What do you think?
Rate this book
Making Waves
Two hundred years in the future, with the Solar System in the hands of mega-corporations...
Tod Fox, commander of the Heloise, has delivered six rash volunteers to Triton, control centre of Ragnox Inc. But then he took one away again.
Now volunteers and crew face a new chapter in their lives, as human resources at the mercy of Ragnox Director, Jordan Pascal, or as allies of Pan, under Benedict Darke, the relentless enemy of the Triton regime.
Where will their allegiance lie? There is no middle ground in Arkadia. It is war. No mercy. Victory at any price.
Volume II of Salvage. Sequel to Inside Out
Tod Fox, commander of the Heloise, has delivered six rash volunteers to Triton, control centre of Ragnox Inc. But then he took one away again.
Now volunteers and crew face a new chapter in their lives, as human resources at the mercy of Ragnox Director, Jordan Pascal, or as allies of Pan, under Benedict Darke, the relentless enemy of the Triton regime.
Where will their allegiance lie? There is no middle ground in Arkadia. It is war. No mercy. Victory at any price.
Volume II of Salvage. Sequel to Inside Out
392 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 13, 2022
5 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 22, 2022
I need to start by saying that Making Waves is only the second Science Fiction book I have read. So I have little knowledge of this genre. But my interest in this author’s work is – and has long been – the psychological underpinning of the stories: I am always instantly gripped from the very first lines and by the way she presents the characters with all their foibles, their strengths, their weaknesses. And, juxtaposed with that aspect, are the settings they are living in. Backgrounds that inevitable affect their actions.
Even so, I was taken by surprise in Volume ll of Sequel: some of the characters act… well… out of character. Or, should I say, not with the personalities I expected after reading Volume l. The author gives them a new dimension. The travellers who journeyed to Triton on the ISF Heloise and the original crew of ISF Heloise, are instantly recognisable by their spoken and internal dialogue and by the subtle inclusion of details from their back stories. But they have extra facets to their characters, greater depths in their portrayals by their reactions to what is happening in the plot. Once engaged with that I applauded the courage, the innovative adaptation to the lives they are forced to endure, and I despaired of the evil of those connected with Ragnox on Triton and the desperate conditions there. And I was fascinated by the varied and complex new characters associated with Pan; Benedict Darke, that add even more interest to the story.
Trying hard to resist giving away spoilers here.
And, yet again, as in all her books, and although it’s an alien world. it’s the author’s inherent ability for writing descriptions (sometimes in only a few words) of the settings that evoke a sense of place. That gives credence to this excellent plot.
A plot that is intricate in the way it moves along, twisting and turning, yet with an ease that brings together the expected and unexpected, as in ‘real’ life.
This is a cracking book that kept me riveted and immersed. And, as I said in my review of Inside Out, Making Waves is a novel I would recommend to any readers who enjoys character-led stories – whatever the genre.
Even so, I was taken by surprise in Volume ll of Sequel: some of the characters act… well… out of character. Or, should I say, not with the personalities I expected after reading Volume l. The author gives them a new dimension. The travellers who journeyed to Triton on the ISF Heloise and the original crew of ISF Heloise, are instantly recognisable by their spoken and internal dialogue and by the subtle inclusion of details from their back stories. But they have extra facets to their characters, greater depths in their portrayals by their reactions to what is happening in the plot. Once engaged with that I applauded the courage, the innovative adaptation to the lives they are forced to endure, and I despaired of the evil of those connected with Ragnox on Triton and the desperate conditions there. And I was fascinated by the varied and complex new characters associated with Pan; Benedict Darke, that add even more interest to the story.
Trying hard to resist giving away spoilers here.
And, yet again, as in all her books, and although it’s an alien world. it’s the author’s inherent ability for writing descriptions (sometimes in only a few words) of the settings that evoke a sense of place. That gives credence to this excellent plot.
