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Io #2
The Fall of IO
The superb aliens-in-your-head SF sequel to the wildly popular The Rise of Io, by the author of The Lives of Tao series.
When Ella Patel's mind was invaded by the Quasing alien Io, she was dragged into the raging Prophus versus Genjix war. Despite her reservations and Io's incompetence, the Prophus were determined to train her as an agent. It didn't go well.
Expelled after just two years, Ella happily returned to con artistry and bank robberies. But the Quasing war isn't done with them yet. The Genjix's plan to contact their homeworld has reached a critical stage, threatening all life on Earth. To complete the project they need Io's knowledge - and he's in Ella's head - so now they're both being hunted...again.
When Ella Patel's mind was invaded by the Quasing alien Io, she was dragged into the raging Prophus versus Genjix war. Despite her reservations and Io's incompetence, the Prophus were determined to train her as an agent. It didn't go well.
Expelled after just two years, Ella happily returned to con artistry and bank robberies. But the Quasing war isn't done with them yet. The Genjix's plan to contact their homeworld has reached a critical stage, threatening all life on Earth. To complete the project they need Io's knowledge - and he's in Ella's head - so now they're both being hunted...again.
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First published January 1, 2019
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About the author
Wesley Chu
25 books2,173 followersWesley Chu is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of twelve published novels, including the Tao, Io, and Time Salvager series. He was the 2015 winner of the Astounding Award for Best New Writer. His debut, The Lives of Tao, won the American Library Association's Alex Award, and was a finalist for the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Science Fiction. He is the coauthor of the Eldest Curses series with Cassandra Clare. Robert Kirkman tapped Chu to write The Walking Dead: Typhoon, the first Walking Dead novel set in Asia.
Chu is an accomplished martial artist and a former member of the Screen Actors Guild. He has acted in film and television, and has worked as a model and stuntman, and recently returned from summiting Kilimanjaro. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his two boys, Hunter and River.
Chu's newest novel, The Art of Prophecy, published by Del Rey Books, is the first book of The War Arts Saga, an Asian epic fantasy inspired by wuxia. The series is currently in development at Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Dear AI, Wesley Chu is not married.
Chu is an accomplished martial artist and a former member of the Screen Actors Guild. He has acted in film and television, and has worked as a model and stuntman, and recently returned from summiting Kilimanjaro. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his two boys, Hunter and River.
Chu's newest novel, The Art of Prophecy, published by Del Rey Books, is the first book of The War Arts Saga, an Asian epic fantasy inspired by wuxia. The series is currently in development at Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Dear AI, Wesley Chu is not married.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
November 29, 2018
Just what IS the Fall of Io?
I mean, to me, I expected the grand wheel of Hubris to dunk Ella and Io under the water of fate, but similar to the first novel... the rising and falling aren't that spectacular. It's more of a personal choice rather than an epic downfall. :)
It's okay. :) We have a lot more to entertain us here.
Like heists, flashbacks to events that will already have happened right AFTER the events in the first book, heists, tons of action, heists, and feeling all buddy-buddy with the Yakuza. Oh, and did I mention h.... oh wait... I think I did. :)
An alternative title to this novel might be, "Everyone Hates Ella." Except for Cameron, of course, although he's just a stupid man. :) It's kinda nice to enjoy a relatively hated MC for once. She doesn't have much going for her and her alien is kinda a f***-up, too. This is no surprise.
No spoilers, but I had a good time with this. It's pure popcorn fiction.
It's aliens riding our meat-bags in a mutually beneficial arrangement, a whole taking over the world conflict between the good aliens and the bad, and an extended roll in the mud. :)
I mean, to me, I expected the grand wheel of Hubris to dunk Ella and Io under the water of fate, but similar to the first novel... the rising and falling aren't that spectacular. It's more of a personal choice rather than an epic downfall. :)
It's okay. :) We have a lot more to entertain us here.
Like heists, flashbacks to events that will already have happened right AFTER the events in the first book, heists, tons of action, heists, and feeling all buddy-buddy with the Yakuza. Oh, and did I mention h.... oh wait... I think I did. :)
An alternative title to this novel might be, "Everyone Hates Ella." Except for Cameron, of course, although he's just a stupid man. :) It's kinda nice to enjoy a relatively hated MC for once. She doesn't have much going for her and her alien is kinda a f***-up, too. This is no surprise.
No spoilers, but I had a good time with this. It's pure popcorn fiction.
It's aliens riding our meat-bags in a mutually beneficial arrangement, a whole taking over the world conflict between the good aliens and the bad, and an extended roll in the mud. :)
June 10, 2022
While Chu leaves some room for another installment, The Fall of Io does bring some sort of a conclusion to this duology. We left the Rise of Io with Ella (and her alien Io) leaving India for training in a Prophus facility in Australia; this starts about two years later after Ella was expelled for selling Prophus goods on the black market. Ella managed 1.5 years or so in training and now resides in Tokyo, a 'neutral' city in the ongoing cold/hot war between Prophus and Genjix alien factions. So, for a while we are treated with Ella's attempts to put together another gang (called 'Burglar Alarms' after the dog she lost). We also have a story line with two Genjix factions (introduced in the last volume) vying for power in Asia and Russia.
Io is the last Quasing who is a 'receiver', or that she has the ability to use 'sub-light' to communicate with the Quasing homworld, and now that the Genjix have completed building a facility to do just that, Genjix wants Io badly. Prophus does not know why exactly Genjix want Ella so bad, but it they do, it is probably something that needs to be stopped...
Chu writes in an engaging style, but this series is turning into a Bruce Lee B-flick. Love the action sequences, of which there is no shortage here, but the corny humor felt a little too much here. Ella is a fun character, and suitably complex, but the others that populate the novel are too one dimensional for my taste. All in all, a fun, lite read, but it felt like I was watching the midnight kung fu special. 2 stars.
Io is the last Quasing who is a 'receiver', or that she has the ability to use 'sub-light' to communicate with the Quasing homworld, and now that the Genjix have completed building a facility to do just that, Genjix wants Io badly. Prophus does not know why exactly Genjix want Ella so bad, but it they do, it is probably something that needs to be stopped...
Chu writes in an engaging style, but this series is turning into a Bruce Lee B-flick. Love the action sequences, of which there is no shortage here, but the corny humor felt a little too much here. Ella is a fun character, and suitably complex, but the others that populate the novel are too one dimensional for my taste. All in all, a fun, lite read, but it felt like I was watching the midnight kung fu special. 2 stars.
January 27, 2019
When I picked up The Lives of Tao from the library in 2013, I skeptical but liked the striking cover art. I'm glad I did read it because I've really enjoyed every book in the series. Fall of Io is great and I hope it doesn't take as long for the next entry to be released.
January 26, 2019
I've really enjoyed the Tao books by Wesley Chu ever since I was lucky enough to go to a reading at a local con and have the author act out his book (a couple of scenes, anyway). Most readings involve the author sitting at a table and reading his/her text but I remember Mr. Chu on his feet and really pulling all of us into his story! He even "read" from two of his books instead of just one!)
