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The Gordian Division #3
The Janus File
The fates of universes aren’t the only things time travel can impact. Sometimes the effect is a lot more mundane and closer to home. And when that happens, it’s up to the cops of Themis Division to make time turn out right.
It was supposed to be a routine trip for the members of the Gordian Division, both human and AI: fly out to Saturn, inspect the construction of their latest time machines, then fly back.
But when the division’s top scientist and chief engineer are killed in the same freak accident, suspicions of foul play run deep. Detective Isaac Cho is sent in to investigate, but he has more on his mind than just a new case. His superiors have saddled him with an exchange officer from the neighboring Admin—Special Agent Susan Cantrell—whose notion of proper “law enforcement” involves blowing up criminals first and skipping questions entirely.
Despite his objections, Cho is stuck with an untested partner on a case that increasingly reeks of murder and conspiracy. The unlikely pair must work together to unravel this mystery, and soon they discover their unique combination of skills might just provide the edge they need.
But nothing is ever simple where the Gordian Division is involved.
Not even time itself.
About The Janus File:
“A satisfying, self-contained mystery for its mismatched protagonists to gradually unravel…moments of humor amid the expected culture clashes, and the exploration of the authors’ well-realized far-future world…It’s pure entertainment.”—Publishers Weekly
About prequel The Gordian Protocol:
“Tom Clancy-esque exposition of technical details . . . absurd humor and bloody action. Echoes of Robert Heinlein . . . lots of exploding temporal spaceships and bodies . . . action-packed . . .” —Booklist
“[A] fun and thrilling standalone from Weber and Holo. . . . Time travel enthusiasts will enjoy the moral dilemmas, nonstop action, and crisp writing.”—Publishers Weekly
About David Weber:
“[A] balanced mix of interstellar intrigue, counterespionage, and epic fleet action . . . with all the hard- and software details and tactical proficiency that Weber delivers like no one else; along with a large cast of well-developed, believable characters, giving each clash of fleets emotional weight.”—Booklist
“[M]oves . . . as inexorably as the Star Kingdom’s Grand Fleet, commanded by series protagonist Honor Harrington. . . . Weber is the Tom Clancy of science fiction. . . . His fans will relish this latest installment. . . .”—Publishers Weekly
“This entry is just as exciting as Weber’s initial offering. . . . The result is a fast-paced and action-packed story that follows [our characters] as they move from reaction to command of the situation. Weber builds Shadow of Freedom to an exciting and unexpected climax.”—The Galveston County Daily News
“Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection and a deep understanding of military bureaucracy in this long-awaited Honor Harrington novel . . . . Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice to see Honor back in action.”—Publishers Weekly
“This latest Honor Harrington novel brings the saga to another crucial turning point. . . . Readers may feel confident that they will be Honored many more times and enjoy it every time.”—Booklist
“[E]verything you could want in a heroine. . . . Excellent . . . plenty of action.”—Science Fiction Age
“Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!”—Anne McCaffrey
“Compelling combat combined with engaging characters for a great space opera adventure.”—Locus
“Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection. . . . Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice . . .”—Publishers Weekly
About Jacob Holo:
“An entertaining sci-fi action novel with light overtones of dystopian and political thrillers.”—Kirkus on The Dragons of Jupiter
“Thrilling . . . sci-fi adventure.”—Kirkus on Time Reavers
It was supposed to be a routine trip for the members of the Gordian Division, both human and AI: fly out to Saturn, inspect the construction of their latest time machines, then fly back.
But when the division’s top scientist and chief engineer are killed in the same freak accident, suspicions of foul play run deep. Detective Isaac Cho is sent in to investigate, but he has more on his mind than just a new case. His superiors have saddled him with an exchange officer from the neighboring Admin—Special Agent Susan Cantrell—whose notion of proper “law enforcement” involves blowing up criminals first and skipping questions entirely.
Despite his objections, Cho is stuck with an untested partner on a case that increasingly reeks of murder and conspiracy. The unlikely pair must work together to unravel this mystery, and soon they discover their unique combination of skills might just provide the edge they need.