A plot that is intricate in the way it moves along, twisting and turning, yet with an ease that brings together the expected and unexpected, as in ‘real’ life.
This is a cracking book that kept me riveted and immersed. And, as I said in my review of Inside Out, Making Waves is a novel I would recommend to any readers who enjoys character-led stories – whatever the genre.
March 25, 2022
I loved Thorne Moore’s first science fiction novel, Inside Out, and this sequel (which could be read as a standalone but I recommend the first in any case) lives up to the high bar it sets. It is a story with all the elements of an exciting space opera – interplanetary conflict, a seemingly unassailable villain ruling over the territory – Ragnox with its autocratic Outer Circle boss, Pascal – and a plucky adversary in the form of a dissident news organisation – the almost-eponymous Ocean Waves, who team up with the rebel group they Grey Wolves, ably assisted by the Heloise, and her crew, whom we came to know and love in Inside Out.
However, this is not just a gripping adventure – there is plenty of allegory, from the “mutants” – who are in fact those of the generations born in the Outer Circle of the solar system, who have enhanced psychic abilities – representing outsiders everywhere who are mocked, subjugated and underestimated by those who don’t, or won’t, understand them, to the idea of grossly distorted capitalism in the form of Pascal and the mighty Corporation, Ragnox, with all the associated greed and lust for power, attempting to take over all that is reasonably within reach. This in particular, and the suppression of the Ocean Waves media organisation that seeks to reveal the truth against it, has turned out to be strangely prescient given the events that took place around the time of the novel’s publication, and are still ongoing as this review is being written.
As well as plenty of imagination and inventiveness, such as the identity of Benedict Darke, head of Ragnox’s rival organisation Pan, and the nature of the ultimate weapon, Thorne Moore’s eye for character and touches of humour are once again an integral part of the novel.
There is intrigue aplenty, but also a human and emotional focus that is very engaging and involving, making the impact of the wider events very strongly felt.
Highly recommended.
However, this is not just a gripping adventure – there is plenty of allegory, from the “mutants” – who are in fact those of the generations born in the Outer Circle of the solar system, who have enhanced psychic abilities – representing outsiders everywhere who are mocked, subjugated and underestimated by those who don’t, or won’t, understand them, to the idea of grossly distorted capitalism in the form of Pascal and the mighty Corporation, Ragnox, with all the associated greed and lust for power, attempting to take over all that is reasonably within reach. This in particular, and the suppression of the Ocean Waves media organisation that seeks to reveal the truth against it, has turned out to be strangely prescient given the events that took place around the time of the novel’s publication, and are still ongoing as this review is being written.
As well as plenty of imagination and inventiveness, such as the identity of Benedict Darke, head of Ragnox’s rival organisation Pan, and the nature of the ultimate weapon, Thorne Moore’s eye for character and touches of humour are once again an integral part of the novel.
There is intrigue aplenty, but also a human and emotional focus that is very engaging and involving, making the impact of the wider events very strongly felt.
Highly recommended.
January 2, 2023
(Making Waves continues the story begun in Inside Out. Both books can be read as standalones but Inside Out is such a terrific read it makes sense to read it first.)
Making Waves, because it’s set in the future, sits under the science fiction umbrella. If that makes you think of warp factors and aliens then I’d like to stress that this magnificent book cuts across such preconceived notions and delivers an acutely crafted tale that holds a mirror up to human behaviour in a way that transcends history and reflects it back at us.
The very worst of human behaviour and the very best are here in a novel that is told with wit, compassion and an understanding of humanity in all its forms. The events here echo such disregard for human life as evident in the reign of Genghis Khan, the concentration camps in Nazi Germany or the attempted genocide by regimes in the here and now. These echoes also contain the extraordinary bravery of those who stood up for what they believed to be right, whatever the personal cost.
The characters are complex and unique. Here are the loathsome and the decent, the greedy and the selfless, the cruel and the kind, the privileged and the dispossessed. In the end, it’s a battle between perceptions of good and evil.
