What do you think?
Rate this book
Paratwa Saga #1
Liege-killer
Two hundred years after a nuclear apocalypse forced humanity to flee earth, humans still remember the most feared warriors of that planet-the Paratwa, genetically modified killers who occupy two bodies controlled by one vicious mind. The legendary Paratwa named Reemul and known as the Leige-Killer was the strongest of them all. Now someone has revived Reemul from stasis and sent him to terrorize the peaceful orbital colonies of earth. Is this an isolated incident, or has the one who unleashed this terrible power announced a gambit for control over the entire human race?
458 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1987
48 people are currently reading
1345 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Hinz
53 books76 followersChristopher Hinz is an author of science fiction thrillers – novels, comic books, screenplays and more.
Born in 1951 in Reading, PA, USA, his early passion for all things SF led to the writing of his first “book” in elementary school. A four-page epic, it featured a giant monster brought back from Mars who escapes and climbs the tallest building in Chicago, only to be blasted from that perch with a nuclear cannon. The inevitable fallout, along with other youthful digressions, steered Hinz away from science fiction writing – and Chicago – for many years.
His first mature work,LIEGE-KILLER, was originally published in 1987 by St. Martin’s Press. ANACHRONISMS, ASH OCK and THE PARATWA soon followed. The latter two novels, together with LIEGE-KILLER, form “The Paratwa Saga.”
A subsequent foray into comic books led to a number of publications, including creator-owned GEMINI BLOOD (with artist Tommy Lee Edwards) and DEAD CORPS (with artist Steve Pugh) for DC Comics, and BLADE for Marvel Comics, also with Pugh. An evolution into screenwriting resulted in the sale of BINARY, a script based on LIEGE-KILLER.
In addition to other SF projects, he has worked a variety of Earth-based jobs, including picture framer, turret-lathe operator, TV technical director and newspaper staff writer. He has played in rock bands, modeled dioramas and designed and marketed an auto racing board game. He currently creates new stories from the semi-seclusion of a wooded realm in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
Born in 1951 in Reading, PA, USA, his early passion for all things SF led to the writing of his first “book” in elementary school. A four-page epic, it featured a giant monster brought back from Mars who escapes and climbs the tallest building in Chicago, only to be blasted from that perch with a nuclear cannon. The inevitable fallout, along with other youthful digressions, steered Hinz away from science fiction writing – and Chicago – for many years.
His first mature work,LIEGE-KILLER, was originally published in 1987 by St. Martin’s Press. ANACHRONISMS, ASH OCK and THE PARATWA soon followed. The latter two novels, together with LIEGE-KILLER, form “The Paratwa Saga.”
A subsequent foray into comic books led to a number of publications, including creator-owned GEMINI BLOOD (with artist Tommy Lee Edwards) and DEAD CORPS (with artist Steve Pugh) for DC Comics, and BLADE for Marvel Comics, also with Pugh. An evolution into screenwriting resulted in the sale of BINARY, a script based on LIEGE-KILLER.
In addition to other SF projects, he has worked a variety of Earth-based jobs, including picture framer, turret-lathe operator, TV technical director and newspaper staff writer. He has played in rock bands, modeled dioramas and designed and marketed an auto racing board game. He currently creates new stories from the semi-seclusion of a wooded realm in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
May 4, 2011
BE WARNED…THIS BOOK IS
5.0 stars. This is one of those hidden “gems” that makes Goodreads so worthwhile as I would probably never have otherwise come across this book. It is always great to rave about the books you really love and hopefully encourage your friends to check it out. Unless, of course, they end up hating it, but I don't think that will be a problem here.
First let me say that this is SCIENCE FICTION so for those of you that are not SF fans, this may not be your cup of tea. However, for my fellow science fiction lovers out there, I was seriously floored by how much I enjoyed this story and can not recommend it highly enough.
