knowledge--achieved dominance. They ruled in peace but met opposition with quick and brutal effectiveness. They were the Forerunners--the keepers of the Mantle, the next stage of life in the Universe's Living Time. And then they vanished. This is their story.

The novel opens on Erde-Tyrene (Earth), on a human steamboat as a Forerunner called Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting a chamanune called Chakas and a hamanune called Day-Chaser Makes Paths Long-stretch Morning Riser, who's following the orders of his armor's ancilla. After exploring an island near a large crater, Born stumbles across a Forerunner Cryptum: a vault where Forerunners are interred in a state of never-ending sleep and contemplation. Born encounters the AI monitoring the Cryptum and assumes that its occupant is to be revived. He hesitantly complies and reawakens the Forerunner inside. This Forerunner turns out to be the Didact. The Didact thinks that the Librarian woke because he's needed in the Forerunner-Flood war and he wants to know if "it" fired. They leave on some newly arrived ships and travel to a series of worlds that served as battlegrounds in the Forerunner's war against the humans, all of which show no signs of sentient or complex life, much to The Didact's dismay. He asks Born to accept a brevit mutation to gain some of the Warrior-Servant caste's traits and to allow access to his memories and those of his class, anticipating the urgency that his knowledge must not end with him. Born accepts, and gains access to the Didact's memories and learns that he holds deep regrets about his war with the humans. Turns out that the humans are fighting not only against the Forerunners, but the Flood as well.

Ironically, the humans and San'Shyuum were once allies and they used the Flood to domesticate animals that later (surprise surprise) mutated into the first Flood form and turned against them. The humans, fleeing their ravaged worlds, encroached upon Forerunner territory, who went to war as well. Although they lost to the Forerunners, the humans were able to defeat The Flood by injecting themselves with a formula that made their genetic material toxic to The Flood. The humans refused to tell the Forerunners how to beat The Flood when they returned. The Didact then takes Born and the humans to the San'Shyuum's homeworld where they have been in isolation since the end of the Human-Forerunner War. The cities are in turmoil as the Librarian's latest visit to procure "specimens" was seen as a sign for the San'Shyuum to rebel against the Forerunners. Some distance from the San'Shyuum's homeworld a portal appears and through it a large ring-shaped construct appears. The four are apprehended by the Master Builder, who is in the system to witness a test-firing of a new creation against the unruly San'Shyuum. Born is handed over to his swap-family and escorted home. During his trip home the Didact's memory tells him that the creation of the ring-shaped construct, called Halo, was the reason he was placed in the Cryptum. He opposed their creation in favor of save-haven "Shield Worlds." Shortly after coming home, Born hears his father arguing with a member of the Forerunner council and decides to confront his father about the true nature of the Halos. He confirms that 300 years ago, The Flood re-emerged in their part of the galaxy and the Forerunners were at a loss to combat them. He and the Master Builder decided to move forward with the construction of Halos.

To his horror, Born learns that Halo was test-fired on the human worlds he visited (at low power) and the Master Builder recently test-fired another Halo on the San'Shyuum's homeworld. The Forerunner Council learn of the Master Builder's actions and summon Born to a criminal trial against him. High above the Forerunner homeworld, 11 Halo rings sit, with the 12th missing for many years. The trial is interrupted by 032 Mendicant Bias, a rampant AI, who causes havoc with the Forerunner's computer and defense systems. Born and a group of others are rescued during the chaos in a small ship. Above them some of the Halo rings separate from the others and prepare to fire. The Forerunner fleet quickly assembles and begins attacking the renegade Halos, quickly destroying three of them, but a gigantic slipspace portal opens and seven other rings begin escaping through them. Born's ship manages to escape through the portal before the rings detonate, wiping out all Forerunner life in that part of the galaxy. Born is knocked unconscious during the slipspace jump and recalls Didact's memories: Mendicant Bias was an AI tasked with safeguarding the Halo constructs and overseeing their firing systems. After a test-firing over a human world, Mendicant Bias and the Halo disappeared with a long-feared creature held deep in a Precursor facility the humans had built over. Soon after, their ship arrives at The Ark. There he meets the Librarian, who sees him as her husband now. According to her, the Master Builder had the Didact executed shortly after triggering the Halo above the San'Shyuum homeworld. They hypothesize that the creature that escaped from the Precursor prison somehow corrupted Mendicant Bias, who attempted to gain control of all the Halos but only succeeded with five. The rest, as well as The Ark, were co-opted by the Librarian as vessels on which numerous life-forms across the galaxy could live. The novel ends with Born recalling the Didact's contact with the captured lifeform: it revealed itself to be the last of the Precursors and was planning revenge on the Forerunners who wiped them out in ages past.

A somewhat good novel, despite the slow and often repetitious scenes of the first-person point of view style that Greg Bear adopts for this book. I, personally, can't stand first person POV novels and I really had to force myself to finish this book in three days because the Honor Harrington review I did took way to long to read and write. Still, it's a good addition to the Halo universe and helps to build up the Forerunners before they "ascended." Fans of the Halo novel, graphic novel, and game series will love this one.

Book Review: The Wess'har saga: City of Pearl SPOILERS!

In March 2004, EOS published Karen Traviss's first novel, The City of Pearl. It's a story of a cop on an alien world, playing politics to keep probing scientists, the human colony, marines, and three aliens at peace, but time is running out. Synopsis: Three separate alien societies have claims on Cavanagh's Star. But the new arrivals—the gethes from Earth—now threaten the tenuous balance of a coveted world. Environmental Hazard Enforcement officer Shan Frankland agreed to lead a mission to Cavanagh's Star, knowing that 150 years would elapse before she could finally return home. But her landing, with a small group of scientists and Marines, has not gone unnoticed by Aras, the planet's designated guardian. An eternally evolving world himself, this sad, powerful being has already obliterated millions of alien interlopers and their great cities to protect the fragile native population. Now Shan and her party—plus the small colony of fundamentalist humans who preceded them—could face a similar annihilation . . . or a fate far worse. Because Aras possesses a secret of the blood that would be disastrous if it fell into human hands—if the gethes survive the impending war their coming has inadvertently hastened.

Environmental Hazard Enforcement officer Shan Franklin, on what's supposed to be her last job, is asked by Foreign Minister Eugenie Perault to lead a joint government and commercial reconnaissance team--comprised of marines and scientists--to Cavanagh's Star to find out something from Constantine colony. She doesn't remember because of Suppressed Briefing. Her mission was crammed into her head and only specific thoughts will unlock the hidden data. Upon arrival in Cavanagh's Star, the spaceship breaks down du to a (as we later learn) wess'har energy barrier. Everything except life support is shut down. Josh Garrod, the leader of the Christian colony of Constantine, allows only Shan to land. They talk and let the scientists and marines land, so long as the scientists don't harm or kill the plants/natives, meaning some non-obtrusive scans and photos and journals. The camp is set up and Shan breaks the news to the scientists. They aren't happy, especially when they learn about the aquatic race, the bezeri, and the wess'har and an invading race, the isenj, are out there. A couple of the scientists see why when out on an excursion. 

The camp accidentally shoots Aras Sar Iussan--a wess'har with c'naatat (a virus that keeps reorganizing its host and keeps them alive--out of the sky. Shan and Josh go to rescue him and Shan helps Aras get out of the downed ship. The camps defenses are taken down. The next day, Shan meets with Josh and Aras. They talk, during which Shan offers Aras food, an intimate gesture in wess'har society and culture. Aras shows Shan the bezeri council, in pods that are underwater. After a couple of days getting to know each other, Aras tells Shan that the bezeri want to meet with her and to have her people build her an underwater suit. Surendra Parekh--one of the scientists--brings a juvenile bezeri back to camp and, after Shan and the reporter Eddie tel her to put it back, experiments on it. The juvenile bezeri dies painfully. Shan restriscts Parekh to quarters. She tells Aras, who tells Shan to give him Parekh because she has to die for her crime. Shan gives Aras her pistol and Parekh. Aras kills Parekh; this causes a rift in the scientists. A second ship, Actaeon, arrives from Earth. They're allied with the isenj. Aras tells Shan. She tells him she needs the farmers food gene bank. She finds out about the c'naatat and what it can do. 

Shan's horrified and tells Aras to stay away from the scientists. Actaeon arrives and Shan confines the scientists and marines to base. Dr. Rayat and Dr. Galvin flee the base, going to the isenj. Shan, Aras, Bennett, and Qureshi leave base and track Rayat and Galvin. Meanwhile, Lindsey confirms that Shan had Parekh executed for killing a kid to Actaeon's skipper. Shan, Aras and the marines find the isenj base. The isenj go to kill Aras and a fight breaks out. Galvin dies from her wounds and SHan dies after a projectile blows half her head off. The isenj die and Aras puts some of the c'naatat into Shan (depsite her hatred of it). Bennett takes a wounded Qureshi and Rayat back to base. Aras takes Shan to Constantine. Shan wakes up and soon realizes that she has c'naatat in her and rages at Aras for breaking his promise to kill her should it infect her. Shan meets with the wess'har matriarchs and they tell her to remove her charges, but Shan may stay as one of the wess'har. Lindsey rages at Shan for refusing to use the c'naatat to save her still-born son. Actaeon's CO demands Shan be brought to justice, but the wess'har relocate her to their moon. The marines, apart from Lindsey, just want to leave; Lindsey wants Shan dead. The marines, scientists, and Actaeon leave with the food gene bank. Shan and Aras look after Constantine colony.

All in all, a decent, well thought out science fiction novel that captures just how alien alien species are. Karen Traviss really proves just how good an author she is and how much attention to detail she dishes out with the world-building. Great character arc and richly detailed story for any sci-fi fan.

Book Review: Bridge of Dreams SPOILERS!

In March earlier this year, acclaimed fantasy author Anne Bishop returned to her world of Ephemera to tell a story about Lee, three women who are one, a Shaman named Danyal, and a city called Vision. Synopsis: When wizards threaten Glorianna Belladona and her work to keep Ephemera balanced, her brother Lee sacrifices himself in order to save her and ends up an asylum inmate in the city of Vision. But a darkness is spreading throughout Vision, perplexing the Shamans who protect it. And Lee is the only one who can shed any light on its mysteries...

The novel opens with a two-page epigraph from the Book of Dark Secrets as a Dark Guide plots revenge. Lee is still angry about what Michael did in Belladonna, and how he (Michael) asked Sebastian to help instead of Lee. This causes a heart rift and Lee has to leave because his heart no longer resonates with his sisters landscapes. In Vision, A Shaman named Danyal is assigned as Keeper of the Souther Asylum. Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar, a Tryad, meets Danyal and finds uot from Helper Kobrah that she (Kobrah) is meeting a strange man (Teaser) in her dreams who takes her for walks. A corrupt Bridge lures Lee to a group of wizards who kidnap Lee and abuse him, trying to get Glorianna so they can kill her. They leave Lee in the Southern Asylum in Vision where the Zhahar aspect of Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar fall for him and Danyal dismisses the man looking over Lee. Lee recovers and learns that several of the Asylum residents resonate with Glorianna's landscapes. Michael, in an attempt to rescue Lee, tells Ephemera to send Lee messages. Ephemera does so in the form of broken watches and clocks. Lee teaches the Sholeh aspect about the different demon races seen in the Den of Iniquity.

The Zeela aspect is badly wounded and it's showing on the Zhahar aspect. Lee and Danyal get help and Meddik Benham heals her, though there's not much he can do with the limited facilities at the Asylum. When Danyal and Lee discuss Ephemera, Danyal doesn't believe the landscape can do everything and foolishly wishes for gems--gems pop out of the ground. After Danyal is attacked by a Dark Guide, he ends up in the Den. An Apothecary helps Lee, Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar, Kobrah and a Knife flee to Tryadnea. Danyal tells lee's family about the situation in Vision and they agree to help, as soon as Lee is safe. Lee tells Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar's mother, Morragen Medusah a Zephyra, to say "Heart's Hope lies with Belladonna." She does and Glorianna, and Sebastian, appear and anchor Tryadnea to the Den. Morragen Medusah a Zephyra is disturbed by the knowledge that Glorianna was one aspect split in to two ways and will try and help heal her. Glorianna and Ephemera create a border that the Tryad can cross over. It leads to the Den. They all cross over. After a day in the Den, they go to Aurora. It turns out that the Zeela aspect doesn't resonate with Aurora and Zhahar doesn't resonate with the Den. Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar suspect taht Allone--a Tryad who sacrificed her sisters to love a one aspect being--crossed over and is planning on causing trouble in Tryadnea. Lee and Zhahar argue and the border to Tryadnea slowly fades away.

Glorianna Belladonna suspects Zhahar is connected to it in some way. They confront Zhahar about the change and Zeela says it was her (meaning Zeela) that wanted to sever ties to protect Sholeh and Zhahar. Leaving that aside, Glorianna and Danyal and Yoshani go back to Vision to help the Shamans, but Lee, Kobrah, Apothecary, Knife, Michael and Sebastian follow using Lee's island. Ephemera placed makers sand in the Shaman Place of Light and Glorianna tells Danyal that he's the caretaker of a couple acres of playground. The others appear and being to settle in. Danyal goes back to his asylum and kills the wizards and Dark Guide using plants found in the Eater's former place. Glorianna and Lee help Danyal heal then return to Aurora. Glorianna performs Heart's Justice on Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar. Danyal and Lee set up a school called Seeing Heart in Vision. Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar ends up in a different part of Vision and, after training with the Knives, leave that part of Vision and travel to Seeing Heart. Danyal gives them jobs and Zhahar hopes she and Lee can find love.

All in all, a great read and addition to Bishop's Ephemera series. Wonderful prose, magic, romance, and fantasy. Any fan of real fantasy and romance will find this an enjoyable read.