Бъди ми враг

Everness #2

by Ian McDonald, Иън Макдоналд, Петър Тушков (Translator)

Eвepeт Cинг ce e измъкнaл oт нoктитe нa вpaгoвeтe cи c Инфyндибyлyмa – ключa към вcички пapaлeлни вceлeни. Ho cвoбoдaтa мy идвa нa виcoкa цeнa: бaщa мy e изгyбeн в някoя oт милиapдитe пapaлeлни вceлeни нa Цeлocттa.

З1 e пъpвaтa Зeмя, paзpaбoтилa пopтaл нa Xaйзeнбepг, c чиятo пoмoщ мoжe дa ce пpecкaчa мeждy cвeтoвe, нo e пocтaвeнa пoд кapaнтинa – никoй нe мoжe дa я пoceти... нитo дa я нaпycнe. З1 oбaчe paзпoлaгa c нeщo, oт кoeтo Eвepeт ce нyждae: нaчин дa oткpиe бaщa cи.

Зaeднo c кaпитaн Aнacтeйзия Cикccмит, дъщepя й Ceн и eкипaжa нa Eвъpнec, Eвepeт щe ce cблъcкa cъc cтpaшнaтa тaйнa нa З1... A зaeднo c нeя – и нa cвoя нaй-yжacявaщ вpaг.

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Steampunk, Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Science Fiction Fantasy

328 pages, Paperback

First published September 4, 2012

About the author

Ian Neil McDonald was born in 1960 in Manchester, England, to an Irish mother and a Scottish father. He moved with his family to Northern Ireland in 1965. He used to live in a house built in the back garden of C. S. Lewis's childhood home but has since moved to central Belfast, where he now lives, exploring interests like cats, contemplative religion, bonsai, bicycles, and comic-book collecting. He debuted in 1982 with the short story "The Island of the Dead" in the short-lived British magazine Extro. His first novel, Desolation Road, was published in 1988. Other works include King of Morning, Queen of Day (winner of the Philip K. Dick Award), River of Gods, The Dervish House (both of which won British Science Fiction Association Awards), the graphic novel Kling Klang Klatch, and many more. His most recent publications are Planesrunner and Be My Enemy, books one and two of the Everness series for younger readers (though older readers will find them a ball of fun, as well). Ian worked in television development for sixteen years, but is glad to be back to writing full-time.

Reviews

[Mogsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...

With its intriguing application of quantum physics and topic of parallel earths, Planesrunner secured its spot as one of the most unique young adult novels I read last year. And of course, who could forget the heart-pounding airship battles? When it comes delivering excitement and adventure, Ian McDonald knows his stuff, and I could not wait to get my hands on the next book. Seeing as the third installment of the Everness series is already on the horizon, I thought it best to get right on that post-haste.

But first, bear in mind that this review may contain spoilers for book one, since Be My Enemy immediately picks up where Planesrunner left off. Last time we saw Everett Singh, he had managed to escape his enemies by transporting himself and his new Airish friends to another parallel earth. His computer device holding the Infundibulum and the key to the multiverse is safe for now, but it's only a matter of time until their pursuers catch up. Plus, Everett still needs to figure out a way to rescue his father, a seemingly impossible task, seeing as Tejendra Singh is now stranded somewhere on any one of the possible parallel worlds -- 10 to the power of 80 of them, to be exact. Yep, it's a big multiverse.

Everett's search for answers eventually leads him to E1, the first Earth to develop a way to jump between parallel universes. It's also the only world amongst the ten known Earths that is sealed off, quarantined, nothing going in and nothing coming out. I won't deny it, I was thrilled that the characters ended up here. The speculations drove me insane in the first book, leaving me wondering and guessing what could have happened to E1 to make everyone so afraid, and now thanks to this sequel, I finally know why. And the reasons are hair-raising indeed! I doff my hat to you, Mr. McDonald.

But wait, that's not all. One thing about this book is that it simply does not stop with the surprises, and not least of them is the lengths the bad guys will go to in order to get what they want. Everett's enemies have some wily tricks up their sleeves, stopping at nothing to gain control of the Infundibulum. All I'll say is that in time, the perplexing introduction to Be My Enemy, not to mention that curious title, will be explained. I can't even begin to ponder the future implications of everything that happened here. Take everything that made Planesrunner so great, dial it all up and you get this book:

Action? Check. In fact, this story has it in spades.

