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Mainline #2
Splintegrate
Deborah Teramis Christian is back with a rousing stand-alone sequel to fan favorite Mainline...
One of the many charms of planet Lyndir is the Between-World, home to the licensed entertainers of the Sa'adani empire. The most famous is Kes, a professional dominatrix who has become a celebrity attraction at a palatial dungeon called Tryst.
One of Kes's most devoted clients is the infamous interplanetary political operative Janus, the last man standing when his business fell apart on Selmun III, and now a major cog in Lyndir's political machine. When a high-powered imperial authority decides she wants Janus out of the way, the seductive domna Kes is the most logical avenue. She'd never betray a client's trust, but the threat to her and her Sa'adani sisters is so great that she has no choice but to assist.
Imprisoned, altered against her will, and turned into a brutal weapon by the highly experimental Splintegrate cloning technology, Kes is at war with herself as everything she holds dear falls apart around her. It will take an enormous triumph of will and help from some unlikely avenues for Kes to survive the government's machinations and pursue the independence she's craved her entire life.
One of the many charms of planet Lyndir is the Between-World, home to the licensed entertainers of the Sa'adani empire. The most famous is Kes, a professional dominatrix who has become a celebrity attraction at a palatial dungeon called Tryst.
One of Kes's most devoted clients is the infamous interplanetary political operative Janus, the last man standing when his business fell apart on Selmun III, and now a major cog in Lyndir's political machine. When a high-powered imperial authority decides she wants Janus out of the way, the seductive domna Kes is the most logical avenue. She'd never betray a client's trust, but the threat to her and her Sa'adani sisters is so great that she has no choice but to assist.
Imprisoned, altered against her will, and turned into a brutal weapon by the highly experimental Splintegrate cloning technology, Kes is at war with herself as everything she holds dear falls apart around her. It will take an enormous triumph of will and help from some unlikely avenues for Kes to survive the government's machinations and pursue the independence she's craved her entire life.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published December 31, 2019
13 people are currently reading
337 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Teramis Christian
15 books35 followersTeramis (accent on first syllable) goes by her middle name. She formerly published as Deborah Christian, but has used all three of her names as byline since 2001.
Teramis is a US Army veteran, a former career systems consulting geek, and a sociologist, among many other things. In the last few years she has rearranged her life to make writing her full-time endeavor. For more biographical info, see author's website info.
Teramis is a US Army veteran, a former career systems consulting geek, and a sociologist, among many other things. In the last few years she has rearranged her life to make writing her full-time endeavor. For more biographical info, see author's website info.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 15, 2019
This story reads like a twisted episode of Black Mirror - not one that you hurriedly discuss with friends, one that strikes a chord within you that leaves you so rattled you want to forget the experience and simply move on lest it seeps into your psyche and keeps you awake at night. I went into this book expecting a mature sci-fi universe that explores erotic themes without the vapid narrative of superficial smut. And I got that, definitely. It's beautifully written and clever and delves into the psychology of dominant/submissive, master/slave relationships that many books either are too scared to explore or are too preoccupied with meaningless sex to bother with. The world-building is exquisite and wholly unique, if not a little hard to understand at first. I appreciated that the author allowed us to learn through experiencing the world firsthand rather than explaining through dense dialogue spouting nonstop exposition. By 50% I was pretty well acclimated and understood the basics of the world, though I can see how some might find it arduous to get to. The main character is strong and beautiful and completely her own person in a world of unrelenting hardship and oppression. And the FF romance was tender and sensual and rooted in vicariously felt emotion.
The personal struggles in finishing this book came from the body-modification/medical elements to this story that were used to manipulate our heroine, who I loved and rooted for profusely. The events were particularly upsetting and gruesome in my opinion and had me considering putting the book down entirely. I understand that this is a completely personal and subjective reaction that other readers might not be phased by, and it should be said that it did not take away the effectiveness or articulation of the story.
I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The personal struggles in finishing this book came from the body-modification/medical elements to this story that were used to manipulate our heroine, who I loved and rooted for profusely. The events were particularly upsetting and gruesome in my opinion and had me considering putting the book down entirely. I understand that this is a completely personal and subjective reaction that other readers might not be phased by, and it should be said that it did not take away the effectiveness or articulation of the story.
I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 18, 2019
To read more reviews my reviews, check out my blog at keikii Eats Books!
Quote:
Review:
Splintegrate is one of the most uncomfortable, horrifying things I've ever read. The atmosphere is cloying. The fear is palpable. The story is very, very interesting, but I could only handle it in small doses. Every time I picked up the book with the intention of finishing it, I had to put it down again after a half hour.
The world was incredibly well laid out. The first quarter of the book was dedicated to introducing our main characters and the world. It is so complex, I'm still not even certain I have all the details right. There are a conglomeration of worlds, all being ruled by an Emperor, who is currently dying. The technology of these worlds is incredibly advanced, with cloning being an accepted part of politics. Even their porn is more advanced.
In fact, politics plays a heavy part of the events in Splintegrate. Whether the characters want to participate or not. There is the primary politics of assuring the Empire is stable as the Emperor is dying, by any means necessary. There is the secondary politics of the more unsavory characters, and how they are running their businesses. This is just a heavily politically influenced book.
Plus, there is the world of Lyndir, which is home to "licensed entertainers" and has Shigasu houses, run by clans, that employ the entertainers. Some who wanted to be there, and some who have no choice. The main character of the book, Kes, is one of the people at the Shigasu without much choice: when she got into debt, and it was either sell her body or end up in prison. Now, she is a high priced Dominatrix, The Queen of Winter, and she is heavily sought after. Her past is riddled with bad events, and her future doesn't sound like it is going to be all that great, either. She has a home now, he belongs to her Shigasue Clan. Yet they can still compel her to do things for the good of the clan.
And that thing they can compel Kes to do? Go with Ilanya Evanivit, the chief of Internal Security’s elite Political Division. Which is a lot of words to say she is one of the most politically powerful people in the Sa'adani Empire. And Eva wants to catch one of Kes's customers, for the good of the Empire. Janus is a businessman by less than above board practices. And Eva has determined he is in the way, to be removed by any means necessary. Any. Means. Necessary.
And those means are through the use of the Splintegrate project, the horrifying work of Metmuri Esimir. Esimir's goal is to split someone's personality into clones, take out the bad parts, and leave only good parts behind, before reintegrating the personality later without those undesirably aspects. This is to rehabilitate prisoners who murder and such. Only he works for the Navy, who is funding this project. Three guesses as to why the Navy want the Splintegrate project to succeed. Hint: it isn't for rehabilitation.
I'd like you to take a moment to reread that paragraph and reflect on how utterly horrifying that entire concept is.
And that is what they want to do to Kes. In order to catch someone who is in the way. My heart was pounding the entire time leading up to this Splintegration process.
Like I said in the beginning, this book is horrifying. I was so uncomfortable reading this book. It took me a long time to get into. At least a quarter is spent on just setting up the story, and it took me until the midway point of the book to really get into the story and attached to the characters. There are a lot of moving pieces, a lot of characters, and a lot of information dumped all at once, so I was confused for a long time. But once I got into the characters, it was smooth sailing ahead. Even if I did get attached against my better wishes since this is not the type of story that feels like it is going to end well.
Splintegrate handles a lot of mature topics. There is the dominatrix dominance/submission aspects and a master/slave relationship. There is the concept of owning people and debtors prisons. The main character hates her situation with a passion and can't wait to buy out her contract so she doesn't have to work and have sex with anyone anymore unless she wants to. There was pure body horror and psychological torture. It was grisly and shocking without resorting to violence. And I'm sure I'm forgetting some other hard topics. Yet, there wasn't actually any sex scenes. It came close a few times, but the focus of Splintegrate was not the sex, it was the topics at hand.
And if you're curious if you need to read Mainline first: No. I didn't feel at any point like I was missing out on anything for not having read Mainline. From what I gathered in the book, Splintegrate actually takes place several hundred years in the future. And also Mainline isn't actually being published (no ebook, can only buy third hand) anymore so this is a good thing.
ARC received from Tor Books on Edelweiss. This did not affect my review.
Quote:
"See, limited nanoneurals map only what we want them to. This is how we splinter a personality - we reproduce just a select part of it. Then we create clones with only the aspects we desire to see."
Review:
Splintegrate is one of the most uncomfortable, horrifying things I've ever read. The atmosphere is cloying. The fear is palpable. The story is very, very interesting, but I could only handle it in small doses. Every time I picked up the book with the intention of finishing it, I had to put it down again after a half hour.
The world was incredibly well laid out. The first quarter of the book was dedicated to introducing our main characters and the world. It is so complex, I'm still not even certain I have all the details right. There are a conglomeration of worlds, all being ruled by an Emperor, who is currently dying. The technology of these worlds is incredibly advanced, with cloning being an accepted part of politics. Even their porn is more advanced.
In fact, politics plays a heavy part of the events in Splintegrate. Whether the characters want to participate or not. There is the primary politics of assuring the Empire is stable as the Emperor is dying, by any means necessary. There is the secondary politics of the more unsavory characters, and how they are running their businesses. This is just a heavily politically influenced book.
Plus, there is the world of Lyndir, which is home to "licensed entertainers" and has Shigasu houses, run by clans, that employ the entertainers. Some who wanted to be there, and some who have no choice. The main character of the book, Kes, is one of the people at the Shigasu without much choice: when she got into debt, and it was either sell her body or end up in prison. Now, she is a high priced Dominatrix, The Queen of Winter, and she is heavily sought after. Her past is riddled with bad events, and her future doesn't sound like it is going to be all that great, either. She has a home now, he belongs to her Shigasue Clan. Yet they can still compel her to do things for the good of the clan.
And that thing they can compel Kes to do? Go with Ilanya Evanivit, the chief of Internal Security’s elite Political Division. Which is a lot of words to say she is one of the most politically powerful people in the Sa'adani Empire. And Eva wants to catch one of Kes's customers, for the good of the Empire. Janus is a businessman by less than above board practices. And Eva has determined he is in the way, to be removed by any means necessary. Any. Means. Necessary.
And those means are through the use of the Splintegrate project, the horrifying work of Metmuri Esimir. Esimir's goal is to split someone's personality into clones, take out the bad parts, and leave only good parts behind, before reintegrating the personality later without those undesirably aspects. This is to rehabilitate prisoners who murder and such. Only he works for the Navy, who is funding this project. Three guesses as to why the Navy want the Splintegrate project to succeed. Hint: it isn't for rehabilitation.
I'd like you to take a moment to reread that paragraph and reflect on how utterly horrifying that entire concept is.
And that is what they want to do to Kes. In order to catch someone who is in the way. My heart was pounding the entire time leading up to this Splintegration process.
Like I said in the beginning, this book is horrifying. I was so uncomfortable reading this book. It took me a long time to get into. At least a quarter is spent on just setting up the story, and it took me until the midway point of the book to really get into the story and attached to the characters. There are a lot of moving pieces, a lot of characters, and a lot of information dumped all at once, so I was confused for a long time. But once I got into the characters, it was smooth sailing ahead. Even if I did get attached against my better wishes since this is not the type of story that feels like it is going to end well.
Splintegrate handles a lot of mature topics. There is the dominatrix dominance/submission aspects and a master/slave relationship. There is the concept of owning people and debtors prisons. The main character hates her situation with a passion and can't wait to buy out her contract so she doesn't have to work and have sex with anyone anymore unless she wants to. There was pure body horror and psychological torture. It was grisly and shocking without resorting to violence. And I'm sure I'm forgetting some other hard topics. Yet, there wasn't actually any sex scenes. It came close a few times, but the focus of Splintegrate was not the sex, it was the topics at hand.
And if you're curious if you need to read Mainline first: No. I didn't feel at any point like I was missing out on anything for not having read Mainline. From what I gathered in the book, Splintegrate actually takes place several hundred years in the future. And also Mainline isn't actually being published (no ebook, can only buy third hand) anymore so this is a good thing.
ARC received from Tor Books on Edelweiss. This did not affect my review.
never-finished
January 13, 2020having a dominatrix main character does not "kushiel's dart in cyberpunk" make!
might-read
November 17, 2018This is set in the same universe as Mainline.
Amazon shows the release date November 19th, 2019
Amazon shows the release date November 19th, 2019
September 3, 2022
Like the best science fiction, Splintegrate is a novel of ideas, one that explores questions of identity on a number of levels. Deborah Teramis Christian delves deep into body modification, cybernetic implants, and cloning, while also taking a hard look at dominant/submissive roles, the question of slavery, and overlapping sexual identities.
Known to her clients as the Winter Goddess, Kes is a fantastic character, a strong woman and a sympathetic heroine. We first see her as a coldly professional dominatrix, costuming herself, setting a scene, and playing a role for Janus, a male client. There is emotion there, but it is one step removed from the moment. We next see her playing a flirtatious game of dominance and submission with her boss. In both of those cases there is unrequited love, an obsession others have with the ideal of the Winter Goddess. When we see her with Morya, a submissive from her original house, the full depth of Kes’ emotional identity is revealed. With her, we are introduced to a love that is genuine, passionate, and happily reciprocated, and yet still tied up with dominant and submissive identities . . . and somewhat restrained by questions of property.
Where the story gets really interesting is when Kes is forced into a highly secretive program – Splintegrate – that sees her unwittingly cloned, her personality splintered and reassembled, each clone having different pieces missing. That splintering allows the story to get even deeper into those issues of identity, exploring Kes and her relationships from different angles. Not only does it take us beyond dominance and submission, but into issues of loyalty and obligation. We are reminded how all the facets of our personality, the good and the bad, define us, and forced to take a hard look at what happens when facets are softened or removed to isolate and accentuate others.
Behind all of this is a tightly woven thriller dealing with plots both political and criminal, one that involves a game of succession at the highest levels of imperial power as well as the most dangerous levels of criminal authority. We see men and women willing to do anything for a cause, but we also see how personal wants, needs, and desires drive them to sometimes contradictory goals. Nothing about this story is clear-cut or obvious, and once the question of clones gets introduced, with imperial demands interfering with scientific discovery, further schisms between personal pride and professional duty begin pulling at the threads of that story.
At one point I’d heard Splintegrate described as “Kushiel’s Dart gone cyberpunk” but I don’t think it’s quite so clear-cut. Yes, there are absolutely parallels to Kushiel’s Dart in Kes’ role as a BDSM courtesan, flipped (of course) from submissive to dominant, and I think both books do an excellent job of exploring the erotic power exchange within a mainstream work of imaginative fiction, but there is a marked difference in sensuality between the two stories that I think sets them apart. There is a narrative point at which Splintegrate very clearly diverges from that comparison, becoming a true cyberpunk thriller in the final arc. It turns away from the question of BDSM identities and becomes instead an exploration of who and what lies beneath those identities. It’s some heady stuff, especially with the elements of hacking, artificial intelligence, and cloning woven into the mix, but that’s precisely what a good science fiction tale should be.
https://femledfantasy.home.blog/2020/...
Known to her clients as the Winter Goddess, Kes is a fantastic character, a strong woman and a sympathetic heroine. We first see her as a coldly professional dominatrix, costuming herself, setting a scene, and playing a role for Janus, a male client. There is emotion there, but it is one step removed from the moment. We next see her playing a flirtatious game of dominance and submission with her boss. In both of those cases there is unrequited love, an obsession others have with the ideal of the Winter Goddess. When we see her with Morya, a submissive from her original house, the full depth of Kes’ emotional identity is revealed. With her, we are introduced to a love that is genuine, passionate, and happily reciprocated, and yet still tied up with dominant and submissive identities . . . and somewhat restrained by questions of property.
Where the story gets really interesting is when Kes is forced into a highly secretive program – Splintegrate – that sees her unwittingly cloned, her personality splintered and reassembled, each clone having different pieces missing. That splintering allows the story to get even deeper into those issues of identity, exploring Kes and her relationships from different angles. Not only does it take us beyond dominance and submission, but into issues of loyalty and obligation. We are reminded how all the facets of our personality, the good and the bad, define us, and forced to take a hard look at what happens when facets are softened or removed to isolate and accentuate others.
Behind all of this is a tightly woven thriller dealing with plots both political and criminal, one that involves a game of succession at the highest levels of imperial power as well as the most dangerous levels of criminal authority. We see men and women willing to do anything for a cause, but we also see how personal wants, needs, and desires drive them to sometimes contradictory goals. Nothing about this story is clear-cut or obvious, and once the question of clones gets introduced, with imperial demands interfering with scientific discovery, further schisms between personal pride and professional duty begin pulling at the threads of that story.
At one point I’d heard Splintegrate described as “Kushiel’s Dart gone cyberpunk” but I don’t think it’s quite so clear-cut. Yes, there are absolutely parallels to Kushiel’s Dart in Kes’ role as a BDSM courtesan, flipped (of course) from submissive to dominant, and I think both books do an excellent job of exploring the erotic power exchange within a mainstream work of imaginative fiction, but there is a marked difference in sensuality between the two stories that I think sets them apart. There is a narrative point at which Splintegrate very clearly diverges from that comparison, becoming a true cyberpunk thriller in the final arc. It turns away from the question of BDSM identities and becomes instead an exploration of who and what lies beneath those identities. It’s some heady stuff, especially with the elements of hacking, artificial intelligence, and cloning woven into the mix, but that’s precisely what a good science fiction tale should be.
https://femledfantasy.home.blog/2020/...
April 13, 2020
Solid world building and a well written, fast paced story are marred by largely one dimensional characters and lack of depth. Splintegrate takes place in a cyberpunk, galactic-empire world and focuses on the character of Kes, a highly sought after dominatrix, who gets unwittingly caught up in the machinations of the powerful and well connected for reasons I won't spoil. The story is focused and well paced. It manages to deliver just the right amount of tension to be engaging and even exciting. Where things begin to falter is the character development. All the characters including Kes, albeit to a lesser degree, come off as pretty much one dimensional and not particularly well fleshed out. Furthermore, in keeping with it's cyberpunk setting, the novel features the elements of body augmentation, cloning, and AI, all of which are integral to the story and, as far as that goes, are employed effectively. However, I think that it's a huge missed opportunity to not explore the metaphysical and ethical overtones and/or repercussions of such elements (example: what is the nature of personal identity with respect to clones and AI). These things remain largely unexplored. That said, I still recommend the book as a smartly written, exciting story, just don't expect a great deal of depth.
March 14, 2020
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC.
Kes, once a lowly joygirl and now the most famous dominatrix on Lyndir, is nearing the end of paying off her enormous debt that originally cast her into slavery. Little does she know that one of her clients is the lynchpin in an enormous operation that will dictate who the next emperor is, a plot headed by someone willing to do anything— including co-opting medical experiments to clone and transform personalities.
Despite first impressions, and I ended up enjoying Splintegrate. It felt like a slog until about 50%, crammed full of intergalactic complex politics and medical techno-babble, but everything came together to deliver a tight final half that was part thriller and part black comedy of errors. Despite this being marketed as a standalone, I suspect I would have gotten into it much more quickly if I had read the author's other works in this universe.
There's some talk in other reviews of this being like a cyberpunk Kushiel's Dart, and I disagree. The BDSM elements of the Carey series are much more critical to the plot and to character development than this. Those books are also far more explicit than Splintegrate.
Kes, once a lowly joygirl and now the most famous dominatrix on Lyndir, is nearing the end of paying off her enormous debt that originally cast her into slavery. Little does she know that one of her clients is the lynchpin in an enormous operation that will dictate who the next emperor is, a plot headed by someone willing to do anything— including co-opting medical experiments to clone and transform personalities.
Despite first impressions, and I ended up enjoying Splintegrate. It felt like a slog until about 50%, crammed full of intergalactic complex politics and medical techno-babble, but everything came together to deliver a tight final half that was part thriller and part black comedy of errors. Despite this being marketed as a standalone, I suspect I would have gotten into it much more quickly if I had read the author's other works in this universe.
There's some talk in other reviews of this being like a cyberpunk Kushiel's Dart, and I disagree. The BDSM elements of the Carey series are much more critical to the plot and to character development than this. Those books are also far more explicit than Splintegrate.
February 20, 2020
Deborah Teramis Christian tells a tale of the far future Sa'adani Empire in which fast cloning with memory transfer is available to the rich and used by the Army to create soldiers. Hinano Kesada (kes) is the Winter Goddess, a dominatrix in a guild sex house with rich clients. One of her clients, Janus who is a triumvir of the Red Hand Cartel is marked for death by Ilanya Casini Evanit the Emperor’s right hand. Ilanya decides to use an experimental cloning technology called Splintegrate (hard from Tor) which will destroy the subject and create three clones with differing personality aspects, one of which might kill Janus in his session. Kes is treated by the process without her consent of knowledge of what is going on. The process works correctly, but nothing else goes as expected. There’s a hidden AI in the research station trying to excape, two of Kes clones who shouldn’t exist, and a scientist robbed of his research. Add in members of the triad with their own needs and the result is a fun tale of dark political ambition. Fun.Review printed by Philadelphia Free Press
July 15, 2022
This was a thrift store purchase so all in, I was not out much if it turned into disappointment. Fortunately, it did not disappoint. I won't divulge any spoilers. In the appendices, the author discussed that the world in her book was derived from a long role-playing game (RPG) campaign. In reading that, it made sense as several genres can be found in the pages. Christian's settings are very much in the "postcyberpunk" literary movement. It is a combination of interstellar empires, Japanese feudalism, and some of the classic aspects of cyberpunk such as netrunning, cybernetics, and biotechnology. I drop the novel in the "postcyberpunk" arena as it doesn't have the dystopian aspects within it. The novel read well and did not drag. My only nitpick is that the end of the novel, when all of the plot lines were coming to a conclusion, seemed rushed and was rather brief. Christian included a glossary of terms and a list of characters in the appendices which is a nice touch.
December 15, 2024
I really enjoyed this book.
Once the plot reveals what Spintegrate is the choice of protagonist and their personality/vocation makes so much sense and works so well. Having such a uncommon type of protagonist so strongly characterised brings in a really good mix of Keseda's mindset. Someone willed, strong with a sort-of blurring between professional and personal boundaries, fantasy and self that works in direction the plot takes.
This was very good sci-fi, heavy on the world-building and clearly the author has a very good sense of the environment and the empire.
I think the first few pages possibly have a little too much worrying about what materials things are made from it didn't bother me, the book settles into a break-neck pace by the third act which kept me reading and unable to put it down.
I thoroughly recommend this to anyone who wouldn't be immediately put off by the synopsis.
Once the plot reveals what Spintegrate is the choice of protagonist and their personality/vocation makes so much sense and works so well. Having such a uncommon type of protagonist so strongly characterised brings in a really good mix of Keseda's mindset. Someone willed, strong with a sort-of blurring between professional and personal boundaries, fantasy and self that works in direction the plot takes.
This was very good sci-fi, heavy on the world-building and clearly the author has a very good sense of the environment and the empire.
I think the first few pages possibly have a little too much worrying about what materials things are made from it didn't bother me, the book settles into a break-neck pace by the third act which kept me reading and unable to put it down.
I thoroughly recommend this to anyone who wouldn't be immediately put off by the synopsis.
April 1, 2020
Setting:
This book takes place on a planet which is not Earth but is for just about all practical reasons essentially indistinguishable from a sci-fi Earth.
The setting here is decidedly cyberpunk with all the neon lights, social caste systems, and body modifications that one can expect from the genre.
Characters:
Kesada: Known as Kes to herself and her friends and The Winter Goddess to the public and her subjects, Kesada is a professional dominatrix and she's very good at her job despite that she would not have willingly chosen everything that led her to it. The work sits well with her as she is aggressive and likes being in charge of things but does have a soft spot for an old lover of hers that she still deeply cares for.
Ilanya: Ilanya, known sometimes as Kingmaker, is the emperor's right hand and top operative. She is as efficient as she is ruthless and loyal. Her current mission is to ensure the emperor's daughter will have the necessary political sway to ascend when the current emperor dies. Ilanya will do absolutely anything to accomplish this and she has the entire government behind her if she needs it.
Plot:
Ilanya is working to set things up to increase the standing of the emperor's heir. Two things nobody can argue with are raw power and money and having a large criminal organization working for the heir would provide a good deal of both. Ilanya very nearly set up a deal to have just such an organization sign on but there was one man who stopped it: crime boss Janus. There's a simple solution to a single dissenter; kill them. Two problems exist with this plan. First, Janus is very well protected. Second and more importantly, if Janus' death is traced back to the government that would make the remaining criminals unwilling to deal with the government. Enter Kes, professional dominatrix and favored courtesan of many including Janus. Kes had no ties to the government and would certainly have the opportunity to kill Janus during their sessions when he is submitting to her every whim. The only thing left then is to give her the motivation. That shouldn't prove too hard for someone as resourceful as the Kingmaker.
My Thoughts:
The book is really quite solid and well written.
The world building is interesting in that it's done in two different ways. The particularly important things, like the culture around courtesans, are spelled out plainly for the reader whereas everything not sufficiently important is treated and mentioned like people in the world who understand these things would treat them. The twin approach is interesting but it ends up working out well. Having characters treat the world the way they actually would always helps add to the verisimilitude and there is a glossary of terms and dramatis personae for anyone left a bit confused or curious.
The characters are executed well but most of them are defined more by their role than anything else. That's not a problem by the way. Janus doesn't need to be anything more than the crime boss who really likes this one courtesan. Ilanya doesn't need to be anything beyond the ruthless government operative. The real triumph of development here is Kes who is a deeply detailed character with different aspects to her personality. Kes is easy to relate to and root for even if one does not always agree with her methods.
It could be argued that the beginning of the book is a bit slow before the plot really gets moving but what's there is important and none of it feels boring. It's necessary introductions, setup, and groundwork.
The sexual content is handled tastefully. Perhaps appropriately for someone named Christian, most scenes are handled with a face to black. Refreshingly for BDSM, no character (with one minor arguable exception) is made to look bad because of their sexual tastes.
On the whole the book is quite good and very enjoyable.
This book takes place on a planet which is not Earth but is for just about all practical reasons essentially indistinguishable from a sci-fi Earth.
The setting here is decidedly cyberpunk with all the neon lights, social caste systems, and body modifications that one can expect from the genre.
Characters:
Kesada: Known as Kes to herself and her friends and The Winter Goddess to the public and her subjects, Kesada is a professional dominatrix and she's very good at her job despite that she would not have willingly chosen everything that led her to it. The work sits well with her as she is aggressive and likes being in charge of things but does have a soft spot for an old lover of hers that she still deeply cares for.
Ilanya: Ilanya, known sometimes as Kingmaker, is the emperor's right hand and top operative. She is as efficient as she is ruthless and loyal. Her current mission is to ensure the emperor's daughter will have the necessary political sway to ascend when the current emperor dies. Ilanya will do absolutely anything to accomplish this and she has the entire government behind her if she needs it.
Plot:
Ilanya is working to set things up to increase the standing of the emperor's heir. Two things nobody can argue with are raw power and money and having a large criminal organization working for the heir would provide a good deal of both. Ilanya very nearly set up a deal to have just such an organization sign on but there was one man who stopped it: crime boss Janus. There's a simple solution to a single dissenter; kill them. Two problems exist with this plan. First, Janus is very well protected. Second and more importantly, if Janus' death is traced back to the government that would make the remaining criminals unwilling to deal with the government. Enter Kes, professional dominatrix and favored courtesan of many including Janus. Kes had no ties to the government and would certainly have the opportunity to kill Janus during their sessions when he is submitting to her every whim. The only thing left then is to give her the motivation. That shouldn't prove too hard for someone as resourceful as the Kingmaker.
My Thoughts:
The book is really quite solid and well written.
The world building is interesting in that it's done in two different ways. The particularly important things, like the culture around courtesans, are spelled out plainly for the reader whereas everything not sufficiently important is treated and mentioned like people in the world who understand these things would treat them. The twin approach is interesting but it ends up working out well. Having characters treat the world the way they actually would always helps add to the verisimilitude and there is a glossary of terms and dramatis personae for anyone left a bit confused or curious.
The characters are executed well but most of them are defined more by their role than anything else. That's not a problem by the way. Janus doesn't need to be anything more than the crime boss who really likes this one courtesan. Ilanya doesn't need to be anything beyond the ruthless government operative. The real triumph of development here is Kes who is a deeply detailed character with different aspects to her personality. Kes is easy to relate to and root for even if one does not always agree with her methods.
It could be argued that the beginning of the book is a bit slow before the plot really gets moving but what's there is important and none of it feels boring. It's necessary introductions, setup, and groundwork.
The sexual content is handled tastefully. Perhaps appropriately for someone named Christian, most scenes are handled with a face to black. Refreshingly for BDSM, no character (with one minor arguable exception) is made to look bad because of their sexual tastes.
On the whole the book is quite good and very enjoyable.
December 30, 2019
It's hard to find the words to review this book because it's amazing.
It handles a lot of serious themes and it makes in a way that is never moralistic or morbid.
The world building is amazing and the cast of characters is well thought and interesting.
I didn't read any other book in this series but I had no issue with the plot or the characters.
I can't wait to read another work by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It handles a lot of serious themes and it makes in a way that is never moralistic or morbid.
The world building is amazing and the cast of characters is well thought and interesting.
I didn't read any other book in this series but I had no issue with the plot or the characters.
I can't wait to read another work by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
February 21, 2020
Others have described this as ‘Kushiel in Space’, and the BDSM elements are present for sure, but this is also a dense space opera with plenty of other ideas. The issue for me sometimes is that’s it’s too dense, the prose is so weighted in its setting and tech that it can occasionally be more of a chore than a pleasure to read. But despite that I still have to admire the level of detail to the world building.
March 8, 2020
The story was lush and detailed. Unfortunately, the writing style didn't pull me in as much as I would have liked. This is definitely a personal preference thing, rather than a less than stellar writing thing. The writing is quite brilliant. I highly recommend everyone at least give it a few chapters. It may be your next favorite.
May 3, 2020
Splintegrate, like good scifi, builds a detail-rich setting that oozes technicalities and imagination. While reading it, I was transported to a world that was an amalgamation of Bladerunner and The Lawnmower Man (get the reference?). However, the ambling plot and depthless characters makes this novel a tepid one at best. Full review coming soon!
April 18, 2020
It took me a while to really get into this, but once it caught me I roared through it. It's fun once the many characters start converging on each other and interacting, but the introductions dragged a bit. It took me a while to warm to Kes too. The worldbuilding is really interesting. The resolution wrapped up too quickly for me, though.
January 30, 2025
It left me wanting just a bit more
February 26, 2020
I was initially attracted to this book after hearing it described as a cyberpunk Kushiel's Dart (I might be paraphrasing), and it did not disappoint. It is a tightly crafted book, with a fast-paced storyline which doesn't leave the reader bored for a single page. The world-building is interesting, feels fresh, and leaves a sense of a much broader universe beyond the novel we're reading.
The BDSM scenes are sensitively written, especially as they relate almost entirely to the mental aspects of play and are central to the plot and in some instances character development. The characters are well developed on the whole and you will certainly remember them after you finish the book, but in some cases do feel slightly flat. There are a couple of plot points which also feel like they're resolved too easily, but these are minor criticisms for what is a thoroughly engaging story.
All in all, a very enjoyable and thought provoking read which was great to kick off the year with!
The BDSM scenes are sensitively written, especially as they relate almost entirely to the mental aspects of play and are central to the plot and in some instances character development. The characters are well developed on the whole and you will certainly remember them after you finish the book, but in some cases do feel slightly flat. There are a couple of plot points which also feel like they're resolved too easily, but these are minor criticisms for what is a thoroughly engaging story.
All in all, a very enjoyable and thought provoking read which was great to kick off the year with!
January 1, 2023
Described as a sequel to the author's much earlier novel _Mainline_, but really wasn't, beyond being set in the same universe. It doesn't really continue the plot or character arcs of the first book. There are a few minor characters that re-appear from the first book (some as just one- or two-scene cameos), but none of the major characters returned. This book suffered dreadfully from pacing - the first act took the entire first half of the book, with lots of superfluous prose and lots of scattered character introductions. The second act was perfunctory, and the third act was outright rushed. The amount of text devoted to the author's very-obvious enfatuation with BDSM and the lifestyle was just unnecessary padding, dragging out the word-count even more without really adding much of value to the character arcs.
March 8, 2020
This book has a great premise, a beautiful cover, and contains some interesting thought exercises but it was also a bit of a slog. I got some Altered Carbon vibes from the world building and cloning/mind transfer aspects but this story doesn't employ a murder mystery aspect. The pace would sporadically pick up speed but far too frequently get bogged down by BDSM (which I don't have any interest in reading about or irl) and confusing techno-babble.
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