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Donovan #3
Pariah
Now in paperback, the third book in the Donovan series returns to the treacherous alien planet where corporate threats and dangerous creatures imperil the lives of the colonists.
Corporate assassin Tamarland Benteen's last hope is the survey ship Vixen. Under the supervision of Dr. Dortmund Weisbacher, the scientists of Vixen are tasked with the first comprehensive survey of the newly discovered planet called Donovan. Given that back in Solar System, Boardmember Radcek would have Benteen's brain dissected, he's motivated to make his escape.
The transition that should have taken Vixen years is instantaneous. Worse, a space ship is already orbiting Donovan, and, impossibly, human settlements have been established on the planet. For Dr. Weisbacher, Donovan is an ecological disaster.
Down on Donovan, Talina Perez takes refuge in the ruins of Mundo Base with the wild child, Kylee Simonov. But the quetzals are playing their own deadly game: one that forces Talina and Kylee to flee farther into the wilderness. Too bad they're stuck with Dortmund Weisbacher in the process.
Back in Port Authority, Dan Wirth discovers that he's not the meanest or deadliest man on the planet. Tamarland Benteen is making his play for control of PA. And in the final struggle, if Benteen can't have it, he'll destroy it all.
Corporate assassin Tamarland Benteen's last hope is the survey ship Vixen. Under the supervision of Dr. Dortmund Weisbacher, the scientists of Vixen are tasked with the first comprehensive survey of the newly discovered planet called Donovan. Given that back in Solar System, Boardmember Radcek would have Benteen's brain dissected, he's motivated to make his escape.
The transition that should have taken Vixen years is instantaneous. Worse, a space ship is already orbiting Donovan, and, impossibly, human settlements have been established on the planet. For Dr. Weisbacher, Donovan is an ecological disaster.
Down on Donovan, Talina Perez takes refuge in the ruins of Mundo Base with the wild child, Kylee Simonov. But the quetzals are playing their own deadly game: one that forces Talina and Kylee to flee farther into the wilderness. Too bad they're stuck with Dortmund Weisbacher in the process.
Back in Port Authority, Dan Wirth discovers that he's not the meanest or deadliest man on the planet. Tamarland Benteen is making his play for control of PA. And in the final struggle, if Benteen can't have it, he'll destroy it all.
496 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2019
53 people are currently reading
391 people want to read
About the author
W. Michael Gear
181 books730 followersW. Michael Gear was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on the twentieth of May, 1955. A fourth generation Colorado native, his family had been involved in hard-rock mining, cattle ranching, and journalism. After his father's death in 1959, Michael's mother received her Master's degree in journalism and began teaching. In 1962 she married Joseph J. Cook, who taught tool and die making, and the family lived in Lakewood, Colorado, until 1968. At that time they moved to Fort Collins so that Joe could pursue his Ph.D.. During those years the family lived in the foothills above Horsetooth Reservoir.
It was there that Mike developed a love of history, anthropology, and motorcycles. They would color his future and fill his imagination for the rest of his life. During summers he volunteered labor on local ranches or at the farm east of Greeley and landed his first real job: picking up trash at the lake and cleaning outhouses. It has been said that his exposure to trash led him into archaeology. We will not speculate about what cleaning the outhouses might have led him to. On his first dig as a professional archaeologist in 1976 he discovered that two thousand year old human trash isn't nearly as obnoxious as the new stuff.
Michael graduated from Fort Collins High School in 1972 and pursued both his Bachelor's (1976) and Master's (1979) degrees at Colorado State University. Upon completion of his Master's - his specialty was in physical anthropology - he went to work for Western Wyoming College in Rock Springs as a field archaeologist.
It was in the winter of 1978 that he wrote his first novel. Irritated by historical inaccuracies in Western fiction, he swore he could do better. He was "taking retirement in installments," archaeology being a seasonal career, in the cabin his great uncle Aubrey had built. One cold January night he read a Western novel about a trail drive in which steers (castrated males) had calves. The historical inaccuracies of the story bothered him all night. The next morning, still incensed, he chunked wood into the stove and hunkered over the typewriter. There, on the mining claim, at nine thousand feet outside of Empire, Colorado he hammered out his first five hundred and fifty page novel. Yes, that first manuscript still exists, but if there is justice in the universe, no one will ever see it. It reads wretchedly - but the historical facts are correct!
Beginning in 1981, Michael, along with two partners, put together his own archaeological consulting company. Pronghorn Anthropological Associates began doing cultural resource management studies in 1982, and, although Michael sold his interest in 1984, to this day the company remains in business in Casper, Wyoming. During the years, Michael has worked throughout the western United States doing archaeological surveys, testing, and mitigation for pipelines, oil wells, power lines, timber sales, and highway construction. He learned the value of strong black coffee, developed a palate for chocolate donuts, and ferreted out every quality Mexican restaurant in eight states. He spent nine months of the year traveling from project to project with his trowel and dig kit, a clapped-out '72 Wonder Blazer, and his boon companion, Tedi, a noble tri-color Sheltie.
That fateful day in November, 1981, was delightfully clear, cold, and still in Laramie, Wyoming. Archaeologists from all over the state had arrived at the University of Wyoming for the annual meetings of the Wyoming Association of Professional Archaeologists. It was there, in the meeting room, way too early after a much too long night, that Mike first laid eyes on the most beautiful woman in the world: Kathleen O'Neal Gear. The BLM State Archaeologist, Ray Leicht, introduced him to the pretty anthropologist and historian, and best of all, Ray invited Mike to lunch with Kathleen. It was the perfect beginning for a long and wondrous relationship.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/wmicha...
It was there that Mike developed a love of history, anthropology, and motorcycles. They would color his future and fill his imagination for the rest of his life. During summers he volunteered labor on local ranches or at the farm east of Greeley and landed his first real job: picking up trash at the lake and cleaning outhouses. It has been said that his exposure to trash led him into archaeology. We will not speculate about what cleaning the outhouses might have led him to. On his first dig as a professional archaeologist in 1976 he discovered that two thousand year old human trash isn't nearly as obnoxious as the new stuff.
Michael graduated from Fort Collins High School in 1972 and pursued both his Bachelor's (1976) and Master's (1979) degrees at Colorado State University. Upon completion of his Master's - his specialty was in physical anthropology - he went to work for Western Wyoming College in Rock Springs as a field archaeologist.
It was in the winter of 1978 that he wrote his first novel. Irritated by historical inaccuracies in Western fiction, he swore he could do better. He was "taking retirement in installments," archaeology being a seasonal career, in the cabin his great uncle Aubrey had built. One cold January night he read a Western novel about a trail drive in which steers (castrated males) had calves. The historical inaccuracies of the story bothered him all night. The next morning, still incensed, he chunked wood into the stove and hunkered over the typewriter. There, on the mining claim, at nine thousand feet outside of Empire, Colorado he hammered out his first five hundred and fifty page novel. Yes, that first manuscript still exists, but if there is justice in the universe, no one will ever see it. It reads wretchedly - but the historical facts are correct!
Beginning in 1981, Michael, along with two partners, put together his own archaeological consulting company. Pronghorn Anthropological Associates began doing cultural resource management studies in 1982, and, although Michael sold his interest in 1984, to this day the company remains in business in Casper, Wyoming. During the years, Michael has worked throughout the western United States doing archaeological surveys, testing, and mitigation for pipelines, oil wells, power lines, timber sales, and highway construction. He learned the value of strong black coffee, developed a palate for chocolate donuts, and ferreted out every quality Mexican restaurant in eight states. He spent nine months of the year traveling from project to project with his trowel and dig kit, a clapped-out '72 Wonder Blazer, and his boon companion, Tedi, a noble tri-color Sheltie.
That fateful day in November, 1981, was delightfully clear, cold, and still in Laramie, Wyoming. Archaeologists from all over the state had arrived at the University of Wyoming for the annual meetings of the Wyoming Association of Professional Archaeologists. It was there, in the meeting room, way too early after a much too long night, that Mike first laid eyes on the most beautiful woman in the world: Kathleen O'Neal Gear. The BLM State Archaeologist, Ray Leicht, introduced him to the pretty anthropologist and historian, and best of all, Ray invited Mike to lunch with Kathleen. It was the perfect beginning for a long and wondrous relationship.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/wmicha...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
July 31, 2019
3.5 stars
This was entertaining, but not as much as the first two books, Outpost and Abandoned. The story in this third book felt a bit recycled at times, with Benteen's storyline a bit of a rehash of Wirth's in Outpost. Talina's mystical Maya journey as her body and mind cope with the integration of quetzal TriNA was a bit muddled, but on the whole I did like the direction things are going with the quetzals.
Although Pariah is the weakest of the books so far, I do generally like the ongoing story about the Donovan Colony, which continues to have a bit of a wild west feel to it. The last 25% of Pariah was the strongest for me, so at least it finished well.
Goodreads has this series titled as "Donovan Trilogy," but my understanding is that a fourth book is underway and possibly a fifth. I'll definitely be picking the next book up as there is still a lot of story to be explored here.
This was entertaining, but not as much as the first two books, Outpost and Abandoned. The story in this third book felt a bit recycled at times, with Benteen's storyline a bit of a rehash of Wirth's in Outpost. Talina's mystical Maya journey as her body and mind cope with the integration of quetzal TriNA was a bit muddled, but on the whole I did like the direction things are going with the quetzals.
Although Pariah is the weakest of the books so far, I do generally like the ongoing story about the Donovan Colony, which continues to have a bit of a wild west feel to it. The last 25% of Pariah was the strongest for me, so at least it finished well.
Goodreads has this series titled as "Donovan Trilogy," but my understanding is that a fourth book is underway and possibly a fifth. I'll definitely be picking the next book up as there is still a lot of story to be explored here.
June 17, 2019
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/06/16/...
What a fun return to Donovan in this third and final volume of W. Michael Gear’s sci-fi adventure series about the trials and tribulations of settling an untamed new world! That the planet was named for the first person to die on its surface just moments after stepping off the original colonization ship seems apt somehow, for Donovan is home to innumerous species of native flora and fauna that can kill you in more ways than you can imagine. As a result, those who managed to survive quickly developed a healthy respect for the local wildlife and learned not to take anything in life for granted, for you never know what can happen on Donovan. Over time, this also meant that a whole new system of traditions and beliefs have evolved, one that is very different from those in the Solar System, so needless to say, whenever fresh meat arrives on Donovan it’s always interesting to watch.