To begin with, I would describe this as a science fiction thriller with some significant doses of political intrigue and some significant and detailed world-building. Oh and action, action and more action. The author has constructed a very believably future that is both troubling and yet mesmerizing at the same time. The story is superbly well-paced and I do not think there was a boring moment in the entire 400+ pages of this terrific novel and there are moments of ultra violence that are layered in at well-timed intervals so that you are never able to relax and all of the horror of the violence is felt in full. Above all else….this is quite simply…AMAZING STORY-TELLING and I can’t believe this was a debut novel.
BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF BACKSTORY
The present of the story takes place in the 24th century above a radioactive Earth that resulted from a nuclear apocalypse. Back in the 21st century, technology had run amok, including biotechnology. The most fearsome product of this time were the “Paratwa.” The Paratwa are a genetically engineered race that were used as assassins and were virtually unstoppable. Each Paratwa is actually two individual bodies called “tways” that can function independently but can also function as one. What I found really cool about this concept is that each “tway” when acting independently has their own personality and when they are joined, a “third” personality different from the other two emerges. The description of the Paratwa was absolutely chock-full of awesomeness.
Anyway, the Paratwa were smarter, more cunning, more vicious and more ambitious than there human creators and eventually revolted against mankind. The Paratwa formed their own ruling counsel called the “Ash Ock” which was made up of a group of supremely powerful Paratwas. The Ash Ock coordinated the war against mankind with brutal efficiency and it eventually lead to the world-wide apocalypse which was humanity’s last ditch effort to destroy the Paratwa.
BRIEF PLOT OVERVIEW
The story begins 200 years after the holocaust that destroyed the Earth and the Paratwas are assumed to be extinct (but of course we know better). The survivors of the holocaust live above Earth on just under 100 orbiting man-made colony satellites that are governed by the Irryan Council. Due to fear of another holocaust or creating another menace like the Paratwa, all technology is strictly regulated by a powerful organization called E-tech.
Well after a series of brutal and horrific murders occur that appear to be the work of a Paratwa, despite their supposed extinction, the governing body is thrown into a panic regarding how to stop further murders from occurring. Eventually it is decided to revise from stasis two individuals who back in the 21st century were responsible for stopping Paratwas. Oh, this is where the fun really begins because these two awakened super cops from the 21st century are absolutely amazing characters. Nick is a brilliant, but wise-cracking dwarf who reminded me a lot of Tyrion Lannister (from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of ice and Fire) and Gillian is just your basic definition of a bad-ass super killer.
FINAL THOUGHTS
To sum it up, I thought the plotting was excellent, the characters (especially Nick, Gillian and the main bad guy, who shall remain nameless to avoid spoilers) were well-drawn and the world-building was absolutely top-notch. Best of all, this is only the first book of a trilogy so if you love it as much as I did you still have two more fun filled installments to read after you finish this one. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!!
5.0 stars. This is one of those hidden “gems” that makes Goodreads so worthwhile as I would probably never have otherwise come across this book. It is always great to rave about the books you really love and hopefully encourage your friends to check it out. Unless, of course, they end up hating it, but I don't think that will be a problem here.
First let me say that this is SCIENCE FICTION so for those of you that are not SF fans, this may not be your cup of tea. However, for my fellow science fiction lovers out there, I was seriously floored by how much I enjoyed this story and can not recommend it highly enough.
To begin with, I would describe this as a science fiction thriller with some significant doses of political intrigue and some significant and detailed world-building. Oh and action, action and more action. The author has constructed a very believably future that is both troubling and yet mesmerizing at the same time. The story is superbly well-paced and I do not think there was a boring moment in the entire 400+ pages of this terrific novel and there are moments of ultra violence that are layered in at well-timed intervals so that you are never able to relax and all of the horror of the violence is felt in full. Above all else….this is quite simply…AMAZING STORY-TELLING and I can’t believe this was a debut novel.
BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF BACKSTORY
The present of the story takes place in the 24th century above a radioactive Earth that resulted from a nuclear apocalypse. Back in the 21st century, technology had run amok, including biotechnology. The most fearsome product of this time were the “Paratwa.” The Paratwa are a genetically engineered race that were used as assassins and were virtually unstoppable. Each Paratwa is actually two individual bodies called “tways” that can function independently but can also function as one. What I found really cool about this concept is that each “tway” when acting independently has their own personality and when they are joined, a “third” personality different from the other two emerges. The description of the Paratwa was absolutely chock-full of awesomeness.
Anyway, the Paratwa were smarter, more cunning, more vicious and more ambitious than there human creators and eventually revolted against mankind. The Paratwa formed their own ruling counsel called the “Ash Ock” which was made up of a group of supremely powerful Paratwas. The Ash Ock coordinated the war against mankind with brutal efficiency and it eventually lead to the world-wide apocalypse which was humanity’s last ditch effort to destroy the Paratwa.
BRIEF PLOT OVERVIEW
The story begins 200 years after the holocaust that destroyed the Earth and the Paratwas are assumed to be extinct (but of course we know better). The survivors of the holocaust live above Earth on just under 100 orbiting man-made colony satellites that are governed by the Irryan Council. Due to fear of another holocaust or creating another menace like the Paratwa, all technology is strictly regulated by a powerful organization called E-tech.
Well after a series of brutal and horrific murders occur that appear to be the work of a Paratwa, despite their supposed extinction, the governing body is thrown into a panic regarding how to stop further murders from occurring. Eventually it is decided to revise from stasis two individuals who back in the 21st century were responsible for stopping Paratwas. Oh, this is where the fun really begins because these two awakened super cops from the 21st century are absolutely amazing characters. Nick is a brilliant, but wise-cracking dwarf who reminded me a lot of Tyrion Lannister (from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of ice and Fire) and Gillian is just your basic definition of a bad-ass super killer.
FINAL THOUGHTS
To sum it up, I thought the plotting was excellent, the characters (especially Nick, Gillian and the main bad guy, who shall remain nameless to avoid spoilers) were well-drawn and the world-building was absolutely top-notch. Best of all, this is only the first book of a trilogy so if you love it as much as I did you still have two more fun filled installments to read after you finish this one. HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION!!
October 17, 2024
Two hundred years ago, toward the end of the 21st century, an apocalypse brought on by unbridled technology made the Earth uninhabitable.
As the catastrophe approached, measures were taken to save a portion of humanity. The Star-Edge Project constructed a large fleet of starships to search for other colonizable worlds......
.....and the Colonies Project constructed over 200 habitable cylinders around the Earth.
Hundreds of thousands of people left on the starships and millions of people moved to colonies in the cylinders.
Something went wrong with the Star-Edge project, and conflict among the starships expanded into armed combat. The last message sent from the vessels reported nuclear detonations and it's assumed that all the starships were destroyed.
The cylinders did better, and are now home to billions of people.
The cylinder colonies are governed by the Irryan Council, which consists of five members.
⋆ Rome Franco is head of E-Tech, which severely limits technological advancement (colonists don't even have cell phones).
⋆ Nu-Lin is Councilor of Intercolonial Affairs and head of the Commerce League (trade).
⋆ Elliot Drake is head of the Intercolonial Credit Net (bank).
⋆ Augustus J. Artwhiler is the Supreme Commander of the Intercolonial Guardians (police).
⋆ Lady Bonneville is a wealthy socialite who hosts parties and fundraisers.
Like all politicians, the counselors are constantly jockeying for power, trying to get their own programs enacted, and making deals to get their way. Moreover, an organization called la Gloria de la Ciencia (the glory of science) is ACTIVELY trying to re-institute the use of advanced technology.
As the story opens, a bioengineered assassin created before the apocalypse, which had been put into stasis, is re-awakened. The killer is a Paratwa, one of the most heinous technological excesses of the 21st century. A Paratwa, or binary, has two non-identical bodies governed by a single mind.