But nothing is ever simple where the Gordian Division is involved.
Not even time itself.
About The Janus File:
“A satisfying, self-contained mystery for its mismatched protagonists to gradually unravel…moments of humor amid the expected culture clashes, and the exploration of the authors’ well-realized far-future world…It’s pure entertainment.”—Publishers Weekly
About prequel The Gordian Protocol:
“Tom Clancy-esque exposition of technical details . . . absurd humor and bloody action. Echoes of Robert Heinlein . . . lots of exploding temporal spaceships and bodies . . . action-packed . . .” —Booklist
“[A] fun and thrilling standalone from Weber and Holo. . . . Time travel enthusiasts will enjoy the moral dilemmas, nonstop action, and crisp writing.”—Publishers Weekly
About David Weber:
“[A] balanced mix of interstellar intrigue, counterespionage, and epic fleet action . . . with all the hard- and software details and tactical proficiency that Weber delivers like no one else; along with a large cast of well-developed, believable characters, giving each clash of fleets emotional weight.”—Booklist
“[M]oves . . . as inexorably as the Star Kingdom’s Grand Fleet, commanded by series protagonist Honor Harrington. . . . Weber is the Tom Clancy of science fiction. . . . His fans will relish this latest installment. . . .”—Publishers Weekly
“This entry is just as exciting as Weber’s initial offering. . . . The result is a fast-paced and action-packed story that follows [our characters] as they move from reaction to command of the situation. Weber builds Shadow of Freedom to an exciting and unexpected climax.”—The Galveston County Daily News
“Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection and a deep understanding of military bureaucracy in this long-awaited Honor Harrington novel . . . . Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice to see Honor back in action.”—Publishers Weekly
“This latest Honor Harrington novel brings the saga to another crucial turning point. . . . Readers may feel confident that they will be Honored many more times and enjoy it every time.”—Booklist
“[E]verything you could want in a heroine. . . . Excellent . . . plenty of action.”—Science Fiction Age
“Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!”—Anne McCaffrey
“Compelling combat combined with engaging characters for a great space opera adventure.”—Locus
“Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection. . . . Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice . . .”—Publishers Weekly
About Jacob Holo:
“An entertaining sci-fi action novel with light overtones of dystopian and political thrillers.”—Kirkus on The Dragons of Jupiter
“Thrilling . . . sci-fi adventure.”—Kirkus on Time Reavers
455 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 4, 2022
63 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
David Weber
323 books4,534 followersDavid Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1952.
Many of his stories have military, particularly naval, themes, and fit into the military science fiction genre. He frequently places female leading characters in what have been traditionally male roles.
One of his most popular and enduring characters is Honor Harrington whose alliterated name is an homage to C.S. Forester's character Horatio Hornblower and her last name from a fleet doctor in Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander . Her story, together with the "Honorverse" she inhabits, has been developed through 16 novels and six shared-universe anthologies, as of spring 2013 (other works are in production). In 2008, he donated his archive to the department of Rare Books and Special Collections at Northern Illinois University.
Many of his books are available online, either in their entirety as part of the Baen Free Library or, in the case of more recent books, in the form of sample chapters (typically the first 25-33% of the work).
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidw...
Many of his stories have military, particularly naval, themes, and fit into the military science fiction genre. He frequently places female leading characters in what have been traditionally male roles.
One of his most popular and enduring characters is Honor Harrington whose alliterated name is an homage to C.S. Forester's character Horatio Hornblower and her last name from a fleet doctor in Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander . Her story, together with the "Honorverse" she inhabits, has been developed through 16 novels and six shared-universe anthologies, as of spring 2013 (other works are in production). In 2008, he donated his archive to the department of Rare Books and Special Collections at Northern Illinois University.
Many of his books are available online, either in their entirety as part of the Baen Free Library or, in the case of more recent books, in the form of sample chapters (typically the first 25-33% of the work).
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidw...
