RUNNER

Far-future, planet-hopping adventure, the first in a new series from the author of The Legion of the Damned novels (For Those Who Fell, 2004, etc.).

Interstellar messenger Jak Rebo is contracted to carry a very special piece of cargo to the planet Thara—a young boy thought to be the reincarnation of a great spiritual leader. En route, Rebo and the boy cross paths with a woman “sensitive” who runs afoul of the Techno Society when she channels the spirit of its founder in a public forum. Circumstances force them to work together, but with assassins trying to kill both the boy and the sensitive, delivering this package intact will be the toughest assignment of Rebo's career. Rebo and company are likable, plucky heroes, and the pulse-pounding action sequences make for a fast and enjoyable read. The story is full of inventive concepts and has a richly detailed setting—one readers will no doubt look forward to exploring more deeply in future volumes.

For fans of space opera and action/adventure, this one is not to be missed.