Cleverness? Check. No doubt the book fudged a lot of the science, but it's done for the sake of top-notch storytelling. In spite of that, this book does not patronize the reader, which makes me think this series would appeal to adults and young adults alike.

Interesting characters? Check. This book gave me a more in-depth look into Everett's personality, in the most unexpected and unique way possible. As for the supporting cast, I feel like I finally have an idea of who they are. I never gave much thought to Sen in the first book, but now I find her to be a delight. I loved the brief glimpses of the story told from her perspective, and couldn't help but think how awesome an entire novel in her point of view would be. I can dream, can't I?

And what about the world building, you ask? Big check. Absolutely fantabulosa.

After all, anything can happen when it comes to a story about parallel earths. I was impressed with Ian McDonald's imagination at work in Planesrunner, the way he brought the Airish culture to life and the incredible way he described the world of E3. True to form, he does not hold back for the sequel either, giving the same creative treatment to settings like E1 or the frozen wasteland at the beginning of the novel, despite these being much bleaker and darker worlds.

You never know where the story might take you, or what amazing things you'll see next, and that's one of the main reasons why I'm having so much fun. Bring on the third book, I'm ready!

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3287038.html

Sequel to Planesrunner, which I read last year. Our protagonist continues to try and tie things together between his/our own reality, a steampunk alternate timeline, and some much nastier worlds. I got a bit lost with the evil robot doubles but generally enjoyed it.

[Мариша · Rating 5 out of 5]

Тук вече е по-ясна идеята за съдбите. Странно по своеобразен начин е това драматично различаване на съдбите на цели народи в отделните вселени - спрямо еднаквостта на личните съдби. Тенджера навсякъде се жени за Лора. Навсякъде има една и съща озаряваща усмивка.... Да видим докъде. Дано в трета книга има обяснение.
И тази крайна любов на сина към бащата, която дава силите на Еверет - много е хубава, още по-хубава е в безумните решения, към които подтиква. Дано натам получи и духовно измерение.
Рядко хубаво фентъзи!

[Violeta Nyagolova]

Dnf

[Jasper · Rating 4 out of 5]

originally posted at: http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2013/08/be-my-enemy.html

Be My Enemy is the second book in the Everness series written by Ian McDonald, last week I read Planesrunner, the first book and really left my with an urge to pick up it's sequel ASAP. I got that young boyish delight after finishing Planesrunner, all the cool high tech gadgets to which I was introduced to combined with the way it was shown and how it was written and above all the concept of multiversing. It makes this series not only suited for the intended young adult audience but for adults as well!


The ending of Planesrunner somehow steered the book in a direction of how the story should be picked up but also left a lot of ground still to be explored. Just in short a bit about what transpired in Planesrunner. Everett's father was kidnapped by The Order. The Order is a sinister organization who wants to get their hands on the Infundibulum, which features as the map of all the parallel universes. Now that it is in possession of Everett he is on the run avoiding on one hand The Order and on the other hand finding out in which universe his father is currently staying in order to get him back. The whole story in Planesrunner was accompanied by a great and if you can say it realistic feel, even though it is pure science fiction. Ian McDonald set up the storyline smartly and broke down several crucial aspects of the storyline into bite size chunks that gave a good grip on the story.


Honestly when I first read the introducing chapter of Be My Enemy I went back to Planesrunner. I thought I recognized something, but then later continuing it's was different but didn't make since, well at that point anyway, and then it all fell into place because "There is not one you. There are many yous.". This was one aspect I was eager to see explored, the alters (alternate version of the same characters). I already had my guesses that Charlotte and Charles were one and the same but now (yes this is a small spoiler) Everett has one. This is the Be My Enemy part, Everett now another enemy looking just like him... I have to admit that I did have a few reservations to start with the alter part, it can be quite complicated when writing multiple universes and to top it off with a same set of characters therein with them being slightly different. However this fear was totally uncalled for as Ian McDonald introduces only a few "alter" characters in a way neat manner. Take for example the alter of Everett, first I thought that it was the real one, but there are those little tweaks in the character that make him different and the alter is really given it's own personality and feel in one way like a new character but in another way with the roots still in the original characters still quite similar. And one aspect I was pleased about was that the alter Everett isn't just used to hunt down the real Everett but also used to "infiltrate" into the E10 world... combined with how evil the alter Everett is gives this scary feeling...