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 31, 2022
The Janus File by David Weber and Jacob Holo is the third book in the Gordian Division series. The first two books were great reads but this one is the best by far. Although part of a series this one could easily be read as a stand-a-lone novel. This book has one of my favorite storylines in science fiction. It is a detective/murder mystery set in a far future where spaceflight is common and time travel is also possible. The two main characters are from very different backgrounds but must work together to solve several murders. This book is interesting and has several plot twists that took me by surprise. David Weber and Jacob Holo make a great writing team. A must-read for fans of either author!
March 15, 2025
Good story!.
the lack of input from David Weber is noticeable.
miss you, David
the lack of input from David Weber is noticeable.
miss you, David
July 13, 2022
The Janus File is the third in a series by David Weber and Jacob Holo. I have not read the previous books in this series, but they are not necessary for the enjoyment of this book. The Janus File is a police procedural based in a future of multiple universes faced with the impact of time travel on crime and with the potential to destroy universes. Detective Isaac Cho is paired with Special Agent Susan Cantrell in a controversial exchange program, with Cantrell coming from a universe where law enforcement is considered quite brutal.
This is a universe with AIs and humans with augmented or artificial bodies. The book has a fair amount of humor, and in this "odd" pairing, Susan is definitely the go to for any heavy lifting. The mystery and its ultimate resolution is well developed and neatly wrapped up. Similar to Richard Kadrey's Altered Carbon series, people's basic identity is kept in a core base, which can be switched out into various bodies, or revived if a body is destroyed. This element has a crucial point to the mystery.
A fun book and highly recommended. I would like to thank Baen for providing me with an eARC to review.
This is a universe with AIs and humans with augmented or artificial bodies. The book has a fair amount of humor, and in this "odd" pairing, Susan is definitely the go to for any heavy lifting. The mystery and its ultimate resolution is well developed and neatly wrapped up. Similar to Richard Kadrey's Altered Carbon series, people's basic identity is kept in a core base, which can be switched out into various bodies, or revived if a body is destroyed. This element has a crucial point to the mystery.
A fun book and highly recommended. I would like to thank Baen for providing me with an eARC to review.
December 31, 2023
I wanted to like this novel more than I did. I met the author (Jacob Holo) at a book signing at a Barnes and Noble in Greenville, SC in mid-November 2023, spoke with him one-on-one for more than 30 minutes about his work and other SF topics in general, really enjoyed speaking with this personable, friendly fellow, thought the premise for his works in general and this book in particular sounded really cool, and so purchased two signed copies of two of his novels while I was there.
But something seriously misfired for me in the writing of this book, causing it to take me six weeks to read. It is a murder mystery plot set in a science fiction world of Saturn's rings, or moons, or some manmade construct among them. The world-building is fantastic and deeply thought out. However, I felt overwhelmed and lost among the technology, time travel, and various forms of quasi-human life as the book progressed. Holo's writing style is to tell the story as if the reader is aware of all these advanced concepts, dropping hints about their parameters as he goes. This doesn't work for me because I don't know what Holo is really referring to, and I am made to feel stupid for being unable to pick it up on the fly as Holo seems to expect his reader to be able to do.
I believe Jacob Holo wrote every word, or at least more than 96% of them, for this novel. Perhaps, Weber and Holo vaguely discussed some plotlines of the novel, did some world-building together. I don't know. But it's clear to me from the style of writing alone that this is entirely Jacob Holo's words, completely his way of telling a story. That's because Holo's nominal co-author, David Weber, is often criticized for data dumping, explaining everything out to a reader before he uses a concept in his novel. There is not one iota of pre-explanation in this novel. I frankly doubt Weber could (or would) write anything without explaining it first any more than I would. I do not criticize this feature of data dumping, what I consider explaining one's terms, in Weber's fiction. In fact, I very much appreciate it because it makes Weber readable for me. Holo writes in the opposite way. Perhaps he is over-compensating to avoid that criticism, because he explains hardly anything to the reader. That failure to define terms really doesn't work for me.