In the first book, Outpost, we saw what happened with the arrival of the Turalon, the first ship to make it into Donovan’s orbit in more than six years. These newcomers either stayed and adapted, or they chose to brave the risky return trip back home to Earth. The second book Abandoned focused on how those who had decided to stay on Donovan managed to cope as they continued to carve out their own path in this new society and assimilate into the local population, while those who didn’t or couldn’t simply perished. And now in Pariah, a second group has arrived on Donovan, though this time, due to the strange provenance of the new ship, things are a bit more complicated and highly unusual.
In this last book, readers finally get answers to the questions surrounding the missing ships that never made it to Donovan, as well as details about the creepy ghost ship that suddenly appeared in the planet’s orbit carrying nothing but a pile of the original crew’s bones. Part of the explanation lies in the arrival of the Vixen, a Corporation ship that disappeared fifty years ago but has now reappeared at Donovan, its passengers having no idea that so much time has passed. To them, they made the years-long trip to the planet in the blink of an eye. Now they find themselves out of their own time, trapped on a wild and undeveloped alien planet, and surrounded by a population of colonists using technology considered primitive even to those who are half a century out-of-date. Didn’t I tell you this was going to be fun?
Again, as with the previous books, the character list was what made Pariah so irresistible and compelling. Two main POVs were added from the Vixen, one being Dortmund Weisbacher, a scientist whose belief in his own theories of conservation practically borders on zealotry, but of course, he also has no idea that all his methods have been discredited and proven failures in years he’s been gone. Not that knowing would have changed his mind anyway. Donovan was supposed to be his planet to study and conserve, and arriving fifty years too late to find it already teeming with colonists and industry is enough to send him into a raging fit. And then there’s Tamarland Benteen, also known as the scorpion—a nickname he earned while serving as the consort and personal assassin for one of the most powerful politicians in the Solar System. And being out of his own time and on a strange planet bothers him not one bit. To Benteen, all people are the same—they can be manipulated, controlled, and threatened…all you need to know is what buttons to push. Whether it’s their safety, livelihoods, or their families, everyone has a weakness. He may have left the Solar System an exile, but Benteen is determined to be in power again, and he’s not above imprisoning and killing the local Donovanians to do it. Hard to believe there could be a slimier, more dastardly character than Dan Wirth, but hey, there you go.
And speaking of Dan Wirth, a whole bunch of familiar characters also make their return. Wirth himself has established himself as the local kingpin, running the lucrative casino and gaining more money and power by keeping everyone in his pocket. My favorite character, Corporation supervisor Kalico Aguila, has also become a beloved figure on Donovan, a far cry from the early days when she first marched into town thinking she could bend the colonists to her will. Then of course there are the locals, including Talina Perez, who is essentially the most vital figure in the entire series. However, in Pariah, Tal is a bit of a mess. Her personal war with the quetzals continues to rage on in the field as well as inside her own body, as her very DNA is threatened by alien genetic code trying to take over.
In the end, I just loved how all these character threads came together to fall under a unifying theme, which also lead to an all-important lesson—that those who want to mess with Donovan do so at their own peril. From Dortmund’s attempts to “save” Donovan and Benteen’s desire to take over Port Authority, we got to see in a most satisfying way how the planet and its people will always fight back. Those like Aguila have already been cowed and humbled. And when it comes to Talina’s problems, the book keeps us wondering just who will eventually prevail in this battle of wills, for not even those who have embraced Donovan are spared.
Perhaps my only criticism of this novel is that it felt somewhat scattered and disjointed, weakening the overall story. For instance, I felt the plot spent way too long on Talina’s internal struggle, represented by her time in some strange Mayan dreamscape. I confess that I skimmed most of these chapters. Pariah was also the first time I didn’t feel as connected to Tal’s sections, preferring to read about the other characters instead. As a result, the pacing suffered, since some parts dragged while others felt rushed.
That said, Pariah was a rewarding end to a fantastic trilogy, even if I felt this was the weakest of the three books. Simply put, too many different things going on probably hurt the overall story’s pacing and cohesiveness, though ultimately we got some stunning answers into the mystery surrounding the missing ships as well as some fascinating details into the science of Donovan. I still would not hesitate to recommend this trilogy to anyone who loves sci-fi action and adventure, especially if you enjoy stories related to space travel and colonization. I’m very excited at the possibility of more books set in this universe.
What a fun return to Donovan in this third and final volume of W. Michael Gear’s sci-fi adventure series about the trials and tribulations of settling an untamed new world! That the planet was named for the first person to die on its surface just moments after stepping off the original colonization ship seems apt somehow, for Donovan is home to innumerous species of native flora and fauna that can kill you in more ways than you can imagine. As a result, those who managed to survive quickly developed a healthy respect for the local wildlife and learned not to take anything in life for granted, for you never know what can happen on Donovan. Over time, this also meant that a whole new system of traditions and beliefs have evolved, one that is very different from those in the Solar System, so needless to say, whenever fresh meat arrives on Donovan it’s always interesting to watch.
In the first book, Outpost, we saw what happened with the arrival of the Turalon, the first ship to make it into Donovan’s orbit in more than six years. These newcomers either stayed and adapted, or they chose to brave the risky return trip back home to Earth. The second book Abandoned focused on how those who had decided to stay on Donovan managed to cope as they continued to carve out their own path in this new society and assimilate into the local population, while those who didn’t or couldn’t simply perished. And now in Pariah, a second group has arrived on Donovan, though this time, due to the strange provenance of the new ship, things are a bit more complicated and highly unusual.
In this last book, readers finally get answers to the questions surrounding the missing ships that never made it to Donovan, as well as details about the creepy ghost ship that suddenly appeared in the planet’s orbit carrying nothing but a pile of the original crew’s bones. Part of the explanation lies in the arrival of the Vixen, a Corporation ship that disappeared fifty years ago but has now reappeared at Donovan, its passengers having no idea that so much time has passed. To them, they made the years-long trip to the planet in the blink of an eye. Now they find themselves out of their own time, trapped on a wild and undeveloped alien planet, and surrounded by a population of colonists using technology considered primitive even to those who are half a century out-of-date. Didn’t I tell you this was going to be fun?
Again, as with the previous books, the character list was what made Pariah so irresistible and compelling. Two main POVs were added from the Vixen, one being Dortmund Weisbacher, a scientist whose belief in his own theories of conservation practically borders on zealotry, but of course, he also has no idea that all his methods have been discredited and proven failures in years he’s been gone. Not that knowing would have changed his mind anyway. Donovan was supposed to be his planet to study and conserve, and arriving fifty years too late to find it already teeming with colonists and industry is enough to send him into a raging fit. And then there’s Tamarland Benteen, also known as the scorpion—a nickname he earned while serving as the consort and personal assassin for one of the most powerful politicians in the Solar System. And being out of his own time and on a strange planet bothers him not one bit. To Benteen, all people are the same—they can be manipulated, controlled, and threatened…all you need to know is what buttons to push. Whether it’s their safety, livelihoods, or their families, everyone has a weakness. He may have left the Solar System an exile, but Benteen is determined to be in power again, and he’s not above imprisoning and killing the local Donovanians to do it. Hard to believe there could be a slimier, more dastardly character than Dan Wirth, but hey, there you go.
And speaking of Dan Wirth, a whole bunch of familiar characters also make their return. Wirth himself has established himself as the local kingpin, running the lucrative casino and gaining more money and power by keeping everyone in his pocket. My favorite character, Corporation supervisor Kalico Aguila, has also become a beloved figure on Donovan, a far cry from the early days when she first marched into town thinking she could bend the colonists to her will. Then of course there are the locals, including Talina Perez, who is essentially the most vital figure in the entire series. However, in Pariah, Tal is a bit of a mess. Her personal war with the quetzals continues to rage on in the field as well as inside her own body, as her very DNA is threatened by alien genetic code trying to take over.
In the end, I just loved how all these character threads came together to fall under a unifying theme, which also lead to an all-important lesson—that those who want to mess with Donovan do so at their own peril. From Dortmund’s attempts to “save” Donovan and Benteen’s desire to take over Port Authority, we got to see in a most satisfying way how the planet and its people will always fight back. Those like Aguila have already been cowed and humbled. And when it comes to Talina’s problems, the book keeps us wondering just who will eventually prevail in this battle of wills, for not even those who have embraced Donovan are spared.
Perhaps my only criticism of this novel is that it felt somewhat scattered and disjointed, weakening the overall story. For instance, I felt the plot spent way too long on Talina’s internal struggle, represented by her time in some strange Mayan dreamscape. I confess that I skimmed most of these chapters. Pariah was also the first time I didn’t feel as connected to Tal’s sections, preferring to read about the other characters instead. As a result, the pacing suffered, since some parts dragged while others felt rushed.
That said, Pariah was a rewarding end to a fantastic trilogy, even if I felt this was the weakest of the three books. Simply put, too many different things going on probably hurt the overall story’s pacing and cohesiveness, though ultimately we got some stunning answers into the mystery surrounding the missing ships as well as some fascinating details into the science of Donovan. I still would not hesitate to recommend this trilogy to anyone who loves sci-fi action and adventure, especially if you enjoy stories related to space travel and colonization. I’m very excited at the possibility of more books set in this universe.
April 2, 2022
I found PARIAH to be the weakest of the first 3 Donovan books. But it's still pretty good. Justine's review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... is the one to read. I'll wait.
Good review, and accurately describes the book's strengths and weaknesses. I found the most annoying thing about PARIAH to be the padding. Inside the 485 pages (mmpb) is a 4-star 350 pp novel, struggling to get out. The second most annoying thing was the character of Dr. Dumbkopf, a pompous and self-centered academic scientist totally unsuited to work on Planet Donovan. Besides being a cartoon-character, he manages
Strong 3 star rating from me, and I'm likely to read the next one. Note that you should read these in order for the later books to make sense. This is especially true for Donovan #3. Don't start here!
Good review, and accurately describes the book's strengths and weaknesses. I found the most annoying thing about PARIAH to be the padding. Inside the 485 pages (mmpb) is a 4-star 350 pp novel, struggling to get out. The second most annoying thing was the character of Dr. Dumbkopf, a pompous and self-centered academic scientist totally unsuited to work on Planet Donovan. Besides being a cartoon-character, he manages
Strong 3 star rating from me, and I'm likely to read the next one. Note that you should read these in order for the later books to make sense. This is especially true for Donovan #3. Don't start here!
May 9, 2019
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
4.5*
This... this series cannot actually be over, right? RIGHT!? Straight up this is one of the only series I have started and finished in the last few years- because I couldn't not finish it, which has to say something. And it was absolutely worth it.
