Raising Caine

Tales of the Terran Republic #3

by Charles E. Gannon

Book Three in the Nebula award nominated and Compton Crook award winning series. Science fiction adventure on a grand scale.

Caine Riordan, reluctant diplomatic and military intelligence operative, has just finished playing his part repulsing the Arat Kur’s and Hkh’Rkh’s joint invasion of Earth.

But scant hours after the attackers surrender, the mysterious but potentially helpful Slaasriithi appeal to Caine to shepherd a diplomatic mission on a visit to their very alien worlds. The possible prize: a crucial alliance in a universe where the fledgling Consolidated Terran Republic has very few friends.

But Caine and his legation aren’t the only ones journeying into the unknown reaches of Slaasriithi space. A group of renegade K’tor are following them, intending to destroy humanity’s hopes for a quick alliance. And that means finding and killing Caine Riordan.

Assuming that the bizarre and dangerous Slaasriithi lifeforms don’t do it first.

At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).About Trial by Fire:

“I seriously enjoyed Trial by Fire. This one’s a tidal wave—can’t put it down. An excellent book.” —Jack McDevitt on the prequel

"Gannon's whiz-bang second Tales of the Terran Republic interstellar adventure delivers on the promise of the first (Fire with Fire). . . . The charm of Caine's harrowing adventure lies in Gannon's attention to detail, which keeps the layers of political intrigue and military action from getting too dense. The dozens of key characters, multiple theaters of operations, and various alien cultures all receive the appropriate amount of attention. The satisfying resolution is enhanced by the promise of more excitement to come in this fascinating far-future universe."—Publishers Weekly Starred Review

". . . definitely one to appeal to the adventure fans. Riordan is a smart hero, up against enormous obstacles and surrounded by enemies. Author Gannon does a good job of managing action and tension to keep the story moving, and the details of the worlds Riordan visits are interesting in their own right.."—Analog

" . . . offers the type of hard science-fiction those familiar with the John Campbell era of Analog Science Fiction will remember. Gannon throws his readers into an action-packed adventure. A sequel to Fire With Fire, it is a nonstop tale filled with military science-fiction action." —Daily News of Galveston County

About Compton Crook award winner for best first novel,Fire with Fire:
“Chuck Gannon is one of those marvelous finds—someone as comfortable with characters as he is with technology, and equally adept at providing those characters with problems to solve. Imaginative, fun, and not afraid to step on the occasional toe or gore the occasional sacred cow, his stories do not disappoint.”—David Weber

"If we meet strong aliens out there, will we suffer the fate of the Aztecs and Incas, or find the agility to survive? Gannon fizzes with ideas about the dangerous politics of first contact.”—David Brin

"The plot is intriguing and then some. Well-developed and self-consistent; intelligent readers are going to like it.

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fiction, Ebooks, Military Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Military Fiction

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2015

About the author

Dr. Charles E. Gannon is a Distinguished Professor of English (St. Bonaventure U.) & Fulbright Senior Specialist (American Lit & Culture). He has had novellas in Analog and the War World series. His nonfiction book "Rumors of War and Infernal Machines" won the 2006 ALA Outstanding Text Award. He also worked as author and editor for GDW, and was a routine contributor to both the scientific/technical content and story-line in the award-winning games "Traveller," and "2300 AD." He has been awarded Fulbrights to England, Scotland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Netherlands, and worked 8 years as scriptwriter/producer in NYC.

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here we have a story of Better Living Through Genetic Supremacy, now brought to you by distant offshoots of humanity and aliens devoted to interspecies symbiotic cooperatives. Cool, right? Not far off from any of the old-style SFs thinly or thickly veiled as modern commentary on schools of thought. As far as it went, the book pulled it off nicely, with lots of action, discovery, and third-person unlimited PoV including the bad guys, again.

And like the previous two novels in this series, I wanted to like the story more than I did.