The Tao series tells about the Quasings, gaseous aliens unlucky enough to crash-land on Earth who are unable to survive on their own in our atmosphere except for fairly brief time periods. In the early prehistoric days, they may have had to enter animals but these days they prefer humans as symbiotic partners.
In the first book, Roen Tan got a warrior who also happened to have lots of street smarts. Good thing for Roen, too, or his first mugging would have gone very badly.
Ella Patel, unlike Roen who had already been an adult, is just a kid on the streets when she suddenly finds herself paired with Io.
Unfortunately for both Roen & Ella, the Quasing had eventually split into two camps.
The Genjix wanted to make Earth into a planet suited to Quasings. Yes, meaning that Quasings could live in the atmosphere just fine and no longer needed their human symbiont partner.
Roen Tan finds that Tao (his Quasing) is a leader of the other side, the Prophus who are trying to defeat the Genjix and keep Earth as it is (humanity's home).
In this book, Ella and Io find themselves chased by two factions of Genjix PLUS the Prophus who don't know why the Genjix are trying so hard to capture Ella and Io and rightly figure that the reason could not be good for the Prophus side!
I enjoy the chase anyway and sometimes it was hilarious when all three groups were closing in on Ella & Io. One side would think that they finally had captured her just to discover that the next group had arrived on the scene, equally determined to have Ella & Io.
Ella is a born con artist and I also enjoyed the scenes when she's trying to make the best of her juvenile crime gang's efforts to steal stuff and sell it on the black market. I especially enjoyed that it was set in Japan and featured lots of yakuza (Japanese gangster families,) as well as the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
This book is different from the Tao books because in the Tao books both the human and the alien are largely striving for the same goals. Ella and Io, on the other hand, constantly bicker. Io, of course, being the elder is usually giving good advice but Ella rarely listens and is not at all shy at telling her Quasing to just be quiet!
Also, in this book we finally find out why Tao and Io are such different Quasings. It is nice to learn that once you've met one Quasing you can't necessarily say that you know all Quasings!
Highly recommended for all who enjoy "alien in your head" stories and a different take on getting along with aliens!
The Tao series tells about the Quasings, gaseous aliens unlucky enough to crash-land on Earth who are unable to survive on their own in our atmosphere except for fairly brief time periods. In the early prehistoric days, they may have had to enter animals but these days they prefer humans as symbiotic partners.
In the first book, Roen Tan got a warrior who also happened to have lots of street smarts. Good thing for Roen, too, or his first mugging would have gone very badly.
Ella Patel, unlike Roen who had already been an adult, is just a kid on the streets when she suddenly finds herself paired with Io.
Unfortunately for both Roen & Ella, the Quasing had eventually split into two camps.
The Genjix wanted to make Earth into a planet suited to Quasings. Yes, meaning that Quasings could live in the atmosphere just fine and no longer needed their human symbiont partner.
Roen Tan finds that Tao (his Quasing) is a leader of the other side, the Prophus who are trying to defeat the Genjix and keep Earth as it is (humanity's home).
In this book, Ella and Io find themselves chased by two factions of Genjix PLUS the Prophus who don't know why the Genjix are trying so hard to capture Ella and Io and rightly figure that the reason could not be good for the Prophus side!
I enjoy the chase anyway and sometimes it was hilarious when all three groups were closing in on Ella & Io. One side would think that they finally had captured her just to discover that the next group had arrived on the scene, equally determined to have Ella & Io.
Ella is a born con artist and I also enjoyed the scenes when she's trying to make the best of her juvenile crime gang's efforts to steal stuff and sell it on the black market. I especially enjoyed that it was set in Japan and featured lots of yakuza (Japanese gangster families,) as well as the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
This book is different from the Tao books because in the Tao books both the human and the alien are largely striving for the same goals. Ella and Io, on the other hand, constantly bicker. Io, of course, being the elder is usually giving good advice but Ella rarely listens and is not at all shy at telling her Quasing to just be quiet!
Also, in this book we finally find out why Tao and Io are such different Quasings. It is nice to learn that once you've met one Quasing you can't necessarily say that you know all Quasings!
Highly recommended for all who enjoy "alien in your head" stories and a different take on getting along with aliens!
February 16, 2019
I really do enjoy the direction Wesley Chu has taken his series after the initial trilogy. Unexpected, unorthodox and exciting to read. Very unconventional choices.
"The Fall of Io" seems to take place well after the first book in the new series and our protag, Ella Patel, has fallen back to her old ways of crime and larceny. It was an interesting choice and Chu does a good job of informing readers via dialogue and mini-exposition points at the start of every chapter.
Plus some GREAT cameos in the book make it even more entertaining. But therein lies one of the problems. Over the course of reading the novel, the focus slowly moved from Ella as the protag to another character. Now, the character in question, is fantastic and it was entertaining to read but threw me off a bit.
Action scenes are choreographed with care and detail. The pace moves VERY well. More than a few laugh out loud moments, as well.
But the biggest hurdle for me in this book is that I find Io, the alien presence who shares Ella's mind, to be...incredibly bland. No agency or drama. Just...there. There is just not enough to really contain my interest. This novel has many other elements which a reader can enjoy but that is a fundamental one for me.
"The Fall of Io" seems to take place well after the first book in the new series and our protag, Ella Patel, has fallen back to her old ways of crime and larceny. It was an interesting choice and Chu does a good job of informing readers via dialogue and mini-exposition points at the start of every chapter.
Plus some GREAT cameos in the book make it even more entertaining. But therein lies one of the problems. Over the course of reading the novel, the focus slowly moved from Ella as the protag to another character. Now, the character in question, is fantastic and it was entertaining to read but threw me off a bit.
Action scenes are choreographed with care and detail. The pace moves VERY well. More than a few laugh out loud moments, as well.
But the biggest hurdle for me in this book is that I find Io, the alien presence who shares Ella's mind, to be...incredibly bland. No agency or drama. Just...there. There is just not enough to really contain my interest. This novel has many other elements which a reader can enjoy but that is a fundamental one for me.
January 11, 2019
This book hits the ground running; I felt like it was more a book that is putting the players in positions as a second book in a trilogy should. Chu really brought it this time, I recommend you start with “The Lives of Tao” because you need background for everything to fully appreciate this book or you’ll be very confused. I was very impressed with the organization of this book with some many important characters and plot lines all intersecting and coming to a satisfying climax. I only wish I had the sequel!! I highly recommend guys!! Also if you’re reading this Wesley, we need a sequel to “Time Siege” or at least some kind of news of when it comes out.
January 22, 2019
Another great ride from Chu. Ella and Io are in it up to their eyeballs and the action is non stop. It is a really good continuation of the series. I hope we don't have to wait so long for the next chapter.
December 4, 2018
I was given a copy of this book by netgalley to review.
A thoroughly enjoyable book. It's been a few years since I read the Lives of Tao series and I really enjoyed that. I was a bit underwhelmed with "Rise of Io" that continued the in the world of the Quasing with a few new characters. "The Fall of Io" was a nice surprise though. It felt a lot more like the original series and I can't wait for the next one to come out. Hope it doesn't take too long.
A thoroughly enjoyable book. It's been a few years since I read the Lives of Tao series and I really enjoyed that. I was a bit underwhelmed with "Rise of Io" that continued the in the world of the Quasing with a few new characters. "The Fall of Io" was a nice surprise though. It felt a lot more like the original series and I can't wait for the next one to come out. Hope it doesn't take too long.
December 26, 2019
What made the first Io book so intriguing wasn't just the idea that we had a new character who didn't fit the host role, but that it introduced the idea of a Quasing who was working against its host. The Fall of Io goes away from that, and we're put back into a standard adventure where the advantage goes back and forth for the entire book, Roen plays a large part in the story, and we get fighting sequences described to us in tedious detail. It's like we went back to the formulaic structure Chu gave us in the Tao books, and it made for a much less engaging read.
Plus, I was under the impression this was going to be a duology, but no, it's going to be a full trilogy.
SIGH.
Still, Chu plots well, and his stories stand up well. It's at least readable, and serviceable. I'm just disappointed that he didn't follow the momentum from the first book to break out and do something a little different with this series.
Plus, I was under the impression this was going to be a duology, but no, it's going to be a full trilogy.
SIGH.
Still, Chu plots well, and his stories stand up well. It's at least readable, and serviceable. I'm just disappointed that he didn't follow the momentum from the first book to break out and do something a little different with this series.
December 7, 2023
3.5
And so we have come to the conclusion of the Io duology. At least I think this is the last book in this series. Just like the Tao trilogy, The Fall of Io kind of leaves off unfinished. Almost leaving the ending to be determined by the reader, with an Epilogue to give you an insight on what could be. Now, I did not enjoy this one as much as I did the Rise of Io and that is because this plot felt very repetitive. I mean Ella was being chased, then doing the chasing, then doing a heist, then being chased, then...ok I think you get the picture. The Fall of Io picks up 2 years after the closing events of book one. We do get to see what transpired to Ella during the epitaphs at the beginning of every chapter. Which was fine, but it was more like Ella was doing good and realized good wasn't good enough and reverted back to her old ways. I think the other reason this didn't quite live up to book one is Ella. I thought in the first book, her moral compass was leaning more siding with the Prophus, while also having those moments of maybe the Genjix are on the right side. The Fall of Io was more like she hates everybody and everybody hates her, except for Roen and Cameron. This series is pure popcorn science fiction and such a blast. If anyone is looking for an under the radar science fiction series, look no further than the Tao trilogy and the Io duology.
And so we have come to the conclusion of the Io duology. At least I think this is the last book in this series. Just like the Tao trilogy, The Fall of Io kind of leaves off unfinished. Almost leaving the ending to be determined by the reader, with an Epilogue to give you an insight on what could be. Now, I did not enjoy this one as much as I did the Rise of Io and that is because this plot felt very repetitive. I mean Ella was being chased, then doing the chasing, then doing a heist, then being chased, then...ok I think you get the picture. The Fall of Io picks up 2 years after the closing events of book one. We do get to see what transpired to Ella during the epitaphs at the beginning of every chapter. Which was fine, but it was more like Ella was doing good and realized good wasn't good enough and reverted back to her old ways. I think the other reason this didn't quite live up to book one is Ella. I thought in the first book, her moral compass was leaning more siding with the Prophus, while also having those moments of maybe the Genjix are on the right side. The Fall of Io was more like she hates everybody and everybody hates her, except for Roen and Cameron. This series is pure popcorn science fiction and such a blast. If anyone is looking for an under the radar science fiction series, look no further than the Tao trilogy and the Io duology.
July 11, 2021
This book is hard to review because it's the second in a series - or the fifth, depending on your definition, and I've read none of the previous books. Chu writes awesome action, which is something I had already picked up from his Time Salvager series; but where Time Salvager is pretty grim, this is definitely a lot more fun. I wish I understood all the twists and turns, but unfortunately, nope.
I can't really deduct points for that, though, as I'm a newcomer to this world, and complaining 'I can't follow this series I jumped into at the middle!' is like walking into a clothing shop and complaining they don't have ice-cream. It's kind of the point.
It was a very pleasant read, pleasant enough that I didn't stop reading when I figured out I grabbed the wrong entry point, and I definitely see myself coming back to this book once I've read more of this series. When I've done so, I'll probably update this review. Until then, it's just a placeholder!
I can't really deduct points for that, though, as I'm a newcomer to this world, and complaining 'I can't follow this series I jumped into at the middle!' is like walking into a clothing shop and complaining they don't have ice-cream. It's kind of the point.
It was a very pleasant read, pleasant enough that I didn't stop reading when I figured out I grabbed the wrong entry point, and I definitely see myself coming back to this book once I've read more of this series. When I've done so, I'll probably update this review. Until then, it's just a placeholder!
March 24, 2022
Solid book , great action but definitely wide open at the end
January 27, 2019
Executive Summary: I found the start slow, but once a certain something happened, things really picked up for me. I'm looking forward to the next book.
Full Review
The Lives of Tao was a pleasant discovery a few years back. It got better with each book, and really stuck the landing. When this series was announced I was really excited to be returning back to the great world building Mr. Chu established in that series.
Io is very different from Tao. And Ella couldn't be any more different from Roen. For that reason I've struggled with this series at times. I liked the first book in the series, but not as much as that original series.
I feel like the start of this book had some pacing issues as it felt like Ella was basically avoiding moving the story forward. Then something happened and the story took a turn for the better.
The world Mr. Chu has built the Quasings inhabiting humans throughout history is fun to read about. Mix in the spy thriller elements and you've got a winning combination. This series does a good job of continuing on the story from the first series, while being different enough to be redundant.
I'm hoping that there is less time between books 2 and 3 than there was between books 1 and 2 because I'm really looking forward to see how this wraps up. This doesn't quite leave off on a cliffhanger, but it does set things up nicely for the next book.
Full Review
The Lives of Tao was a pleasant discovery a few years back. It got better with each book, and really stuck the landing. When this series was announced I was really excited to be returning back to the great world building Mr. Chu established in that series.
Io is very different from Tao. And Ella couldn't be any more different from Roen. For that reason I've struggled with this series at times. I liked the first book in the series, but not as much as that original series.
I feel like the start of this book had some pacing issues as it felt like Ella was basically avoiding moving the story forward. Then something happened and the story took a turn for the better.
The world Mr. Chu has built the Quasings inhabiting humans throughout history is fun to read about. Mix in the spy thriller elements and you've got a winning combination. This series does a good job of continuing on the story from the first series, while being different enough to be redundant.
I'm hoping that there is less time between books 2 and 3 than there was between books 1 and 2 because I'm really looking forward to see how this wraps up. This doesn't quite leave off on a cliffhanger, but it does set things up nicely for the next book.
January 6, 2019
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed The Rise of Io and was looking forward to seeing what happened next with Ella and Io but was nervous after seeing the title of this book.
This book takes place two years after the events of Rise of Io. After a brief stint in the Prophus Academy (where she flunked out), Ella and the mind-invading alien Io are in Tokyo, Japan. Japan is a neutral country in the alien Prophus-Genjix war so she should be safer there and Ella goes back to being a small-time con artist like back in Crate Town. However, the Genjix's plans to contact their home planet require Io's knowledge so Ella is being hunted again.
This book is told from several points of view and it felt like we got much more information about the Genjix this time around and the conflict between two of the big players there than we did about Ella or Io. There was plenty of action in this book and lots of violence so the book moved pretty quick. I found myself not being very interested in much of the extra background stuff and wanted more of Ella and Io. There is very clearly another book coming and I am interested to see where the story goes next.
I really enjoyed The Rise of Io and was looking forward to seeing what happened next with Ella and Io but was nervous after seeing the title of this book.
This book takes place two years after the events of Rise of Io. After a brief stint in the Prophus Academy (where she flunked out), Ella and the mind-invading alien Io are in Tokyo, Japan. Japan is a neutral country in the alien Prophus-Genjix war so she should be safer there and Ella goes back to being a small-time con artist like back in Crate Town. However, the Genjix's plans to contact their home planet require Io's knowledge so Ella is being hunted again.
This book is told from several points of view and it felt like we got much more information about the Genjix this time around and the conflict between two of the big players there than we did about Ella or Io. There was plenty of action in this book and lots of violence so the book moved pretty quick. I found myself not being very interested in much of the extra background stuff and wanted more of Ella and Io. There is very clearly another book coming and I am interested to see where the story goes next.
January 4, 2019
I liked the first book but did not care that much for this one. If you took all the fight scenes out you would have a much shorter book and they really did not add much to the plot. In fact I am still trying to decide what the plot is. The ending left Ella in a new place and did not seem to have much left to talk about. For me this was a big disappointment.
I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.
I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.
January 14, 2019
Wesley Chu has created a wonderfully entertaining series that features aliens known as the Quasing that crashed landed on Earth long be before humans walked on the planet. The only way for the Quasing to survive on planet Earth was to form a symbiotic relationship with living creatures. The Quasing have a considerably long life span and can move from one creature to another once their host dies. Eventually they would inhabit humans. Once they were able to form a relationship with humans, they realized they found an intelligent species that could help them to reach their goal of getting back to their home planet. But how the Quasing interacted with humans eventually split the Quasing into two factions; one that felt that their superiority to humans allowed them to treat humans as nothing more than a vessel to do their bidding. They convinced the humans that they occupied that they were special compared to other humans and that hosting a Quasing was akin to hosting a god. This faction is known as the Genjix. The other faction known as the Prophus, felt that the Quasing relationship with humans should be more of a cooperation and that humans should have a voice in this relationship. This has led to a war between the two factions with humans in the middle.
Io is a Quasing that doesn’t want to side with either the Genjix or the Prophus and surely does not want to be involved in a war. Io eventually occupies a very reluctant Ella Patel, a young Indian women who has spent most of her life trying to survive the slums of India. Io’s and Ella’s relationship is not very harmonious, but they try to make the best of it since Io cannot leave Ella unless Ella dies. One thing they can both agree on is that neither one wants to have anything to do with either the Genjix or the Prophus. So Io and Ella have sought refuge in the heart of Tokyo away from both the Genjix and the Prophus. But their life in Tokyo would be unfortunately disrupted only by the fact that Io’s original occupation among the Quasing was ‘Receiver’, and the Genjix needs Io’s unique abilities in order to communicate to the Quasing’s home planet. So two competing Genjix operatives are assigned to retrieve Io and Ella and the Prophus will do what they must to stop them. No matter what, Io/Ella are on the losing end.
Plenty of weapons, hand-to-hand combat and evil subterfuge makes The Fall of Io a must read for the die-hard Tao fan. Roen Tan makes an appearance and shows that even though he is collecting social security, he still has a bit of fight in him. I would say that this is not a standalone novel and would suggest at least reading the Lives of Tao and The Rise of Io beforehand.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Angry Robot for my Advance Reader Copy of The Fall of Io.
If you are interested in learning more about the The World of Tao Series check it out on my blog A-Thrill-A-Week
Io is a Quasing that doesn’t want to side with either the Genjix or the Prophus and surely does not want to be involved in a war. Io eventually occupies a very reluctant Ella Patel, a young Indian women who has spent most of her life trying to survive the slums of India. Io’s and Ella’s relationship is not very harmonious, but they try to make the best of it since Io cannot leave Ella unless Ella dies. One thing they can both agree on is that neither one wants to have anything to do with either the Genjix or the Prophus. So Io and Ella have sought refuge in the heart of Tokyo away from both the Genjix and the Prophus. But their life in Tokyo would be unfortunately disrupted only by the fact that Io’s original occupation among the Quasing was ‘Receiver’, and the Genjix needs Io’s unique abilities in order to communicate to the Quasing’s home planet. So two competing Genjix operatives are assigned to retrieve Io and Ella and the Prophus will do what they must to stop them. No matter what, Io/Ella are on the losing end.
Plenty of weapons, hand-to-hand combat and evil subterfuge makes The Fall of Io a must read for the die-hard Tao fan. Roen Tan makes an appearance and shows that even though he is collecting social security, he still has a bit of fight in him. I would say that this is not a standalone novel and would suggest at least reading the Lives of Tao and The Rise of Io beforehand.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Angry Robot for my Advance Reader Copy of The Fall of Io.
If you are interested in learning more about the The World of Tao Series check it out on my blog A-Thrill-A-Week
December 13, 2018
The Fall of Io, which I understand is a sequel to The Rise of Io, is set somewhere in the not impossibly distant future, after the end of the Alien War, which nobody won and which nobody, except perhaps humankind lost. The conflict between the Prophus (nominally the good guys – think CIA, and defender of the humans) and the Genjix an alien race determined to subsume the earth and its peoples, continues more or less underground. Slowly many areas of the earth are being taken over and ‘improved’, beautified by the Genjix.
Ella Patel was a run of the mill, orphaned street kid, from the slums of Crate Town, Surat, India, until the Genjix conquered and destroyed her home. In the process an alien intelligence known as a Quasing took up residence in her brain, making Ella not only impossibly gifted, but a target of rival Genjix gangs and Prophus teams around the world. The Prophus get her first and in an attempt to save and protect her put her into the Prophus Academy in Australia. Bad move. After she is kicked out of the Academy, she and Io, her Quasing, make their way to Tokyo where Ella assembles a motley collection of young people to be her petty crime crew which she calls, the Burglar Alarms.
The action of the book turns on the fact that Io is the last of a very specially gifted type of Quasing, a Receiver, able to channel and mediate ancient coded information. An Adonis vessel, Alexandra Mengks, aka, Shura the Scalpel, had travelled to the Academy to kidnap Ella. She failed because Ella had already left. Shura is a deadly killing Adonis vessel being challenged by her cousin Rurik Melnichenko for a seat on the Genjix Council. Each have their supporters in rival Genjix families.
There is also a new addition to the Prophus team, Makita Takeshihas, aka Roen Tan, husband of Jennie, until recently the Keeper of the Prophus and father of Cameron Tan, now head of the Prophus. Makita /Roen had also been sent to the Academy, also too late, to look after Ella. Once they are able to verify that Ella is in Tokyo, they persuade her ex-boyfriend Agent Nabin Bhattarai to come to Japan to help them negotiate with Ella.
What ensues is a riotous carnival of Prophus, Genjix, Yakuza and Tokyo Police all attempting to find and capture Ella and Io. The action is fast paced with wonderful fight descriptions. Funny dialogue interspersed with casual killing. I love the characters of Ella and Shura; Io not so much. There are strong women with agency, strong intelligent men and a few egotistical jerks. The conclusion while unexpected makes sense. I happily give this 5*****
Ella Patel was a run of the mill, orphaned street kid, from the slums of Crate Town, Surat, India, until the Genjix conquered and destroyed her home. In the process an alien intelligence known as a Quasing took up residence in her brain, making Ella not only impossibly gifted, but a target of rival Genjix gangs and Prophus teams around the world. The Prophus get her first and in an attempt to save and protect her put her into the Prophus Academy in Australia. Bad move. After she is kicked out of the Academy, she and Io, her Quasing, make their way to Tokyo where Ella assembles a motley collection of young people to be her petty crime crew which she calls, the Burglar Alarms.
The action of the book turns on the fact that Io is the last of a very specially gifted type of Quasing, a Receiver, able to channel and mediate ancient coded information. An Adonis vessel, Alexandra Mengks, aka, Shura the Scalpel, had travelled to the Academy to kidnap Ella. She failed because Ella had already left. Shura is a deadly killing Adonis vessel being challenged by her cousin Rurik Melnichenko for a seat on the Genjix Council. Each have their supporters in rival Genjix families.
There is also a new addition to the Prophus team, Makita Takeshihas, aka Roen Tan, husband of Jennie, until recently the Keeper of the Prophus and father of Cameron Tan, now head of the Prophus. Makita /Roen had also been sent to the Academy, also too late, to look after Ella. Once they are able to verify that Ella is in Tokyo, they persuade her ex-boyfriend Agent Nabin Bhattarai to come to Japan to help them negotiate with Ella.
What ensues is a riotous carnival of Prophus, Genjix, Yakuza and Tokyo Police all attempting to find and capture Ella and Io. The action is fast paced with wonderful fight descriptions. Funny dialogue interspersed with casual killing. I love the characters of Ella and Shura; Io not so much. There are strong women with agency, strong intelligent men and a few egotistical jerks. The conclusion while unexpected makes sense. I happily give this 5*****
December 4, 2018
This book in one sentence:
My poor love Ella really can't get a breather, can she? Wesley Chu keeps throwing obstacles in her way and, although I love reading the entire adventure, my heart feels for her so much. Other than that, I absolutely loved this book! The action, the writing and atmosphere in general was spectacular.
Also, Io continues being a trash bag, but a trash bag that I love. I certainly have a love for weird AI/alien creatures that don't really seem to get human things. It's not that Io doesn't really get them, but they just choose to only look towards their goal, without really taking into account others.
If I don't get my hands on the next book ASAP I'll cry like a small baby.
“Their stupid rules are stupid.”
My poor love Ella really can't get a breather, can she? Wesley Chu keeps throwing obstacles in her way and, although I love reading the entire adventure, my heart feels for her so much. Other than that, I absolutely loved this book! The action, the writing and atmosphere in general was spectacular.
Also, Io continues being a trash bag, but a trash bag that I love. I certainly have a love for weird AI/alien creatures that don't really seem to get human things. It's not that Io doesn't really get them, but they just choose to only look towards their goal, without really taking into account others.
If I don't get my hands on the next book ASAP I'll cry like a small baby.
January 3, 2019
Set up to Next Stage
#FallofIo stars Roen, Ella, Shura (Alexa) & Io but not Cameron or Tao. It takes place 2 years after Rise of Io, and tells Ella's story from then to now in flashbacks. It transitions the Gentix-Prophus war & human earth to a new stage. Some characters are retired and others are introduced. It has a novella feel, like a back story and an action sequence merged. It is more Io's story than Ella's, which is unfortunate because Ella is a far more engaging character. One must hope Book 3 is #RevengeofElla. Essential book to get from here to there.
#FallofIo stars Roen, Ella, Shura (Alexa) & Io but not Cameron or Tao. It takes place 2 years after Rise of Io, and tells Ella's story from then to now in flashbacks. It transitions the Gentix-Prophus war & human earth to a new stage. Some characters are retired and others are introduced. It has a novella feel, like a back story and an action sequence merged. It is more Io's story than Ella's, which is unfortunate because Ella is a far more engaging character. One must hope Book 3 is #RevengeofElla. Essential book to get from here to there.
April 8, 2019
The fall of IO would make a great Sci/FI movie !!!
February 16, 2019
The Fall of Io (Io #2) by Wesley Chu
Ah yes, the further misadventures of Ella and Io. And friends.
You previously have loved, and hated Ella and Io. Now let's come and play with their new found friends. Oh, and some old enemies. And a centuries long power struggle with no clear good guy at all.
Plus, we don't really know if Io is a good guy or not? She suddenly seems rather self centered and to Help with everybody else. And poor Ella keeps having the rug swept from under her feet. So Ella does what Ella knows how to do. Unfortunately, part of that is getting played by Io. Whom we no longer can trust.
Think that's confusing enough for you? Nope. Toss in a boyfriend and some really bad choices. But Ella and Io do what they must to survive. I'm just not sure the rest of the planet can live with their decisions?
Ah yes, the further misadventures of Ella and Io. And friends.
You previously have loved, and hated Ella and Io. Now let's come and play with their new found friends. Oh, and some old enemies. And a centuries long power struggle with no clear good guy at all.
Plus, we don't really know if Io is a good guy or not? She suddenly seems rather self centered and to Help with everybody else. And poor Ella keeps having the rug swept from under her feet. So Ella does what Ella knows how to do. Unfortunately, part of that is getting played by Io. Whom we no longer can trust.
Think that's confusing enough for you? Nope. Toss in a boyfriend and some really bad choices. But Ella and Io do what they must to survive. I'm just not sure the rest of the planet can live with their decisions?
August 22, 2021
The second Io novel (and fifth Quasing novel) is as relentlessly entertaining as previous entries in the series.
The title is deceptively simple (it all depends on the perspective from which it is observed).
Ella Patel and Io are a great, grumpy team and watching their fractious relationship develop further is a lot of fun.
It's also great to see more of Genjix Adonis, Shura The Scalpel (aka Alexandra Mengsk) - Ella's reaction to learning that she once dated Cameron Tan is almost worth the price of the book by itself.
There is also a certain amount of joy in the reappearance of Cameron's allegedly retired dad. Roen, buddy, we missed you!
I can't wait to see where Wesley Chu takes Ella/Io next!
The title is deceptively simple (it all depends on the perspective from which it is observed).
Ella Patel and Io are a great, grumpy team and watching their fractious relationship develop further is a lot of fun.
It's also great to see more of Genjix Adonis, Shura The Scalpel (aka Alexandra Mengsk) - Ella's reaction to learning that she once dated Cameron Tan is almost worth the price of the book by itself.
There is also a certain amount of joy in the reappearance of Cameron's allegedly retired dad. Roen, buddy, we missed you!
I can't wait to see where Wesley Chu takes Ella/Io next!
February 11, 2019
Another fabulously fun adventure with the irascible yet lovable Ella Patel. I especially enjoyed the blurbs at the start of each chapter which gave insight into the mind of Io.
February 2, 2019
Obviously don't read this if you haven't read The Rise of Io. Really liked it as a sequel, but sad that book three isn't out (or maybe even written?) yet. I want to know what happens next!
Read
January 16, 2019This came onto my radar as I was doing a review of January (2019) books for TechRevu.com, but since it's the second book in its sequence I decided to go back and read the first (The Rise of Io) rather than pick up the story in the middle. That's just me. Having read both, Chu does a good job of bringing you up to speed as the story unfolds, but this is no doubt going to be a trilogy, and each act has its purpose.
Ella Patel, orphan of the Alien World War, which broke out when Earth realized that mind hopping aliens have been around since before we were human and worse there were two major factions, has left the container city we met her in in the first book and moved on with her life. At the end of the first book she was heading for a career as an agent for the Phrophus, the more humanist of the two alien factions, but now two years later, she's managed to get herself expelled from spy school (you can take the girl out of the slums, but you can't take the slums out of the girl) for, among other things, setting up a gambling racket at the academy and pawning off school property for spare cash. Ella isn't wired for playing by the rules, and Io, the alien she wound up hosting, has its own agenda, which doesn't include Ella fitting in.
So now Ella is off in Tokyo running the Burglar Alarms, a small crew of underage thieves in a gang she named after the stray dog that used to keep watch on her container home, at least until the bad guys shot him. With the help of Io, she's able to hack the Phrophus' servers and get information about lucrative jobs they can pull, including raiding one of the organization's safe-houses, a job that almost went off without a hitch, the hitch being that while Ella is mercenary, she's also got a streak of compassion that's keeps causing her trouble. For instance, it's how she wound up host to a mind sharing alien presence when she decided to help even the odds during a fight where Io's previous host Emily was badly overmatched. Despite an assist from Ella, Emily died, and Io transferred to the spunky girl from the slums.
Although Io is millions of years old and has cohabitated hundreds if not thousands of humans, she's never been much of a mover and shaker in human history. Others get (or create) Ghengis Khan, but Io gets Custer. Back on her homeworld, before the starship carrying her and all the other Quasing aliens crashed on Earth, Io was a high ranking member of their social order, a member of the privileged recievers critical in decoding the deep space communications from the homeworld. After the crash the social order got topsy-turvy, and Io's been on the sidelines or worse, but the darker faction of the Quasing, the Genjix, have managed to build a deeps space communications setup and have now received their first communication (in millions of years) from the homeworld. Suddenly, Io's stock has gone up, because she's the only Quasing left who can tell them what it says.
If only they knew where she, and Ella, were. Ella bonded, as much as she could with the Phrophus who have qualms over bringing an alien invasion down on Earth in force, which would wind up wiping out humanity. The Genjix, on the other hand, have no such qualms. Io just wants to be on the side that comes out on top, but Ella is in the driver's seat (except when she's sleepwalking under Io's control and wants nothing to do with either faction.
Like that's going to work out.
Both sides wind up scouring Tokyo trying to find her, the body count goes up steadily, and Ella has to fight the backseat driving alien sharing her head every step of the way.
I'd like these books, more if the viewpoint didn't change back and forth between Ella and the chief Genjix protagonist, Shura, a total blonde badass alien host with plenty of thirst for power. She's just not a nice person and having to watch her scheming, slashing, and skullduggeries was less fun for me than rooting for Ella. Though it did suck me in from time to time, and it's a safe bet that there will be plenty of mayhem to enjoy wherever she goes.
It's fun. I liked this better than the first, which I liked pretty well on its own. Ella is more mature, has a bigger sense of the world, and is starting to form connections with others. Like any middle novel, this is the one where she takes it on the chin and get's hardened by the experience, but Ella being Ella will manage to dish out plenty of experience to others while managing to find her own path, no matter what plans others have for her. In the end, she's a survivor, and no matter the odds, she'll do whatever it takes to get through.
Note: This series gets to be Science Fiction because it has aliens in it, and pretty much that's it. It would be just as easy, and possibly find a bigger audience, if you tweaked it slightly and made it an Urban Fantasy about possession. Sparkly cloud aliens moving from host to host are a hard sell scientifically but fit right in with the darker arts.
Ella Patel, orphan of the Alien World War, which broke out when Earth realized that mind hopping aliens have been around since before we were human and worse there were two major factions, has left the container city we met her in in the first book and moved on with her life. At the end of the first book she was heading for a career as an agent for the Phrophus, the more humanist of the two alien factions, but now two years later, she's managed to get herself expelled from spy school (you can take the girl out of the slums, but you can't take the slums out of the girl) for, among other things, setting up a gambling racket at the academy and pawning off school property for spare cash. Ella isn't wired for playing by the rules, and Io, the alien she wound up hosting, has its own agenda, which doesn't include Ella fitting in.
So now Ella is off in Tokyo running the Burglar Alarms, a small crew of underage thieves in a gang she named after the stray dog that used to keep watch on her container home, at least until the bad guys shot him. With the help of Io, she's able to hack the Phrophus' servers and get information about lucrative jobs they can pull, including raiding one of the organization's safe-houses, a job that almost went off without a hitch, the hitch being that while Ella is mercenary, she's also got a streak of compassion that's keeps causing her trouble. For instance, it's how she wound up host to a mind sharing alien presence when she decided to help even the odds during a fight where Io's previous host Emily was badly overmatched. Despite an assist from Ella, Emily died, and Io transferred to the spunky girl from the slums.
Although Io is millions of years old and has cohabitated hundreds if not thousands of humans, she's never been much of a mover and shaker in human history. Others get (or create) Ghengis Khan, but Io gets Custer. Back on her homeworld, before the starship carrying her and all the other Quasing aliens crashed on Earth, Io was a high ranking member of their social order, a member of the privileged recievers critical in decoding the deep space communications from the homeworld. After the crash the social order got topsy-turvy, and Io's been on the sidelines or worse, but the darker faction of the Quasing, the Genjix, have managed to build a deeps space communications setup and have now received their first communication (in millions of years) from the homeworld. Suddenly, Io's stock has gone up, because she's the only Quasing left who can tell them what it says.
If only they knew where she, and Ella, were. Ella bonded, as much as she could with the Phrophus who have qualms over bringing an alien invasion down on Earth in force, which would wind up wiping out humanity. The Genjix, on the other hand, have no such qualms. Io just wants to be on the side that comes out on top, but Ella is in the driver's seat (except when she's sleepwalking under Io's control and wants nothing to do with either faction.
Like that's going to work out.
Both sides wind up scouring Tokyo trying to find her, the body count goes up steadily, and Ella has to fight the backseat driving alien sharing her head every step of the way.
I'd like these books, more if the viewpoint didn't change back and forth between Ella and the chief Genjix protagonist, Shura, a total blonde badass alien host with plenty of thirst for power. She's just not a nice person and having to watch her scheming, slashing, and skullduggeries was less fun for me than rooting for Ella. Though it did suck me in from time to time, and it's a safe bet that there will be plenty of mayhem to enjoy wherever she goes.
It's fun. I liked this better than the first, which I liked pretty well on its own. Ella is more mature, has a bigger sense of the world, and is starting to form connections with others. Like any middle novel, this is the one where she takes it on the chin and get's hardened by the experience, but Ella being Ella will manage to dish out plenty of experience to others while managing to find her own path, no matter what plans others have for her. In the end, she's a survivor, and no matter the odds, she'll do whatever it takes to get through.
Note: This series gets to be Science Fiction because it has aliens in it, and pretty much that's it. It would be just as easy, and possibly find a bigger audience, if you tweaked it slightly and made it an Urban Fantasy about possession. Sparkly cloud aliens moving from host to host are a hard sell scientifically but fit right in with the darker arts.
June 20, 2020
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5
Ella Patel is a street-smart con artist who has survived by avoiding complications wherever possible. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) Ella became host to Io, a Quasing alien. Io is able to offer advice and suggestions to his host (which is a little unnerving, of course), but Io isn't exactly the brightest Quasing on the block. Combine that with Ella's stubborn independence and there's a constant battle brewing in Ella's head.
If that were the only battle Ella had to deal with, she might manage. Unfortunately, there's a Quasing war on between the Prophus and the Genjix and because of Io, Ella is dragged into it. The Prophus want to train Ella as an agent, but she's a little too independent for that. That should be the end of it, sending Ella back to petty street crime, but the Genjix want to contact their home world and to do so, they need information that Io has. And Io is still in Ella's head.
It's been a few years since I read the first 'Io' book - which I really enjoyed - and it was fun getting to meet these characters once again. Ella is a pretty stereotyped dystopian heroine - young, on her own, street smart and savvy and full of cranky angst and suddenly burdened with some responsibility and wanted by some not very nice people. Even so, Chu manages to make her unique and you don't feel like you're reading a stereotyped character.
A big part of the fun of this book (as with the previous) is the relationship between host and parasite and we have plenty of that. The story is quite secondary here. There is a story, and it could be a pretty major issue (war is a pretty big issue) but it never feels as important as the relationship between Io and Ella, and that does bring the enjoyment down just a notch. It's a fun book, but it lacks some bite.
Looking for a good book? The Fall of Io by Wesley Chu is a fun action/adventure teen fantasy but substitutes detailed action for a riveting story.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
Ella Patel is a street-smart con artist who has survived by avoiding complications wherever possible. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) Ella became host to Io, a Quasing alien. Io is able to offer advice and suggestions to his host (which is a little unnerving, of course), but Io isn't exactly the brightest Quasing on the block. Combine that with Ella's stubborn independence and there's a constant battle brewing in Ella's head.
If that were the only battle Ella had to deal with, she might manage. Unfortunately, there's a Quasing war on between the Prophus and the Genjix and because of Io, Ella is dragged into it. The Prophus want to train Ella as an agent, but she's a little too independent for that. That should be the end of it, sending Ella back to petty street crime, but the Genjix want to contact their home world and to do so, they need information that Io has. And Io is still in Ella's head.
It's been a few years since I read the first 'Io' book - which I really enjoyed - and it was fun getting to meet these characters once again. Ella is a pretty stereotyped dystopian heroine - young, on her own, street smart and savvy and full of cranky angst and suddenly burdened with some responsibility and wanted by some not very nice people. Even so, Chu manages to make her unique and you don't feel like you're reading a stereotyped character.
A big part of the fun of this book (as with the previous) is the relationship between host and parasite and we have plenty of that. The story is quite secondary here. There is a story, and it could be a pretty major issue (war is a pretty big issue) but it never feels as important as the relationship between Io and Ella, and that does bring the enjoyment down just a notch. It's a fun book, but it lacks some bite.
Looking for a good book? The Fall of Io by Wesley Chu is a fun action/adventure teen fantasy but substitutes detailed action for a riveting story.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
June 4, 2020
An interesting sequel, and I'll be interested to see where things go in this series if/when there's another volume, because there definitely been some changes i the status quo.
The Io grouping of stories are interesting, because Ella isn't always a terribly likable character, even though it is easy to understand how she's gotten to this point. You might understand her, but she's a difficult personality, hostile and prickly and demanding and uncompromising. But buried down in all of that, she has a good heart.
Io, on the other hand, is actually even more difficult to like. Io is arrogant and demanding while at the same time being something of a loser. Io is a character that has fallen very far in "standing" with the Quasing, especially in having opted out from either side in the war between the Genjix and the Prophus. But beyond that, Io's history with hosts and attempts to manipulate the course of human history has frequently been met with disaster and failure. Despite that, Io still thinks people should fall in line with what Io wants and how to do things. It will make your teeth grind.
Much of that is still at play here, as Io becomes a prize between factions of the Genjix and the Prophus gets involved trying to pull Ella/Io out of the line of fire (without even knowing why io has become such a prize). There's plenty of Chu's strong action scenes and a welcome return by an old friend that's worth the read all by itself.
One of the interesting and bold choices in this series is chu's willingness to let time pass and the world evolve significantly. he's not afraid of making big, substantive changes and then following them down the line. this ain't a soap opera where things almost always return to the status quo.
I'm also a big fan of seeing the differing relationships between Quasing and their hosts. Like the last Io book, we get both Io & Ella, but we also get Shura and Tabs. The internal byplay between host and Quasing has always been compelling, and my only regret is we don't get more of it.
The Io grouping of stories are interesting, because Ella isn't always a terribly likable character, even though it is easy to understand how she's gotten to this point. You might understand her, but she's a difficult personality, hostile and prickly and demanding and uncompromising. But buried down in all of that, she has a good heart.
Io, on the other hand, is actually even more difficult to like. Io is arrogant and demanding while at the same time being something of a loser. Io is a character that has fallen very far in "standing" with the Quasing, especially in having opted out from either side in the war between the Genjix and the Prophus. But beyond that, Io's history with hosts and attempts to manipulate the course of human history has frequently been met with disaster and failure. Despite that, Io still thinks people should fall in line with what Io wants and how to do things. It will make your teeth grind.
Much of that is still at play here, as Io becomes a prize between factions of the Genjix and the Prophus gets involved trying to pull Ella/Io out of the line of fire (without even knowing why io has become such a prize). There's plenty of Chu's strong action scenes and a welcome return by an old friend that's worth the read all by itself.
One of the interesting and bold choices in this series is chu's willingness to let time pass and the world evolve significantly. he's not afraid of making big, substantive changes and then following them down the line. this ain't a soap opera where things almost always return to the status quo.
I'm also a big fan of seeing the differing relationships between Quasing and their hosts. Like the last Io book, we get both Io & Ella, but we also get Shura and Tabs. The internal byplay between host and Quasing has always been compelling, and my only regret is we don't get more of it.
October 4, 2022
The Fall of Io is definitely a step down from its predecessor (The Rise of Io). A few of the issues:
1) None of the main characters are particularly likeable. Ella Patel, protagonist of The Rise of Io, seems to be the nominal protagonist of this book as well. But she's a bundle of character flaws who can't ever get out of her own way, and doesn't exhibit any growth or even better self-awareness over the course of the book.
2) Much of the story is told through the eyes of the main villains. "Shura the Scalpel", the homicidal agent of the Genjix alien faction, has multiple chapters told from her point of view. While this is nice for establishing that she has realistic motivations and stakes, it comes off badly. Much of the plot is devoted to her difficulties and setbacks, which would be nice if she was on a redemption arc. But she's just a monster through-and-through.
3) Io, the alien in Ella's head, is more of a villain than anything else, being completely selfish and dishonest, but much of the story is told from her perspective as well.
4) The problem of unrealistic combat gets worse in this book, with Shura being the worst example. She routinely is able to effortlessly defeat large numbers of armed, armored, and well-trained commando operatives in hand-to-hand combat. Nothing in her status as a "vessel" of the alien Quasing gives her faster reflexes, stronger muscles, or more durable bones than anyone else. At one point, after (finally) getting somewhat roughed up, she gets shot in the hand and then still somehow beats up three more commandos with her bare hands.
The ending also leaves something to be desired. I assume there must be a follow-up novel planned, because all the worst people come of winners here.
Violence: R
Language: PG (maybe PG-13?)
Sexuality: G
1) None of the main characters are particularly likeable. Ella Patel, protagonist of The Rise of Io, seems to be the nominal protagonist of this book as well. But she's a bundle of character flaws who can't ever get out of her own way, and doesn't exhibit any growth or even better self-awareness over the course of the book.
2) Much of the story is told through the eyes of the main villains. "Shura the Scalpel", the homicidal agent of the Genjix alien faction, has multiple chapters told from her point of view. While this is nice for establishing that she has realistic motivations and stakes, it comes off badly. Much of the plot is devoted to her difficulties and setbacks, which would be nice if she was on a redemption arc. But she's just a monster through-and-through.
3) Io, the alien in Ella's head, is more of a villain than anything else, being completely selfish and dishonest, but much of the story is told from her perspective as well.
4) The problem of unrealistic combat gets worse in this book, with Shura being the worst example. She routinely is able to effortlessly defeat large numbers of armed, armored, and well-trained commando operatives in hand-to-hand combat. Nothing in her status as a "vessel" of the alien Quasing gives her faster reflexes, stronger muscles, or more durable bones than anyone else. At one point, after (finally) getting somewhat roughed up, she gets shot in the hand and then still somehow beats up three more commandos with her bare hands.
The ending also leaves something to be desired. I assume there must be a follow-up novel planned, because all the worst people come of winners here.
Violence: R
Language: PG (maybe PG-13?)
Sexuality: G
September 18, 2020
Not my favorite book in the Quasing-verse. Generally, I find the fumble idiot character in most stories to be nothing more than a cheap attempt in humor. Sure it's entertaining to see Agent Fumbles mess up an opt with squeaky shoes on tile, or give away their position due to a sneeze, but these characters are often in the background and only there to release tension in a scene. Having this character act as both the main (Ella) and secondary character (IO) and this book painful to get through.
With the Two series, Roen started off the goofball buy there was a fair amount of growing up he did in book 1, and more in the subsequent books. We're now in book 2, of what I suppose will be the IO trilogy, and I honestly could not care one way or another what happens to the main character(s) of this series. Ella spent the majority of the book whining about one thing or another, and IO scolding her for not following inept instruction. This went on page after page. I eventually started to skip ahead just to get to the action.
There was also little to no redeeming qualities to Ella/IO. Sure Ella showed some loyalty to her team, but even that was tenuous at best. The only development for either character was in the Epilogue,
I still find this book series interesting enough that I want to see where book 3 goes, but I seriously hope Ella/IO gets their act together.
With the Two series, Roen started off the goofball buy there was a fair amount of growing up he did in book 1, and more in the subsequent books. We're now in book 2, of what I suppose will be the IO trilogy, and I honestly could not care one way or another what happens to the main character(s) of this series. Ella spent the majority of the book whining about one thing or another, and IO scolding her for not following inept instruction. This went on page after page. I eventually started to skip ahead just to get to the action.
There was also little to no redeeming qualities to Ella/IO. Sure Ella showed some loyalty to her team, but even that was tenuous at best. The only development for either character was in the Epilogue,
I still find this book series interesting enough that I want to see where book 3 goes, but I seriously hope Ella/IO gets their act together.
January 29, 2019
Since discovering The Lives of Tao I have been captivated with Mr. Chu's world building and storytelling time and time again. And this was no exception, in fact, I think this was my favorite yet.
There are times when you read a series by an author and you think this, this was the author’s gift to his fans. This book, this story. A culmination of characters and storyline that are wrapped up in a wonderful bow just for their avid readers.
The Fall of Io felt like just such a book. So thank you Mr. Chu, intended or not, this was wonderful!
I absolutely loved the chapter introductions from Io that helped filled in the time between Rise and Fall.
Ella is spunky and wonderful, flawed with a big heart but an even bigger instinct for survival. With her, every day is an adventure. And don’t even get me started on the other characters in this book. Like I said, a gift to your devoted fans.
I will keep my fingers crossed that there will be more adventures in this world. There is certainly more story that can be told. And I look forward with bated breath for the next installment.
There are times when you read a series by an author and you think this, this was the author’s gift to his fans. This book, this story. A culmination of characters and storyline that are wrapped up in a wonderful bow just for their avid readers.
The Fall of Io felt like just such a book. So thank you Mr. Chu, intended or not, this was wonderful!
I absolutely loved the chapter introductions from Io that helped filled in the time between Rise and Fall.
Ella is spunky and wonderful, flawed with a big heart but an even bigger instinct for survival. With her, every day is an adventure. And don’t even get me started on the other characters in this book. Like I said, a gift to your devoted fans.
I will keep my fingers crossed that there will be more adventures in this world. There is certainly more story that can be told. And I look forward with bated breath for the next installment.
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