But if it does have to be over, this is the way you end a series. With permanently high stakes, incredible character development and growth, and plenty of twists along the way. With just as many shocking moments as when the series started, as when it first hooked me . I knew I was invested in the world and the plot from the start of the series, but I didn't know how much I'd grow to love the characters, and even Donovan itself.
It's always hard to write a review for a third book in a series. How do you not spoil stuff while still giving readers a hint of what to expect? So I'll tell you why you should start the series if you haven't: Intense (and often brutal) action-packed life on a planet previously uninhabited by humans. Messy relationships, political turmoil, yet little rays of hope. Tons of gray morality and thought provocation. Really jacked up alien life forms. If you like gritty sci-fi, do not miss this series.
And if you have started? Trust that you'll want to finish. This series improved with each installment, and I think that you'll find this one incredibly satisfying. (And, you'll be surprised at who you still love to hate, and who you actually... sort of just plain love.)
Bottom Line: I'll just leave this here: While the ending was satisfying enough to be a completely legit ending... there is still room for more exploration, as this is a hugely vast world with an amazing cast of complex characters. Just saying, I promise I'd buy a 4th book ;)
4.5*
This... this series cannot actually be over, right? RIGHT!? Straight up this is one of the only series I have started and finished in the last few years- because I couldn't not finish it, which has to say something. And it was absolutely worth it.
But if it does have to be over, this is the way you end a series. With permanently high stakes, incredible character development and growth, and plenty of twists along the way. With just as many shocking moments as when the series started, as when it first hooked me . I knew I was invested in the world and the plot from the start of the series, but I didn't know how much I'd grow to love the characters, and even Donovan itself.
It's always hard to write a review for a third book in a series. How do you not spoil stuff while still giving readers a hint of what to expect? So I'll tell you why you should start the series if you haven't: Intense (and often brutal) action-packed life on a planet previously uninhabited by humans. Messy relationships, political turmoil, yet little rays of hope. Tons of gray morality and thought provocation. Really jacked up alien life forms. If you like gritty sci-fi, do not miss this series.
And if you have started? Trust that you'll want to finish. This series improved with each installment, and I think that you'll find this one incredibly satisfying. (And, you'll be surprised at who you still love to hate, and who you actually... sort of just plain love.)
Bottom Line: I'll just leave this here: While the ending was satisfying enough to be a completely legit ending... there is still room for more exploration, as this is a hugely vast world with an amazing cast of complex characters. Just saying, I promise I'd buy a 4th book ;)
October 31, 2020
Definitely a good book, but somehow I didn't like it as much as the previous two. I'm glad I read it, wouldn't have missed it, though. I'm pretty turned off by religious myths & there's a lot of that in this book, but it was in a good cause. It did help make some sense out of the situation, although it went on longer than I would have liked. As usual, Gear is not easy on his characters. I particularly liked the affirmation of the political system. Very well done.
As the final book of a trilogy, there's certainly a lot more story available. This trilogy focuses on Talina, but another focusing on a different character could be excellent. I really need to go back & reread Gear's Spider trilogy. He's an excellent author.
As the final book of a trilogy, there's certainly a lot more story available. This trilogy focuses on Talina, but another focusing on a different character could be excellent. I really need to go back & reread Gear's Spider trilogy. He's an excellent author.
May 23, 2020
Wavering between 3 and 4 stars here. I always enjoy returning to Donovan, but the plot was a little lacking. I appreciate what the character of Talina is becoming, but I don't know that we needed an entire book dedicated to her spiritual journey to become something more than human. Also, Tamarland Benteen is probably the coolest name of a fictional character ever, but I hate that he's basically a carbon copy of Dan. A lot of his storyline seemed like a redo of Dan's earlier story, and was designed to hold up a mirror to Dan to show the ways in which he's changed.
Originally designed as a trilogy, it definitely feels like the author suddenly realized that there was more material to mine from Donovan (so to speak) and decided instead of closing out the trilogy to introduce new elements that will further complicate dynamics in later installments.
Originally designed as a trilogy, it definitely feels like the author suddenly realized that there was more material to mine from Donovan (so to speak) and decided instead of closing out the trilogy to introduce new elements that will further complicate dynamics in later installments.
October 3, 2020
I've got a friend who is very suspicious of American SF; "It's all cowboys and Indians in space," he says.
Before I continue please remember that I've given this 5 stars because I love the story and I love the Donovan series... but...
Somehow this book HAS turned into cowboys and Indians in space. I was a bit worried right at the beginning of the series when life seemed to revolve round crooked gamblers in "saloons", and when the characters marched around the streets with guns by their side... Wild West. But I could understand it because Donovan is a wild and dangerous planet...
But in THIS book the planet almost takes a back seat and the Quetzel (who are very dangerous and intelligent predators in books one and two) suddenly become... Indians.
And the whole thing takes on the atmosphere of Gunfight at the OK Corral...
Oh dear, Mr Gear... please don't ruin a potentially brilliant series.
Before I continue please remember that I've given this 5 stars because I love the story and I love the Donovan series... but...
Somehow this book HAS turned into cowboys and Indians in space. I was a bit worried right at the beginning of the series when life seemed to revolve round crooked gamblers in "saloons", and when the characters marched around the streets with guns by their side... Wild West. But I could understand it because Donovan is a wild and dangerous planet...
But in THIS book the planet almost takes a back seat and the Quetzel (who are very dangerous and intelligent predators in books one and two) suddenly become... Indians.
And the whole thing takes on the atmosphere of Gunfight at the OK Corral...
Oh dear, Mr Gear... please don't ruin a potentially brilliant series.
July 21, 2021
This book really dragged out for me especially when Talina was going through her dreams. Without giving too much away I also think a lot of the subject matter was repeated from the previous books. Not sure if this series is good enough for me to continue on to book 4.
April 3, 2023
Just when one would think the nemesis had been as bad as possible....Mr. Gear ups his game. Meanwhile, the Donavan mystery resumes, unveils, and intrigues. Nice addition of some lesser characters to keep the storyline fresh. AND a wonderful and surprising metaphor throughout the novel.
March 19, 2019
I was not expecting a new rotten character to show up on Donovan. While the Scorpion was a deadly character, he was definitely in a different league than Dan. Dan is pond scum, still wanted him to die, but the other was just deadly and you can say rash. He never took the time to learn about the culture he was in living in. Appreciated the comeuppance in the end though. Once again, the character development of the annoying, arrogant, and stupid Doctor Weisbacher was beautiful.
Tal’s transformation while engaging and intriguing with the blend of the Mayan culture with the Donovan way of life, was a bit slow for me. After book two where so much happened the pace of this book actually slowed down for me. The most action and excitement happened at the end. However, I am still enjoying learning about the deep culture of a new world and all the struggles the people are dealing with in order to survive and thrive. Great discussions to come with my friends who are also enjoying this series.
Tal’s transformation while engaging and intriguing with the blend of the Mayan culture with the Donovan way of life, was a bit slow for me. After book two where so much happened the pace of this book actually slowed down for me. The most action and excitement happened at the end. However, I am still enjoying learning about the deep culture of a new world and all the struggles the people are dealing with in order to survive and thrive. Great discussions to come with my friends who are also enjoying this series.
May 13, 2019
I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The nitty-gritty: The action and intrigue continue with another winning entry in one of my favorite SF series.
Warning: mild spoilers ahead for the first two books in the series.
This series is so much fun, and I’m happy to report that the third book does a great job of moving things along plot-wise, while allowing the characters to change and grow in a believable, organic way. You should definitely start at the beginning with Outpost if you haven’t already, as these are not standalone books.
In book two, Abandoned , the story takes place mostly on the surface of the planet Donovan, but in this third installment, we get more information about the fate of certain ships, lost while making the journey from Earth to Donovan or vice versa. The story opens aboard a spaceship called the Vixen , where a small crew is about to enter inverted symmetry in order to complete the two year journey to the planet Capella III (now called Donovan by its settlers), where they will be the first to land and explore the uncharted planet, or so they think. However, something goes wrong during this critical phase of the trip, and in the blink of an eye, the crew is shocked to discover that they’ve actually arrived in the planet’s orbit. Even stranger, their fuel stores are nearly empty, as if they’ve been traveling for years, not minutes.
And the most shocking thing of all? Capella III is already inhabited with an established colony, dwellings and a mining operation. Dr. Dortmund Weisbacher, a stuffy and entitled professor who was determined to preserve the natural flora and fauna of the planet at all costs, is horrified to see that humans have already ruined the planet, and that his life’s work is about to become irrelevant.
When the crew of the Vixen land and meet the inhabitants of Port Authority, the main town on Donovan, they have one more surprise to absorb: it turns out the Vixen was lost fifty years ago, and never made it to Donovan—until now. Trying to come to terms with this fact besides Dr. Weisbacher is a man named Tamarland Benteen, a notorious killer who escaped certain death back home, and now has his sights set on taking over Port Authority.
Meanwhile, Talina Perez, who has the DNA of a dangerous creature called a quetzal inside her, is struggling to remain human, as the quetzal seems to be slowly taking over her mind. In an attempt to understand her predicament, Talina heads off into the bush to find answers, and ends up spending time with Kylee, the little girl who ran off at the end of the last book. Kylee understands quetzals better than anyone, and Talina is hoping she can help her.
It isn’t long before the residents of Port Authority realize that with the arrival of Tam Benteen, they have a sociopath on their hands. But their best hope of winning against Benteen is Talina, and she’s not there to protect them...
Once again, Gear has written a fast-paced, compelling, interesting story, with so many cool elements there’s literally something for everyone. This time he delves deeper into the science of what’s going on between quetzels and humans, which I’ll admit went over my head at times. But it’s carefully researched details like this that make these books so good. I also loved the social/economic/political dynamics between the characters, and the way Gear explores the ideas of governments and how they are established and destroyed. When the series started, the Corporate entity from Earth tried to govern the planet and establish rules, but the people of Donovan rebelled and decided to live by their own rules, which more or less seems to work for them. Now that another group of outsiders has arrived, those rules are challenged once again. I love the ever-evolving aspect of people trying to live together, especially when there are outside threats like quetzals and other native creatures and dangerous plants to deal with.
Gear’s characters are my favorite part of this series, and once again he brings them to vivid life, makes them human and fallible, and best of all, shows us how they change and grow over time. In my opinion, one of the best developed of the characters, shockingly enough, was the slimy Dan Wirth, who played the role of villain in the first two books. I hated Wirth in both books, and I couldn’t wait until he finally got what was coming to him, hopefully a slow and painful death. But surprise, surprise, Dan is no longer the worst character in the story! Enter stage left, the despicable Tam Benteen, a man with no regard at all for human life, who will do anything to get his way. And since this is fifty years in Benteen’s future, I found it interesting that he’s literally in the history books. All the characters on the planet know who Benteen is and what he’s done, which added an interesting dynamic. Because of Benteen’s presence, Wirth’s role on Donovan changes (although I won’t give away any details), and I absolutely loved this change!
There are a lot of different things going on in Pariah , and the short chapters alternate among them. I do love this method of storytelling because it adds tension to the story, when the chapter suddenly ends and you’re left hanging until the author decides to return to that story line. But this method also has a downside, if a particular group of characters isn’t as interesting to the reader. Unfortunately this was the case for me. One of the biggest sections revolves around Talina and Kylee out in the bush, while Talina is trying to come to terms with her visions and dreams, and trying to understand why the quetzal inside her is taking over. This “vision quest” story line just didn’t interest me that much, which isn’t surprising since I rarely enjoy stories that take place in the metaphysical dreamspace of the mind. I did like that the author incorporated Mayan mythology and customs into the story, but I grew tired of some of the repetitious symbolism and couldn’t wait to get back to the meaty, complex interactions between the citizens of Port Authority and the crew from the Vixen.
In addition to this, I just didn’t like Kylee’s character at all, and I didn’t like her in the last book either. I was hoping that she would grow on me, but she’s so unlikable in Pariah that I couldn’t wait to get through her chapters and return to the story that I was really interested in. Kylee is only eleven, but she swears like a sailor and talks about sex as though she’s a pro at it, which was a little disturbing. Her behavior reminded me of a teenager’s, but she was just too young for those adult character traits to be convincing.
But overall, this is a fresh and exciting series, and I couldn’t be happier to discover that the Donovan “Trilogy” is actually going to continue with at least two more books, according to the author. Fans of action-packed science fiction with an emphasis on character development are going to love this series, so if that describes you, I suggest starting at the beginning with Outpost . You won’t regret it, and you can thank me later!
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
Stop by tomorrow and catch my interview with W. Michael Gear! This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
Warning: mild spoilers ahead for the first two books in the series.
This series is so much fun, and I’m happy to report that the third book does a great job of moving things along plot-wise, while allowing the characters to change and grow in a believable, organic way. You should definitely start at the beginning with Outpost if you haven’t already, as these are not standalone books.
In book two, Abandoned , the story takes place mostly on the surface of the planet Donovan, but in this third installment, we get more information about the fate of certain ships, lost while making the journey from Earth to Donovan or vice versa. The story opens aboard a spaceship called the Vixen , where a small crew is about to enter inverted symmetry in order to complete the two year journey to the planet Capella III (now called Donovan by its settlers), where they will be the first to land and explore the uncharted planet, or so they think. However, something goes wrong during this critical phase of the trip, and in the blink of an eye, the crew is shocked to discover that they’ve actually arrived in the planet’s orbit. Even stranger, their fuel stores are nearly empty, as if they’ve been traveling for years, not minutes.
And the most shocking thing of all? Capella III is already inhabited with an established colony, dwellings and a mining operation. Dr. Dortmund Weisbacher, a stuffy and entitled professor who was determined to preserve the natural flora and fauna of the planet at all costs, is horrified to see that humans have already ruined the planet, and that his life’s work is about to become irrelevant.
When the crew of the Vixen land and meet the inhabitants of Port Authority, the main town on Donovan, they have one more surprise to absorb: it turns out the Vixen was lost fifty years ago, and never made it to Donovan—until now. Trying to come to terms with this fact besides Dr. Weisbacher is a man named Tamarland Benteen, a notorious killer who escaped certain death back home, and now has his sights set on taking over Port Authority.
Meanwhile, Talina Perez, who has the DNA of a dangerous creature called a quetzal inside her, is struggling to remain human, as the quetzal seems to be slowly taking over her mind. In an attempt to understand her predicament, Talina heads off into the bush to find answers, and ends up spending time with Kylee, the little girl who ran off at the end of the last book. Kylee understands quetzals better than anyone, and Talina is hoping she can help her.
It isn’t long before the residents of Port Authority realize that with the arrival of Tam Benteen, they have a sociopath on their hands. But their best hope of winning against Benteen is Talina, and she’s not there to protect them...
Once again, Gear has written a fast-paced, compelling, interesting story, with so many cool elements there’s literally something for everyone. This time he delves deeper into the science of what’s going on between quetzels and humans, which I’ll admit went over my head at times. But it’s carefully researched details like this that make these books so good. I also loved the social/economic/political dynamics between the characters, and the way Gear explores the ideas of governments and how they are established and destroyed. When the series started, the Corporate entity from Earth tried to govern the planet and establish rules, but the people of Donovan rebelled and decided to live by their own rules, which more or less seems to work for them. Now that another group of outsiders has arrived, those rules are challenged once again. I love the ever-evolving aspect of people trying to live together, especially when there are outside threats like quetzals and other native creatures and dangerous plants to deal with.
Gear’s characters are my favorite part of this series, and once again he brings them to vivid life, makes them human and fallible, and best of all, shows us how they change and grow over time. In my opinion, one of the best developed of the characters, shockingly enough, was the slimy Dan Wirth, who played the role of villain in the first two books. I hated Wirth in both books, and I couldn’t wait until he finally got what was coming to him, hopefully a slow and painful death. But surprise, surprise, Dan is no longer the worst character in the story! Enter stage left, the despicable Tam Benteen, a man with no regard at all for human life, who will do anything to get his way. And since this is fifty years in Benteen’s future, I found it interesting that he’s literally in the history books. All the characters on the planet know who Benteen is and what he’s done, which added an interesting dynamic. Because of Benteen’s presence, Wirth’s role on Donovan changes (although I won’t give away any details), and I absolutely loved this change!
There are a lot of different things going on in Pariah , and the short chapters alternate among them. I do love this method of storytelling because it adds tension to the story, when the chapter suddenly ends and you’re left hanging until the author decides to return to that story line. But this method also has a downside, if a particular group of characters isn’t as interesting to the reader. Unfortunately this was the case for me. One of the biggest sections revolves around Talina and Kylee out in the bush, while Talina is trying to come to terms with her visions and dreams, and trying to understand why the quetzal inside her is taking over. This “vision quest” story line just didn’t interest me that much, which isn’t surprising since I rarely enjoy stories that take place in the metaphysical dreamspace of the mind. I did like that the author incorporated Mayan mythology and customs into the story, but I grew tired of some of the repetitious symbolism and couldn’t wait to get back to the meaty, complex interactions between the citizens of Port Authority and the crew from the Vixen.
In addition to this, I just didn’t like Kylee’s character at all, and I didn’t like her in the last book either. I was hoping that she would grow on me, but she’s so unlikable in Pariah that I couldn’t wait to get through her chapters and return to the story that I was really interested in. Kylee is only eleven, but she swears like a sailor and talks about sex as though she’s a pro at it, which was a little disturbing. Her behavior reminded me of a teenager’s, but she was just too young for those adult character traits to be convincing.
But overall, this is a fresh and exciting series, and I couldn’t be happier to discover that the Donovan “Trilogy” is actually going to continue with at least two more books, according to the author. Fans of action-packed science fiction with an emphasis on character development are going to love this series, so if that describes you, I suggest starting at the beginning with Outpost . You won’t regret it, and you can thank me later!
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
Stop by tomorrow and catch my interview with W. Michael Gear! This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy
February 10, 2021
Notes:
Rating 4.5 Stars - May up to 5
Yay for libraries! I'm super excited to have read the first three books of the Donovan series. This installment had a lot of the elements that I wish had been installed in #2. A deeper look into the quetzals (intelligent aliens that have color changing scales). Cool entanglements of Mayan culture & religions. The attitudes of the scientists are spot on. The characters and the way the stranded colonists interact with their new world/home are really interesting.
Rating 4.5 Stars - May up to 5
Yay for libraries! I'm super excited to have read the first three books of the Donovan series. This installment had a lot of the elements that I wish had been installed in #2. A deeper look into the quetzals (intelligent aliens that have color changing scales). Cool entanglements of Mayan culture & religions. The attitudes of the scientists are spot on. The characters and the way the stranded colonists interact with their new world/home are really interesting.
July 26, 2023
Uneven book with some weird choices along the way. The bizarre Maya dream stuff didnt really add anything. But the mystery with the planet Donovan still got me picking up book 4.
November 18, 2022
This is the only weak book in the series so far - it's not a huge weakness. Once again we see Donovan, with all its plant and animal life which is inimical to human beings. Once again we learn more about Donovan and its life. Once again - and this time very dramatically - we see that on Donovan stupidity really is a death sentence.
The Corporation ship Vixen instantaneously travels from Solar System to the Capella system, where Donovan is the third planet - except that in Solar System and on Donovan it was a 50-year trip, when it was supposed to be two years. Aboard the Vixen is a Corporation assassin, who served a member of the board until her arrest for trying to overthrow the chairman (the Corporation is the de facto government of Solar System). She was able to warn the assassin, Tamerland Benteen, in time for him to flee, with his only avenue of escape being a ship to Donovan.
But his tactics of intimidation don't work on the tough, independent citizens of Port Authority, the closest thing to a capital that Donovan has. Instead of tamely submitting to dictatorship, the people grab their rifles, his mistress disables the explosive he intended to blow up a group of hostages with, and and he winds up a permanent prisoner, welded into the command deck of the ship Turalon, which spent 129 years making the two year journey and is "haunted," or as close as makes no never mind. Meanwhile Talina Perez is dealing with the quetzal TriNA that's circulating in her, fleeing to Rork Springs to try to get her head together.
And that's where the book's weakness comes in. There's enough going on in the "real world" of Donovan that there's no need to spend time in Talina's incoherent and bizarre dreams. The first time I read this book I read those sections - and found they contributed nothing substantive to the story. I skipped them this time - and there wasn't anything I needed to know to follow the story that I missed by skipping them. I don't think the author put them in just to pad the word count, as some authors have clearly done in all sorts of genres. But that's the main effect they have; he may have thought that the "woo woo" passages were important to the story, but I found them just a waste of paper and ink.
The Corporation ship Vixen instantaneously travels from Solar System to the Capella system, where Donovan is the third planet - except that in Solar System and on Donovan it was a 50-year trip, when it was supposed to be two years. Aboard the Vixen is a Corporation assassin, who served a member of the board until her arrest for trying to overthrow the chairman (the Corporation is the de facto government of Solar System). She was able to warn the assassin, Tamerland Benteen, in time for him to flee, with his only avenue of escape being a ship to Donovan.
