FALCON FIRE

An SF thriller focuses on a Venusian actor who finds himself in deep trouble.

Something is rotten in colonial Venus. People are separated into castelike groups—hedonites and reformers—and Hix falls in the first category. Once a child of the Venusian slums, Hix grew up to become a famous actor with the nickname Falcon Fire. But his status is less celebrated when readers first encounter him, as he is being held prisoner on an “interplanetary transport ferry” called the Zephyr Spear, heading to Earth’s orbit for a “surface core extraction” mission. Hix is accused of multiple crimes—such as commandeering an airship—but the manslaughter charge for the death of his love, Shawna, is iffy. While Neeva, Shawna’s sister, has been primed to become “Keeper of the First Colony heritage,” she is first tasked with overseeing the case regarding Hix. Hix quickly builds a crew of prisoners aboard the Zephyr Spear,and they form a plan to travel to Venus only to end up heading directly toward Earth. Neeva, meanwhile, in the midst of her investigation, contends with hedonite bombs, a potential reformer conspiracy, and her desire to track down Mel, Hix’s beloved sister. Otto’s story is part action thriller and part outer-space police procedural, but it’s peppered with heart throughout. This is shown in the evident love between Hix and his sister—most notably, in one poignant moment between the two—and in Neeva’s affection for Shawna and her profound loss. The prose is descriptive, which aids in the author’s extensive worldbuilding. Life on Venus for these characters is fully developed through Otto’s prose, to the point where certain terminology may initially be a bit confusing to readers: “A symbiont by the name of NM-198 has gone missing in the south pole psychanthropic network.” Similarly, the story sometimes offers a multitude of characters to keep track of, which becomes a tad daunting. Still, the author’s tale is thorough and engaging. Hix manages to be a hero worth rooting for without being too cheesy or reduced to an action trope. And Neeva, particularly when Otto details her backstory with her parents, is a strong and determined character while still remaining vulnerable and flawed.

An intricate, action-packed interplanetary ride that will excite SF fans.