The other aspect of the novel that doesn't work for me is the pacing. Towards the end of the novel, for example, there is a potentially very exciting chase scene in which the ship Susan and Cho are driving gets shot down. This scene takes less than half a page to tell. That's because we the reader see nothing of the chasers, almost none of the evasion attempts, no concern on the part of the party being chased, just a bland description of being fired upon and crashing as a result. Hello! This is a main part of the climax of the book. It needs to be drawn out a bit, explained, made exciting. There are a lot of long parts of the book that go into how gizmos work, but not enough on what these mean to and for the people affected by them.
This all said, there is still a decent book in here somewhere. There are well-drawn, dramatic characters, a definite and fun-to-read plotline, and a rich world built for them to operate in. The writing itself is wonderful, the language carefully chosen and mastered. Dialogue and description are mixed together well too to create scenes that are memorable. It's a thoroughly professionally written and edited book with great cover art too. I just wish I didn't have this constant feeling that so much of it is sailing past over my head because the terms being used haven't been explained. David Weber's writing never does that to me.
One final note: Jacob sells this book as a mystery novel more than as a science fiction novel. I think he does this mainly because he doesn't really know the conventions for a mystery novel. Holo's book doesn't actually follow mystery fiction conventions. For example, there is no way the reader could guess whodunnit before the denouement, as a reader must be allowed and encouraged to do in a real mystery novel of this type. There has to be clues dropped that a reader can logically make guesses from, even if it's rarely done by the reader. Instead of a murder mystery, what we have here could be called a suspense novel, or suspense thriller, if one were trying hard to fit it into a genre of crime fiction. I consider it simply science fiction in the mold of say Philip K. Dick's Martian Time-Slip.
But something seriously misfired for me in the writing of this book, causing it to take me six weeks to read. It is a murder mystery plot set in a science fiction world of Saturn's rings, or moons, or some manmade construct among them. The world-building is fantastic and deeply thought out. However, I felt overwhelmed and lost among the technology, time travel, and various forms of quasi-human life as the book progressed. Holo's writing style is to tell the story as if the reader is aware of all these advanced concepts, dropping hints about their parameters as he goes. This doesn't work for me because I don't know what Holo is really referring to, and I am made to feel stupid for being unable to pick it up on the fly as Holo seems to expect his reader to be able to do.
I believe Jacob Holo wrote every word, or at least more than 96% of them, for this novel. Perhaps, Weber and Holo vaguely discussed some plotlines of the novel, did some world-building together. I don't know. But it's clear to me from the style of writing alone that this is entirely Jacob Holo's words, completely his way of telling a story. That's because Holo's nominal co-author, David Weber, is often criticized for data dumping, explaining everything out to a reader before he uses a concept in his novel. There is not one iota of pre-explanation in this novel. I frankly doubt Weber could (or would) write anything without explaining it first any more than I would. I do not criticize this feature of data dumping, what I consider explaining one's terms, in Weber's fiction. In fact, I very much appreciate it because it makes Weber readable for me. Holo writes in the opposite way. Perhaps he is over-compensating to avoid that criticism, because he explains hardly anything to the reader. That failure to define terms really doesn't work for me.
The other aspect of the novel that doesn't work for me is the pacing. Towards the end of the novel, for example, there is a potentially very exciting chase scene in which the ship Susan and Cho are driving gets shot down. This scene takes less than half a page to tell. That's because we the reader see nothing of the chasers, almost none of the evasion attempts, no concern on the part of the party being chased, just a bland description of being fired upon and crashing as a result. Hello! This is a main part of the climax of the book. It needs to be drawn out a bit, explained, made exciting. There are a lot of long parts of the book that go into how gizmos work, but not enough on what these mean to and for the people affected by them.
This all said, there is still a decent book in here somewhere. There are well-drawn, dramatic characters, a definite and fun-to-read plotline, and a rich world built for them to operate in. The writing itself is wonderful, the language carefully chosen and mastered. Dialogue and description are mixed together well too to create scenes that are memorable. It's a thoroughly professionally written and edited book with great cover art too. I just wish I didn't have this constant feeling that so much of it is sailing past over my head because the terms being used haven't been explained. David Weber's writing never does that to me.
