The Creed by Andrew Maclure

 

The Creed: Book 4 in the Unwilling From Earth series by Andrew Maclure
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The fourth novel in the Unwilling From Earth series focuses on the increased, brutal and murderous activity of the Outcasts and the strange correlation between them and the movements of the Creed who are very much anti Outcast. Mark (Friend of the People) and Sah Lee (Sally) who commands the pre-eminent independent army send an undercover trio of people to investigate the Creed in an attempt to identify the link and then to take action.
The basic plot of this novel is pretty straight forward as Mark and Mike go undercover as soulmates whose relationship needs some polish which they hope to attain from within the Creed with guidance from its spiritual leader Den T’an. Along with them goes a sort of galactic youtuber called Renny Hilmar Bev (The Explorer) who has a travel type documentary show and provides a known presence the mission can be hung upon. What the find is acceptance and on the surface the Creed seems to be as advertised, there is a strong spiritual unity amongst those who travel on the Creed ship but also some areas that are sealed with little or no camera/security coverage which begs the question is the Creed all that it appears.
If you have read any of the previous novels then you know Mike and Mark are best friends but to people that don't know them their relationship is volatile to say the least, going undercover as soulmates certainly puts a strain on them especially Mike who doesn't have the usual outlets to vent her need for expressive and violent outbursts (again after spending a lot of time with Mark). However the mystery of the Creed and Outcasts provides plenty of good solid storytelling and the introduction of more intelligent races and individuals from races we've met before adds significantly to the whole world building. I enjoyed this novel a lot more than the last one perhaps because of the smaller more focused narrative but don't worry there is plenty of conflict in the story both on the ground in space which adds a more frantic pace and flavour to the whole.



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Phoenix Precinct by Keith R.A. DeCandido

 

Phoenix Precinct by Keith R.A. DeCandido
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The native population of Cliff's End continue to adjust to the new social dynamic after the significant influx of people from Barlin, the new Phoenix Precinct is open and attempting to counter both small and large crimes within the communities but an underlying unease continues to grow fuelled by criminal and racially motivated interests. Tuchera who once owned and operated a landscape business in Barling with 15 employees is now desperate enough to take any job offered to help feed his family, this leads him to a dark corner of the city one night and his death at the hands of 4 masked individuals sprouting racial slurs. Lieutenant Torin ban Wyvald and Lieutenant Danthres Tresyllione are on the case and find a disturbing amount of casual hatred of the refugees and a corresponding distrust of authority from the Barlins which makes the investigation even more complex. However Torin and Danthres are not the two best detectives in the city state for nothing and together they will solve the crime and uncover levels of conspiracy that will shock everyone.
Phoenix Precinct was once again a Kickstarter born novel (now sold retail) and continues the excellent narrative of Cliff's End and its police force. The main protagonists continue to entertain and the procedural elements of the story provide a compelling story and backdrop to the character building and interaction. A recommended novel within a must read series.

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A Warship Named Sky 2: The Last Hero by Saxon Andrew

 

A Warship Named Sky 2: The Last Hero by Saxon Andrew
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A galaxy at peace with itself, some would call that a miracle but hundreds of worlds and billions of beings lost their lives in the conflicts which were the brutal learning curve required before three unique and heroic beings changed how things were done. Now a threat from outside the galaxy is revealed, the birth of mistrust, paranoia and the easy access to planet killing weaponry could kick start the cycle again but thankfully one of the three heroes is still "alive" and seeks out companions to once again look for solutions and more importantly ask the right questions to the right people.
The sequel to A Warship Named Sky is like the original a very easy read, a nice mix of characters who don't differ too greatly from those of the first novel but it has to be said they continue to be of interest and while I could say it's just more of the same in this case that isn't a bad thing.


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