This is a moving book but it’s also an intelligent one with a plot that came together at the end in a way that I can only describe as breathtaking. The writing has a light touch that moves at a pace that doesn’t falter and, despite its depth of feeling, it’s also very, very funny.
I read a lot. I’ve read many 5* books during the last few years. Making Waves is, without a doubt, the best book I’ve read in a long time.
And I don’t read sci-fi.
Making Waves, because it’s set in the future, sits under the science fiction umbrella. If that makes you think of warp factors and aliens then I’d like to stress that this magnificent book cuts across such preconceived notions and delivers an acutely crafted tale that holds a mirror up to human behaviour in a way that transcends history and reflects it back at us.
The very worst of human behaviour and the very best are here in a novel that is told with wit, compassion and an understanding of humanity in all its forms. The events here echo such disregard for human life as evident in the reign of Genghis Khan, the concentration camps in Nazi Germany or the attempted genocide by regimes in the here and now. These echoes also contain the extraordinary bravery of those who stood up for what they believed to be right, whatever the personal cost.
The characters are complex and unique. Here are the loathsome and the decent, the greedy and the selfless, the cruel and the kind, the privileged and the dispossessed. In the end, it’s a battle between perceptions of good and evil.
This is a moving book but it’s also an intelligent one with a plot that came together at the end in a way that I can only describe as breathtaking. The writing has a light touch that moves at a pace that doesn’t falter and, despite its depth of feeling, it’s also very, very funny.
I read a lot. I’ve read many 5* books during the last few years. Making Waves is, without a doubt, the best book I’ve read in a long time.
And I don’t read sci-fi.
January 9, 2023
I truly believe Thorne Moore could write a five star book about a paper bag. She has challenged herself by writing in books different genres and her readers (including myself) have found them all compelling. I did not read the first book in this series (Inside Out) but no matter, this book qualifies as a stand-alone. I chose it because I wanted to see how the author fared with science fiction, and she fares very well indeed.
The setting: Two hundred years into the future, human civilization has populated various moons and planets in what is collectively called the Outer Circle. Triton station, the Outer Circle headquarters of Ragnox, Inc., on the moon of Neptune, is as far as the intrepid can go unless exploring. Ragnox is the unassailable villainous corporation ruling over the territory with its psychopathic boss, Pascal. One of the activities he oversees, in addition to mining, uses so-called mutants, generations born in the Outer Circle of the solar system who have enhanced psychic abilities, as guinea pigs for horrendous scientific experimentation. The only challenges to Pascal’s ruthless pursuit of money and power are Pan, a rival, but less powerful, company and a dissident news organization called Ocean Waves, which makes public the excesses and evils of Ragnox.
The author manages to create the setting with a minimalist approach to its description. She does not spend a lot of time on the scientific details – the atmosphere for O2-breathing creatures, space suits, gravity establishment etc – but lets the reader imagine it from various names (leviathans and the Ark, for example).
The Characters: There are a lot of characters in this book, and I wish the list of them with their roles was placed at the beginning of the book rather than at the end. I became somewhat lost trying to sort them all out until I discovered the list, a problem for an e-book reader.
Tod Fox, captain of the freighter Heloise, delivers six foolhardy volunteers to Triton for seven years of servitude in return for a monetary windfall at the end of their service. Most volunteers don’t survive, so it’s a win-win for Ragnox. These volunteers get to know each other well during the long voyage out and form the nucleus of a family with Tod at its head. Among them is Yasmin Gwynn, who is delivered to Triton but then taken away. She becomes the head of Ocean Waves and a pain in the side of Pascal, who lives to find and eliminate her. The others are Smith, a communications wizard who becomes a member of Pascal’s star chamber and a threat to Pascal when he escapes; Clytemnestra, who rises through the ranks to run the Triton brothel; Merrit Burnand, who works as a medical assistant and sees all of the horror of Triton laboratories and forced labor; and Peter Seldon and Abigail Dieterman, engineers. All survive their servitude to become involved in the effort to bring Ragnox to its knees.