One final note: Jacob sells this book as a mystery novel more than as a science fiction novel. I think he does this mainly because he doesn't really know the conventions for a mystery novel. Holo's book doesn't actually follow mystery fiction conventions. For example, there is no way the reader could guess whodunnit before the denouement, as a reader must be allowed and encouraged to do in a real mystery novel of this type. There has to be clues dropped that a reader can logically make guesses from, even if it's rarely done by the reader. Instead of a murder mystery, what we have here could be called a suspense novel, or suspense thriller, if one were trying hard to fit it into a genre of crime fiction. I consider it simply science fiction in the mold of say Philip K. Dick's Martian Time-Slip.
August 21, 2023
I'd give it 3 1/2 stars if I could. There was less action in this novel than in the previous ones, but I didn't expect continuous action in a murder mystery which was what this novel was. There was mostly skull-sweat involved, but clearly someone was killing off any witnesses that might lead the detectives to the real murderer.
The story: Two major chrono scientists/engineers are killed in a transit beam accident, but it is too much of a coincidence, so Detective Isaac Cho from the SysGov universe and Special Agent Susan Cantrell from the Admin universe are assigned to investigate the case. They are like oil and water. Nevertheless, they are thrown together as a sort of cultural exchange program between the namby-pamby SysGov people and the brutally efficient Admin people. As an aside, someone has been re-programming the food replicators to produce apple-based products no matter what the customer orders. This would seem like a marvelous practical joke until one realizes that if someone could produce apples, they could also produce something more dangerous. Most of the police investigative effort is placed on that problem which leaves Detective Isaac Cho and Special Agent Susan Cantrell generally unsupervised and with a large expense account.
Any problems with the story? Well... it got a little confusing at the end as most time travel stories usually do. Someone seemed to be creating time paradoxes or nearly so. Also, a lot of the secondary plot elements would be more comprehensible/enjoyable if one also read the previous two books in the series: "The Gordian Protocol" and "The Valkyrie Protocol".
Any modesty issues? Well, the F-word was used over 20 times, probably WELL over 20 times, mostly used by delinquents. I don't recall any actually sex, but part of the investigation uncovered a sexual relationship that seemed to be two people using each other for their own ends. Not very nice, but not described in detail either.
The ending was surprising and as I said before, somewhat confusing. I had to stop and think about it before I realized exactly how the murderer was intending to reach his/her goals. It was clever. It never occurred to me. I was impressed.
I might read this book again some time.
The story: Two major chrono scientists/engineers are killed in a transit beam accident, but it is too much of a coincidence, so Detective Isaac Cho from the SysGov universe and Special Agent Susan Cantrell from the Admin universe are assigned to investigate the case. They are like oil and water. Nevertheless, they are thrown together as a sort of cultural exchange program between the namby-pamby SysGov people and the brutally efficient Admin people. As an aside, someone has been re-programming the food replicators to produce apple-based products no matter what the customer orders. This would seem like a marvelous practical joke until one realizes that if someone could produce apples, they could also produce something more dangerous. Most of the police investigative effort is placed on that problem which leaves Detective Isaac Cho and Special Agent Susan Cantrell generally unsupervised and with a large expense account.
Any problems with the story? Well... it got a little confusing at the end as most time travel stories usually do. Someone seemed to be creating time paradoxes or nearly so. Also, a lot of the secondary plot elements would be more comprehensible/enjoyable if one also read the previous two books in the series: "The Gordian Protocol" and "The Valkyrie Protocol".
Any modesty issues? Well, the F-word was used over 20 times, probably WELL over 20 times, mostly used by delinquents. I don't recall any actually sex, but part of the investigation uncovered a sexual relationship that seemed to be two people using each other for their own ends. Not very nice, but not described in detail either.
The ending was surprising and as I said before, somewhat confusing. I had to stop and think about it before I realized exactly how the murderer was intending to reach his/her goals. It was clever. It never occurred to me. I was impressed.
I might read this book again some time.
July 9, 2022
Crime-fighting in a temporal multiverse!