But his tactics of intimidation don't work on the tough, independent citizens of Port Authority, the closest thing to a capital that Donovan has. Instead of tamely submitting to dictatorship, the people grab their rifles, his mistress disables the explosive he intended to blow up a group of hostages with, and and he winds up a permanent prisoner, welded into the command deck of the ship Turalon, which spent 129 years making the two year journey and is "haunted," or as close as makes no never mind. Meanwhile Talina Perez is dealing with the quetzal TriNA that's circulating in her, fleeing to Rork Springs to try to get her head together.
And that's where the book's weakness comes in. There's enough going on in the "real world" of Donovan that there's no need to spend time in Talina's incoherent and bizarre dreams. The first time I read this book I read those sections - and found they contributed nothing substantive to the story. I skipped them this time - and there wasn't anything I needed to know to follow the story that I missed by skipping them. I don't think the author put them in just to pad the word count, as some authors have clearly done in all sorts of genres. But that's the main effect they have; he may have thought that the "woo woo" passages were important to the story, but I found them just a waste of paper and ink.
October 19, 2019
Brilliant! Halfway Pariah it looked like we had a typical add-on in the series. First book was all about Dan Wirth entering Port Authority, then Supervisor Kalico, and now Tam as the new evil protagonist of change in the little human settlements on Donovan
But then the story changed fo rme. Gear added layer upon layer and reaped carefully planted groundwork. We had the trance of Talina, the short uprising, the development in quetzal understanding, Trish, and the mutual understanding between old foes and friends. I loved the role of Shig and Yvette in the end and how society eventually dictates the success or failure of individuals.
I will pick up #4 for sure!
But then the story changed fo rme. Gear added layer upon layer and reaped carefully planted groundwork. We had the trance of Talina, the short uprising, the development in quetzal understanding, Trish, and the mutual understanding between old foes and friends. I loved the role of Shig and Yvette in the end and how society eventually dictates the success or failure of individuals.
I will pick up #4 for sure!
January 19, 2022
Another great story in the Donovan series. We dig deeper into Talina and Kylee and the rest of the regular crew.
Another exploration ship arrives and the crew is totally confused as their journey seemed to happen in mere moments when in fact it has thrown them 50 years into the future.
On board is a corporate assassin who wants to take over Donovan. We get more quetzel action and a small peek at what may be going on in the ecology of Donovan.
HIGHLY recommended series
Another exploration ship arrives and the crew is totally confused as their journey seemed to happen in mere moments when in fact it has thrown them 50 years into the future.
On board is a corporate assassin who wants to take over Donovan. We get more quetzel action and a small peek at what may be going on in the ecology of Donovan.
HIGHLY recommended series
December 15, 2020
another saga on the planet, Donovan. best is the bring down of the ultra conservatist coming to save the planet and make his name in history
again losing some favorite characters but getting new guys to hate.
again losing some favorite characters but getting new guys to hate.
May 30, 2019
Another enjoyable visit to the planet Donovan, with it's miserable human colony, scarily unreliable interstellar travel, and frightening flora and fauna. Talina goes even deeper into her quetzal-influence (triDNA) changes, using her Mayan cosmology and childhood among the ruins to give her some grasp of reality as her ever-expanding quetzal menagerie grows within her body. Kylee returns as a spunky and terrified crossover as well, helping Talina somewhat and eventually finding another way to grow up both as a human and with quetzals. There's more Corporate shenanigans as one of the missing ships re-emerges, but with about a 50-year gap from time on Earth or Donovan. One passenger in particular, a former top-level corporate assassin (and worse) who thinks he can force his way into control of Port Authority. Even Dan Wirth isn't a fan of that, so Shig and Yvette and the whole town get involved in putting a stop to his efforts - at a great price. I'm not sure I buy the libertarian-fantasy revenge aspects per se, but it's a well-thought-out world that Gear has built and it's struggles and contradiction keep in fun and interesting. BTW, a "3" for a series entry is my new "high-praise" score. I'm now reserving "4" and "5" for initial or stand-alone exceptional works.
May 26, 2020
Gear, W. Michael. Pariah. Donovan No. 3. Daw, 2019.
The third book of the Donovan trilogy, Pariah, is the best of the lot. We have all the action and survival challenges of the first two novels, but this time we have added several new characters that get good development and a plot with several kinds of political and philosophical conflict. We learn more about the mechanism of the links between aliens and their links with humans. We bring another lost spaceship on the scene, this time with a planetary scientist whose theories are notoriously wrong and a cybernetically enhanced sociopath under a death sentence on earth. We also learn more about the problems with this universe’s FTL. All in all, this was a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, but it did leave a bit of wiggle room for another trilogy if Gear finds the time. Good hard scifi.
The third book of the Donovan trilogy, Pariah, is the best of the lot. We have all the action and survival challenges of the first two novels, but this time we have added several new characters that get good development and a plot with several kinds of political and philosophical conflict. We learn more about the mechanism of the links between aliens and their links with humans. We bring another lost spaceship on the scene, this time with a planetary scientist whose theories are notoriously wrong and a cybernetically enhanced sociopath under a death sentence on earth. We also learn more about the problems with this universe’s FTL. All in all, this was a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, but it did leave a bit of wiggle room for another trilogy if Gear finds the time. Good hard scifi.
June 6, 2019
Weakest of the series so far esp after a brilliant 2nd book. Tal is off-book for most of it, Trish is particularly whiny and irritating while the greater threat of the corporate assassin falls a bit flat. Shig's philosophy regarding society provides an interesting viewpoint in light of the corporate assassin's actions while supervisor Aguila is the real fav character of this. Donovan, the planet as a character doesnt offer as much surprise as previous books while the queztal angle is kind of frustrating as it doesnt lead to definitive answers beyond vague coexistence. Overall, series had the right amount of sci-fi, terror and horror and definite moments of enjoyment. Wish it had ended strongly
May 26, 2020
This is such a killer series. Each book just keeps getting better. I'm truly am in love with the whole Quetzal aspect of the series. On this planet there are Raptor-like alien creatures. They have TriNA instead of DNA meaning they can encode three times the amount of data we can. The way TNA works is by passing along very detailed information from generation to generation. If you want to know how to hunt a Bem, a Quetzal can learn by experience sure but the real way to learn anything is to absorb that information by eating an elder Quetzal who is great at hunting Bems. Each Quetzal has the total sum knowledge and many memories of of their entire lineage, meaning a portion of their "soul" or intelligence is passed to the next generation in a form of immortality (much like the Cancrioth of Baru Cormorant). They can also share knowledge with each other by speaking with their octopus-like colour changing hides or by exchanging saliva. They're incredibly intelligent and they're doing everything they can to understand and perhaps destroy humanity.
Where things get even more interesting though is that their TNA is getting into humans. It happens to Talina in the beginning of book one and in books 2 and 3 we're introduced to Kylie, a 11yr old girl who swears like a sailor. She's by far my favorite character in the series now and her pedophile gag sends me into hysterics everytime. Her mother told her bedtime stories of boogeymen from Earth called pedophiles and it becomes a running joke throughout the series.
This book had some awesome new additions as well as a horrible one. Dr Weissbach (I'll call him WB). He's one of my 3 cons with this book. WB is a super smart man holding a few PhDs but he's arrogant as hell and truly as Kylie puts it, a waste of skin. He's entirely unsuited for Donovan and is so aloof from his old life that he doesn't have a single useful skill or a shred or common sense. If that wasn't bad enough, hes also a fanatic for an environmental movement he's the head of back on earth. His school of academia posits the what we should do is take whole swathes of land and restore the environment to optimal conditions to support extinct animals he brings back from their DNA. He's a true fanatic who believes the colony is a plague ruining his beautiful untouched planet that he wants to make a monument to his own intelligence. He was truly infuriating to read about at every point.
Another con is the spirit dream. A trope is truly despise is when a character goes on any kind of spirit quest. I know when a character has to change quickly and noticeably, a frequent way to do it is by sending them on some kind of inner journey to enlightenment and acceptance of themselves. This can be under the influence of drugs or fever or simply a dream. I HATE IT. I HATE IT SO MUCH. In this book Talina's struggle with her Quetzal DNA becomes drastically worse. She's getting flashes of memories from all the Quetzal lineages within her, she's getting memories of Kylie's life that were passed when Kylie kissed her (and made her a pedophile haha) when trying to help her, and finally, she's also hearing voices. These visions have become dangerous and while in the grip of one, she started firing her gun in town. Talina's condition worsens and she's eventually in a fever state where she goes on an inner journey where she falls apart and has to put herself together again whole battling with the Quetzals for control of her mind. It was just an incredibly painful experience to read as like I mentioned, it's my most hated trope.
And finally the last con is kiiiind of minor. There seems to be a bit of a formula to the books (that continues in book 4 which in nearly finished). Basically in every book, a new ship arrives carrying new passengers that upset the status quo. Every new ship brings new faces, some benevolent and others quite hostile. It's not a huge deal and it does make the story interesting having new faces and not staying stagnant with the same characters trapped in Port Authority, but I would appreciate if in book 5, a new antagonist was found for the story. I know they Quetzals are a huge threat but I want something even better. Maybe there's another species of alien that migrates north from the south and causes a tripartite war where they're battling both the Quetzals in the area and PA. Maybe the latter two have to become allies and more people start taking on TNA within themselves in order to become better warriors. Or maybe while books 4's new marine team explored the oceans, they find alien buildings or some other real evidence of an intelligent alien civilization that has buildings and tools and whatnot. The Quetzal are smart and all, but they're not at the point of having a civilization. That's just something I would appreciate.
On the whole though, these books continue to deliver. No spoilers or anything but you should get ready for the depravity of book 4s sect of cannibals who commit atrocities in the name of a newly founded religions and eat in dead and take on their immortal souls in order to carry them to new generations. It's very fucked up and just what I love in a book. Think the Tenescowri from Malazan. It's that kind of vibe!
All in all, this book is definitely worth checking out. Honestly it's worth checking out for Kylie alone but on top of that awesome character, the entire book is awesome too. :)
Where things get even more interesting though is that their TNA is getting into humans. It happens to Talina in the beginning of book one and in books 2 and 3 we're introduced to Kylie, a 11yr old girl who swears like a sailor. She's by far my favorite character in the series now and her pedophile gag sends me into hysterics everytime. Her mother told her bedtime stories of boogeymen from Earth called pedophiles and it becomes a running joke throughout the series.
This book had some awesome new additions as well as a horrible one. Dr Weissbach (I'll call him WB). He's one of my 3 cons with this book. WB is a super smart man holding a few PhDs but he's arrogant as hell and truly as Kylie puts it, a waste of skin. He's entirely unsuited for Donovan and is so aloof from his old life that he doesn't have a single useful skill or a shred or common sense. If that wasn't bad enough, hes also a fanatic for an environmental movement he's the head of back on earth. His school of academia posits the what we should do is take whole swathes of land and restore the environment to optimal conditions to support extinct animals he brings back from their DNA. He's a true fanatic who believes the colony is a plague ruining his beautiful untouched planet that he wants to make a monument to his own intelligence. He was truly infuriating to read about at every point.
Another con is the spirit dream. A trope is truly despise is when a character goes on any kind of spirit quest. I know when a character has to change quickly and noticeably, a frequent way to do it is by sending them on some kind of inner journey to enlightenment and acceptance of themselves. This can be under the influence of drugs or fever or simply a dream. I HATE IT. I HATE IT SO MUCH. In this book Talina's struggle with her Quetzal DNA becomes drastically worse. She's getting flashes of memories from all the Quetzal lineages within her, she's getting memories of Kylie's life that were passed when Kylie kissed her (and made her a pedophile haha) when trying to help her, and finally, she's also hearing voices. These visions have become dangerous and while in the grip of one, she started firing her gun in town. Talina's condition worsens and she's eventually in a fever state where she goes on an inner journey where she falls apart and has to put herself together again whole battling with the Quetzals for control of her mind. It was just an incredibly painful experience to read as like I mentioned, it's my most hated trope.
And finally the last con is kiiiind of minor. There seems to be a bit of a formula to the books (that continues in book 4 which in nearly finished). Basically in every book, a new ship arrives carrying new passengers that upset the status quo. Every new ship brings new faces, some benevolent and others quite hostile. It's not a huge deal and it does make the story interesting having new faces and not staying stagnant with the same characters trapped in Port Authority, but I would appreciate if in book 5, a new antagonist was found for the story. I know they Quetzals are a huge threat but I want something even better. Maybe there's another species of alien that migrates north from the south and causes a tripartite war where they're battling both the Quetzals in the area and PA. Maybe the latter two have to become allies and more people start taking on TNA within themselves in order to become better warriors. Or maybe while books 4's new marine team explored the oceans, they find alien buildings or some other real evidence of an intelligent alien civilization that has buildings and tools and whatnot. The Quetzal are smart and all, but they're not at the point of having a civilization. That's just something I would appreciate.
On the whole though, these books continue to deliver. No spoilers or anything but you should get ready for the depravity of book 4s sect of cannibals who commit atrocities in the name of a newly founded religions and eat in dead and take on their immortal souls in order to carry them to new generations. It's very fucked up and just what I love in a book. Think the Tenescowri from Malazan. It's that kind of vibe!
All in all, this book is definitely worth checking out. Honestly it's worth checking out for Kylie alone but on top of that awesome character, the entire book is awesome too. :)
August 23, 2022
DONOVAN
NOTE: This is one and the same review for all the books in this series. Why? Because the quality of the whole series is very consistent, and I more or less spilled everything I had to say about it. The specifics of each book are in the blurb anyway, anything else would be a spoil. And last, but not least, I believe great books such as these deserve an exposure. So there.
THIS. INCREDIBLE. SERIES.
I've read some sci-fi colonization books in my days, but this is epic beyond comparison, except maybe The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. And execution is just right. Nothing is too little or too much. These books, all five of them, are the perfect inhabitants of Goldilocks zone of written universe.
In cases like this, it’s important to pay the tribute to narrators. Maybe that’s because they contribute to your overall experience almost as much as the creator of the book. Is that a blasphemy? Maybe, but that’s how impressed I am. So, Alyssa Bresnahan. She puts another layer of „creation” on top of the written source. Just incredible. Male and female voices switching incredibly smooth. All the nuances in emotional variation induced by subtle use of words and phrases, which you would probably miss if you were reading this in written form, in the silence of your mind... Yeah, that’s why I prefer audio.
And what an interesting twist it is with their unique brand of space travel. They’re traveling by means of technology called „inverting of symetry”. For said symetry to be inverted a formula is used that nobody really understands how it works. It needs to be just right or the ship is going to take forever to reach its destination. Or end up in a limbo between the universes so crew will have to revert to some unpopular measures, such as cannibalism just for a handful of them to survive. Or there will be significant or huge discrepancy between ship's time and "outside" time, resulting in all kinds of royal fuckups. Like, whole dynasty of royal families-level fuckups. Basically, on Earth, they don't know if their ships ever reach the target, and on Donovan, they can't be sure if it ever got back to Earth. And they're arriving in almost random order. The first ship launched from Earth could very well arrive the last, although it might seem the transition was instantaneous to the crew. In fact, 30 or so years have passed, but because there's miscommunication, the ship coming from Earth never brings needed equipment the colonials miss desperately.
There's just perfect amount of tech to call it a sci-fi. More than enough of tragedy and loss to call it drama or epic. And just right amount of mystique and inner turmoil induced by good probability that the most beloved character will be taken away from you due to the fact that literally everything on the planet can and will kill you if you’re not super careful, equipped, informed, lucky, or just naturally super savvy, preferably all of the above. The planet is a beast, but interestingly, the Donovans, as they now call themselves, chose that beast over the other one, waiting for them on Earth if they ever come back: humanity and what has become of it.
TLDR; This is fantastic book without much competition. However, I’m reading the Dune these days while trying to assemble my thoughts around this series, and yeah, there trully is similarity. Planet with an atmosphere that can support human life, but more dangerous and unhospitable than anything anybody could have predicted? Check. Ab original inhabitants (organisms) that give you zero chance of survival if faced? Check. Colonists that somehow find their modus vivendi and manage to thrive in impossible conditions? Check. Charismatic members among them who somehow become one with the planet through digestion of the very tissue of it and/or of its natural inhabitants? Check. Yeah the Dune is up there as legendary achievement, but this too is excellent book the lovers of that perennial masterpiece might appreciate very much. The writing style is completely different, but there’s certain... template, executed in original manner. Read it.
NOTE: This is one and the same review for all the books in this series. Why? Because the quality of the whole series is very consistent, and I more or less spilled everything I had to say about it. The specifics of each book are in the blurb anyway, anything else would be a spoil. And last, but not least, I believe great books such as these deserve an exposure. So there.
THIS. INCREDIBLE. SERIES.
I've read some sci-fi colonization books in my days, but this is epic beyond comparison, except maybe The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. And execution is just right. Nothing is too little or too much. These books, all five of them, are the perfect inhabitants of Goldilocks zone of written universe.
In cases like this, it’s important to pay the tribute to narrators. Maybe that’s because they contribute to your overall experience almost as much as the creator of the book. Is that a blasphemy? Maybe, but that’s how impressed I am. So, Alyssa Bresnahan. She puts another layer of „creation” on top of the written source. Just incredible. Male and female voices switching incredibly smooth. All the nuances in emotional variation induced by subtle use of words and phrases, which you would probably miss if you were reading this in written form, in the silence of your mind... Yeah, that’s why I prefer audio.
And what an interesting twist it is with their unique brand of space travel. They’re traveling by means of technology called „inverting of symetry”. For said symetry to be inverted a formula is used that nobody really understands how it works. It needs to be just right or the ship is going to take forever to reach its destination. Or end up in a limbo between the universes so crew will have to revert to some unpopular measures, such as cannibalism just for a handful of them to survive. Or there will be significant or huge discrepancy between ship's time and "outside" time, resulting in all kinds of royal fuckups. Like, whole dynasty of royal families-level fuckups. Basically, on Earth, they don't know if their ships ever reach the target, and on Donovan, they can't be sure if it ever got back to Earth. And they're arriving in almost random order. The first ship launched from Earth could very well arrive the last, although it might seem the transition was instantaneous to the crew. In fact, 30 or so years have passed, but because there's miscommunication, the ship coming from Earth never brings needed equipment the colonials miss desperately.
There's just perfect amount of tech to call it a sci-fi. More than enough of tragedy and loss to call it drama or epic. And just right amount of mystique and inner turmoil induced by good probability that the most beloved character will be taken away from you due to the fact that literally everything on the planet can and will kill you if you’re not super careful, equipped, informed, lucky, or just naturally super savvy, preferably all of the above. The planet is a beast, but interestingly, the Donovans, as they now call themselves, chose that beast over the other one, waiting for them on Earth if they ever come back: humanity and what has become of it.
TLDR; This is fantastic book without much competition. However, I’m reading the Dune these days while trying to assemble my thoughts around this series, and yeah, there trully is similarity. Planet with an atmosphere that can support human life, but more dangerous and unhospitable than anything anybody could have predicted? Check. Ab original inhabitants (organisms) that give you zero chance of survival if faced? Check. Colonists that somehow find their modus vivendi and manage to thrive in impossible conditions? Check. Charismatic members among them who somehow become one with the planet through digestion of the very tissue of it and/or of its natural inhabitants? Check. Yeah the Dune is up there as legendary achievement, but this too is excellent book the lovers of that perennial masterpiece might appreciate very much. The writing style is completely different, but there’s certain... template, executed in original manner. Read it.
April 20, 2019
Pariah (Donovan Trilogy #3)
by W. Michael Gear
Again I must claim bias before I place this review. I was amazingly fortune to be honored with my fan site group to have this book dedicated to myself and my group. We support these authors with great love and admiration. Having read all their books I know I have a bias when I read each book.
With great anticipation I waited patiently for this book to come into my hands. Funny story, the copy I read was sent as a giveaway for the Gear Facebook fan site, but I was grateful to read the story anyways. I protected the book with kid gloves, until a second book came for the give away and this book was mine to adore and read with tabs and marks so I know the story. And create my paintings to honor the work.
The story of Donovan, as I briefly describe it is nothing to reading the pages of the books. Pariah is the third installment, in this epic science fiction story. Already in place is a Ghost ship, the wonderful destructive Quetzals, the Corporation administrator Kalico, what can you add to make this story more dynamic? How about another lost ship? This time the story of the transition of the Vixen is opposed to the ghost ship Freelander. Vixen has been missing fifty years, but to its crew and passengers it seemed instantiations. Only the start of the problems. The Vixen was not a colonial ship, she was an exploratory ship. The complement of crew and passengers include the leading Conservationist Dr. Dortmund Weisbacher. The Conservationist movement on earth lead to many problematic environmental problems, the idea of pure stock conservation does not allow for environmental changes, and disease prevention, devastating the native populations on earth. Dr. Dortmund planned to outline and control the exploration and contact with Cappella III (Donovan). The problem cause by his disappearance on the Vixen changed the focus of the colonization of Donovan. He has to come to the realization that his theories are unfounded and unsustainable, and the deadly nature of the life on Donovan. The Gears are able to look into the modern practice of Bison breeding, and the idea of reintroduction of extinct animals explaining the problems they see in the future.
We also continue to explore through Talina and Kylee the reaction of the Quetzals to the human Colonization of Donovan. The native life of Donovan is divided into family lineages that are divided on how they will respond to this new population of animals. More than any other part of the story the Gears explore the ideas of colonization and contact with other planets.
The fans that have called for the Gears to look into the traditions and stories of the Aztecs have had their wishes granted. Michael Gear looks into Aztec traditions and stories, more so in this book than any other of the Donovan series. Talina's ancestral heritage helps connect her to her new world and allows her to overcome the events she is participant of, willing or not.
As a whole this book is frightening in its images, and stories because it’s disturbing how much it relates to what is happening in our own world. We must face like Talina, Kylee, and Dr. Dortmund the events and practices that may not be in our control.
by W. Michael Gear
Again I must claim bias before I place this review. I was amazingly fortune to be honored with my fan site group to have this book dedicated to myself and my group. We support these authors with great love and admiration. Having read all their books I know I have a bias when I read each book.
With great anticipation I waited patiently for this book to come into my hands. Funny story, the copy I read was sent as a giveaway for the Gear Facebook fan site, but I was grateful to read the story anyways. I protected the book with kid gloves, until a second book came for the give away and this book was mine to adore and read with tabs and marks so I know the story. And create my paintings to honor the work.
The story of Donovan, as I briefly describe it is nothing to reading the pages of the books. Pariah is the third installment, in this epic science fiction story. Already in place is a Ghost ship, the wonderful destructive Quetzals, the Corporation administrator Kalico, what can you add to make this story more dynamic? How about another lost ship? This time the story of the transition of the Vixen is opposed to the ghost ship Freelander. Vixen has been missing fifty years, but to its crew and passengers it seemed instantiations. Only the start of the problems. The Vixen was not a colonial ship, she was an exploratory ship. The complement of crew and passengers include the leading Conservationist Dr. Dortmund Weisbacher. The Conservationist movement on earth lead to many problematic environmental problems, the idea of pure stock conservation does not allow for environmental changes, and disease prevention, devastating the native populations on earth. Dr. Dortmund planned to outline and control the exploration and contact with Cappella III (Donovan). The problem cause by his disappearance on the Vixen changed the focus of the colonization of Donovan. He has to come to the realization that his theories are unfounded and unsustainable, and the deadly nature of the life on Donovan. The Gears are able to look into the modern practice of Bison breeding, and the idea of reintroduction of extinct animals explaining the problems they see in the future.
We also continue to explore through Talina and Kylee the reaction of the Quetzals to the human Colonization of Donovan. The native life of Donovan is divided into family lineages that are divided on how they will respond to this new population of animals. More than any other part of the story the Gears explore the ideas of colonization and contact with other planets.
The fans that have called for the Gears to look into the traditions and stories of the Aztecs have had their wishes granted. Michael Gear looks into Aztec traditions and stories, more so in this book than any other of the Donovan series. Talina's ancestral heritage helps connect her to her new world and allows her to overcome the events she is participant of, willing or not.
As a whole this book is frightening in its images, and stories because it’s disturbing how much it relates to what is happening in our own world. We must face like Talina, Kylee, and Dr. Dortmund the events and practices that may not be in our control.
May 24, 2019
Pariah is about the intense struggle between humans and all their adversaries – the hazards of space travel, alien flora and fauna, and of course, other humans. The colonization of the planet Donovan (named for the first man that was eaten by a quetzal upon landing) serves as the foundation to the gripping illustration of these human struggles. Spoiler — humanity doesn’t always win.
Throughout the series, there has been a deplorable lack of characters to empathize with. The exceptions for me are Talina and Kylee. Talina has remained the stalwart anti-heroine, but in Pariah, the quetzal TriNA in her system has her having waking dreams that are a danger to those around her. So Talina sets out for Mundo base, and hooks up with Kylee, the only other character that I empathize with. These two make an interesting team, even if they don’t quite mesh. It’s a short-term partnership. But right now, they don’t have any other options. Talina and Kylee share the quetzal connection which also makes them the most interesting characters as they grow into their hybrid status.
Shig and Yvette are not bad characters, but there is not much depth to those characters. Their background and motivation lack details. Shig is an interesting spiritual man and the story could do with a little more Shig. While these two do have critical roles in Pariah, they remain mostly in the background. In the meantime, corporate leader Kalico has grown into the leader we always hoped she could be. Still on the other side of the fence from the original settlers, but finding wisdom in working things out. She may be the one to watch in future installments.
With Pariah, two more fairly despicable characters are added to the mix. Tamarland Benteen, aka, the Scorpion. Killer, plotter, ruthless, truly evil. And Dortmund Weisbacher, the highly-educated biological conservationist with a gigantic ego and absolutely no common sense. These two make the bad guy from books 1 and 2, Dan Wirth, look like a nice guy.
Character-driven, the author has given us an amazing crowd of individuals to focus on in Pariah. But I really needed more of the book to focus on characters I liked. By the time I was done reading Pariah, I was pleased I did not have to put up the reprehensible anymore.
From the first book, this series always reminded me of the SyFy TV show Defiance. Both display a lack of city planning in the scrabbled together buildings, seemingly innocuous leader(s), security with an attitude, cash/trade business, and multiple people playing games for power in a true frontier atmosphere.
Despite the lack of characters to connect with, I still give Pariah a 5-star rating. I realize a lot of people love to hate the bad guys. And I appreciate the fact that Donovan’s plan for success is constantly being threatened makes the story difficult to put down. Captivating, haunting, breathtaking and imaginative, Pariah is a frontier tale for the SciFi genre.
Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Throughout the series, there has been a deplorable lack of characters to empathize with. The exceptions for me are Talina and Kylee. Talina has remained the stalwart anti-heroine, but in Pariah, the quetzal TriNA in her system has her having waking dreams that are a danger to those around her. So Talina sets out for Mundo base, and hooks up with Kylee, the only other character that I empathize with. These two make an interesting team, even if they don’t quite mesh. It’s a short-term partnership. But right now, they don’t have any other options. Talina and Kylee share the quetzal connection which also makes them the most interesting characters as they grow into their hybrid status.
Shig and Yvette are not bad characters, but there is not much depth to those characters. Their background and motivation lack details. Shig is an interesting spiritual man and the story could do with a little more Shig. While these two do have critical roles in Pariah, they remain mostly in the background. In the meantime, corporate leader Kalico has grown into the leader we always hoped she could be. Still on the other side of the fence from the original settlers, but finding wisdom in working things out. She may be the one to watch in future installments.
With Pariah, two more fairly despicable characters are added to the mix. Tamarland Benteen, aka, the Scorpion. Killer, plotter, ruthless, truly evil. And Dortmund Weisbacher, the highly-educated biological conservationist with a gigantic ego and absolutely no common sense. These two make the bad guy from books 1 and 2, Dan Wirth, look like a nice guy.
Character-driven, the author has given us an amazing crowd of individuals to focus on in Pariah. But I really needed more of the book to focus on characters I liked. By the time I was done reading Pariah, I was pleased I did not have to put up the reprehensible anymore.
From the first book, this series always reminded me of the SyFy TV show Defiance. Both display a lack of city planning in the scrabbled together buildings, seemingly innocuous leader(s), security with an attitude, cash/trade business, and multiple people playing games for power in a true frontier atmosphere.
Despite the lack of characters to connect with, I still give Pariah a 5-star rating. I realize a lot of people love to hate the bad guys. And I appreciate the fact that Donovan’s plan for success is constantly being threatened makes the story difficult to put down. Captivating, haunting, breathtaking and imaginative, Pariah is a frontier tale for the SciFi genre.
Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
August 18, 2019
Good news, the Donovan Trilogy is expecting . . . book four. I'm all for keeping the series going. The story is strong. The characters are top notch. The science interesting and there's even a mini-lesson in book three about the ancient Maya and Xibalba, the underworld ruled by their death gods, thrown in for good measure.
The story is both simple and complex. The ship, Vixen, thinks it just left Solar System and is wondering how it managed to arrive instantly at Donovan. On Donovan they're wondering where the ship has been for the last fifty years. Clearly space travel to Donovan is proving to be anything but a perfect science. They may have shown up half a century late, but much to the delight of the caffeine starved residents of Port Authority, Vixen was stocked with coffee.
Pariah introduces a couple of new characters and Port Authority loses one of its own. If Dan Wirth, resident Port Authority psychopath, made your skin crawl in the first two books, he definitely meets his match with the unexpected arrival of Corporate Supervisor, Tamarland Benteen. Donovan was able to make room for Wirth, but will there be room for two men battling for control of the planet's immense wealth? And what will Supervisor Kalico Aguila, the planet's corporate supervisor in residence have to say about this unexpected turn of events?
Gear also takes a good natured swipe at academia and its obvious disconnect from the real world with the introduction of Dr. Dortmund Weisbacher, Solar System's eminent academic authority on theoretical ways to protect a planet from humans. Weisbacher may know a lot intellectually as head of a university department, but when it comes to survival he's definitely a doofus and no match for either Donovan or ten year old Kylee Simonov, last seen in book two running off into the wild to live with the Quetzels, a species of three eyed predator that lives on the planet.
Kylee had been bonded to Rocket, a young Quetzal, who was killed in book two. Quetzals are a highly intelligent species that communicate through sharing molecules, at best obtained by a French kiss style flick of the tongue, at worst by being eaten. As the story unfolds, Quetzals, hated and feared by almost all Donovians, may just hold the key to long term human survival on this deadly world and ten year old Kylee, much to Dr. Weisbacher's dismay, is Donovan's prevailing expert on Quetzels.
Fans of the series will not be disappointed with any of the character developments or emerging story lines. Not only does Gear make the science interesting, he continues to pit Port Authority, a committed libertarian culture, against its complete opposite, a regimented, tightly controlled corporate system of government that dictates every facet of life in Solar System. Donovan has already survived Corporate Supervisor, Kalico Aguila, and made her one of their own. Do they have what it takes to survive Tamarland Benteen?
The story is both simple and complex. The ship, Vixen, thinks it just left Solar System and is wondering how it managed to arrive instantly at Donovan. On Donovan they're wondering where the ship has been for the last fifty years. Clearly space travel to Donovan is proving to be anything but a perfect science. They may have shown up half a century late, but much to the delight of the caffeine starved residents of Port Authority, Vixen was stocked with coffee.