Next to the new character via the alters, there are quite a few recurrent characters as well. For starters there is our main protagonist and hero Everett, his character will inspire a lot of young kids to become just as adventurous and confident as him. Though Everett's character doesn't go through a lot development, he is still an amazing lead for this story and he doesn't lack any confidence in doing anything or voicing his opinions. Another great addition in Planesrunner, was Sen. Sen now set herself apart even more. Her character is easily recognizable and quite unique to say the least (in a good way that is!) her whole attitude somehow full of adventure and action taken together with a more “motherly” and caring approach, especially towards Everett make her just great. Whether there is some romancing going on from her side of the story remains to be seen, it’s hard to tell, because at one moment she can be quite happy and open and on a different moment closed like a book. But their relation does add a something special to the story. I mentioned in the Planesrunner review that I had a hard time pinning down Sharkey with his biblical texts and didn’t know he was in for good or bad, but his character is a bit further explored and there are some nice dialogues between him and the other crew that let Sharkey come out of the gray area in which he was. But still after this I do have some doubts, he can say all he wants, but given his background you just never know!

As for the bad guys of The Order. They were shown in this sinister setting in the first book, especially Charlotte, but now their plans are making a turn to the more darker side again. Being able to still travel to other universes, they employ a weapon to their task of one that will be Everett’s deadliest enemy. Though there were already quite a few heavy Science-Fiction elements in the first book. In creating the deadliest enemy for Everett, even more of Science-Fiction is explored, and its all pretty cool stuff. This is a great interplay between the parallel worlds and how several parallel world are way more advanced than the “current” Earth. I liked the whole Madam Moon part and the armor in the end, when I read about those blaster I though Iron Man, and later Ian McDonald does mention it in his storyline, it just comes to show for me at least and probably a lot more that Ian McDonald knows how to write an exciting and engaging story. With the actions that The Order is undertaking, the story of Be My Enemy turns techno-thriller, which is further bolstered by the part I am going to mention below.

NANOTECHNOLOGY! YES, there you have it! (sorry for this if it is to spoilery but I just have to mention it) Talking about more cool stuff. I have some knowledge of nanotechnology and it has already been quite often used in technological thrillers, this is the stuff that inspires on one part fear in me and on the other part a high coolness factor. But how is this nanotechnology linked to the story? In Planesrunner we learned there was one planet quarantined, E1, because it has a horrifying secret. However Everett has to face the parallel universe of E1 to retrieve one particular item. Soon you learn what went wrong and how it went wrong and this is the part that inspires the fear. I liked how Ian McDonald introduced us to the nanotechnology and how he uses it in his story, creating a sentient being that comes to show in the encounter with the alter Everett, it’s nasty (meaning the plotting of the events that surround it and how it possibly can be picked up later). It’s cool to read about that the nanobots were able to make whole new “constructs” like birds, dogs and others, even so far as being able to commune, it just adds this whole new level to the story. When there is this encounter on E1 between the real Everett and the nanobots, they have to make haste and flee, Ian McDonald managed to grasp and show the action in a tight and controlled way, really creating that edge of your seat moment!

Be My Enemy had a lot to live up to after the magnificent start in Planesrunner and for me it has done it. With giving the introduction to the multiversing in the first book, it was now up to Ian McDonald to show what else was possible in the Everness series and take his story further, he does it in a spectacular manner. Highlighting in particular the alters (alternate version of the same character living in the parallel universes) and introducing the threat of nanotechnology that decimated the Earth of E1. Though they are heavy subjects, they are all introduced along the way and don’t feel as an information dump, more on the contrary they feel natural as they were meant to be. This I think is owed to the way the story was set-up and combined with the excellent writing style of Ian McDonald. Be My Enemy introduced a lot of new threats to Everett with his alter and The Order, and will make his journey through the parallel universe even that more precarious. In the end of Be My Enemy it seems that there is now an even bigger threat on the loose that could mean the end of all the Panoploy... Everness is a series to watch out for: it’s turning into an excellent techno-thriller, it has a lot of action, cool science fiction stuff, it's a lot of fun to read and is one big unparalleled adventure!

