Matt W

Unique with influences of great 80's & 90's sci fi

Revisado: 03-08-22

I read the first chapter of this book in print and was primed to read the rest, but life got in the way so I was excited for the opportunity to listen.

This story holds it's own as a unique and original work of sci-fi that hits close to home. Like all good sci-fi, there are influences from past great sci-fi. I envisioned scenes of a creature from The Abyss and flooded cities from Split Second. There is more, but read it and see for yourself. I'm not sure Devey was influenced by those specific movies, but who knows.

Characters are a crucial part of any story, and I though that in this book they were fleshed out with enough depth to remember who they are and get to know them easily. From the view point of a career military man who has served as both enlisted and as a commissioned officer, I found the military in this book to be authentic enough to believe that Devey either did the research or spent enough time around military members and or veterans to get a feel for who and how they are. The one thing I was not sure about was referring to the Marine Corps "Chief Warrant Officers" as "Chief". In the Navy since we have Chief Petty Officers who are endearingly "Chief" we never call our Warrants "Chief". I've only spent a little time around the marines though, so maybe they do. Not particularly important though. One of the main characters of the book, Chief Warrant Officer Parisi, who is special for being a soldier that was nearly killed and then re-borne with bio-mechanical arms and legs, is also the center for much of the philosophical thought in the book. She is a favorite.

The geopolitical back drop and time period of the book are also interesting. It is in the near future, but I don't recall their ever being a specific date stated in the book. It seems the western world had recently ended a war with North Korea and possibly China, and the geopolitical situation and or the centers of power in the world have shifted. It would be interesting to know more about Devey's world leading up to the events in Ascendant.

The final and overall theme of the book is somewhat controversial. Rather than write in a spoiler, I would say that regardless of your thoughts on the subject, the story is engaging and suspenseful, and leaves you needing to know "what happens next". It's worth the listen. It has all the pieces of sci fi that I love. A believable future with believable advances in technology, I'm referring to the Mako warriors. Good, real characters, and that bit that lets you suspend a little disbelief and let your mind wonder some.

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