Pariah introduces a couple of new characters and Port Authority loses one of its own. If Dan Wirth, resident Port Authority psychopath, made your skin crawl in the first two books, he definitely meets his match with the unexpected arrival of Corporate Supervisor, Tamarland Benteen. Donovan was able to make room for Wirth, but will there be room for two men battling for control of the planet's immense wealth? And what will Supervisor Kalico Aguila, the planet's corporate supervisor in residence have to say about this unexpected turn of events?
Gear also takes a good natured swipe at academia and its obvious disconnect from the real world with the introduction of Dr. Dortmund Weisbacher, Solar System's eminent academic authority on theoretical ways to protect a planet from humans. Weisbacher may know a lot intellectually as head of a university department, but when it comes to survival he's definitely a doofus and no match for either Donovan or ten year old Kylee Simonov, last seen in book two running off into the wild to live with the Quetzels, a species of three eyed predator that lives on the planet.
Kylee had been bonded to Rocket, a young Quetzal, who was killed in book two. Quetzals are a highly intelligent species that communicate through sharing molecules, at best obtained by a French kiss style flick of the tongue, at worst by being eaten. As the story unfolds, Quetzals, hated and feared by almost all Donovians, may just hold the key to long term human survival on this deadly world and ten year old Kylee, much to Dr. Weisbacher's dismay, is Donovan's prevailing expert on Quetzels.
Fans of the series will not be disappointed with any of the character developments or emerging story lines. Not only does Gear make the science interesting, he continues to pit Port Authority, a committed libertarian culture, against its complete opposite, a regimented, tightly controlled corporate system of government that dictates every facet of life in Solar System. Donovan has already survived Corporate Supervisor, Kalico Aguila, and made her one of their own. Do they have what it takes to survive Tamarland Benteen?
December 27, 2021
Really enjoyed this third book and I am really enjoying this series.
Possible Spoilers you have been warned:
I didn't love the very easy resolution during the final confrontation between Tal and Benteen. It seemed a little too easy. But then maybe that's the point with Tal and how far she has mutated. Just seemed too easy especially because she is warned just before that Benteen is the most dangerous person she's ever faced. Them boom its over. But again, maybe she's changed so much that even Benteen is not a challenge. Of course, this is getting to Mary Sue/Fantasy/Super Hero type stuff which I think get's a little thorny.
Also Benteen and the Professor were a little cartoonish and over the top.
But besides that it was really good. Kept my interest. Lots of interesting sub-plots. I, personally, enjoy the philosophical and political ideas (Libertarianism, Evolutionism, etc...)
I also really appreciate Agula's character Arc. I think Aguila and Benteen really have strong similarities. And I think Gear deliberately tried to show their similar characters but different paths. Both had strict ideas about governing and ambitions about power and control. But Aguila learned from her mistakes and seemed to grow and actually find herself whereas Benteen (And the Professor) only saw his way which ultimately led to his demise.
Also to have Dan Wirth come out as borderline sympathetic and a "good-guy" at least for a bit - takes a lot of skill but Gear pulled it off and made it believable.
I will continue reading the next books in this series eagerly.
Possible Spoilers you have been warned:
I didn't love the very easy resolution during the final confrontation between Tal and Benteen. It seemed a little too easy. But then maybe that's the point with Tal and how far she has mutated. Just seemed too easy especially because she is warned just before that Benteen is the most dangerous person she's ever faced. Them boom its over. But again, maybe she's changed so much that even Benteen is not a challenge. Of course, this is getting to Mary Sue/Fantasy/Super Hero type stuff which I think get's a little thorny.
Also Benteen and the Professor were a little cartoonish and over the top.
But besides that it was really good. Kept my interest. Lots of interesting sub-plots. I, personally, enjoy the philosophical and political ideas (Libertarianism, Evolutionism, etc...)
I also really appreciate Agula's character Arc. I think Aguila and Benteen really have strong similarities. And I think Gear deliberately tried to show their similar characters but different paths. Both had strict ideas about governing and ambitions about power and control. But Aguila learned from her mistakes and seemed to grow and actually find herself whereas Benteen (And the Professor) only saw his way which ultimately led to his demise.
Also to have Dan Wirth come out as borderline sympathetic and a "good-guy" at least for a bit - takes a lot of skill but Gear pulled it off and made it believable.
I will continue reading the next books in this series eagerly.
June 5, 2024
8.4 out of 10.
This series keeps getting better. The ground work for the character in the last two novels really pans out here in this one as we have a legitimate antagonist to work against and cover some compelling character moments from the prior two books.
This book is a partial retread of aspects of the prior two books but I believe there are some nice differences and there is a fair amount more world building.
We have a ship that was missing return with a crazy time dilation angle which is super interesting. You have new characters, one of which is the main bad guy for the book.
You have an interesting character who is a super accomplished professor and scientist who ultimately is useless as far as any actual attributes.
Major characters continue to be developed here. I do have a bit of a complaint with a couple of prior POV characters.
First, Talina has an interesting angle with her and the quetzals but there is a span in this book where her storyline really slows down.
Kalico is great here, but I wish there was more of her in this book.
Dan, I feel like this book is the most likable this character ever can get, he still is a terrible person but he has to team up with people who he is at odds with, which is great.
I do not particularly like that we set up some nice character from the second book and they are basically not in this book at all like Mark and the rest of the Mundo base people other than Kylee. They were major characters and basically you get a background mention of them in this book.
This series keeps getting better. The ground work for the character in the last two novels really pans out here in this one as we have a legitimate antagonist to work against and cover some compelling character moments from the prior two books.
This book is a partial retread of aspects of the prior two books but I believe there are some nice differences and there is a fair amount more world building.
We have a ship that was missing return with a crazy time dilation angle which is super interesting. You have new characters, one of which is the main bad guy for the book.
You have an interesting character who is a super accomplished professor and scientist who ultimately is useless as far as any actual attributes.
Major characters continue to be developed here. I do have a bit of a complaint with a couple of prior POV characters.
First, Talina has an interesting angle with her and the quetzals but there is a span in this book where her storyline really slows down.
Kalico is great here, but I wish there was more of her in this book.
Dan, I feel like this book is the most likable this character ever can get, he still is a terrible person but he has to team up with people who he is at odds with, which is great.
I do not particularly like that we set up some nice character from the second book and they are basically not in this book at all like Mark and the rest of the Mundo base people other than Kylee. They were major characters and basically you get a background mention of them in this book.
June 23, 2019
Complicated. Tam Benteen is on the run from deadly political elements back on Earth. He intends to hide out on the Capella III, aka Donovan’s planet for a few years until he can return and get his revenge. But what was supposed to be a 3 year trip becomes instantaneous. As they approach Capella III, they find a ship in orbit they don’t recognize. Meanwhile the colonists on Donovan are finally settling in and some are starting to have contact with the quetzals. Hopefully they can start to find mutual ground and live together, but some of the colonists don’t want to. On top of everything the two groups have different plans for the planet and they don’t work well together.
I like the explanation for the early, missing and late arriving ships. Very nicely complicated but plausible. Talina’s quetzal-induced hallucinations got a bit rambling and repetitive but that’s expected. And the blue pot illustration was wonderful. Dortmund was idiot but I felt sorry for him at the end. But I absolutely hated Benteen. He really got what he deserved. PA’s upper management was very smart and handled things perfectly.
Fave scenes: Talina ‘communicating’ with the quetzal, flying away from Mundo, Talina & Kylee’s hitchhiker and the town’s reaction when the quetzal siren went off.
I like the explanation for the early, missing and late arriving ships. Very nicely complicated but plausible. Talina’s quetzal-induced hallucinations got a bit rambling and repetitive but that’s expected. And the blue pot illustration was wonderful. Dortmund was idiot but I felt sorry for him at the end. But I absolutely hated Benteen. He really got what he deserved. PA’s upper management was very smart and handled things perfectly.
Fave scenes: Talina ‘communicating’ with the quetzal, flying away from Mundo, Talina & Kylee’s hitchhiker and the town’s reaction when the quetzal siren went off.
August 24, 2021
U realise that the writer has gone out of creative options whe the dbz phenomenon starts to occur( every next event has to be bigger than the first).
It show how little creativity remains when the writer has to introduce a super elite Assassin just to keep the tensions high, the fact that on a planet full of mysteries and so much fking potential, the writer introduced an elite Assassin from the past, just to keep the tension, that too against ppl of a planet who have no military training, who don't even understand that an asshole who is exploiting them through gambling is cheating, how do I expect to have any respect for an author who came up with such an awesome premise only to fk it up so bad.
And then there are the characters, they are all in an exclusive bubble of their own, when ever they are the center, everyone else is a dumbass, cause plot.
The only reason I am even reading this book further ans the next 2 books is cause I got em in a bundle, so I might as well finish it.
Now don't get me wrong, it's not s bad story at all, if u just close your mind, and put the audiobook on 1.75x speed, and listen to it while Playing games, u might just be able to go through it without abandoning it, just like me.
It show how little creativity remains when the writer has to introduce a super elite Assassin just to keep the tensions high, the fact that on a planet full of mysteries and so much fking potential, the writer introduced an elite Assassin from the past, just to keep the tension, that too against ppl of a planet who have no military training, who don't even understand that an asshole who is exploiting them through gambling is cheating, how do I expect to have any respect for an author who came up with such an awesome premise only to fk it up so bad.
And then there are the characters, they are all in an exclusive bubble of their own, when ever they are the center, everyone else is a dumbass, cause plot.
The only reason I am even reading this book further ans the next 2 books is cause I got em in a bundle, so I might as well finish it.
Now don't get me wrong, it's not s bad story at all, if u just close your mind, and put the audiobook on 1.75x speed, and listen to it while Playing games, u might just be able to go through it without abandoning it, just like me.
November 15, 2020
Excellent third installment of the Donovan series. Here we have three main stories. In the ongoing saga of Talina Perez, the security administrator on Donovan, we have her integration of the Quetzal "RNA", leading her to hallucinations and throwbacks as well as heightened senses. How will she cope? Then we have a new spaceship, the Vixen, arriving in the skies. It's 50 years late, though the transit time onboard seemed instantaneous. Bending space isn't all it's cracked up to be. On board are two other primary protagonists. We have a corporate assassin, Tam Benteen, a man rightly feared in his time (of 50 years previous) who is shocked at where and when he has arrived, but nonetheless intends to dominate it. Then there is Dortmund, a professor of ecology, who thinks he's come to a pristine untouched planet, where he can explore his conservationist ideals. Nope! 50 years of humanity have severely messed that up. How will he react? Spoiler - badly! So these three stories wind through the book, giving us a narrative that moved the overall story forward while introducing these new quirks. Well done, easily read, and a pleasure.
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