I truly like the square-jawed heroes as far as they go, and this third novel changes tack yet again to play with the third well-established trope, "The Exploration and Reveal of an Alien World and Species," to a very complex and exciting world-building effect.

The first novel enjoyed "The Induction of a Hero into High-Tech Spycraft and Alien Meet," while the second novel's foundation was firmly in "The Resistance and Defeat of an Alien Invasion." All three novels had an extremely strong thread of story, thankfully, and even wrapped up a lot of the initial questions of the first book quite neatly.

Unfortunately, it lost my interest more than a handful of times and it took some fairly heroic effort to get it back, and sometimes I was annoyed all out of proportion. Some sequence of events were almost a tribute to some of the worst aspects of old SF.

For example, imagine this sequence of events: Hunted by clones on an alien world, sick with planetary defence spores, riding on the back of alien water swimmers, hungry and afraid, we'll now treat you to a long-ass diatribe on the alien sexual characteristics of the beasts we're riding, in detail, in utter disregard for the fact that Caine is having a hard time breathing and is afraid that the clones will have tracked the nanites he's infected with.

Great!

Great tension destroyer.

Unfortunately, it's pretty common in old style SF, too, where the joy of creation and world-building overbalances the flow of the tale. Oops! I just wish it hadn't happened so much here!

I love great spaceship descriptions and battles and running and hiding for my life as much as anyone, but I think what I really wanted more of was actual character development, more active story changes rather than pew pew and duck and cover. A little goes a long way for me, and these last two books were FULL of them.

So if you're a fan of action adventure SF with pretty amazing world-building and very well-thought out alien species and development, I think you'll love this novel. It harkens back to the old days very intelligently and does those same old days much better because it's full of much more accurate science.

This is the second to the last of the nominated 2016 Nebula books *that I've read*, and while I am not voting because I can't, I'll just pretend for a moment that I am. :)

This novel isn't the winner. It's excellent for what it is, but it's overlong and somewhat a throwback.

I'm sticking with The Fifth Season, then Uprooted for now.

I still need to read Barsk: The Elephants' Graveyard. It might upset the apple cart. Who knows?

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my review for Fire with Fire, the first book in this series, I expressed that Gannon’s brand of science fiction was old-fashioned in the best and worst sense of that term. Those same virtues and shortcomings carry through Raising Caine, the third and latest novel in the series, though unlike the second book (Trial by Fire) its virtues are more evident and its shortcomings more tolerable. Gannon is a genius at grand scale world building and high adventure, but his narratives can get bogged down by his tendency to over-explain everything (and I mean everything) and fall down every rabbit hole he stumbles across. In Trial by Fire, this meant a very long book that constantly took the long way around to get from point A to point B. Raising Caine is plenty long as well, but this particular rabbit hole involves what interested me about the series in the first place – the discovery and exploration of believable alien worlds and cultures, for which Gannon’s detail-obsessed style is a welcome facet.
Raising Caine follows its hero Caine Riordan and a team of diplomats, scientists, and soldiers as they are brought into contact with the worlds inhabited by the Slaasriiti, who hope to form an alliance with the human race to help them combat the alarming aggressions of the empathy-challenged Ktor. The Ktor, of course, are looking to wreck their plans and destroy the delegation before such an alliance can be achieved.
Raising Caine is easily the best novel in the series so far. The pace is a little quicker here than in the previous two novels, and the plot considerably more straightforward. The novel’s perspective unfortunately still skews anglo-centric, but at least in this one the diverse, international supporting cast contributes more to the plot than just waiting for Caine Riordan to tell them what to do (though there’s still a bit of that from time to time – he is the hero, after all). Raising Caine’s female characters are also a significant improvement over those in the previous volumes, in that their behavior seems to be informed by something other than whatever their motives are for wanting to sleep with Caine Riordan. In fact, I am pleased to report that not a single woman in this novel appears to have any sexual interest in Riordan at all – a first for the series.
I don’t think Gannon’s writing is for everyone. My contemporary liberal arts educated eyes did plenty of rolling during this one, just like they did for the first two books. For those of you with similar post-colonial/feminist/Marxist leanings thinking of starting this series, you may have to get your retinas reattached before you get halfway through Fire with Fire. But despite my more enlightened impulses, I’m afraid that I am also exactly the kind of lizard-brained weirdo who gets into this stuff. I gave in; so, might you.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third brick in this series was the best so far, as Gannon eased up on the info drops and did some fantastic alien world building. Caine, our main protagonist, is still a little too perfect, although he still seems human.

Shortly after the battle for Earth and the surrender of the aliens (e.g., the 'roaches') at the homeworld who started the war, another alien race-- the Slaasriithi-- arrive at the roach home world and invite a human team to explore their worlds. Humanity knows very little about the Slaasriithi; they are perhaps the most friendly of the aliens to date, and some descendants of theirs were already encountered on a human colony. Much of this book involves these aliens, and the machinations of another alien race, who turn out to be some sort of genetically modified humans (the big reveal at the end of the last volume).

The Slaasriithi are hominoids and have a long history in space. The first world shown to the humans is a planet with a locked orbit on a red dwarf, leaving a narrow strip of habitation between the extreme heat and cold. The second planet is much more diverse and older, and mild spoiler, the humans crash here and have a long trek to safety, encountering a myriad of diverse life forms along the way...

Not quite sure what Gannon is going for in this series, however. Yes, there is some good military porn involved, but that is really a side issue. It seems many of the alien races have known about humanity via their estranged space faring 'brothers', who come off a real nasty piece of work. Yet, the other alien races see promise in the 'real' humans. The Ktor, as the renegade humans call themselves, have genetically altered themselves in (so far) mysterious ways to be 'better'. They come off as something like Hitler would have dreamed of. So, we have some really nasty fascist humans, some Kzin-like warriors (nicknamed the 'sloths'), the 'roaches', who seem generally friendly and un-warlike, and finally, the Slaasriithi, who are something like druids.

Gannon has improved with the aliens, making them more, well, alien I suppose here. Still, the 'evil' humans are just so evil; this makes a good bad guy, but very little shades of gray. The Slaasriithi are fascinating, however, and I hope there is more of them in the next volumes. It seems each book it the series has a new story arc, albeit related somehow. 3.5 stars, rounding up for the Slaasriithi.

[Kelly]

Caine Riordan has a habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In Fire with Fire, he stumbled into an intergalactic conspiracy. As a result, he lost thirteen years of his life and suffered a change in profession from writer to soldier, spy and sometime diplomat. In Trial by Fire, he is retired, reinstated and promoted so many times it’s dizzying, all in an effort to keep apace of the action. An exosapien disagreement is playing out in Indonesia, after all. By the time Raising Caine opens, Riordan is a leaf on the wind.

The invasion of Earth has just been quelled and already Riordan is being offered a new mission. The mysterious Slaasriithi would like him to visit their worlds. Friendship with the Slaasriithi is an almost necessary venture as the Consolidated Terran Republic is sadly lacking in allies among the other sentient species in the galaxy.

Riordan’s journey is nearly over before it begins due to security issues, possible sabotage and actual stupidity. Once in Slaasriithi space, the problems continue, a good number of them simply due the absolute alienness of their hosts and the bizarre and dangerous life-forms on their planet. All of this and a group of renegade K’tor are hell bent on stopping this alliance.

As with all the books in this series, the action begins on the first page and backstory is revealed in the first few chapters. Reading the preceding novels will give you a better and deeper appreciation of the greater story, though, particularly in regards to Caine Riordan. He’s an agreeable character and entertaining to spend time with.