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Честно казано, първата част ми хареса повече, въпреки че във втората замисълът е по- мащабен. Въпреки това ми вървеше малко задъхано-хаотично, с постоянното прехвърляне от Еверет към Еверет-М и мятането от един свят в друг. Но пък си остава много-много интересна.

[Palmyrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave the first book in this series, Planesrunner, five stars. I wish I could do the same for this, because it kept me hooked all the way through and left me bereft and disappointed when I turned the last page. Frankly, I loved it.

Yes, the basic conceit and the plot are a bit too close to those of Iain M. Banks’s Transition for comfort — down to the mantis-like sexiness of the Chief Villainess — but the concept of a chase across parallel timelines in different universes is big enough to accommodate both novels and a few dozen others as well. McDonald’s narrative and imaginative powers are strong enough that the comparison with Banks, one of the best writers who ever took up science fiction, does not shame him.

Unfortunately, there is a great big hole in the plot, which rather spoils the fun. I won’t reveal it here, except to say it concerns electromagnetic pulses, or EMPs. It’s not a scientific booboo. It’s a storytelling booboo — a very bad one, for which I hereby dock this otherwise wonderful book two stars.

Also, and sadly, I found Mr McDonald, whose intelligence I have heretofore admired, talking utter rubbish here and there in this book. At one point our juvenile hero, Everett Singh, ‘discovers’ that you can’t be afraid on your own because ‘fear needs an audience’. Really? I can’t count the times I’ve been afraid and alone. Another time, Everett says that ‘guns don’t make people feel powerful’. Try telling that to the sick losers who take their revenge against society through mass shootings.

So three stars, despite a strong urge to give it five. Can’t wait for Everness #3.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

...Some of the novelty of McDonald's concepts has worn of in this book of course, but all things considered Be My Enemy is a very strong sequel to Planesrunner. McDonald doesn't feel the need to hold the reader's hand in his adult fiction and he certainly doesn't do so here. In my opinion that is something books for teens could use more of. There is a respect of the reader's intelligence in these novels that makes them attractive for geeks of all ages. I hope to see a new McDonald for adult audiences again soon, but I will keep an eye out for the third volume of the Everness series as well.

Full Random Comments review

[David Schwan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not nearly as good a book as the first one. The storyline tended to be very disjointed and never really settled down. The character development was good, we learn more about the main characters. Overall not the most satisfying of books. It is not clear that the third book will be more organized. Some big problems lurk in this world and how they will get resolved could elevate the conclusion.

[Hex75 · Rating 3 out of 5]

ah, l'eterno problema dei "secondi capitoli".
qui abbiamo ian mcdonald che deve dare un seguito ad un libro, "terra incognita", decisamente memorabile (talmente memorabile che -nonostante sia passato diverso tempo- mi è bastato poco per riambientarmi nel suo mondo, palari compreso. senza bisogno di risfogliarlo per ripassare nomi ed eventi) e al tempo stesso deve mettere carne al fuoco per metterci fotta per il prossimo capitolo.
il problema, in questi casi, è quanta carne al fuoco viene messa: abbiamo già il mistero su chi stia minacciando il nostro everett, su dove sia suo padre e su quale possibile futuro si svelerà alla fine (più varie ed eventuali, tipo -chessò- come funzionino i tarocchi di sen), si aggiungono un nemico nuovo e indecifrabile, un "doppelganger" (chiamiamolo così) che potrebbe rivelarsi una minaccia come l'asso nella manica della vicenda e qualche nuovo personaggio ad aggiungere azione alla storia.
il prossimo libro rischia contemporaneamente di essere una delusione o una bomba: speriamo che la sempre rispettabile collana "urania" lo pubblichi abbastanza presto...

[Steven Poore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Planesrunner was fantastic enough, with its furious charge through quantum realities and its absolute refusal to treat the reader as dumb. Be My Enemy kicks it all up a gear. You can't read these two books and dismiss them lightly as YA. No, this is excellent science fiction, recommended for old adults such as myself as well as young adults. Pick up Planesrunner first, but don't miss this second volume - here we really do start to venture into the Panoply of worlds, and you get a sense of the tumbling chaos and danger even in the closer-knit ten Earths that Planesrunner introduced us to. There are alternate versions of characters, with all the terrifying ramifications of alt-selves and alt-histories, there are massive tech-heavy battles and chases, awesome nano-horror, and most importantly, some extremely deft and memorable characterisations and encounters.