The characters are all really well developed, so the reader has no difficulty sorting them out. Their emotions are very real and the reader can easily form a strong connection with each of them. The dialogue is crisp and even occasionally humorous.
The plot: The book jumps from main character to main character (another reason for knowing who they are at the beginning, along with their supporting personae) and brings each one forward at a time. The plot is full of twists and turns, so the reader needs to pay attention. It’s complicated so I won’t give more away, but know that it is classical tale of good vs evil, of greed and lust for power and of the human desire for justice. And there’s even a super weapon, which makes the book a nail biter towards the end.
Thorne Moore is an exceptional writer. With this book she delivers, as usual, a real sense of place – even without a lot of detail – and her characters are compelling.
Her plot is complicated and clever and keeps the reader engrossed in the story.
Highly recommended, and I am looking forward to the third book in the series and will go back to read the first!
The setting: Two hundred years into the future, human civilization has populated various moons and planets in what is collectively called the Outer Circle. Triton station, the Outer Circle headquarters of Ragnox, Inc., on the moon of Neptune, is as far as the intrepid can go unless exploring. Ragnox is the unassailable villainous corporation ruling over the territory with its psychopathic boss, Pascal. One of the activities he oversees, in addition to mining, uses so-called mutants, generations born in the Outer Circle of the solar system who have enhanced psychic abilities, as guinea pigs for horrendous scientific experimentation. The only challenges to Pascal’s ruthless pursuit of money and power are Pan, a rival, but less powerful, company and a dissident news organization called Ocean Waves, which makes public the excesses and evils of Ragnox.
The author manages to create the setting with a minimalist approach to its description. She does not spend a lot of time on the scientific details – the atmosphere for O2-breathing creatures, space suits, gravity establishment etc – but lets the reader imagine it from various names (leviathans and the Ark, for example).
The Characters: There are a lot of characters in this book, and I wish the list of them with their roles was placed at the beginning of the book rather than at the end. I became somewhat lost trying to sort them all out until I discovered the list, a problem for an e-book reader.
Tod Fox, captain of the freighter Heloise, delivers six foolhardy volunteers to Triton for seven years of servitude in return for a monetary windfall at the end of their service. Most volunteers don’t survive, so it’s a win-win for Ragnox. These volunteers get to know each other well during the long voyage out and form the nucleus of a family with Tod at its head. Among them is Yasmin Gwynn, who is delivered to Triton but then taken away. She becomes the head of Ocean Waves and a pain in the side of Pascal, who lives to find and eliminate her. The others are Smith, a communications wizard who becomes a member of Pascal’s star chamber and a threat to Pascal when he escapes; Clytemnestra, who rises through the ranks to run the Triton brothel; Merrit Burnand, who works as a medical assistant and sees all of the horror of Triton laboratories and forced labor; and Peter Seldon and Abigail Dieterman, engineers. All survive their servitude to become involved in the effort to bring Ragnox to its knees.
The characters are all really well developed, so the reader has no difficulty sorting them out. Their emotions are very real and the reader can easily form a strong connection with each of them. The dialogue is crisp and even occasionally humorous.
The plot: The book jumps from main character to main character (another reason for knowing who they are at the beginning, along with their supporting personae) and brings each one forward at a time. The plot is full of twists and turns, so the reader needs to pay attention. It’s complicated so I won’t give more away, but know that it is classical tale of good vs evil, of greed and lust for power and of the human desire for justice. And there’s even a super weapon, which makes the book a nail biter towards the end.
Thorne Moore is an exceptional writer. With this book she delivers, as usual, a real sense of place – even without a lot of detail – and her characters are compelling.
Her plot is complicated and clever and keeps the reader engrossed in the story.
Highly recommended, and I am looking forward to the third book in the series and will go back to read the first!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews