December 5, 2022
This thrilling space opera from Leicht (Persephone Station) kicks off with Search and Rescue captain Gita Chithra receiving a distress call from Ri, the artificial intelligence she raised like a daughter. Fascinating explorations of the early cognitive development of AI, their rights, and the recognition of personhood in non-humans come to the fore while Gita and her crew race to the mysterious, alien-constructed world of Loki’s Ring to rescue Ri. On arriving, Gita discovers the starship from which Ri transmitted adrift in space and filled with the corpses of its crew, who succumbed to a highly contagious biomechanical substance originating from an illegal mining operation. Then representatives of the hyper-capitalist Norton Independent Alliance appear at the crime scene, and the situation becomes a diplomatic nightmare. A sophisticated espionage subplot surfaces as Gita desperately appeals to a former friend to save herself, her crew, and her beloved Ri, while well-timed shifts between character perspectives reveal that nothing about Loki’s Ring or the mysterious contagion is quite what it seems. The result is a riveting cocktail of high-stakes adventure, philosophical musing, complex family dynamics, and cloak-and-dagger intrigue. Readers won’t want to put this down. Agent: Hannah Bowman, Liza Dawson Assoc.
January 1, 2023
Still devastated after losing two artificial general intelligence (AGI) crew members, Captain Gita Chithra can't ignore a distress call from Ri, the AGI she helped raise. Ri's on a ship stationed near the mysterious alien-constructed world of Loki's Ring, where corporate resource extraction attempts have infected the crew with a destructive virus. Gita's rescue attempt soon endangers her own crew, drawing in her estranged former co-captain Karter as the situation escalates and reminds them both of the disaster that tore them apart. This novel is action-packed from start to finish, confronting the protagonists with armed corporate starships, high-stakes rescue missions, and the horrifying effects of an alien virus. The growing conflict brings Gita and Karter together on the surface of the Ring in a reunion that helps them revisit and move on from their past. However, the writing sometimes undercuts the plot's impact--major events take place off-screen to be summed up afterward, and some secondary characters blend together beyond their banter. VERDICT A purchase for large SFF collections, Leicht's (Persephone Station) latest may appeal to fans of the "NeoG" series from K.B. Wagers.--Erin Niederberger
Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
February 15, 2023
Leicht's (Persephone Station, 2021) latest space opera follows a variety of characters as they deal with a looming interstellar political conflict centered on the mysterious megastructure known only as Loki's Ring. The various viewpoints include Gita Chithra, a Terran Republic of Worlds starship captain and AI scientist who remains emotionally scarred from an incident in which multiple crew members under her care died; her estranged friend and former crewmate, Karter; her equally estranged adopted AI daughter, Ri; and many others. When Ri ends up being forced to land on the surface of Loki's Ring during an undercover mission on a vessel owned by the human-centric, corporation-dominated Norton Independent Alliance, the ensuing chaos not only pulls in her family and their extended friends but also ultimately reveals the purpose and history of Loki's Ring itself. While at times Leicht's narrative suffers from its overabundance of characters and plotting at the expense of action and characterization, this new novel will appeal to fans of her previous work and those who enjoy more diverse, LGBTQ-themed space operas.
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