In the universal battle of good versus evil, there exists the law. Unfortunately, enforcement differs significantly between dimensional universes. By the fourth millennium, cooperation between law enforcement divisions is still tenuous. A new officer exchange program is designed to change this status quo. Detective Isaac Cho of the Themis Division and Special Agent Susan Cantrell of SysGov Admin are assigned as a team under the new program to investigate the deaths of two high-profile Gordian agents. The case takes them into organized crime syndicates, and through time, as they pursue a killer.
The book offers a well-developed plot, battles, intrigue, and an excellent crime thriller mystery. This is the first book I have read in this sci-fi series and now I want to read the ones leading up to it. What creative imagination and world-building talent!
In the universal battle of good versus evil, there exists the law. Unfortunately, enforcement differs significantly between dimensional universes. By the fourth millennium, cooperation between law enforcement divisions is still tenuous. A new officer exchange program is designed to change this status quo. Detective Isaac Cho of the Themis Division and Special Agent Susan Cantrell of SysGov Admin are assigned as a team under the new program to investigate the deaths of two high-profile Gordian agents. The case takes them into organized crime syndicates, and through time, as they pursue a killer.
The book offers a well-developed plot, battles, intrigue, and an excellent crime thriller mystery. This is the first book I have read in this sci-fi series and now I want to read the ones leading up to it. What creative imagination and world-building talent!
December 14, 2022
I waited too long between reading this and writing a review. I remember not enjoying it as much as the first couple, but I didn't think it was terrible.
It also is a bit rough going from such reality destroying importance to such a smaller scale in the same series. I recall that's what the authors envisioned, but it's just a hard needle to thread.
It also is a bit rough going from such reality destroying importance to such a smaller scale in the same series. I recall that's what the authors envisioned, but it's just a hard needle to thread.
February 7, 2024
Janus File is a stand-alone novel in the Gordian Protocol universe. Introduces new characters as the focus of the story, as well as a fair amount of humor in the interactions between the two of them.
Recommended, best if with the background of the prior Gordian books, but a fun read on it's own as well.
Recommended, best if with the background of the prior Gordian books, but a fun read on it's own as well.
October 14, 2022
Gad! I love a good mystery Sci-fi yarn.
I liked the chuckles this book engender. The first two books as a set-up for this wonderful little story is quite an elaborate hard science epic of death, destruction, and shoulder top AI's.
I liked the chuckles this book engender. The first two books as a set-up for this wonderful little story is quite an elaborate hard science epic of death, destruction, and shoulder top AI's.
November 8, 2023
Hit way above my expectations!
I didn't have high expectations after the blurb turned the book into a detective story ; it seemed to be too much of a change in genres, but it was made to work, and work well 👍🏽😊
I didn't have high expectations after the blurb turned the book into a detective story ; it seemed to be too much of a change in genres, but it was made to work, and work well 👍🏽😊
February 1, 2025
RPG
Really surprised Weber, normally a very god author, would lend his name and support to a genre such as this. Really not into RPGs. If had been stated in the intro I wouldn't have bought it. Disappointed.
Really surprised Weber, normally a very god author, would lend his name and support to a genre such as this. Really not into RPGs. If had been stated in the intro I wouldn't have bought it. Disappointed.
September 5, 2025
Weber and Holo switch gears to offer a murder mystery set in the Gordian Division universe. The main storyline is intriguing, while the protagonists also advance our understanding of the SysGov and Admin.
October 16, 2022
A good read. A crime story, vert early Peter F Hamilton"esc"
November 1, 2022
A decent scifi mystery book.
November 14, 2022
Great reads.
November 16, 2022
An interesting scifi detective story with nice twists and a little fun too.
December 1, 2022
A police procedural sprinkled with some serious violent encounters. A fun popcorn type of novel.
January 1, 2023
Solid mix of two cultures solving a problem, fun read
March 31, 2023
Detectives in space, with time travel and parallel worlds.
Read
August 1, 2023Following the temporal universe of the previous two books, this changes from sci-fi epic to detective thriller. Excellent addition that fleshes out the universe's everyman and woman.
December 20, 2023
It avoided the foolishness of having time travel be just another spatial dimension, without any ability to change history, but the mystery was obvious about 20% through. Still fun.
Want to read
August 22, 2024SM
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews