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The Protectorate #2
Chaos Vector
The fate of the galaxy is on the line in the second book of this gripping, visionary space opera by award-winning author Megan E. O'Keefe.
Sanda and Tomas are fleeing for their lives after letting the most dangerous smartship in the universe run free. Now, unsure of who to trust, Sanda knows only one thing for certain - to be able to save herself from becoming a pawn of greater powers, she needs to discover the secret of the coordinates hidden in her skull.
But getting to those coordinates is a problem she can't solve alone. They exist beyond a dead gate - a sealed-off Casimir gate that opens up into a dead-end system. And there's a dangerous new player who wants the coordinates for their own ends - a player who will happily crack her open to get them.
Dazzling space battles, intergalactic politics and rogue AI collide in the follow-up to the Philip K. Dick Award-shortlisted Velocity Weapon.
Sanda and Tomas are fleeing for their lives after letting the most dangerous smartship in the universe run free. Now, unsure of who to trust, Sanda knows only one thing for certain - to be able to save herself from becoming a pawn of greater powers, she needs to discover the secret of the coordinates hidden in her skull.
But getting to those coordinates is a problem she can't solve alone. They exist beyond a dead gate - a sealed-off Casimir gate that opens up into a dead-end system. And there's a dangerous new player who wants the coordinates for their own ends - a player who will happily crack her open to get them.
Dazzling space battles, intergalactic politics and rogue AI collide in the follow-up to the Philip K. Dick Award-shortlisted Velocity Weapon.
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First published July 28, 2020
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About the author
Megan E. O'Keefe
20 books1,263 followersMegan E. O'Keefe was raised amongst journalists, and as soon as she was able joined them by crafting a newsletter which chronicled the daily adventures of the local cat population. She lives in the Bay Area of California, and spends her free time tinkering with anything she can get her hands on.
Her fantasy debut, Steal the Sky, won the Gemmell Morningstar Award and her space opera debut, Velocity Weapon was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award.
Her fantasy debut, Steal the Sky, won the Gemmell Morningstar Award and her space opera debut, Velocity Weapon was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 337 reviews
September 3, 2020
I flat out LOVED Velocity Weapon, but since a decent part of the entertainment factor was having my jaw hit the floor with each successive reveal, I did have to wonder whether the same format would be used again and if it could work as well second time around. Thankfully, I needn’t have worried. What Megan O’Keefe did instead was minimise the tricks and go large on character. It made me realise how important and impactful the cast had actually been and that it had been them just as much as the shocks that so gripped me before. There are definitely still surprises in Chaos Vector, but they supplement the story instead of being the framework upon which it is built. It means that there’s a greater cohesiveness here, a forward momentum and linear connectivity that was somewhat limited by the way the various threads worked in the last book. The different perspectives are cleverly interwoven to build upon each other, every part clearly integral to the story, and the emotional connection is all the more powerful for it.
She grinned, tasted iron, and licked the blood from her teeth. “You know what the last thing I got arrested for was?’ … ‘Spaceship piracy’
The new format allows Sanda to shine. Even more so than before, I mean. Because this time it’s not just about survival… it’s about survival AND a whole shipload more problems, all of them life-threatening or world-ending. If there’s a shit creek in space, she’s up it, paddle nowhere to be seen. Her only way out lies in discovering what’s hidden inside her skull before someone kills her for it. But she can’t do it alone. She needs a crew. And this is where the whole thing comes brilliantly together. The author has a real talent for developing relationships; allowing the reader to feel the growing connections between people, revealing how burgeoning trust leads to friendship, bringing you into the found family she has created and making you feel like one of them. At the heart of it all is Sanda, who has that same kind of skillset, doing for her crew what Megan O’Keefe does for us: giving people a place that feels like home.
Sanda’s all attitude on the surface, but underneath she cares deeply for those around her and she fights, hard and dirty, for what she thinks is right. She’s so far from perfect, she makes mistakes and gets into a ton of trouble, but she’s also smart and ballsy, real on a you-and-me level, and faces problems with an incomparable level of badassery. No wonder she draws people to her— I would fight for her. Chaos Vector has cemented her place in my list of favourite female characters, and just putting it out there, I’ll read however many more books about her the author can possibly write. Of course, she’s only one of the great characters in the book. There’s beautiful diversity everywhere you look, none of it cliche or add-on, and each person has their own thing, their true-to-themselves voice. Her crew might be the best part, but everyone has their role to play. The interaction is punchy with snark as the baseline for communication and some conversations had me laughing out loud. Even in the midst of high energy scenes, all blood and explosions, there’s still time for some humour. For all the grand political machinations, dystopian inequality, and uncountable deaths, the focus on family and friendship gives the book a heartwarming feel even when things get really dark.
Chaos Vector isn’t dull for a single second, with worldbuilding and action that’s both cinematic in scope and exciting as hell-- I’d love to see this on screen. With this series, O’Keefe has progressed classic space opera into something bolder, more modern, and truly fun. When I turned the last page, it felt like I hadn’t been given enough time. Especially since the author revealed some seriously big questions that needed answering IMMEDIATELY (ok, ok, I have zero patience, I know) and because she loves a dramatic and abrupt ending to drive her readers crazy. This series is just so damn readable. I blasted though the whole thing and still wanted more, mostly because I didn’t want to leave the characters, these friends, behind. Bring on what comes next ASAP please.
ARC via Netgalley
She grinned, tasted iron, and licked the blood from her teeth. “You know what the last thing I got arrested for was?’ … ‘Spaceship piracy’
The new format allows Sanda to shine. Even more so than before, I mean. Because this time it’s not just about survival… it’s about survival AND a whole shipload more problems, all of them life-threatening or world-ending. If there’s a shit creek in space, she’s up it, paddle nowhere to be seen. Her only way out lies in discovering what’s hidden inside her skull before someone kills her for it. But she can’t do it alone. She needs a crew. And this is where the whole thing comes brilliantly together. The author has a real talent for developing relationships; allowing the reader to feel the growing connections between people, revealing how burgeoning trust leads to friendship, bringing you into the found family she has created and making you feel like one of them. At the heart of it all is Sanda, who has that same kind of skillset, doing for her crew what Megan O’Keefe does for us: giving people a place that feels like home.
Sanda’s all attitude on the surface, but underneath she cares deeply for those around her and she fights, hard and dirty, for what she thinks is right. She’s so far from perfect, she makes mistakes and gets into a ton of trouble, but she’s also smart and ballsy, real on a you-and-me level, and faces problems with an incomparable level of badassery. No wonder she draws people to her— I would fight for her. Chaos Vector has cemented her place in my list of favourite female characters, and just putting it out there, I’ll read however many more books about her the author can possibly write. Of course, she’s only one of the great characters in the book. There’s beautiful diversity everywhere you look, none of it cliche or add-on, and each person has their own thing, their true-to-themselves voice. Her crew might be the best part, but everyone has their role to play. The interaction is punchy with snark as the baseline for communication and some conversations had me laughing out loud. Even in the midst of high energy scenes, all blood and explosions, there’s still time for some humour. For all the grand political machinations, dystopian inequality, and uncountable deaths, the focus on family and friendship gives the book a heartwarming feel even when things get really dark.
Chaos Vector isn’t dull for a single second, with worldbuilding and action that’s both cinematic in scope and exciting as hell-- I’d love to see this on screen. With this series, O’Keefe has progressed classic space opera into something bolder, more modern, and truly fun. When I turned the last page, it felt like I hadn’t been given enough time. Especially since the author revealed some seriously big questions that needed answering IMMEDIATELY (ok, ok, I have zero patience, I know) and because she loves a dramatic and abrupt ending to drive her readers crazy. This series is just so damn readable. I blasted though the whole thing and still wanted more, mostly because I didn’t want to leave the characters, these friends, behind. Bring on what comes next ASAP please.
ARC via Netgalley
June 29, 2021
4.5 Stars ⭐️
Love this freaking arse cover and the book!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Love this freaking arse cover and the book!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
August 3, 2020
Stars and stars and more stars. While Velocity Weapon kept both Sanda and Biram bound within their respective enviroments for the majority of the book, Chaos Vector features Sanda and Biram unleashed. And they're going to need every advantage they can find to pull at the thread of the greatest evil sweater that humanity has ever faced. That sure is an analogy. Moving on.
This was space dynamite. Fun factor turned up to 10. You like leaders throwing down some kickass speeches when they’re needed most? So. Many. Inspiring. Speeches. How about some jarring bombshells that you will not see coming? Do you like seeing your favorite characters evolve in strange new directions? Buck up, and get those page-turnin’ fingers ready. They’re gonna get a workout.
I had some trepidation that after all the massive reveals and surprise turns that dropped out of nowhere in Velocity Weapon, they would be lacking in Chaos Vector. There weren't many new characters introduced in this sequel, so how many more times can you manipulate the reader into thinking who is playing who, and why? I am pleased to admit how wrong I was. This is my first O'Keefe series and I now have full faith that she knows exactly where she wants the story to go over the course of the series, and has enough creative fuel to shake the reader to their core whenever she feels like it. My core is shook.
Another aspect I really enjoyed was that however massive a space opera this purports to be, it still keeps its focus on just a few POVs, each with a distinct character voice, and has a strong supporting cast with clearly defined goals and well-defined character-building personalities that add depth beyond their motivations. Even though we never see through the eyes of General Anford or Keeper Vladsen or Nox, we can often predict how they'll react to certain challenges, and it goes a long way in fleshing out the world's enrichment and reader's immersion.
There's not much I didn't like about Chaos Vector. Perhaps there's a couple of a too-strong coincidences where two disparate groups were tied together by two completely random events; This is a bit harder to swallow when we're talking about multiple galaxies instead of a high school reunion. "Oh my gosh, she's your cousin? Wow, she's on my office softball team! And your uncle teaches physics? He was my professor in college! How random!!" But, y'know, across milions of light years. Though it serves the purpose of the story, and that's what we're here for.
Even a rogue AI would five-star this puppy. How do I know? .. .BECAUSE I AM-- err, because it's just an incredbily fun, heart-quickening page-turner that will keep you up late, and make you pump your fist at all the cool parts. And there's a lot of 'em. This is as a great time as any for your brain to get the hell off this planet and go visit some galaxies wayyyyy far away, so start this series post-haste.
This was space dynamite. Fun factor turned up to 10. You like leaders throwing down some kickass speeches when they’re needed most? So. Many. Inspiring. Speeches. How about some jarring bombshells that you will not see coming? Do you like seeing your favorite characters evolve in strange new directions? Buck up, and get those page-turnin’ fingers ready. They’re gonna get a workout.
I had some trepidation that after all the massive reveals and surprise turns that dropped out of nowhere in Velocity Weapon, they would be lacking in Chaos Vector. There weren't many new characters introduced in this sequel, so how many more times can you manipulate the reader into thinking who is playing who, and why? I am pleased to admit how wrong I was. This is my first O'Keefe series and I now have full faith that she knows exactly where she wants the story to go over the course of the series, and has enough creative fuel to shake the reader to their core whenever she feels like it. My core is shook.
Another aspect I really enjoyed was that however massive a space opera this purports to be, it still keeps its focus on just a few POVs, each with a distinct character voice, and has a strong supporting cast with clearly defined goals and well-defined character-building personalities that add depth beyond their motivations. Even though we never see through the eyes of General Anford or Keeper Vladsen or Nox, we can often predict how they'll react to certain challenges, and it goes a long way in fleshing out the world's enrichment and reader's immersion.
There's not much I didn't like about Chaos Vector. Perhaps there's a couple of a too-strong coincidences where two disparate groups were tied together by two completely random events; This is a bit harder to swallow when we're talking about multiple galaxies instead of a high school reunion. "Oh my gosh, she's your cousin? Wow, she's on my office softball team! And your uncle teaches physics? He was my professor in college! How random!!" But, y'know, across milions of light years. Though it serves the purpose of the story, and that's what we're here for.
Even a rogue AI would five-star this puppy. How do I know? .. .BECAUSE I AM-- err, because it's just an incredbily fun, heart-quickening page-turner that will keep you up late, and make you pump your fist at all the cool parts. And there's a lot of 'em. This is as a great time as any for your brain to get the hell off this planet and go visit some galaxies wayyyyy far away, so start this series post-haste.
Read
November 28, 2020DNF at 20%. Nothing wrong with the book, per se, but as I’ll mention in my review of the first one, the story lacks a bit of drive and momentum. I set it aside with the intention of picking it back up, but looking at all the other books lined up, I gotta get real with myself: I’ll probably never get back to it. And if I do, it will be for guilt and perfectionism where I’m reading it more out of obligation than drive. I’m trying to cut that tendency out of my life and only read what sings to me. This book was a decent up to the 20% mark (I liked the characters) but something about it did not spark my enthusiasm.
September 14, 2022
4.5*
O'Keefe is an excellent writer and I am 100% obsessed with The Protectorate series, but the issues I had with Velocity Weapon continued here and all the twists and confusion leveled up at least three hundred levels.
Anyways, as much as my fangirl ass would gladly write seventeen pages about Chaos Vector, I will try and keep it short. The good and the bad are somehow similar to what I listed in my review for Velocity Weapon, so I won't dwell too much on that.
What shines in here is, again, the characters. Reuniting with some of them, or even seeing some known people interacting with characters we hadn't seen before was incredible. One of my big 'ughs' for Velocity Weapon was Jules Valentine and her gang; whilst I still don't really care about Juliella's hullabaloos, my feelings have changed in regards to her friends. Some of them become a relevant part of the story and Sanda's team. I have to say that, out of all the new additions to the book (and there are quite a few of them), Nox is my absolute favorite.
Having said that, Biran gets fewer chapters (which is yay!) but because we're so focused on Sanda, keeping up with whatever he's doing was just hard. Maybe because I don't care, maybe because everything is always very convenient on that end so I don't really care about the tensions back in Ada. What I did (and do) care about was Tomas. Man. This book was torture. Not to spoil anything, but let's say that he needs to do this job and that leads him away from Sanda and it was painful. I love Tomas. Tomas alone is 95 of the 100 reasons why I read this, and everything going on was just............................. not great. I mean, I get it plot-wise and sure there is the ugly frustration about me not having my favorite spy, but some things didn't make sense. Like what's in his boots, how convenient things are at some point, why is Sanda not checking a certain thing, etc.
Anyways, I will stop whining about Tomas not being on every single page of the book now.
There's one thing I LOVE about O'Keefe. She knows how to play you like a violin. She throws you into this story and she makes you go through so many hoops and twists that you don't know if you're in a maze or a circus. But dang, how many times do we have to twist and turn? I don't trust any character. I don't know where we are going, where we are, or what's the plan, because something happens at every step that makes it all change. And I love that Sanda knows they need a plan to continue, but the plan keeps changing and keeps changing and keeps changing, and at the end of it I just don't get what is going on. Everything flies over my head and I stop caring.
So that's that. Plot holes, not enough Tomas, confusion, convenience, and twists that keep on twisting.
I'm giving this 5 stars because it's a fun time and it made me have a big sad cry and a big happy cry.
O'Keefe is an excellent writer and I am 100% obsessed with The Protectorate series, but the issues I had with Velocity Weapon continued here and all the twists and confusion leveled up at least three hundred levels.
Anyways, as much as my fangirl ass would gladly write seventeen pages about Chaos Vector, I will try and keep it short. The good and the bad are somehow similar to what I listed in my review for Velocity Weapon, so I won't dwell too much on that.
What shines in here is, again, the characters. Reuniting with some of them, or even seeing some known people interacting with characters we hadn't seen before was incredible. One of my big 'ughs' for Velocity Weapon was Jules Valentine and her gang; whilst I still don't really care about Juliella's hullabaloos, my feelings have changed in regards to her friends. Some of them become a relevant part of the story and Sanda's team. I have to say that, out of all the new additions to the book (and there are quite a few of them), Nox is my absolute favorite.
Having said that, Biran gets fewer chapters (which is yay!) but because we're so focused on Sanda, keeping up with whatever he's doing was just hard. Maybe because I don't care, maybe because everything is always very convenient on that end so I don't really care about the tensions back in Ada. What I did (and do) care about was Tomas. Man. This book was torture. Not to spoil anything, but let's say that he needs to do this job and that leads him away from Sanda and it was painful. I love Tomas. Tomas alone is 95 of the 100 reasons why I read this, and everything going on was just............................. not great. I mean, I get it plot-wise and sure there is the ugly frustration about me not having my favorite spy, but some things didn't make sense. Like what's in his boots, how convenient things are at some point, why is Sanda not checking a certain thing, etc.
Anyways, I will stop whining about Tomas not being on every single page of the book now.
There's one thing I LOVE about O'Keefe. She knows how to play you like a violin. She throws you into this story and she makes you go through so many hoops and twists that you don't know if you're in a maze or a circus. But dang, how many times do we have to twist and turn? I don't trust any character. I don't know where we are going, where we are, or what's the plan, because something happens at every step that makes it all change. And I love that Sanda knows they need a plan to continue, but the plan keeps changing and keeps changing and keeps changing, and at the end of it I just don't get what is going on. Everything flies over my head and I stop caring.
So that's that. Plot holes, not enough Tomas, confusion, convenience, and twists that keep on twisting.
I'm giving this 5 stars because it's a fun time and it made me have a big sad cry and a big happy cry.
December 27, 2020
Chaos Vector is the second book in the space opera series called The Protectorate written by Megan O’Keefe; it is the sequel to Velocity Weapon. The world-building in Velocity Weapon and Chaos Vector is impeccable; these books are set in the Thirty-Fourth Century where humans have inhabited multiple star systems due to the existence of Casimir Gates that allow faster-than-light travel. The biggest secret in the inhabited universe is the technology that is used to create the gates, which are created and controlled by Prime government. One of the interesting features of the first book was the inclusion of multiple time lines, one of which described how Alexandra Hallston, the founder of Prime Technologies back in the Twenty-First century came to discover gate technology. This continues in the second book and is clearly going to be a source of major surprises about the foundations of Prime society as the story goes forward.
The main characters in the books are Sanda Greeve and her brother Biran. Sanda is in the Prime military, on active duty in an ongoing war between Ada Prime and Icarian, a neighboring system. In the first book, Sanda was captured by enemy forces and injured, she’s had her left leg amputated below the left knee. It turns out that her captor was actually an Icarion super-weapon, a AI-enabled warship named The Light of Berossus which has speed and weapon capabilities far exceeding anything Prime possesses. Sanda eventually bonds with the intelligence in control (which she calls Bero) and at the end of Velocity Weapon she has been reunited with Biran safely at home while Bero disappears into the void to try and learn more about his creators.
Biran is Speaker of the Keepers of Ada Prime. A Keeper is someone who has been granted with the near-sacred responsibility of keeping a portion of the knowledge of how Casimir Gates work in a chip embedded in their brain. Keepers are the elite of the elite in Prime society. They go through a number of aptitude tests in order to be admitted to an academy from which future Keepers are selected. Access to any information/knowledge about specific technologies which could conceivably be used to discover how gates work is harshly regulated and only Keepers can access it. As Speaker Biran is the mouthpiece for the Protectorate, which is the small group of Keepers who are tasked with making executive decisions for the Prime government. (One small quibble with the books is that they really do not make it clear how the government of Prime works—are there terms for the Speakers on the Protectorate? How exactly are they selected? Mundane but important details like this are necessary to give the reader a sense of the politics of Prime and are generally missing, or not repeated frequently enough that I can’t remember them.)
The plot(s) of both books are extremely complex, and the stories are filled with multiple jaw-dropping reveals and twists. I don’t want to reveal or spoil these so instead I will discuss some other highlights of the books which may help explain why I am so enamored with them.
First, the characters of Sanda and Biran are presented with exquisite nuance and defined clarity. Sanda is a kick-ass older sister who finds herself in a bewildering series of deathly dangerous situations and constantly makes the right choice. Biran is in a similarly bewildering thicket of political alliances which he has to successfully navigate. Sadly, he doesn’t always make the right choice. But by giving the reader access to their inner thoughts we are right there with Sanda and Biran as they wend their way through the treacherous plot.
Second, the prominence of diversity in both books is extremely attractive and rewarding. Biran and Sanda were raised by a gay male couple and clearly love both their dads. With one leg Sanda is disabled (or the better term would probably “differently abled”) and having a hero in an action-packed story who also needs a wheelchair sometimes to get around and regular worries about her prosthesis is definitely unusual, but O’Keefe makes it work, because Sanda is awesome! She is clearly heterosexual, and we thought Biran was too, until the later chapters of Chaos Vector make it clear he’s also attracted to guys. (Yay!) In addition to the main characters there is a major supporting character named Mx. Arden Wyke who has near-legendary computer hacking skills and is ‘enby’ (non-binary) and referred to by the pronouns them/they/theirs seamlessly. Another major supporting character is revealed to be an ex-boyfriend of one of Sanda’s dads. The author also makes it clear that many/most of the characters would not be racialized as White in our contemporary social context. The author goes out of her way to mention that the ancestors of most of the inhabitants of Ada Prime are from Ecuador, which is apparently where the first space elevator was constructed on Earth a millennium before, which explains why most people on Ada have brown skin and very dark hair. The diversity of the characters is an integral, impressive and important aspect of these books.
Third, the technological details of the Prime universe are believable and very cool. One incredibly important feature of science fiction to me is the realistic presentation of technological advancements. They should be incredible but also somewhat plausible. (Yes I know faster than light travel is not possible but gates/wormholes are at least theorized.) O’Keefe does a good job of presenting the technology of the 34th century in a way that seems realistic. The society has aspects which seem like magic to us, but there are still disparities in status, wealth and power among different sets of people. Those divides do not seem to be based on race or gender but they do seem to be related to one’s birth circumstances.
Overall, Chaos Vector is an impressively strong sequel to Velocity Weapon and one of the best space opera books I have read in several years. If you like the work of Peter Hamilton, Alastair Reynolds, Richard Morgan and Arkady Martine I’m very confident that Megan O’Keefe’s Protectorate series will put a smile on your face and a gleam in your eye, it did for me!
The main characters in the books are Sanda Greeve and her brother Biran. Sanda is in the Prime military, on active duty in an ongoing war between Ada Prime and Icarian, a neighboring system. In the first book, Sanda was captured by enemy forces and injured, she’s had her left leg amputated below the left knee. It turns out that her captor was actually an Icarion super-weapon, a AI-enabled warship named The Light of Berossus which has speed and weapon capabilities far exceeding anything Prime possesses. Sanda eventually bonds with the intelligence in control (which she calls Bero) and at the end of Velocity Weapon she has been reunited with Biran safely at home while Bero disappears into the void to try and learn more about his creators.
Biran is Speaker of the Keepers of Ada Prime. A Keeper is someone who has been granted with the near-sacred responsibility of keeping a portion of the knowledge of how Casimir Gates work in a chip embedded in their brain. Keepers are the elite of the elite in Prime society. They go through a number of aptitude tests in order to be admitted to an academy from which future Keepers are selected. Access to any information/knowledge about specific technologies which could conceivably be used to discover how gates work is harshly regulated and only Keepers can access it. As Speaker Biran is the mouthpiece for the Protectorate, which is the small group of Keepers who are tasked with making executive decisions for the Prime government. (One small quibble with the books is that they really do not make it clear how the government of Prime works—are there terms for the Speakers on the Protectorate? How exactly are they selected? Mundane but important details like this are necessary to give the reader a sense of the politics of Prime and are generally missing, or not repeated frequently enough that I can’t remember them.)
The plot(s) of both books are extremely complex, and the stories are filled with multiple jaw-dropping reveals and twists. I don’t want to reveal or spoil these so instead I will discuss some other highlights of the books which may help explain why I am so enamored with them.
First, the characters of Sanda and Biran are presented with exquisite nuance and defined clarity. Sanda is a kick-ass older sister who finds herself in a bewildering series of deathly dangerous situations and constantly makes the right choice. Biran is in a similarly bewildering thicket of political alliances which he has to successfully navigate. Sadly, he doesn’t always make the right choice. But by giving the reader access to their inner thoughts we are right there with Sanda and Biran as they wend their way through the treacherous plot.
Second, the prominence of diversity in both books is extremely attractive and rewarding. Biran and Sanda were raised by a gay male couple and clearly love both their dads. With one leg Sanda is disabled (or the better term would probably “differently abled”) and having a hero in an action-packed story who also needs a wheelchair sometimes to get around and regular worries about her prosthesis is definitely unusual, but O’Keefe makes it work, because Sanda is awesome! She is clearly heterosexual, and we thought Biran was too, until the later chapters of Chaos Vector make it clear he’s also attracted to guys. (Yay!) In addition to the main characters there is a major supporting character named Mx. Arden Wyke who has near-legendary computer hacking skills and is ‘enby’ (non-binary) and referred to by the pronouns them/they/theirs seamlessly. Another major supporting character is revealed to be an ex-boyfriend of one of Sanda’s dads. The author also makes it clear that many/most of the characters would not be racialized as White in our contemporary social context. The author goes out of her way to mention that the ancestors of most of the inhabitants of Ada Prime are from Ecuador, which is apparently where the first space elevator was constructed on Earth a millennium before, which explains why most people on Ada have brown skin and very dark hair. The diversity of the characters is an integral, impressive and important aspect of these books.
Third, the technological details of the Prime universe are believable and very cool. One incredibly important feature of science fiction to me is the realistic presentation of technological advancements. They should be incredible but also somewhat plausible. (Yes I know faster than light travel is not possible but gates/wormholes are at least theorized.) O’Keefe does a good job of presenting the technology of the 34th century in a way that seems realistic. The society has aspects which seem like magic to us, but there are still disparities in status, wealth and power among different sets of people. Those divides do not seem to be based on race or gender but they do seem to be related to one’s birth circumstances.
Overall, Chaos Vector is an impressively strong sequel to Velocity Weapon and one of the best space opera books I have read in several years. If you like the work of Peter Hamilton, Alastair Reynolds, Richard Morgan and Arkady Martine I’m very confident that Megan O’Keefe’s Protectorate series will put a smile on your face and a gleam in your eye, it did for me!
September 2, 2020
So many twists, so many secrets, copious action, world-shaking conspiracies and danger, good characters and knotty problems...all this, and Grippy gets a new battery!
O’Keefe again has multiple POVs, with each advancing our understanding of the precarious systems and understandings keeping Prime together. And just how far-reaching and insidious the rot within Prime exists and can be exploited by the entity who takes a much more active role in undermining the gates and other systems.
Sanda’s awesome, and though I like Biran, Sanda’s the one I particularly enjoyed watching in action. (I also love Bero, but that’s just stating the obvious!) I also loved how she had to lead a crew from one terrible situation to another, gaining their loyalty and an interesting new conveyance.
A thoroughly enjoyable instalment, in which O’Keefe dropped some pretty big bombshells, leaving me anxious to read book three.
O’Keefe again has multiple POVs, with each advancing our understanding of the precarious systems and understandings keeping Prime together. And just how far-reaching and insidious the rot within Prime exists and can be exploited by the entity who takes a much more active role in undermining the gates and other systems.
Sanda’s awesome, and though I like Biran, Sanda’s the one I particularly enjoyed watching in action. (I also love Bero, but that’s just stating the obvious!) I also loved how she had to lead a crew from one terrible situation to another, gaining their loyalty and an interesting new conveyance.
A thoroughly enjoyable instalment, in which O’Keefe dropped some pretty big bombshells, leaving me anxious to read book three.
![Profile Image for julia ☆ [owls reads].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1636739475i%2F5520447._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
May 22, 2022
So many things about this universe and story started making more sense in Chaos Vector. So many. I'm pretty impressed with Megan E. O'Keefe's ability to develop this story in the way it was done because not only did things get more complex here than in the previous book, but they also got better!
I will say that I think this book was a tad bit too long, but I did love that things didn't stop happening. No chapter was wasted and we got a lot of new information about some things that had been left unanswered in the first book of the trilogy. The world-building here was fantastic and I was pretty nervous with how everything was turning out and what that meant for the characters.
The multiple perspectives here were so so well written and I found that I enjoyed them more this time around. I had a better view and understanding of what was going on and where the story was going, so I felt more connected to the characters and what they were going through. I didn't expect some of the decisions a few of the characters made along the way, though, but that was so much fun to experience.
The ending was one twist after the other and... I'm not sure how I feel about some of them? One of them in particular was very Out There and Dramatic and Unexpected and I don't know if I feel like it went a little too far. I'm going to have to think about it lol I do think it was a great set up to the final book in the trilogy anyway and I'm very curious to see how everything is going to end.
I will say that I think this book was a tad bit too long, but I did love that things didn't stop happening. No chapter was wasted and we got a lot of new information about some things that had been left unanswered in the first book of the trilogy. The world-building here was fantastic and I was pretty nervous with how everything was turning out and what that meant for the characters.
The multiple perspectives here were so so well written and I found that I enjoyed them more this time around. I had a better view and understanding of what was going on and where the story was going, so I felt more connected to the characters and what they were going through. I didn't expect some of the decisions a few of the characters made along the way, though, but that was so much fun to experience.
The ending was one twist after the other and... I'm not sure how I feel about some of them? One of them in particular was very Out There and Dramatic and Unexpected and I don't know if I feel like it went a little too far. I'm going to have to think about it lol I do think it was a great set up to the final book in the trilogy anyway and I'm very curious to see how everything is going to end.
September 5, 2020
With Bero gone, Sanda has a plot to get to the bottom of. With the aid of her brother Biran, the Speaker of the Keepers of Ada Prime, she embarks on a mission that takes her out of system and hunting for the meaning of the data that's on the chip in her head. Meanwhile the man she's developed feelings for, the Nazca Tomas has had to leave her to keep her safe from his organization, but soon finds his own latest mission intersecting with Sanda again. All with shadowy organizations within organizations as the mysterious Rainer as well as both the Keepers and the Nazca make their own moves. (And is Bero really gone?)
This is a much more complex book that the first one, but that's to be expected. With a lot of the groundwork out of the way and in limited settings, the author is free here to greatly expand the scope of her world-building and intrigue. We also finally get the storylines from the first book to meet up here with Sanda and Tomas catching up with Jules, so we get a sense of how Jules' story fits in.
Overall, a solid entry in the series that sets the scene for an interesting final volume.
This is a much more complex book that the first one, but that's to be expected. With a lot of the groundwork out of the way and in limited settings, the author is free here to greatly expand the scope of her world-building and intrigue. We also finally get the storylines from the first book to meet up here with Sanda and Tomas catching up with Jules, so we get a sense of how Jules' story fits in.
Overall, a solid entry in the series that sets the scene for an interesting final volume.
July 8, 2020
*copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review*
Chaos Vector is the second book in Megan O’Keefe’s Protectorate series. I’ve been a fan of O’Keefe’s work for ages, and really enjoyed Velocity Weapon, the first in this sci-fi series, so hopes were high on this one. And it definitely delivers. There’s a lot of entertaining, high-concept sci-fi in there - from pieces of jump-gate plans living inside people’s skulls, to gunships coasting between the stars, to off-the grid research stations trying to find their way around the technological restrictions of humanity’s interstellar government, and well, all sorts of dark secrets that I won’t speak about for the sake of spoilers. But underneath that, this is a story about people, and relationships. That said, there’s an absolute cracker of a story here too, as those characters investigate old mysteries, are caught up in new conspiracies, and kick some serious arse.
The universe...well, it’s one where a brewing system-wide war is (at least nominally) over. But there’s still a question of how to handle the aftermath. We mostly see one side of this - a space filled with diplomats and crisis management, and a sense of underlying tension in everything that gets done. There’s a ticking clock here, as the survivors on both sides try and work out how to keep everyone alive. We also get to see more from the mysterious Keepers. They handle most of the governance for the system(and, indeed, outside it), each carrying around part of the knowledge needed to construct the gates that let humanity move between the stars. One of our protagonists is now firmly embedded in the Keepers, and finding his ideals, his idea of what the group should be, running on the rocks of what it actually is. Partly this is because of the drive of organisations to perpetuate themselves, and partly...other factors. There are some sections of the story which draw us back into the past, looking at the formation of the Keepers, the construction of the Gates, and how humanity was shaped into the society we’re seeing in the rest of the story - and both the older organisation, striving for survival with both vitality and appalling ruthlessness, and the “current” one are fascinating, believable, compelling and, occasionally, horrifying. This is a story which shows us systems and societies as a means of challenging both their internal assumptions, and those of the reader. From orbital habitats run by clandestine researchers, to the military arm of the Keepers, and over to nefarious, high-stakes band of assassins-slash-retrieval specialists, there’s a diversity and depth to the social structures, providing a rich and imaginative playground for our characters to, well, make a mess of.
On which note: Sanda and Biran are back! They both carry on their viewpoints from the previous book, and both are an absolute joy. Sanda is in full take-no-prisoners mode, running on adrenaline, kicking arse and taking names. But in between those moments where she shakes things until they come loose, there are quieter periods of reflection> Sanda is trying to work out who she is now, struggling with internalising her role as a public heroine with her own desire to do her job, quietly, efficiently and with as little fuss as possible. At the same time, she has the sense of moral purpose, clarity and strength of personality to drive forward, to search out truth, try and understand things, and to change them for the better. Sanda is being put into a constructed role, true enough, but she is managing to embody the principles behind that role regardless, even as she struggles to define herself, rather than be defined by others. Sanda...ah, she’s complicated, in the best way. Her relationship with her family - warmly affectionate with her parents, and her brother - is a genuine high point. Her self-doubts, conflicts and desire to be better are easy to empathise with, and make her both sympathetic and more human. And Sanda is agonisingly, wonderfully human; a person who could step off the page and have a drink and a chat with you, and that’s a fact.
Biran is equally intriguing. Now fully immersed in Keeperdom, he’s a charmer, a fast-talker, and slowly, slowly getting to grips with the levers of power. If he’s an idealist, still, that’s wonderful - but the tarnish is there, as he tried to leverage a system which doesn’t want to be useful to do what he requires of it. His love for Sanda is clear and comforting, and helps keep him grounded. Still, Biran seems fit to survive and thrive in the cutthroat world of Keeper politics. His caution, and willingness to internalise struggles whilst displaying another face to the world, is by turns impressive and troubling. Still, as someone trying to do the right thing, despite his flaws, Biran is great fun to travel alongside.
They’re surrounded by a truly fantastic supporting cast, including some complex, believable, and occasionally downright appalling antagonists. In all cases, though, there are no caricatures. Each of our (probable) heroes and (possible) villains has their own agenda, their own needs and drives, which make them feel real, and alive. We may not agree with their choices - vehemently so, even - but can see where they’re coming from. They have a depth and integrity that makes them concretely, believably real.
And the story...well, this one’s a doozy. I don’t want to go into any detail, because the twists, the reveals, the turn-on-a-dime gasp of surprise, well, they’re all here, and I won’t be the one to ruin it for you. But this is a tightly plotted narrative, winding up tension and clicking down to the denouement with beautiful precision. It’s a story which is happy to lead you up the metaphorical garden path, and then behind the metaphorical woodshed, where you’ll run into some metaphorical muggers. What I thought was going on...well, it often was, but the reasons why, and the context of those reasons, were liable to change, to revelation, to differences in points of view and clarity. This is a book which made me say”No way..” a lot. It’s a really interesting story, in any case - talking about the stories we tell ourselves personally, and as a society; the way sometimes those stories are lies, and the way that sometimes they also reveal more hidden truths. About what humanity is, what it tells itself it is, and what it can be. About the need for regular people to be decent, and about the price we can be willing to pay to reach our goals. Some of this story is captured in the marvellous, sometimes searingly emotional character work, but it’s also there in the questions the story asks of us, and the answers it (sometimes) provides.
This is a very clever book, asking interesting questions, showing us people at their best and worst, in a world which is not only rich and imaginative, but feels wonderfully real. It’s a top-notch sequel, and highly, highly recommended.
Chaos Vector is the second book in Megan O’Keefe’s Protectorate series. I’ve been a fan of O’Keefe’s work for ages, and really enjoyed Velocity Weapon, the first in this sci-fi series, so hopes were high on this one. And it definitely delivers. There’s a lot of entertaining, high-concept sci-fi in there - from pieces of jump-gate plans living inside people’s skulls, to gunships coasting between the stars, to off-the grid research stations trying to find their way around the technological restrictions of humanity’s interstellar government, and well, all sorts of dark secrets that I won’t speak about for the sake of spoilers. But underneath that, this is a story about people, and relationships. That said, there’s an absolute cracker of a story here too, as those characters investigate old mysteries, are caught up in new conspiracies, and kick some serious arse.
The universe...well, it’s one where a brewing system-wide war is (at least nominally) over. But there’s still a question of how to handle the aftermath. We mostly see one side of this - a space filled with diplomats and crisis management, and a sense of underlying tension in everything that gets done. There’s a ticking clock here, as the survivors on both sides try and work out how to keep everyone alive. We also get to see more from the mysterious Keepers. They handle most of the governance for the system(and, indeed, outside it), each carrying around part of the knowledge needed to construct the gates that let humanity move between the stars. One of our protagonists is now firmly embedded in the Keepers, and finding his ideals, his idea of what the group should be, running on the rocks of what it actually is. Partly this is because of the drive of organisations to perpetuate themselves, and partly...other factors. There are some sections of the story which draw us back into the past, looking at the formation of the Keepers, the construction of the Gates, and how humanity was shaped into the society we’re seeing in the rest of the story - and both the older organisation, striving for survival with both vitality and appalling ruthlessness, and the “current” one are fascinating, believable, compelling and, occasionally, horrifying. This is a story which shows us systems and societies as a means of challenging both their internal assumptions, and those of the reader. From orbital habitats run by clandestine researchers, to the military arm of the Keepers, and over to nefarious, high-stakes band of assassins-slash-retrieval specialists, there’s a diversity and depth to the social structures, providing a rich and imaginative playground for our characters to, well, make a mess of.
On which note: Sanda and Biran are back! They both carry on their viewpoints from the previous book, and both are an absolute joy. Sanda is in full take-no-prisoners mode, running on adrenaline, kicking arse and taking names. But in between those moments where she shakes things until they come loose, there are quieter periods of reflection> Sanda is trying to work out who she is now, struggling with internalising her role as a public heroine with her own desire to do her job, quietly, efficiently and with as little fuss as possible. At the same time, she has the sense of moral purpose, clarity and strength of personality to drive forward, to search out truth, try and understand things, and to change them for the better. Sanda is being put into a constructed role, true enough, but she is managing to embody the principles behind that role regardless, even as she struggles to define herself, rather than be defined by others. Sanda...ah, she’s complicated, in the best way. Her relationship with her family - warmly affectionate with her parents, and her brother - is a genuine high point. Her self-doubts, conflicts and desire to be better are easy to empathise with, and make her both sympathetic and more human. And Sanda is agonisingly, wonderfully human; a person who could step off the page and have a drink and a chat with you, and that’s a fact.
Biran is equally intriguing. Now fully immersed in Keeperdom, he’s a charmer, a fast-talker, and slowly, slowly getting to grips with the levers of power. If he’s an idealist, still, that’s wonderful - but the tarnish is there, as he tried to leverage a system which doesn’t want to be useful to do what he requires of it. His love for Sanda is clear and comforting, and helps keep him grounded. Still, Biran seems fit to survive and thrive in the cutthroat world of Keeper politics. His caution, and willingness to internalise struggles whilst displaying another face to the world, is by turns impressive and troubling. Still, as someone trying to do the right thing, despite his flaws, Biran is great fun to travel alongside.
They’re surrounded by a truly fantastic supporting cast, including some complex, believable, and occasionally downright appalling antagonists. In all cases, though, there are no caricatures. Each of our (probable) heroes and (possible) villains has their own agenda, their own needs and drives, which make them feel real, and alive. We may not agree with their choices - vehemently so, even - but can see where they’re coming from. They have a depth and integrity that makes them concretely, believably real.
And the story...well, this one’s a doozy. I don’t want to go into any detail, because the twists, the reveals, the turn-on-a-dime gasp of surprise, well, they’re all here, and I won’t be the one to ruin it for you. But this is a tightly plotted narrative, winding up tension and clicking down to the denouement with beautiful precision. It’s a story which is happy to lead you up the metaphorical garden path, and then behind the metaphorical woodshed, where you’ll run into some metaphorical muggers. What I thought was going on...well, it often was, but the reasons why, and the context of those reasons, were liable to change, to revelation, to differences in points of view and clarity. This is a book which made me say”No way..” a lot. It’s a really interesting story, in any case - talking about the stories we tell ourselves personally, and as a society; the way sometimes those stories are lies, and the way that sometimes they also reveal more hidden truths. About what humanity is, what it tells itself it is, and what it can be. About the need for regular people to be decent, and about the price we can be willing to pay to reach our goals. Some of this story is captured in the marvellous, sometimes searingly emotional character work, but it’s also there in the questions the story asks of us, and the answers it (sometimes) provides.
This is a very clever book, asking interesting questions, showing us people at their best and worst, in a world which is not only rich and imaginative, but feels wonderfully real. It’s a top-notch sequel, and highly, highly recommended.
December 15, 2020
This review and others can be read on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.
Chaos Vector was an excellent follow up to Velocity Weapon! O’Keefe has dramatically improved as a writer; the pacing was much, much better in this sequel. The twists are just as punchy as you could hope, though I’m not sure ANYTHING can top the one in Velocity Weapon. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through. Plotlines connect, merge, and shift when you least expect.
My biggest complaint about the first book was that I had trouble caring about any of the characters other than Sanda. Her storyline was by far the most interesting to me, and I found myself skimming through Biron’s chapters in an effort to get back to my beloved Sanda, Bero, and Grippy. In Chaos Vector, this has been fully resolved. O’Keefe fleshed out the rest of the cast in ways I didn’t expect, but was delighted to see. The characters from the initial heist sections, who were least interesting to me before, became some of my favorites. Biron’s story shifted from second tier to being engaging and driven.
This review and others can be read on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.That said, the expanded focus on characters doesn’t mean that Chaos Vector was lacking in action. Far from it! At times, it almost felt like I was watching a high-stakes space action film; in fact, I’d be lining up at the theater to watch it.* The reveals were beautifully timed at highly emotional moments, leading me to be very upset with O’Keefe for the wringer she was putting my feelings through. Yes, this was a good thing and is what made the book excellent, but also wow, how dare she.
*after vaccinations are finished, of course.
I am waiting with bated breath for the conclusion of The Protectorate Trilogy. Naturally, O’Keefe gave us some truly twisty reveals right at the end of Chaos Vector just to be a little extra cruel. I simply can’t wait to find out what she does with them!
More reviews on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.
Chaos Vector was an excellent follow up to Velocity Weapon! O’Keefe has dramatically improved as a writer; the pacing was much, much better in this sequel. The twists are just as punchy as you could hope, though I’m not sure ANYTHING can top the one in Velocity Weapon. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through. Plotlines connect, merge, and shift when you least expect.
My biggest complaint about the first book was that I had trouble caring about any of the characters other than Sanda. Her storyline was by far the most interesting to me, and I found myself skimming through Biron’s chapters in an effort to get back to my beloved Sanda, Bero, and Grippy. In Chaos Vector, this has been fully resolved. O’Keefe fleshed out the rest of the cast in ways I didn’t expect, but was delighted to see. The characters from the initial heist sections, who were least interesting to me before, became some of my favorites. Biron’s story shifted from second tier to being engaging and driven.
This review and others can be read on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.That said, the expanded focus on characters doesn’t mean that Chaos Vector was lacking in action. Far from it! At times, it almost felt like I was watching a high-stakes space action film; in fact, I’d be lining up at the theater to watch it.* The reveals were beautifully timed at highly emotional moments, leading me to be very upset with O’Keefe for the wringer she was putting my feelings through. Yes, this was a good thing and is what made the book excellent, but also wow, how dare she.
*after vaccinations are finished, of course.
I am waiting with bated breath for the conclusion of The Protectorate Trilogy. Naturally, O’Keefe gave us some truly twisty reveals right at the end of Chaos Vector just to be a little extra cruel. I simply can’t wait to find out what she does with them!
More reviews on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.
July 16, 2020
If Velocity Weapon blew your mind, CHAOS VECTOR will scrape your remaining brain goo off the floor and launch it into space to be vaporised with a full complement of laser guns.
While the standout feature of Velocity Weapon is the twisting storyline and plot, I wasn’t anticipating this experience to continue in CHAOS VECTOR, thinking it an unrealistic expectation to have of any sequel. At first this was more or less accurate as O’Keefe dives into the aftermath of the closing events in Velocity Weapon and delivers more of her signature intrigue and political espionage. But very soon I found I was quite wrong.
I have no idea how O’Keefe has mined so many fantastic ideas and deployed them all cohesively without relying on suspiciously convenient plot devices, but she did, and the result is incredibly fun. I had butterflies in my stomach as this book reached its climax which, despite all of my best efforts to predict, caught me entirely by surprise. The closing chapters of CHAOS VECTOR are both thrilling and satisfying, while impossibly leaving key questions to be answered in the next instalment.
CHAOS VECTOR continues the three POVs from Velocity Weapon delivered in the same punchy, short chapter format. There are many familiar faces and I was pleased to get to know Arden, Nox, Tomas and Graham a little better. There are also some new and likeable characters that fill out an endearing little space crew. O’Keefe manages to create compelling characters in between all the conspiracies and action so I hope there is time to explore their relationships further in the next book, though admittedly they’re all rather busy saving the universe.
O’Keefe also introduces some new sci-fi elements in this instalment like the virtual interface internet and some pretty epic space warfare scenes that will please any space opera fan
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review, and congratulations to Megan E. O’Keefe on another fantastic novel!
While the standout feature of Velocity Weapon is the twisting storyline and plot, I wasn’t anticipating this experience to continue in CHAOS VECTOR, thinking it an unrealistic expectation to have of any sequel. At first this was more or less accurate as O’Keefe dives into the aftermath of the closing events in Velocity Weapon and delivers more of her signature intrigue and political espionage. But very soon I found I was quite wrong.
I have no idea how O’Keefe has mined so many fantastic ideas and deployed them all cohesively without relying on suspiciously convenient plot devices, but she did, and the result is incredibly fun. I had butterflies in my stomach as this book reached its climax which, despite all of my best efforts to predict, caught me entirely by surprise. The closing chapters of CHAOS VECTOR are both thrilling and satisfying, while impossibly leaving key questions to be answered in the next instalment.
CHAOS VECTOR continues the three POVs from Velocity Weapon delivered in the same punchy, short chapter format. There are many familiar faces and I was pleased to get to know Arden, Nox, Tomas and Graham a little better. There are also some new and likeable characters that fill out an endearing little space crew. O’Keefe manages to create compelling characters in between all the conspiracies and action so I hope there is time to explore their relationships further in the next book, though admittedly they’re all rather busy saving the universe.
O’Keefe also introduces some new sci-fi elements in this instalment like the virtual interface internet and some pretty epic space warfare scenes that will please any space opera fan
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review, and congratulations to Megan E. O’Keefe on another fantastic novel!
October 12, 2021
A very satisfying sequel to Velocity Vector. More politics, and a much bigger game gets revealed. The scale and scope of the story has expanded in a very satisfying direction.
I am continually impressed with Ms O'Keefe, this is some very enjoyable sci-fi drama. Good stuff. I am very sad that i have to wait till the end of the year to finish this series!