Wonderful stuff.

[Ивайло [IF Tomeff] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Еверет Синг получава от баща си, отвлечен в началото на "Беглец по равнините", софтуерна карта на познатите десет паралелни вселени, заедно с необятния брой непознати такива. Когато всеки запознат с възможностите на софтуера би убил за да го притежава, момчето трябва да бяга.

Spoiler alert!!!

Евърнес 2: "Бъди ми враг" ни сблъсква с враг, много по-опасен от преследвачите. Ами ако ти самият се окажеш свой враг?! Ами ако порталът се отвори в центъра на някоя звезда?! Ами ако ИИ+нанотехнология, хранеща се с хора=заплаха за всяка жива материя намери път за бягство от З-1 Земя Едно - планета-капан, поставена под абсолютна карантина?


Еверет е въвлечен в страшно приключение из вселените, а единственото, което иска, е да открие в кой свят са захвърлили баща му.

Приключенска литература с перфектна доза научна фантастичност и стиймпънк обстановка.

[Edward Champion · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought PLANESRUNNER -- the first of the Everness trilogy -- was a lot of fun. So this is a hugely disappointing dropoff. Ian McDonald certainly writes with great energy, but the story here is a mishmash of random adventures in varying universes. The so-called "alters" -- that is, alternative versions of people in other universes -- aren't nearly as interesting as they could be. Even when Everett Singh runs into another version of himself, he has much of the same mannerisms. I think McDonald had something when Everett was with his family. You could see his relationships and thus it was a prime opportunity for character development. But in this round, the characters are dreadfully flat and the story execution is surprisingly banal, despite McDonald's vivacity as a writer.

[Francis X DuFour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huh?

First off, I have say that the writing in this book was superb. It gave a very good idea of what a future multi-race- language universe could be like. The geopolitical sparring and the technology levels of different races were well laid out. But the operation of the Heisenberg gates and their abilities to move people between times/places and that interplay with the main plot was a little too confusing. But still, I’d recommend the book.

[Renato Brazioli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sempre piacevole, scorrevole, coerente.

Bella l'idea dell'estensione dell'umanità su mondi paralleli, piuttosto che nello spazio, non una novità, ma esplorata in modo fresco.

Nonostante la pubblicazione in Urania, è una serie "young adult", quindi con varie semplificazioni e/o esaltazioni nella caratterizzazione dei personaggi.

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who says I have to read things in order? Somehow this was less steam punk-y and more dark and heart felt. Excellent series. now trying to reserve book 1!

[C. Steinmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fits to part 1

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book following Planesrunner. The writing remains consistent and the story moves along at a decent pace.

[Виктор Дачев · Rating 5 out of 5]

Хубава, динамична, пост-стиймпънк фантастика. Интересн�� идеи и развиването им много радва,

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be My Enemy is the second book in Ian McDonald's Everness series, the sequel to Planesrunner, which I not only really liked but found thought-provoking as well. This installment is not a standalone work, and for that I must fault it a little. But it is action-packed—a very good (and quick!) read.

Everett Singh's father Tejendra did not invent the Heisenberg Gates that allow travel between fixed points on the ten known parallel worlds of the Plenitude... but he did come up with the Infundibulum, a sophisticated computer application that permits controlled point-to-point travel to anywhere between—and within—all universes. Unfortunately, Tejendra's met with an "accident"—he may be alive in some timeline, but not even the shadowy Charlotte Villiers (whose name's similarity to "villain" is, I suspect, no coincidence) knows exactly where.

So now Everett has custody of his father's infamous Infundibulum, and so now of course he's on the run. He has allies—Captain Anastasia Sixsmyth from Earth 3, she of the eponymously-named steampunk airship Everness, for one dashing example, and most especially Cap'n Annie's fiery daughter Sen. But he has enemies, too... in particular, there's at least one other Everett M. Singh who's actually working for Villiers.

Mix in the quarantined Earth 1 timeline—nobody will say just why it's forbidden, but try to Gate into or out of it and you're redirected into the Sun instead—and you can see that, for Everett, life has become even more complicated.

This series is marketed as being for Young Adults, and I can see why—it has a teenaged protagonist, and it's an incredibly fast-paced set of books, whose prose is relatively simple even if the events and situations it describes are complicated. But it takes a lot of work to make prose this smooth and accessible while remaining so powerful—these books should not be dismissed just because of their marketing category. Fans of "Golden Age" science fiction remember fondly the so-called "juvenile" works of Heinlein, Blish and others that got them started on SF. I think McDonald's work here is of that caliber—potentially able to engage young readers and get them excited about science, about fiction, and about science fiction in particular. And we need that. The world's future scientists are going to grade schools right now, and if they can find no current examples of the literature of the possible... they may never catch the necessary spark.

These books do show signs of having been rapidly, and badly, proofread. There are several instances where Everett's name shows up as "Everett MEverett M."—an obvious search-and-replace mistake—and others where pronouns like "him" and "his" are confused.

But those are peccadilloes, by no means unique to this book or series. Most of all, the Everness series is—and remains—enormous fun. I'll soon be reading the third installment, Empress of the Sun, and will—if all goes well in this timeline—be reviewing it soon as well. Watch this space and time...

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

On to the second book of the featured series of this month: Be My Enemy. I was curious how Ian McDonald would continue to keep his story fast paced and interesting, because the novelty of the parallel dimensions and all the different worlds had worn off a bit after the first book. But I shouldn’t have worried, because the second book was just as entertaining as the first was. Weird technology, new worlds, exhilarating fights and wonderfully written characters: it’s all here, in the exact right doses in the second book of the Everness series.

The book starts off with a scene that got me a bit confused at first, but when I caught up with what was actually happening I immediately knew that this would be an awesome addition to the story.
After this first initial ‘wow’ scene, we go right back where we left Everett, Sen and the Everness and its crew in book I. They are now stuck on one of the worlds in the Plenoply, no idea which one only that they are currently on a big ice sheet. It’s up to Everett to get them out of there before the thing that’s under the ice shows itself and tries to destroy them and before their pursuers find them.

Everett is still in the possession of the Infundibulum and Charlotte Villiers will stop at nothing to get her hands on it. The next step in her plan is to create an enemy Everett never would have imagined he could ever had encountered. Besides that, Everett is still determined to find a way to get his dad back, who was sent to a random world in the Plenoply by Charlotte Villiers who used her jumpgun on him. To achieve this goal he has to return to the place where the jumpgun was made, E1 or Earth 1, the world that has been in quarantine due to some sort of horrible happening that nobody wants to talk about. Captain Sixsmyths and her crew join Everett once again to E1 where they find a deserted London. Or maybe it isn’t as deserted as they think it is.

What may not attract the direct attention of many readers but what was for me an important part of the story en what I really loved to read about, was the relationship between Everett and Sharkney. Everett is never really sure about Sharkney, doubts his intentions and the fact if he would hand over Everett to the enemy or not. Throughout the book we see different interactions between these two characters and how they form their perception of each other.

The use of the Tarot comes to the forefront again in this installment of the story. On different occasions in the book the Tarot is referred to and just as in Planesrunner the Tarot is consulted just before any major event. I’ve always been fascinated by Tarot and this version was really well done and appealed to me in many different ways. Also the fact that Sen makes the cards and adds new ones to the deck when new events occur of new person become important in her life gave it that something extra.

Be My Enemy is again chock full of action and adventure, tension and edge-of-your-seat moments. Definitely just as good as the first book and a good follow-up.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part two in Ian McDonald's Young Adult Sci-Fi Adventure Series, "Everness", and it's as much fun as Part One was. In the last book, 14-year-old Everett Singh escaped into a parallel universe known as E3, a steampunk alternate Earth that had discovered how to build a Heisenberg Jump Gate. In search of his physicist father, who had been flung into some other universe, and fleeing from the villainous Villiers (hmmm), Everett joined the motley crew of the airship Everness and fought in some of their battles.

Here, Everett discovers he has an evil twin, called Everett M, who's from a slightly different universe. This Everett is recruited by the Villiers, told that the fate of the multiverse hangs in the balance until he locates his alter and recovers the Infindibulum, and fitted with cyborg strength and weaponry.

Meanwhile, the "real" Everett has a series of adventures with the crew of the Everness, which take them from the frozen ice world they entered in the last book to Earth (ours). From there, their search for Everett's father leads them to the quarantined universe of E1, which has been infested with out-of-control nanotechnology. There, they face new dangers and new enemies, but encounter new potential allies. Everett M, driven by a lethal jealousy for his cross-dimensional twin, isn't far behind.

As before, McDonald strives for a healthy mix of classic pulp adventure (with an ethnically diverse cast) and up-to-date science fiction. The series might be a little too nerdy to get the attention it deserves on the Teen Fiction market, but I'm sure that lots of sixth to ninth graders who do manage to discover it will eat it right up. They might not get every reference, but that's okay -- in my view, YA fiction should leave young readers with a few questions. While adult readers might find the characters a little lacking in complexity, they make up for it with colorful personalities. I enjoyed the Tarot-obsessed, steampunk Cockney waif, Sen, the Old Testament-quoting rogue, Sharkey, and the inhuman Madam Moon.

This is a middle book, so most of the action is about getting pieces in place for the next book in the trilogy, but it's all good fun. McDonald is an imaginative, visual writer, which carries the story handily through any weak patches. In terms of age suitability, this series is probably more geared towards adolescents, and is perfectly readable for grownups (in the same rough category as Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy). Younger kids might find the universe-jumping plot confusing, and there are some mild references to sex and drinking.

Audiobook narrator Tom Lawrence is pretty capable, with an entertaining range of accents, even if some of his character voices are a little typecast.

[Diayll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally Reviewed At: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 5 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: Publisher
Reviewer: AimeeKay

I have been waiting forever to read Be My Enemy, the sequel to Planesrunner by Ian McDonald! (Okay it’s been less than a year…but still!) So I was uber-excited to see this one in my box of goodies from D. Luckily I wasn’t disappointed and enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the first book.

Be My Enemy picks up where Planesrunner ended. Dr. Singh is still missing and Everett is stuck on a frozen version of earth trying to figure out a way to find him. I think that Be My Enemy is slightly darker than Planesrunner. In Planesrunner there is the sense that everything will somehow work out alright in the end. It didn’t, but it still had that vibe. Maybe because Everett is more optimistic? In Be My Enemy however, Everett finally begins to realize that fixing his problems might not be as easy as he believed. I think that this change in Everett is interesting and it definitely shows him maturing and fills him out as a character.

I also really liked that McDonald began to really introduce the fact that in the alternate Earths there are also alternate people. Yes it had already been presented in the first book, but in this one it really looked at it and examined a lot closer. How different circumstances change the alternates and can cause them to take divergent paths from each other. Yet, even with huge differences there seem to be some ingrained traits, choices, and actions, that remain the same. I won’t go into too much detail because I don’t want to spoil it.

This one ends pretty much the same as the previous one. There is a cliffie and still LOTS of unresolved issues. Course this one also ends with a possible nano-plague invasion of Everett’s home world, so the cliffie here is a bit steeper.

Overall, I loved this book. Again, I was pulled in from the very beginning and enjoyed every minute of the ride. If you haven’t already read Planesrunner I would recommend reading it before you pick up Be My Enemy. The second book can be read separately…but there are some things that the reader might not understand as much if they missed out on the first one. For example Sen’s Airish slang. If you haven’t read the first book then it might get a bit confusing as to why she speaks that way (Again though there is a handy little Palari dictionary in the back). I’m giving it 5 out of 5 controllers and I can’t wait to see where Everett goes to next!

[Dawn Vanniman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The second installation of the Everness series begins with Everett getting hit by a car and waking up on the moon. It just gets crazier from there. The Everness crew continues to world-jump with Everett.

What's the worst thing you could encounter when world-jumping? A frozen earth? Villians? War Machines? Nanotechnology run wild? Maybe...or it could be yourself.

Everett and Sen grow closer, but he still isn't sure he will ever be Airish enough to truly fit in. The thing he wants most is to find his father, but I think the second thing he wants is to fit in with the Everness crew. I really can't wait for the next installment - the series is amazing!