My favourite aspects of this third novel in the series are numerous. The first is the readability. The fact the story picks up right where it left off and continues on, unabated. Charles E. Gannon simply assumes his readers will keep up and I prefer this to being spoon-fed extraneous detail. That’s not to say there isn’t a lot of detail, however. There’s tonnes, which is another favourite aspect. If you like military Science Fiction, you should be reading this series! I happened to be listening to Master and Commander on audio around the same time and I couldn’t help comparing the approach of both authors to the inner workings of naval culture and discipline and the dedicated delight with which they describe it.

In Raising Caine, this same care is shown in revealing the absolute strangeness of the Slaasriithi. Throughout this series, I’ve been in awe of Gannon’s imagination when it comes to alien species. I’ve also enjoyed the surprise of a few. The Slaasriithi take the proverbial cake, however. They’re just so weird but very, very cool with all their sub-species and genetic specialisations. The use of pheromones or markers is really unique. While Riordan might not have enjoyed his time on the Slaasriithi planet, I certainly did. There is a scene with a creature called a water strider that is very touching and very revealing of Riordan’s character, too.

The differences between human and Slaasriithi are examined in detail during several exchanges before, during and after Riordan’s excursion to Slaasriithi space and these are another example of Gannon’s ability to disparate species. I also enjoyed gaining a deeper sense of who the K’tor are and the glimpse into their very non-human culture and disdain for humans.

Finally, I loved the point of this book. The reason for the plot and adventures along the way and why the Slaasriithi wanted Riordan to visit and what they really wanted from him. It was another great example of Riordan being in the wrong place at the wrong time or maybe it would be better to say he has a habit of being in just the right place at the right time.

Raising Caine doesn’t read like a sequel. It’s just as chewy as its predecessor but not as bogged down in military conflict, which means it’s not a cloned novel, if you will. More, it reads as an instalment in a greater adventure, deepening the mysteries and posing several questions that will entice the reader to move forward. There is one in particular I’d like to see answered, a matter that’s addressed very late in Raising Caine just about at the point when I was preparing to message Chuck and ask, ‘But what about BLANK!’ (No spoilers here!)

Guess I’ll just have to wait until next year. In the meantime, Gannon has a lot of extras on his website including short stories and author and character interviews. Definitely worth checking out.

Reviewed for SFCrowsnest.

[Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this universe. Started the next one in the series the same day!

[Tim Hicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

So when you write a series as ambitious as this one, and try to dump in EVERYthing you researched (and you researched a lot!), the unfortunate result is that everyone will be able to find something to dislike.

First off, what IS this series? Is it a philosophical examination of how spacefaring races can co-exist or not? Is it the story of a Heinleinesque special agent? Is it a straight-up mil-porn fantasy with every bullet lovingly identified before it is fired? Or a space opera with all sorts of neat astrophysics? Gannon has dared to try to be all those things, and he's mostly succeeded. Trouble is, few readers will like ALL of those parts.

Anyway, here I am in the last tenth of the third book (of three so far), and things are starting to bother me. Here are some:

(1) Phil Friel dies heroically in the "wreck" of the Puller. A few dozen pages later, here's smilin' Phil, and the Puller is in full fighting trim except for a few patches. Pfui.

(2) Cheap plot trick: Oh, didn't we tell you? Sorr-ee! Elena's dead, well mostly dead, well, the Dornaani have her, and now you know there will be another book.

(3) The Catalysites are pure bologna, just a pulled-out-of-the-nether-regions magic trick to make a plot requirement possible.

(4) Just how many traitors have we seen so far in this series? Ten? Eleven? To be fair, the co-option of the major one in this book was well handled.

(5) Near the end, the bad guys activate a 200-year-old false-flag sleeper cell. Yeah, right. Just like the USA did in 1816, persuading people to keep this thing organized through two centuries Just In Case it was needed. This too sounds like a liberal application of narrativium to make the plot work.

(6) I couldn't be bothered to go back to see why the Arbitrage's exec officer just switched over to serve the Really Nasty Bad Guys. Is it just "hey, I love my ship" or what?

Through the whole series, I wondered if Gannon had decided to challenge Stephen Donaldson's tight grip on SF's Golden Thesaurus award. I suspect many readers had a dictionary at hand when they started book three. P.S. Does he give Donaldson a good run? Hellfire, no! SD used words that aren't even in my huge two-volume Shorter Oxford.

And I often got ticked by Gannon's style. Like this:
There was a twang, and Caine looked up to see a grand piano falling directly at him. He thumbed his wristcom, and said, "Jimmy? Hello, how's the family? Look, it's Captain Riordan here - yes, good to talk to you, too - and I need some information. Would you be able as a matter of some priority to access the databases and see if you can provide me the gravitational values for this planet? OK, thanks, I'll wait. Ah, 30.44 metres per second per second, jolly good, thanks Jimmy, give Mary a hug for me, bye." Quickly working out that he had some three seconds to live, Caine rotated the stock of his Bumble & Quilch NDS-755B -- the custom model he'd had made last time he was on Malta after the incident on the third planet of the red giant ND-232-R -- and selected a Grumman Super-Scatterer grenade, wanting to make sure the entire piano was dispersed. He took off his glove, held it in his teeth, and carefully selected the Medium blast setting to ensure that the two nearby exosapients (a grog from WeMadeIt and a fg'Gyed'dhd-%%-walker from SDF-175) wouldn't be hurt by flying bits of high-quality Indonesian mahogany or deadly strings coiling through the air in the usual Whiffenpoof-Carlotti curve pattern. He pulled the trigger, and strode forward out of a cloud of sawdust, brass and ivory.

Overall: good but often frustrating.

[Ric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Space opera SF told on a grand scale with military/diplomatic/spy elements. A romp that took two previous books to get to (Trial by Fire, Fire with Fire) but worth it.

Following right on the heels of the victory on earth against the invading Arat Kur, the titular Caine (Riordan) is whisked once again on a new mission to the mysterious Slaasriithi to establish a pact that may well preserve the future of mankind (hyperbole seems to work best for space operas). And of course, nothing is as it seems at the outset, the Slaasriithi's affined worlds are as dangerous to humans as they come, and the Ktor, erstwhile allies of the Arat Kur, have treacherous plans of their own. It would take the very special wits of Caine to wiggle out of the various tight spots he and his new troupe find themselves in.

This was a hoot to read. Mr. Gannon builds upon the alien civilizations and other SF elements of the previous books to present a fairly cohesive and action-driven narrative. Part 4 was the best for me, because of the space battle segments. Now and then, the book goes into extended infodumps that get dreary, and in places the prose turns archaic, as if being delivered for a courtroom rather than as a genre tale. But for the most part, the story moves at a good clip.

Probably the best of the three books, or at least just as good as the first. Recommended for fans of hard SF and space operas.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite the page turner as the first two, I still read it in a couple of days.

It's important to have read the first two books, which I highly recommend, before reading this one.

This one slows down a little and focuses on Riordan as an "ambassador" to a race of aliens that do not value the individual over the race. It has some very interesting aspects that contrast greatly with the nature of the human race.

[Oleksandr Zholud · Rating 3 out of 5]

the third volume is on the downfall slope, way weaker than the previous two. My greatest objection is anthopomorphization of aliens and too cartoonish villians

[Francisco · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third entry in the Caine Riordan series it continues the story of the titular character as he navigates complex politics and military stuff. It's a pretty standard military sci-fi series but it is a pretty interesting one as there is a limited number of alien races and we see their interaction with each other. So there's humans and 5 other races, and this limited number allows for a quite easy to track but complex diplomatic, political and military games.

If the first book was focused on human first contact, the second on an invasion of earth by two (or three) others, the third is focused on Caine going into deeper contact with one specific race while being attacked by another. 