2021 Reread. I picked up Catalyst Gate recently and after half an hour realized I had no frikking idea what was going on, so decided to listen to book 2 to see if it made sense, and i almost went back to book 1, kinda wish I had. But anyway, the book was just as good the second time. And now I know what's gong on.
I had forgotten just how dramatic O'Keefe is. It's real Shakespeare levels of drama. Forgotten memories, mistaken identity, killing loved ones who are wearing the wrong face, just all sorts of crazy epic high drama. Good Stuff!!!
I am continually impressed with Ms O'Keefe, this is some very enjoyable sci-fi drama. Good stuff. I am very sad that i have to wait till the end of the year to finish this series!
2021 Reread. I picked up Catalyst Gate recently and after half an hour realized I had no frikking idea what was going on, so decided to listen to book 2 to see if it made sense, and i almost went back to book 1, kinda wish I had. But anyway, the book was just as good the second time. And now I know what's gong on.
I had forgotten just how dramatic O'Keefe is. It's real Shakespeare levels of drama. Forgotten memories, mistaken identity, killing loved ones who are wearing the wrong face, just all sorts of crazy epic high drama. Good Stuff!!!
Read
January 25, 2022This is every bit as good as the first one. Going to start the third, soon. This is the closest thing I've found to The Expanse books, both in theme and content. Really good.
July 1, 2023
4.5 star
I had a chance to enjoy book one from the Protectorate series by Megan E. O'Keefe as a buddy read with a group of friends at the end of 2022. I've since then also had a chance to read The Blighted Stars as an eARC just a few months ago. I've been meaning to get back to the Protectorate series since January. I've gotten a bit more organized with my monthly TBR projections for the rest of the year and it's helped me get Chaos Vector into the mix. In fact, I was able to pull it up a month and complete it earlier than expected.
For the first half of the book, I was thinking things were on par with book one from the series. I was enjoying it but it wasn't really gripping me too strongly. Then came the second half of book two with some twists and reveals that I didn't see coming in the slightest. I did enjoy seeing our remaining two arcs from book one finally come together in the second. I was beginning to wonder after book one, how the heist group was going to be part of this overall storyline. Well now I know. Megan continues to rise as one of my favorite traditionally published writers.
The pacing was solid here in book two. The first half wasn't bad but it was certainly taking some time setting the scene for later. No issues with names of places or characters. I did notice some variations for pronunciations listening to the audiobook this time around. Honestly this is rather normal though to hear differences between the narrator and how I thought they were pronounced reading book one.
The world building was mostly spent expanding from what we learned in the first book. Though we do get to learn about some new layers to the story as well as some hints of other races and what may be beyond some gates.
The character development is where Chaos Vector really shines for me. We find out more history of several characters from Velocity Weapon. We also see some possible broken relationships as well as some new ones. I'm really anxious to see what happens with these characters in the third installment in the near future.
I'd recommend this book and series to readers who are fans of science fiction. This series is definitely giving Space Opera vibes at this point. Certainly an epic space odyssey at this point.
I had a chance to enjoy book one from the Protectorate series by Megan E. O'Keefe as a buddy read with a group of friends at the end of 2022. I've since then also had a chance to read The Blighted Stars as an eARC just a few months ago. I've been meaning to get back to the Protectorate series since January. I've gotten a bit more organized with my monthly TBR projections for the rest of the year and it's helped me get Chaos Vector into the mix. In fact, I was able to pull it up a month and complete it earlier than expected.
For the first half of the book, I was thinking things were on par with book one from the series. I was enjoying it but it wasn't really gripping me too strongly. Then came the second half of book two with some twists and reveals that I didn't see coming in the slightest. I did enjoy seeing our remaining two arcs from book one finally come together in the second. I was beginning to wonder after book one, how the heist group was going to be part of this overall storyline. Well now I know. Megan continues to rise as one of my favorite traditionally published writers.
The pacing was solid here in book two. The first half wasn't bad but it was certainly taking some time setting the scene for later. No issues with names of places or characters. I did notice some variations for pronunciations listening to the audiobook this time around. Honestly this is rather normal though to hear differences between the narrator and how I thought they were pronounced reading book one.
The world building was mostly spent expanding from what we learned in the first book. Though we do get to learn about some new layers to the story as well as some hints of other races and what may be beyond some gates.
The character development is where Chaos Vector really shines for me. We find out more history of several characters from Velocity Weapon. We also see some possible broken relationships as well as some new ones. I'm really anxious to see what happens with these characters in the third installment in the near future.
I'd recommend this book and series to readers who are fans of science fiction. This series is definitely giving Space Opera vibes at this point. Certainly an epic space odyssey at this point.
May 12, 2021
4.5 out of 5.
Excellent plot development. Book 3 will be VERY interesting.
Complete RTC.
Excellent plot development. Book 3 will be VERY interesting.
Complete RTC.
August 14, 2020
I have been dreading writing this review, mostly because I enjoyed reading Chaos Vector so much that I really wanted to do that book justice and also partly because I was having trouble finding the right words to describe the experience. So, before I get too rambly and possibly lose you, if you take nothing else out of this review it should be this: Chaos Vector is a great fucking book, and if you are a fan of Velocity Weapon (the first in the Protectorate Series) you will love the follow-up, too.
I mention that it is a follow-up, because that is really important to note. The first thing that appealed to me about Chaos Vector is that author Megan O’Keefe played the second book in the series perfectly. Sanda, the female lead everyone fell in love with in Book 1, is back and badder than ever in Book 2. She does not let anything slow her down, and nothing stops her from fighting for what she thinks is right – not even a prosthetic leg that never seems to act like it should – which I think is a completely underrated part of this book. Sanda’s story continues in earnest, searching for the reason behind the chip installed in her head. She takes a friends along the ride for the adventure, some old and some new, but Sanda continues to lead on the main stage. Kicking ass, no name-taking required.
Biran resumes his role in this story as Sanda’s ground-support, as well. As in Velocity Weapon, Biran is just as stubborn and headstrong as his sister, fighting the good fight as a Keeper. I really love watching his character uncover secrets and trying to keep corruption out of the Protectorate. I have often praised series that contain two main protagonists for a yin-yang dynamic, but that is not the case, here: both Sanda and Biran represent the Yang side of the philosophy – both going hard after what they want and never stopping. Biran is a supplement to Sanda, rather than a compliment, and that contributes to the constant action the reader gets from this series. Instead of adding cream to our coffee to balance it out, O’Keefe gave us an espresso double-shot and turned up the volume. And I am so here for it.
Let’s not forget Bero, who continues a role as a different-but-still-big-and-important character. One of the biggest draws of Velocity Weapon was the growth of Sanda and Bero’s relationship throughout the book; and, while you can never recreate that, O’Keefe does the next best thing: separates the two for a while. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and not only is that relevant to Sanda’s story, but I found as a reader that applied to me, as well.
Speaking of O’Keefe’s writing, I was really impressed at the tone of Chaos Vector. The author explains nothing. There is no information dump. Every piece of information about this world and its people and processes is gained through the context of experience and dialogue of the characters. Also, there is no summary of the events in Book 1. You have to read it before reading Book 2. And there were also a lot of little things that showed up in the writing: dialects and slang and other nuances of language for which an explanation is never really provided. All of this to say that, in my opinion, the author is telling you she has high expectations for you as a reader. Trying to make sense of the complicated world that O’Keefe has built? Focus on the details. Confused by events that continue into Book 2? Read the first book! Not sure what that abbreviated slang term means? Pay attention to the context surrounding it. O’Keefe offers no easy outs in this series, makes no apologies, and I applaud her for it.
With Velocity Weapon and now Chaos Vector, the Protectorate Series continues to blow my mind. Megan O’Keefe has written 2 parts of a fabulous space adventure that I cannot wait to continue. Very highly recommended for fans of fantasy and sci-fi, and in particular those who love Space Operas. The only downside is now the wait for Book 3 begins…
I mention that it is a follow-up, because that is really important to note. The first thing that appealed to me about Chaos Vector is that author Megan O’Keefe played the second book in the series perfectly. Sanda, the female lead everyone fell in love with in Book 1, is back and badder than ever in Book 2. She does not let anything slow her down, and nothing stops her from fighting for what she thinks is right – not even a prosthetic leg that never seems to act like it should – which I think is a completely underrated part of this book. Sanda’s story continues in earnest, searching for the reason behind the chip installed in her head. She takes a friends along the ride for the adventure, some old and some new, but Sanda continues to lead on the main stage. Kicking ass, no name-taking required.
Biran resumes his role in this story as Sanda’s ground-support, as well. As in Velocity Weapon, Biran is just as stubborn and headstrong as his sister, fighting the good fight as a Keeper. I really love watching his character uncover secrets and trying to keep corruption out of the Protectorate. I have often praised series that contain two main protagonists for a yin-yang dynamic, but that is not the case, here: both Sanda and Biran represent the Yang side of the philosophy – both going hard after what they want and never stopping. Biran is a supplement to Sanda, rather than a compliment, and that contributes to the constant action the reader gets from this series. Instead of adding cream to our coffee to balance it out, O’Keefe gave us an espresso double-shot and turned up the volume. And I am so here for it.
Let’s not forget Bero, who continues a role as a different-but-still-big-and-important character. One of the biggest draws of Velocity Weapon was the growth of Sanda and Bero’s relationship throughout the book; and, while you can never recreate that, O’Keefe does the next best thing: separates the two for a while. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and not only is that relevant to Sanda’s story, but I found as a reader that applied to me, as well.
Speaking of O’Keefe’s writing, I was really impressed at the tone of Chaos Vector. The author explains nothing. There is no information dump. Every piece of information about this world and its people and processes is gained through the context of experience and dialogue of the characters. Also, there is no summary of the events in Book 1. You have to read it before reading Book 2. And there were also a lot of little things that showed up in the writing: dialects and slang and other nuances of language for which an explanation is never really provided. All of this to say that, in my opinion, the author is telling you she has high expectations for you as a reader. Trying to make sense of the complicated world that O’Keefe has built? Focus on the details. Confused by events that continue into Book 2? Read the first book! Not sure what that abbreviated slang term means? Pay attention to the context surrounding it. O’Keefe offers no easy outs in this series, makes no apologies, and I applaud her for it.
With Velocity Weapon and now Chaos Vector, the Protectorate Series continues to blow my mind. Megan O’Keefe has written 2 parts of a fabulous space adventure that I cannot wait to continue. Very highly recommended for fans of fantasy and sci-fi, and in particular those who love Space Operas. The only downside is now the wait for Book 3 begins…
August 30, 2020
Pretty solid sequel and a nice setup for what I assume is the traditional-and-seemingly-required final part of a trilogy. The balance between plot, action and character development is pretty good. The plot in particular is pretty interesting and well paced, especially when compared to the first book which relied very heavily on the "hook" of the initial premise but kinda feel apart in the second half.
O'Keefe appears to be a pretty new author, and this book really shows which areas she still needs to improve in if she plans on writing more series-based stories. The difficulty of writing a series rather than a standalone shows itself particular in retrospect to the first installment: I learned more about the system of Keepers and how the mechanics of Prime society work in the first few chapters of this book than the entirety of the previous. That is kind of a problem, and has me wondering how much of the details were known by the author and not given to the audience, or were developed after the first book was received positively and led to a sequel -- either situation is not good, especially since many readers may have given up with Velocity Weapon long before they realized some important details are missing.
Outside of the unstable world-building, one character in particular takes a massive shift later in this book that is really hard to follow. Not only is there a significant change in the reader's understanding of the character's morality and goals, but there's at least one fairly dirty and lazy trick with what that character knows to make that switch. Very little buildup and as a result, a very underwhelming "twist". I can't help but assume this was meant to follow the twists and turns that our main characters went through in the first book, though it worked much better the first time since it was entirely unexpected and built up throughout the entire structure of the story.
I plan to continue reading this series, but I'm more interested in whatever the author has planned next. Hopefully a combination of an equally intriguing premise with more solid and well-planned execution from the start will result in a more satisfying reading experience.
O'Keefe appears to be a pretty new author, and this book really shows which areas she still needs to improve in if she plans on writing more series-based stories. The difficulty of writing a series rather than a standalone shows itself particular in retrospect to the first installment: I learned more about the system of Keepers and how the mechanics of Prime society work in the first few chapters of this book than the entirety of the previous. That is kind of a problem, and has me wondering how much of the details were known by the author and not given to the audience, or were developed after the first book was received positively and led to a sequel -- either situation is not good, especially since many readers may have given up with Velocity Weapon long before they realized some important details are missing.
Outside of the unstable world-building, one character in particular takes a massive shift later in this book that is really hard to follow. Not only is there a significant change in the reader's understanding of the character's morality and goals, but there's at least one fairly dirty and lazy trick with what that character knows to make that switch. Very little buildup and as a result, a very underwhelming "twist". I can't help but assume this was meant to follow the twists and turns that our main characters went through in the first book, though it worked much better the first time since it was entirely unexpected and built up throughout the entire structure of the story.
I plan to continue reading this series, but I'm more interested in whatever the author has planned next. Hopefully a combination of an equally intriguing premise with more solid and well-planned execution from the start will result in a more satisfying reading experience.
October 11, 2020
Another long read. Usually if a book is taking more than a week for me to read I know we arent a great fit. It has amazing world building but at times I feel like theres so much here without a great plot. Both books 1 and 2 could have had pages reduced to really make this more concise. This will definitely find its audience. I also really get attached to characters, and unfortunately the only character I like the most is a space ship
March 1, 2021
I really give this 3 1/2 stars. The author has definitely improved from the first book, kept me relatively engaged throughout. Now, this is just me but I feel she got better with dialogue in this book, but it still is a weakness. Just sometimes the dialogue just rings slightly untrue.
January 2, 2023
3.5 stars. The need to suspend disbelief re coincidences on top of coincidences on top of coincidences (it’s coincidences all the way down) detracted a bit.
August 7, 2022
Rating: Really Enjoyed It, 4 stars
I have really been in the mood for some sci-fi, so I picked up Chaos Vector, the second book in the Protectorate trilogy, and I had a good time. I read the first book, Velocity Weapon last Fall, so it's been quite a while, but I still remembered quite a bit. I may have forgotten some of the smaller details, but I had the broad strokes
This book was a lot of fun, and very action-packed. It picks up pretty quickly after the end of the first book, and we continue on our adventure from there. I appreciated the convergence of some of the POVs quite a bit, and we got more information on the big bad and some of the mysteries introduced in the first book. I like the representation of Sanda as an amputee, I like the sentient AI, and I appreciate the queer-norm world. The chapters are short and overall it's a pretty fast-paced story.
I will say though that this felt like a second book. At times it has been meandering and felt somewhat unclear on the direction it's going. There's a lot of traveling around. However, this book really made me appreciate Arden more. I would say that they, Sanda, Bero, and Nox are my favorites. I felt like Jules' perspective got more interesting in this installment and Biran's less interesting. This is interesting because Biran's chapters always are more focused on the politics of the world, and I don't know if it's just not as well fleshed out as I would like, but it just doesn't grip me like political maneuvering usually does. That being said though, I do like the way that O'Keefe writes the action scenes.
I am looking forward to the next installment to see how this series ends. I'm not really sure where it is going based on where we have been, but I've had a lot of fun with this so far.
I have really been in the mood for some sci-fi, so I picked up Chaos Vector, the second book in the Protectorate trilogy, and I had a good time. I read the first book, Velocity Weapon last Fall, so it's been quite a while, but I still remembered quite a bit. I may have forgotten some of the smaller details, but I had the broad strokes
This book was a lot of fun, and very action-packed. It picks up pretty quickly after the end of the first book, and we continue on our adventure from there. I appreciated the convergence of some of the POVs quite a bit, and we got more information on the big bad and some of the mysteries introduced in the first book. I like the representation of Sanda as an amputee, I like the sentient AI, and I appreciate the queer-norm world. The chapters are short and overall it's a pretty fast-paced story.
I will say though that this felt like a second book. At times it has been meandering and felt somewhat unclear on the direction it's going. There's a lot of traveling around. However, this book really made me appreciate Arden more. I would say that they, Sanda, Bero, and Nox are my favorites. I felt like Jules' perspective got more interesting in this installment and Biran's less interesting. This is interesting because Biran's chapters always are more focused on the politics of the world, and I don't know if it's just not as well fleshed out as I would like, but it just doesn't grip me like political maneuvering usually does. That being said though, I do like the way that O'Keefe writes the action scenes.
I am looking forward to the next installment to see how this series ends. I'm not really sure where it is going based on where we have been, but I've had a lot of fun with this so far.
November 18, 2023
Majorka Sanda Greevová se z kvůli zfalšovanému videu stala z válečné hrdinky vražedkyní a ocitá se na útěku s cílem zjistit, jaké souřadnice obsahuje nelegálně implantovaný strážcovský čip v její hlavě – a kam ji zavedou. Ale k tomu potřebuje spojence a nejlépe i přátele.
Tomas Cepko musí poslechnout příkazy vesmírné špionážní organizace Nazca a přijmout nový úkol na stanici Janus, kterou vlastní Rainier Lavauxová a kde tým vědců pracuje na projektu souvisejícím s hvězdnými branami. Sanda proto kontaktuje členy zlodějského gangu Jules – hackera Arden Wyke a bývalého vojáka Noxe, kteří mají s její rodinou společného víc, než tušila. Arden a Nox ale chtějí především zachránit Lollu. Jenže Jules a Lolla jsou shodnou okolností na stanici Janus a všechno se začíná komplikovat.
Mezitím se Mluvní Strážců Biran Greeve snaží zabránit válce mezi Adou-Primou a Ikarionem. A Rainier Lavauxová pokračuje ve svém plánu, do něhož vtáhla celé planety, lidstvo i vesmír.
Sanda není zvyklá na intrikaření a manipulaci, takže netuší, komu – pokud vůbec někomu – může věřit. Skoro každý tu totiž má vlastní zájmy a cíle. Megan E. O´Keefeová věrně zachycuje politikaření mocenských organizací a vládnoucích orgánů. Biran se v mezigalaktické politice učí chodit, ale on i Sanda mají morální zásady a chtějí především zabránit válce a ochránit nevinné lidi.
Větší prostor dostávají vedlejší postavy Nox a Arden nebo Strážce Vladsen a také o špionovi Tomasovi se dozvídáme nové informace. Nechybí ani nové postavy – střelkyně Conwayová nebo strojník Knuth. Julesina linka je opět trochu upozaděná, ale v příběhu dává smysl a nepůsobí tam navíc.
Megan E. O´Keefeová napsala bohatý a spletitý příběh, v němž nechybí umělé inteligence, hrozící válka, skupinka odpadlíků, tajemství a politikaření, přestřelky a pronásledování a také zrada a nějaké to úmrtí. Pád do chaosu navíc obsahuje ještě víc překvapivých odhalení a zvratů než první díl Rychlostní zbraň. A minimálně z jednoho se vám nejspíš zastaví srdce a z druhého budete úplně paf. Děj odlehčují sympatické a osobité postavy, humor a špetka romantiky, protože tentokrát se zamotá citový život Biranovi. A přiznám se, že jeho romantická linka, přestože je tu spíš naznačená, mě opravdu bavila a potěšila.
Autorka vytvořila budoucnost, v níž se nikdo nepozastavuje nad tím, že je člověk bisexuál, homosexuál nebo nebinární a v níž stejnopohlavní páry mohou uzavírat manželství a mít rodinu, což je rozhodně plus. I proto se v Pádu do chaosu objevuje několik lgbt párů a také nebinárních postav.
První díl Rychlostní zbraň působí jako rozehrávka, protože tady autorka děj prohlubuje a rozvětvuje. Ať už to ale bylo záměrem či chybou autorky nebo mou nechápavostí, tak dějová linka týkající se umělé inteligence mi přišla spíš komplikovaná než komplexní. Pád do chaosu je nicméně teprve druhý díl ze tří, takže chybí celkový obraz.
Přesto mě Pád do chaosu pohltil, nutil mě otáčet stránky a dozvídat se nové informace. Navíc překonal i skvělý první díl Rychlostní zbraň. Takže jsem z Pádu do chaosu nadšená a právem se zařadí mezi nejlepší knihy, které jsem v roce 2023 přečetla. A nutně potřebuju třetí, závěrečný díl s názvem Catalyst Gate.
4,5/5
Tomas Cepko musí poslechnout příkazy vesmírné špionážní organizace Nazca a přijmout nový úkol na stanici Janus, kterou vlastní Rainier Lavauxová a kde tým vědců pracuje na projektu souvisejícím s hvězdnými branami. Sanda proto kontaktuje členy zlodějského gangu Jules – hackera Arden Wyke a bývalého vojáka Noxe, kteří mají s její rodinou společného víc, než tušila. Arden a Nox ale chtějí především zachránit Lollu. Jenže Jules a Lolla jsou shodnou okolností na stanici Janus a všechno se začíná komplikovat.
Mezitím se Mluvní Strážců Biran Greeve snaží zabránit válce mezi Adou-Primou a Ikarionem. A Rainier Lavauxová pokračuje ve svém plánu, do něhož vtáhla celé planety, lidstvo i vesmír.
Sanda není zvyklá na intrikaření a manipulaci, takže netuší, komu – pokud vůbec někomu – může věřit. Skoro každý tu totiž má vlastní zájmy a cíle. Megan E. O´Keefeová věrně zachycuje politikaření mocenských organizací a vládnoucích orgánů. Biran se v mezigalaktické politice učí chodit, ale on i Sanda mají morální zásady a chtějí především zabránit válce a ochránit nevinné lidi.
Větší prostor dostávají vedlejší postavy Nox a Arden nebo Strážce Vladsen a také o špionovi Tomasovi se dozvídáme nové informace. Nechybí ani nové postavy – střelkyně Conwayová nebo strojník Knuth. Julesina linka je opět trochu upozaděná, ale v příběhu dává smysl a nepůsobí tam navíc.
Megan E. O´Keefeová napsala bohatý a spletitý příběh, v němž nechybí umělé inteligence, hrozící válka, skupinka odpadlíků, tajemství a politikaření, přestřelky a pronásledování a také zrada a nějaké to úmrtí. Pád do chaosu navíc obsahuje ještě víc překvapivých odhalení a zvratů než první díl Rychlostní zbraň. A minimálně z jednoho se vám nejspíš zastaví srdce a z druhého budete úplně paf. Děj odlehčují sympatické a osobité postavy, humor a špetka romantiky, protože tentokrát se zamotá citový život Biranovi. A přiznám se, že jeho romantická linka, přestože je tu spíš naznačená, mě opravdu bavila a potěšila.
Autorka vytvořila budoucnost, v níž se nikdo nepozastavuje nad tím, že je člověk bisexuál, homosexuál nebo nebinární a v níž stejnopohlavní páry mohou uzavírat manželství a mít rodinu, což je rozhodně plus. I proto se v Pádu do chaosu objevuje několik lgbt párů a také nebinárních postav.
První díl Rychlostní zbraň působí jako rozehrávka, protože tady autorka děj prohlubuje a rozvětvuje. Ať už to ale bylo záměrem či chybou autorky nebo mou nechápavostí, tak dějová linka týkající se umělé inteligence mi přišla spíš komplikovaná než komplexní. Pád do chaosu je nicméně teprve druhý díl ze tří, takže chybí celkový obraz.
Přesto mě Pád do chaosu pohltil, nutil mě otáčet stránky a dozvídat se nové informace. Navíc překonal i skvělý první díl Rychlostní zbraň. Takže jsem z Pádu do chaosu nadšená a právem se zařadí mezi nejlepší knihy, které jsem v roce 2023 přečetla. A nutně potřebuju třetí, závěrečný díl s názvem Catalyst Gate.
4,5/5
March 22, 2024
2.5*
The plot couldn’t seem to settle down enough to deal properly with one of its lines. At several instances my interest was really piqued, but the book has an attention span of a toddler and can’t seem to stay put. Funny thing is that, despite this, Chaos Vector is dragged out. An amazing feat.
Now combine this ADHD with the fact that the book is the Science Fiction equivalent of Televisa Presenta, and you get a really weird reading experience. For the most par I felt like a punching bag. BAM new location, BAM new reveal, BAM I’m your long lost evil twin brother, BAM you did not see this coming. BAM.
But, what I resent the most are the characters. Just because you had them all worked out in book one does not mean you can disregard characterization in book two. I mean I LIKE most of them and they were there and I still missed them.
The plot couldn’t seem to settle down enough to deal properly with one of its lines. At several instances my interest was really piqued, but the book has an attention span of a toddler and can’t seem to stay put. Funny thing is that, despite this, Chaos Vector is dragged out. An amazing feat.
Now combine this ADHD with the fact that the book is the Science Fiction equivalent of Televisa Presenta, and you get a really weird reading experience. For the most par I felt like a punching bag. BAM new location, BAM new reveal, BAM I’m your long lost evil twin brother, BAM you did not see this coming. BAM.
But, what I resent the most are the characters. Just because you had them all worked out in book one does not mean you can disregard characterization in book two. I mean I LIKE most of them and they were there and I still missed them.
April 30, 2021
Like most book twos in a trilogy, it meanders quite a lot in the first half of the book trying to build a new story, but it finishes with a big punch. Can't wait for the final instalment of this classic. One reason for the meander though is that the characters became a bit one dimensional so that this reader started to lose interest in them. Everyone doesn't have to be the toughest character that ever existed, even the more nerdy ones. A bit too cliché., masters of the universe stuff.
But on the whole a good, entertaining book with a complex story line that twists and turns.
But on the whole a good, entertaining book with a complex story line that twists and turns.
October 17, 2021
Where is my Lady Gaga gif?!?
Wonderful, Brilliant, Spectacular!!
I need to continue to book three now!!
Wonderful, Brilliant, Spectacular!!
I need to continue to book three now!!
January 16, 2024
glad to see all the top tier plot twists didn't stop with book one!
June 27, 2020
Velocity Weapon was one of my favourite reads of last year, one of those you get to the end and want more immediately. Well come July there will BE more, in the form of Chaos Vector which continues Sanda and co’s adventures with flair and style.
Bero has disappeared to who knows where, Sanda is on the run with Dad in tow, our other characters are scattered about in precarious positions and pretty much from page one you know this is going to be one heck of an adventure.
This author has such a fantastic way with words, her descriptive sense is intuitive and involving, the characters pop from the page and the world building is second to none.
The protectorate series that started with Velocity Weapon is shaping up to be one of the best scifi series of recent years with political intrigue, diverse and eclectic characters plus you know. Action. Lots and lots of edge of the seat action. All creatively excellent with pitch perfect delivery.
Really can’t recommend these highly enough
Bero has disappeared to who knows where, Sanda is on the run with Dad in tow, our other characters are scattered about in precarious positions and pretty much from page one you know this is going to be one heck of an adventure.
This author has such a fantastic way with words, her descriptive sense is intuitive and involving, the characters pop from the page and the world building is second to none.
The protectorate series that started with Velocity Weapon is shaping up to be one of the best scifi series of recent years with political intrigue, diverse and eclectic characters plus you know. Action. Lots and lots of edge of the seat action. All creatively excellent with pitch perfect delivery.
Really can’t recommend these highly enough
January 25, 2025
4.5 stars (rounded down) - This book really took pieces of what you thought weren't that important in Velocity Weapon and made them SO important. It also expanded on them as well. It was a fantastic second entry in the series when sometimes second books tend to falter. All the characters that became the center points had interesting enough parts in the story and I saw more gritty action, themes and sci-fi elements in this book.
I did, again, have an issue with the pacing in the middle of the book but it really all was worth it for the payoff in the end. So many things have now been left open ended in terms of plot that I'm excited to see how this series concludes.
And when you have to bust out the Kindle highlight feature, you know the quote is a banger. 😂
"We all have our one."
"One?"
"The one person you'd burn the universe down to save, or to condemn."
"And do we get one of each?"
She smiled to herself, tight and strained. "No. Life's never that clean."
I did, again, have an issue with the pacing in the middle of the book but it really all was worth it for the payoff in the end. So many things have now been left open ended in terms of plot that I'm excited to see how this series concludes.
And when you have to bust out the Kindle highlight feature, you know the quote is a banger. 😂
"We all have our one."
"One?"
"The one person you'd burn the universe down to save, or to condemn."
"And do we get one of each?"
She smiled to herself, tight and strained. "No. Life's never that clean."
February 11, 2025
GUYS. COME ON.
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