Everett shows that he's a teen - he doubts himself, he gets upset and frustrated and embarrassed. He also shows that genius side that we learned about early in the first book. He's a great character! Sen is sassy and almost crazy, but then suddenly shows her softer side and you melt for her.

The writing is, as always, practically flawless. If you want to dip into quantum physics and parallel universes - try this series.

[Alisa Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be My Enemy is the second book in the Everness series, but stands very solidly as a story on its own. I was afraid I had missed vital information by starting with the second book (as I seem to be doing a lot lately), but the author does an excellent job of introducing the characters and saying what’s going on without leaving the reader to wonder what he’s missed.

What attracted me to this book, and what I knew would also attract my children who are its intended audience (at 13 and 15), were the richness of the book’s language, the male protagonist, and the mention of parallel universes. My older son especially is a big fan of science fiction and fantasy and having the male protagonist be close to his own age is an extra bonus. I also liked the glossary at the back of the book which defined the words of the Airish language.

My plan is to go back to the first book in the series, Planesrunner, as I know that will have rich back story that can only help with the understanding of the series, but I can also heartily recommend this book and plan to read the other books of the series going forward. Congratulations to Ian McDonald on a wonderful job!

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another excellent entry in the Planesrunner/Everness series by Ian McDonald. Happily, the cover of this book is not nearly as embarrassing as the cover for the first one. Progress!

***Note, the next paragraph contains spoilers for Planesrunner.***
In this installment, Everett and the crew of the Everness are continuing his search for Everett's father who, in Planesrunner, was forcibly jumped to a parallel world. We get to visit three more parallel worlds and meet Everett M., our hero's "alter" from another world. We also see how far the Order of the Plenitude is willing to go to capture our Everett and confiscate the "Infundibulum," a working map of all parallel universes.
***End Spoilers***

I have long been obsessed with the concept of the multiverse, so this book is right up my alley. This book is actually pretty heavy on science and history (though I wouldn't call it hard sci-fi) and it does not condescend to its audience at all. (Apparently, the Planesrunner series is YA.) I highly recommend it, particularly for sci-fi fans.

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be My Enemy is the sequel to last year’s Planesrunner, the book that launched Ian McDonald’s first ever YA series in spectacular fashion. I dearly love both of these novels and don’t want to ruin your enjoyment of them in any way, so if you haven’t read Planesrunner yet, stop reading this now and instead check out my review of that first novel, because there will be some spoilers for the first book below the cut. In other words: if you’re new to the Everness series, stop reading here until you’ve had the chance to devour Planesrunner. Gentle reader, you have been warned.

Read the entire review on my site Far Beyond Reality!

[Mick · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the second part of the Everness saga things take a distinct dark turn. Witness the sheer apocalyptic terror that has befallen E1, while rub your eyes in disbelief at Everett's new, conflicted, but superior arch enemy and try to second guess what the mysterious Thryn have in store for humanity across the Plentitude. Consider what you would do if you met another version of your missing Father.... Or another version of yourself.

I really enjoyed where the author took this series here. It was both unexpected and a pure joy to read, enhancing plot points from 'Planesrunner', developing the characters and delving deeper into their psyche. This series would truly make for an excellent Hollywood blockbuster or perhaps a TV series. It would certainly rival a certain BBC program. It also has the distinction of being the only sci-fi novel in existence that features Roman Pavluchenko.

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. Not quite eight deadly words territory, but close. I enjoyed the first book in this setting, Planesrunner, because it introduced the settings so brilliantly. I did care about the characters. Here, it just fell a bit flat somehow. Lots of dark things happen. There are very few up moments. It was just hard to engage somehow. I think Phoebe North touches on some of the reasons why in her review.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

There will be spoilers for the first book in the series, Planesrunner (review).

We were left with quite a cliffhanger at the end of Planesrunner; Everett’s dad is zapped to a random universe and Everett and the airship team escapes the bad guys by zapping themselves to another random universe. It turns out to be a frozen version of our world. Everett has to figure out a way back using his tablet installed with the Infundibilum and the jump gun, rescue his father and dodge his enemy Charlotte Villiers.

Read more at Starmetal Oak Reviews.

Review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.