So in essence the stories work like a chess game where a limited number of pieces get moved around in quite interesting ways and you end up in a different position than you started. The characters are compelling, particularly Caine himself and the main representatives of each race which give different perspectives on the universe itself. Here we focus on a polytaxic species with a biology based technology as well as a weird alien but human race of genetically enhanced aristocrats on a revenge mission. There isn't much that is revolutionary here but it is a fun time. Gannon continues with his political position where the truly awful guys are large multinational corporations, so it's perfectly believable. Fun military SF.

[Joe Santoro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series continues to be one that turns pages and makes you want to know what happens, but it's not GOOD exactly. I do really like the Slaasrithi, that seem pretty unique as alien species go.. not quite a hive mind, but not quite independent either, with very interesting world views. Much better than the other races Gannon has created, which are almost directly right out of Star Trek.. the Ktor also get some spotlight here, and they are VERY Romulan.

Interesting choice from a character standpoint... other than our superman Caine, everyone else from the first two books has been discarded for a new supporting cast (some were minor characters that get 'promoted' others are brand new).

To be honest, the main plot action of a rebel Ktor house causing trouble, was far less interesting that the exploration of SLassrithi culture, which was both interesting and terrifying. Gannon spends ALOT of time describing guns and ammo that it totally unecessary, especially since they're make pretend future guns. At least 50 pages could be cut out (probably more) getting rid of logicstical chapters. Honestly, I think this could easily be one of those series that skips the fights and just tells you what happens, but then it probably wouldn't be published by Baen .

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gannon, Charles E. Raising Caine. Tales of the Terran Republic No. 3. Baen, 2015.
Raising Caine, the third volume in Charles Gannon’s Terran Republic series, is a major step forward in the detailed world building and character development in this series, so it is no surprise that it received a Nebula Award nomination. Caine Riordan has once again been promoted beyond his comfort level as he is escorting a group of diplomats on a “deep contact” mission hampered by enemy ships pursing him and a carefully described dangerous jungle ecology. He is accompanied by several other well-developed characters, both human and alien, and even his enemies are given a nuanced treatment. There is an intriguing dialogue about the use of genetic engineering and controlled breeding. Most of the power groups in the novel have distinctly different approaches to the issue. Gannon has created a large, complex world, and I see no end to the good stories that could emerge from it.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid book of the series, it is definitely falling into the sci-fi trap that “I have a great universe in my head, now here’s how I’m going to parade the protagonist around it to show it off.” Also, military action.

Which is a shame as the author seems to deal better with smaller scale skirmishes than larger multi-body conflicts. I mean they are perfectly serviceable, but they don’t carry the emotional weight the smaller conflicts, as well as defocusing from the subterfuge and shenanigans.

[Jeffrey Schmieder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how this author goes so deep into creating his worlds. These aren't gung ho adventure tails, they are closer to spy/diplomacy novels. You never know who to trust of your new allies or even your own team. And even the foes have their own internal politics. I like to read this series slow because so much is going on, and after I put the book down, I will still think about what I just read. I don't know if this is a spoiler in the series, but I still don't trust the S race. Their endorphins sound like chemical brainwashing.

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gannon does a good job of creating alien cultures. However the way he conveys the culture is to have characters explain why they are doing the things they do. This is jarring and pulls you out of the narrative. A more subtle approach might be to have characters in other races "discover" these differences as part of the story. It might simply be too much to ask. Very few writers are at the level of Ursula LeGuin. The politics is still enough of a draw to keep me reading.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Items I enjoyed in this series and this book:
* Well developed characters and aliens.
* Many of the main characters whether friends, foes, or aliens had some writing from their POV.
* Grand scale worlds, very detailed, interesting worlds...
* Since the timeframe is "only" 200 years in the future, our human heroes are relatable.

If you like detailed writing describing new worlds and cultures, read this series.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recent Reads: Raising Caine. Charles Gannon's space opera series continues. Just because you've won one interstellar war, doesn't mean you're safe. To paraphrase Propaganda: The first contact won't hurt at all/The second only makes you wonder/The third will have you on your knees.

[William Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent example of classic old time sci-fi! Features multiple compelling alien civilizations, intrigue amongst and between the various factions, a great cast of humans to orchestrate the action on our behalf, and the breadth of plot to sustain book after book. Love it!

[Kevin K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as enjoyable as books 1 and 2, but still a solid romp. You can tell by the read dates that I accidentally started this before book 2, realized it and put it down. Whoops!

[Kirk · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could not read much. Written for young audience and mostly war.

[Ryan Kovar · Rating 4 out of 5]

More space opera. Enjoyable exploration of this world

[David Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Space Opera Plus

The plot comes from pulp sci-fi but the writing transcends. The biom construction was delightful. I recommend this book to all hardcore fans.

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Third in a really fun sci-fi series. Caine Riordan, Gannon's hero in this series, has the brains & skills to match the best of them.

[Karsten Stiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great continuation of the story. If you liked the first two books, you'll like this one, too; promised.

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as tight as the last book, but moves right along.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good action scenes. I thought Caine's reaction to Dowling at the end was not enough (for Elena) and too much (for Katie). Gannon should stick to action, not relationships.

[Steve Everett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raising Caine is book three in a wonderfully developed series. Created by Charless, it does more than explore what it means to be an hero in an universe filled with several unique aliens. It is also an illumination of human struggles, duty to others, responsibilities not just to his characters ‘self’ but also to the aliens which Caine Riordan comes in contact with. This is not an easy fictional universe to step in to. It is a very dense read, rewarding but the reader comes out knowing more than when they became in such a well thought out story. Mr Gannon reminds me of Thomas Clancy, with his knowledge and experience with the military machine yet he is one strength better – the reader isn’t lost in such a large forest of acronyms so this story becomes easier to follow. There is a deft skill in creating believable villains, some attempt for villains simply make them eviil because it is the easiest route. Mr Gannon deliberately chose the harder and higher route by giving the alien Ktor viable reasons for the way they are, almost reminiscent of the Reengineered ‘ created by Charles Stross and in their house structure such as might be found in Star Trek’s Klingons or in Game of Thrones. I did find at moments, too much minutiae about weaponry or in the description of alien vehicles which is great for the more military minded but for the straight action-shoot ‘em up crowd it might be a bit slow. For the number of supporting characters in ‘Raising Caine’ this is one more strength – control. Charles kept both the place and pace of the story continuous by limiting the number of characters he was using, so there was very little lost in keeping track of each person – where they were, who they were and what the hell they were doing. I had trouble figuring out who the two spies were, which is the mark of a devious mind, but Charles managed a tight control on the issue of clues. No one wants to solve either the mystery or the secret or the murder halfway through a book, so there was a great wealth of skills in keeping the final person under the viewers radar. Finally the resolution – it covered everything from how Caine gets better after the major battle in the third-quarter of the book as well as preparing the reader for his upcoming assignment. It did feel perhaps ten pages too long, some of this might have been condensed except for the fact we are being prepared for the next installment – ‘Caine’s Mutiny’. My only regret is the fact that the planet Disparity doesn’t yet exist but with Charles efforts hopefully we’ll find one nearby in the next hundred years.

[Mark Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing I'd like to say about this book is that Charles Gannon gets the military mindset in most ways. I say this as a vet who has served. When his military characters interact, the do so in a way that is very real to me. It reminds me of the interacts I have with my fellow vets, and those of my classmates still in uniform. There are many things civilians do not understand about soldiers. I see it constantly. Unless you live that life, unless your life actually depends on the man to your right and the woman to your left, you don't have the life experience to grok it. I've read Dr. Gannon's bio, and I see no indication of military service. I can only guess he is informed by his membership in SIGMA and a set of militaristic hobbies. Whatever the source, he's taken it to heart. I won't say it's perfect, or that it isn't occasionally Hollywood, but it's damn refreshing Sci-fi for a vet to read.

But that doesn't mean this book is all about the military and military action. It's far more personal than that. In Trial by Fire, the action was hot and heavy encompassing many star systems and hundreds of thousands if not millions of sentient beings. Tens of thousands of them died in a huge war. In Raising Caine, the action is confined to two small groups of humans and a few Slaasriithi. The action is close. There's a traitor in their midst and they know it, just not who it is. It's all very, very personal. To me, the characters in Raising Caine, even the ones new since Trial by Fire, are deeper and more complex in this book than they have been in the previous. Though the story unrelentingly focuses on Caine Riordan, you still get to know many of the other characters - love them or hate them. It makes for a strong story.

In my review of Trial by Fire I wrote, "There are a few female characters and Dr. Gannon probably even thinks they are strong female characters." That's not all I said on the matter. The rest is even less complimentary. They were harsh words, but I felt compelled to say them. And though I know they are not responsible for any changes in that regard, I am still very happy to report the female characters in Raising Caine are much, much better. It's a more inclusive story. Males and females share responsibilities. The sex of the character matters far less in this book than it seemed to in Trial by Fire. And though there were a few places where romance rears its undesired head, it is kept low-keyed and is not a vehicle for anyone's actions... well it was once but that was completely understandable. I'd have done the same thing.

And for those who read this and wonder about the Bechdel Test, yes, this novel passes that test quite early on. In fact, I was disappointed that more was not done with one of the female characters involved in the particularly riveting conversation I'm thinking about, but I know we haven't heard the last of her. She's singled out in that plot line's wrap-up for this novel. (That's perhaps a wee bit of a spoiler, but what the hell. It really isn't telling you anything.) There wasn't much opportunity for female on female scenes throughout much of the book though. The protagonist is male and there is only so much that can be done about that. But that could change, and I can see some spin-off stories possibilities if Dr. Gannon ever decides to write his version of Zoe's Tale (Pandora's Tale. *cough,cough*)

There are no really negative things to say about Raising Caine. It is interesting, action packed and just about everything you could want in a Space Opera. It even managed to surprise the hell out of me when the traitor's identity was finally revealed. Man, I didn't see that coming. Well played Dr. Gannon, well played. However, you used the phrase "just so" at least a half-dozen times in this novel, and every time the Slaasriithi ambassador said it I thought of a particular Arat Kur from Trial by Fire. Please stop. But honestly, that's the worst thing I can think of about this book. All in all, I feel Raising Caine is better novel than Trial by Fire, and that's saying a lot. It's well worth the read, and I look forward to the future adventures of Caine Riordan (and Pandora's Tale. *cough, cough*)

[Michael Rutkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again an excellent book in this series ! i am really enjoying the fresh perspective this author brings to this genre ! It doesn't seem to be the same old thing that over and over like a lot of other authors and series ! Can't wait for the next book !

[MadProfessah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

This is the third book in the Caine Riordan series, which I thought might be a trilogy but from the way this book ends it looks like there is still a lot more of the story to come.

This book is very similar to the second book in that it is action-packed (almost obsessively so) but at the same time it is significantly different because a lot of it takes place on an alien planet as opposed to the other books in the series which were basically centered around space battles, first contact with aliens and alien invasion of Earth.

The secret agent/double agent theme returns in this book, which is a strength, and we also get a POV from the "bad guys'" perspective which widens the narrative and makes it more interesting. However I got bogged die in some of the internecine details of the hand-to-hand and missile-to-missile combat of this book (this was my primary complaint with Book 2: Trial by Fire).

That being said, I'm glad I completed the 3rd book in the series. All 3 were nominated for the Nebula award, which is not insignificant in my eyes. However, I doubt I need to rush out to buy and read the next Caine Riordan novel, when inevitably it comes out in a year or so.