Fallen

Firstborn, Lastborn #2

by Melissa Scott

Nic en Doroney was promised an education and an academic career in exchange for sharing the nanite burden she carries in her bloodstream. Instead, the Novilis family broke that bargain, and now Nic is captain of a small starship, competing with larger businesses by using illegal Ancestral technology to chart her way through the adjacent possible. But when Rejane Novilis re-enters her life, Nic is unable to resist the chance to work with her again, even if it means challenging the malevolent AI who have already destroyed human society once before.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 18, 2023

About the author

Scott studied history at Harvard College and Brandeis University, and earned her PhD. in comparative history. She published her first novel in 1984, and has since written some two dozen science fiction and fantasy works, including three co-authored with her partner, Lisa A. Barnett.

Scott's work is known for the elaborate and well-constructed settings. While many of her protagonists are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered, this is perfectly integrated into the rest of the story and is rarely a major focus of the story. Shadow Man, alone among Scott's works, focuses explicitly on issues of sexuality and gender.

She won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in Science Fiction in 1986, and has won several Lambda Literary Awards.

In addition to writing, Scott also teaches writing, offering classes via her website and publishing a writing guide.

Scott lived with her partner, author Lisa A. Barnett, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire for 27 years, until the latter's death of breast cancer on May 2, 2006.

Reviews

[Shaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars

This is a rich and fascinating setting and an engaging story which I think ends on somewhat dubious moral grounds in the manner of making probably correct but also questionable decisions. I kind of wish there was more reflection on that aspect of it. That said, I found this a very entertaining read and will read as many more in this world as there may be.

[Crowinator · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

[Wendy of the East · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not fond of it ending with unquestioned slavery.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

the ending on tjis one is a bit unexpected, it is perhaps more realistic than most ending for space opera type books and maybe I'd have liked our narrator/heroine to have ended up with a better result but the ending is hopeful and doesn't say that with time she can't make a better life just as satifying as the one she had before, just that it will be different. and we don't get to see it.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as enthralling and entertaining as Finders. Melissa Scott has built a rich history laden universe, which we're barely scratching the surface of. If you enjoyed Finders, you'll love Fallen.

I just hope we hear more stories from the Firstborn, Lastborn series

[Rhode PVD · Rating 2 out of 5]

The world building is dense and keeps on until the final pages. This didn’t leave much room in the story for other things, such as a romantic f/f backstory among old friends, interstellar politics and the actual adventure. After awhile I found myself skipping the near-endless technical details in favor of reading the bits where there are people, because I care more about people than your complicated world building. But it felt like the author’s inclination was the opposite.