Moreover, the Paratwa can change it's appearance at will.
Before the apocalypse, Paratwa assassins were directly responsible for the deaths of over one hundred and fifty million human beings and indirectly responsible for billions more.
The re-awakened Paratwa, named Reemul, has been brought back by covert conspirators with an agenda. The secret accomplices plan to have Paratwas take power and rule over humans.
Reemul goes on a killing spree, and Councilor Rome Franco - who's desperate to stop the assassin - takes countermeasures.
He brings two Paratwa killers, a little person named Nick.....
and a muscular tough guy called Gillian, out of stasis.
Before long Reemul and the Paratwa killers are playing a cat and mouse game, trying to wipe each other out.
Things are far from that simple, however, because the secret cabal that awakened Reemul has a long-range plan. Part of the plan involves sapient supersedure - the process of killing an individual and substituting a lookalike that assumes his or her identify. Thus some VERY powerful people - who appear to be human - are really Paratwas.
The story is action-packed - with abductions; murders; battles; secret meetings; chicanery; and more. There's even an elegant cocktail party.
As the story unfolds the nefarious long-term plan of the Paratwas is exposed, and it's a corker!
Additional characters in the story include an antique dealer named Paula and her 12-year-old son Jerem, who survive contact with a Paratwa; a band of pirates called the Alexanders, who swear revenge against the Paratwa; a computerhawk called Begelman, who expertly navigates electronic archives; Security Chief Pasha Haddad, who doesn't trust Nick and Gillian; a priest called Bishop Vokir, who heads the Church of the Trust; a madam called Miss Vitchy, who prostitutes boys and girls; and more.
The story contains descriptions of the orbiting cylinders, and the characters use cutting-edge weaponry, but I wouldn't call the book hard science fiction. It's more like enhanced soft science fiction. Still, I enjoyed the story and recommend it to sci-fi fans.
Liege-Killer is the first book in the Paratwa Trilogy, which continues with Ash Ock.
Thanks to Netgalley, Christopher Hinz, and Penguin Random House for a copy of the book.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
February 6, 2017
I can't remember where I heard about this book, but I think it's one of those unknown hidden gems. Liege Killer is an action packed thriller about a pair of assassins called "Paratwa" (which are lab bred teams who share one common consciousness, or they can split apart into two individuals) who are unleashed into a future where humans are peacefully living in colonies orbiting a destroyed Earth. My explanation might not be that great, but the story was a page turner. It's one of those books where you get thrown into the action and not a lot of explanation up front, but stick with it, everything does get explained. There are several twists and turns, some of which I saw coming and a few that I didn't catch onto until nearly the end. I was up several hours past my bedtime finishing this one last night!
If you're into political and science based sci-fi books, you'd probably like this one.
midget
If you're into political and science based sci-fi books, you'd probably like this one.
midget
February 10, 2019
This first three chapters were disjointed AF and I almost gave up, by the middle of the book I was thinking it was a solid piece of science fiction and I was glad I stuck with it, but the final sixty pages were so unexpectedly incredible and mind-blowing I can't believe I ever doubted it. The author does such a spectacular job of dropping subtle and seemingly irrelevant clues that the reveals, for me at least, came out of nowhere and I was left picking my jaw up off the floor on multiple occasions. This book is nothing short of amazing and fun and full of awesomeness I can't even begin to do it justice. Each character was unique, the story line was expansive, and I really can't believe I had not heard of it until recently. The bad guys were also so cool and in the story just enough to piss me off with their badness but not enough that I got sick of them or desensitized to what they were doing. I sincerely loved the story which included everything under the sun: political intrigue, small and large scale action scenes, hidden identities, human drama, cool tech (that didn't even seem outdated considering when the book was written), totally fucking awesome characters, cool dialogue, a building sense of tension, and I really came to appreciate the deliberate pacing that I at first took to be slow and plodding. I see the author has written some more in this universe and Angry Robot is publishing his newer stuff so I will definitely be checking more of his books out. Five very impressed, highest recommendation deserving stars.
October 11, 2014
Quite possibly my favourite scifi novel of all time. Hinz created such an original and yet credible world and concept that I'm surprised it hasn't been picked up by Hollywood yet (or even copied in other novels, to my knowledge).
The saddest thing to me was that he barely had anything else published but for this series.
The action is taut and well written, the hero complex, the villain(s??) very very creepy. The future well-imagined. Just reread it a year or two ago after a 15 year gap and loved it as much the second time.
The saddest thing to me was that he barely had anything else published but for this series.
The action is taut and well written, the hero complex, the villain(s??) very very creepy. The future well-imagined. Just reread it a year or two ago after a 15 year gap and loved it as much the second time.
November 27, 2014
I don't think anyone bothers to read in-depth book reviews anymore, so I'll be brief. There are 2 reasons why I didn't like this book:
1) The world and characters Hinz created are OK, but there's nothing amazing about any of it. All the characters are one dimensional and the world just doesn't have enough flavor to it. The book wasn't horrid, but don't go into it expecting something along the lines of Asimov, Heinlein, Haldeman, etc. This book is more like something John Grisham or Dan Brown would write if they ever decided to write a science fiction novel.
I'd highly recommend reading The Expanse Trilogy by James S.A. Corey instead of this book. It does things this book wants to do, but better.
2) I realize Hinz wrote this book in the late 80's when social conventions were a little different, but it made me really uncomfortable the way he constantly referred to one character as a midget. Debating the semantics of that term aside, it's the sheer number of times he brings it up that made me cringe. I read this book on my Kindle and did a search for that word: 74 times. He uses that word 74 times to refer to the character, a character who wasn't introduced until a bit later in the book and is secondary in nature. He also made reference to the character's body a bit too often, referencing things like "his tiny hands" gripping a chair and such. I really can't emphasize how much it bothered me, and honestly I've never come across that in a book before.
1) The world and characters Hinz created are OK, but there's nothing amazing about any of it. All the characters are one dimensional and the world just doesn't have enough flavor to it. The book wasn't horrid, but don't go into it expecting something along the lines of Asimov, Heinlein, Haldeman, etc. This book is more like something John Grisham or Dan Brown would write if they ever decided to write a science fiction novel.
I'd highly recommend reading The Expanse Trilogy by James S.A. Corey instead of this book. It does things this book wants to do, but better.
2) I realize Hinz wrote this book in the late 80's when social conventions were a little different, but it made me really uncomfortable the way he constantly referred to one character as a midget. Debating the semantics of that term aside, it's the sheer number of times he brings it up that made me cringe. I read this book on my Kindle and did a search for that word: 74 times. He uses that word 74 times to refer to the character, a character who wasn't introduced until a bit later in the book and is secondary in nature. He also made reference to the character's body a bit too often, referencing things like "his tiny hands" gripping a chair and such. I really can't emphasize how much it bothered me, and honestly I've never come across that in a book before.
April 9, 2010
This book took me a pretty long time to read, but it was a great story. There was action, suspense, mystery, a great plot, and a well constructed world. In the beginning, I had trouble getting completely immersed because there did not seem to be a protagonist. But once Gillian emerged, the story became much easier to follow because there was someone to cheer for. I think one of the best parts of this book was the author's ability to flip the notions I relied on in the beginning of the story into a reveal that I never saw coming, yet probably should have because the references were never hidden and in fact were seamless with the story. The end of this book was a real nail-biter.
January 8, 2012
Published in 1987 by Christopher Hinz.
This book is one I read almost as soon as it came out.
And, after finishing my last read I spotted this one on my “previously read” bookshelves and decided to give it another go to see if I would still like it now as much as I remember liking it then.
The immediate verdict? Hell yes! This is one fine book for many reasons, reasons you can find in Orson Scott Card’s “How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy.”
The prologue (yes it has one though no epilogue) actually works to prepare you for what will happen later in the book - even though Orson says “don’t do it” when it comes to prologues, I think Christopher made it work.
So why is this such a good science fiction novel? Well . . .
. . . you see, Christopher Hinz is a clear and concise writer wasting little time lathering you up with flowery prose. He weaves a great (and I mean great) plot throughout the story with plenty of twists and revelations. And I’m a plot man through and through. I also appreciate a clearly written work no matter what genre. Hinz delivers both with apparent ease.
Liege-Killer is a post-apocalyptic tale (Earth is deadly now) which finds the remains of humanity trying to survive in two different ways. One is in the huge colonies orbiting Earth, and the other are starships sent out to colonize new worlds.
Sound familiar? It should. Hinz makes good use of conventionally science fiction ideas, but throws in a bunch of his own creations, one of which is the Paratwa.
Ah, yes, the Paratwa. They are one of my all time favorite science fiction creations from any writer.
The Paratwa is actually two separate physical creatures (not human, but looking like them) which share a common mind. They are the perfect soldiers, assassins which no mere human can contest. They wield the deadly cohe wand which spits out black energy death. The Paratwa wield them with great precision to lethal effect.
Hinz tells us a story of grand conspiracy as the remains of humanity, building up once again after many decades, are confronted with these Paratwa horrors of the past and how they deal with it.
Very gripping page-turner. And you just know that to answer this threat, the humans will need to fight fire with fire. Oh, this is one entertaining read.
This is the first of a trilogy by Hinz, and I will be sure to read the last two.
I’m giving this on a 5 out of 5.
Yeah, it’s that good.
This book is one I read almost as soon as it came out.
And, after finishing my last read I spotted this one on my “previously read” bookshelves and decided to give it another go to see if I would still like it now as much as I remember liking it then.
The immediate verdict? Hell yes! This is one fine book for many reasons, reasons you can find in Orson Scott Card’s “How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy.”
The prologue (yes it has one though no epilogue) actually works to prepare you for what will happen later in the book - even though Orson says “don’t do it” when it comes to prologues, I think Christopher made it work.
So why is this such a good science fiction novel? Well . . .
. . . you see, Christopher Hinz is a clear and concise writer wasting little time lathering you up with flowery prose. He weaves a great (and I mean great) plot throughout the story with plenty of twists and revelations. And I’m a plot man through and through. I also appreciate a clearly written work no matter what genre. Hinz delivers both with apparent ease.
Liege-Killer is a post-apocalyptic tale (Earth is deadly now) which finds the remains of humanity trying to survive in two different ways. One is in the huge colonies orbiting Earth, and the other are starships sent out to colonize new worlds.
Sound familiar? It should. Hinz makes good use of conventionally science fiction ideas, but throws in a bunch of his own creations, one of which is the Paratwa.
Ah, yes, the Paratwa. They are one of my all time favorite science fiction creations from any writer.
The Paratwa is actually two separate physical creatures (not human, but looking like them) which share a common mind. They are the perfect soldiers, assassins which no mere human can contest. They wield the deadly cohe wand which spits out black energy death. The Paratwa wield them with great precision to lethal effect.
Hinz tells us a story of grand conspiracy as the remains of humanity, building up once again after many decades, are confronted with these Paratwa horrors of the past and how they deal with it.
Very gripping page-turner. And you just know that to answer this threat, the humans will need to fight fire with fire. Oh, this is one entertaining read.
This is the first of a trilogy by Hinz, and I will be sure to read the last two.
I’m giving this on a 5 out of 5.
Yeah, it’s that good.
November 8, 2017
I remember this book fondly, although it's obviously been over 10 years since I last read it since I didn't have a read date for it here on GR until now. I also had trouble finding the second book of the trilogy & believe I read it after the other 2 the last time. Well, hopefully I'll still like it & can read all 3 in order this time.
I did! It was really good, a wonderful pick. Plenty of action, some really fun characters, & an interesting world. It's Earth, after we've ruined it, & are living in colonies orbiting about it. We're still people & dealing with some nasty pieces of history. There are some unlikely heroes & villains. It's kind of a murder mystery wrapped up in an enigma & the reveals at the end are great.
I'm really looking forward to the next one, although it was the weakest of the trilogy, IIRC. Still, the first chapter was included as a teaser in this book & it has me ready to go. Unfortunately, I need to read a different book for a group first.
I did! It was really good, a wonderful pick. Plenty of action, some really fun characters, & an interesting world. It's Earth, after we've ruined it, & are living in colonies orbiting about it. We're still people & dealing with some nasty pieces of history. There are some unlikely heroes & villains. It's kind of a murder mystery wrapped up in an enigma & the reveals at the end are great.
I'm really looking forward to the next one, although it was the weakest of the trilogy, IIRC. Still, the first chapter was included as a teaser in this book & it has me ready to go. Unfortunately, I need to read a different book for a group first.
May 9, 2021
Whooo - great book and I recommend you read the entire series and the prequel - Binary Storm. Good beach or airplane ride book. Fits into the category of a bunch of cool people get together and blow stuff up.
November 21, 2021
Liege Killer is a page-turner sci-fi thriller about a legendary Paratwa named Reemul AKA Liege Killer who was unleashed in an era where humans are peacefully living in orbiting space stations. The Paratwa are assassins that have two bodies controlled by one mind. They can change how they look and use technology to take over someone else's life. The thing is, Paratwa are the cause why humans are living in space stations. So yikes, big prob.
Liege Killer is a fun apocalyptic tale with well-developed characters and great dialogues. It's fast-paced and action-packed with a great premise. It was a bit hard to get into at first since the writing style felt very 80s to me (it's evident with how women were portrayed). The book is also politically focused which made it more enjoyable for me. There's Rome who we follow and his vote matters. It could change the course of humanity's future.
Overall, Liege Killer is a fun read. High stakes, a bit gory, and it's a hidden gem!
Thanks so much, Angry Robot Books for the galley. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
Liege Killer is a fun apocalyptic tale with well-developed characters and great dialogues. It's fast-paced and action-packed with a great premise. It was a bit hard to get into at first since the writing style felt very 80s to me (it's evident with how women were portrayed). The book is also politically focused which made it more enjoyable for me. There's Rome who we follow and his vote matters. It could change the course of humanity's future.
Overall, Liege Killer is a fun read. High stakes, a bit gory, and it's a hidden gem!
Thanks so much, Angry Robot Books for the galley. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
June 15, 2010
A fast-paced, suspenseful sci-fi thriller that reveals its author's past as a writer of comic books; even the setup, which involves repeated scenes of civic authorities trying to contain a spreading threat to their community is straight out of Batman. Read as a comic without pictures, Liege-Killer works just fine. Just don't expect any real science, gorgeous word-painting, character development or lambent prose: this is strictly meat-and-potatoes commercial sci-fi for the adolescent market.
October 26, 2021
4.5/5 stars
I actually really enjoyed Liege-Killer, the first book in the Paratwa Saga. Set two hundred years after a nuclear apocalypse forced humanity to flee earth, someone has reawakened the Paratwa—genetically modified killers who occupy two bodies controlled by one vicious mind. Now people living in orbiting colonies must learn once again how to fight these killing machines and unravel the larger plot behind it all.
Liege-Killer thoroughly enraptured me, reminding me a lot of those classic 80s sci-fi action flicks like The Terminator and Total Recall. It is action-packed, paced well, and comes with unexpected twists and turns. This 80s cult classic novel was recently updated and remastered for the rerelease this month. It was successful because it did not feel dated to me at all with its science and technology. The only issue I had was with the ambiguous perspective this was told from (even shifting characters in just a single passage) that was just a bit confusing. Overall, Liege-Killer is a fun and exciting work of science fiction.
I actually really enjoyed Liege-Killer, the first book in the Paratwa Saga. Set two hundred years after a nuclear apocalypse forced humanity to flee earth, someone has reawakened the Paratwa—genetically modified killers who occupy two bodies controlled by one vicious mind. Now people living in orbiting colonies must learn once again how to fight these killing machines and unravel the larger plot behind it all.
Liege-Killer thoroughly enraptured me, reminding me a lot of those classic 80s sci-fi action flicks like The Terminator and Total Recall. It is action-packed, paced well, and comes with unexpected twists and turns. This 80s cult classic novel was recently updated and remastered for the rerelease this month. It was successful because it did not feel dated to me at all with its science and technology. The only issue I had was with the ambiguous perspective this was told from (even shifting characters in just a single passage) that was just a bit confusing. Overall, Liege-Killer is a fun and exciting work of science fiction.
December 6, 2019
This is a reread of a surprisingly good scifi thriller from the late 80s. Set about 200 years after the nuclear/biological devastation of earth, the remnant population lives in huge space stations orbiting the earth (although a fleet of colony space ships left earth as well), we are introduced to an utopian society that suddenly is facing a problem from the past. In the late years before the final destruction of Earth, biological assassins, the paratwa, rose in power in an attempt to take over society completely. They failed, but now one of the assassins is wreaking havoc in the space stations and society is struggling to deal with it. Part mystery, part thriller, Hinz creates a fascinating world on the edge. 4.5 stars.
January 8, 2025
I pretended this was set in a seventies sci fi movie universe and it fit so bam. Funny and entertaining, crazy plot.
August 3, 2011
This is the first book of a trilogy and like the movie trilogy "The Matrix" the first part is the one that captivaties you the most. Liege-Killer is set 200 years into the future when the earth has been rendered uninhabitable becasue of technology run rampant in the 21st century from a genocidol war. The surviors live in huge space habitats surrounding earth. The wars that devastated earth also created a new weapon but this one is a new type of being called the Paratwa. This is one consciousness in two bodies and they are conditioned from birth to kill humans. The story takes place as the now peaceful Colonies are plunged into the start of similar issues that created the wars that devestated the earth with the appearance of a long thought dead Paratwa. The book is full of great speculative science as well as being a good action story with some great fight scences and political intrigue. The weapons are unique as are several of the political senarios. If you like your scifi with good speculative science that is believeable wrapped in a world that has to fight for it's exsistence from an old evil thought dead you will enjoy this book. You can read it as a stand alone if you want and not need to track down the other two books though they are worth the effort in my opinion even if they don't quite hit the level as the first book.
March 25, 2018
This is an engaging book that does for me what good SF should - it speculates about a reasonable future from today. Keeping in mind this book was written in 1987, the tends projected seem reasonable to me. Human greed has driven humanity to destroy the earth through war and environmental degradation. Genetic manipulation became very sophisticated and resulted in the creation of advanced human weapons which operated in pairs controlled by one consciousness - the Paratwa. Five of these pairs were super Paratwas capable of controlling the others and humanity itself.
After the devastation, humanity choose two paths. One built space colonies in large cylinders near the earth while the other built large space ships to attempt to colonize other worlds. This story focuses on the colonies, the reappearance of one of the Paratwa, and how the colonies investigate and deal with the threat.
Although the characters are relatively two-dimensional, they are still fleshed out to have some complexity and not be too predictable. There are a few twists. The scene descriptions are vivid enough to understand the situation the characters find themselves in. The plot moves along at a good clip. i never found myself bored or wanted to put down this book. It is a relatively quick read.
I'm looking forward to the next two novels and the prequel.
After the devastation, humanity choose two paths. One built space colonies in large cylinders near the earth while the other built large space ships to attempt to colonize other worlds. This story focuses on the colonies, the reappearance of one of the Paratwa, and how the colonies investigate and deal with the threat.
Although the characters are relatively two-dimensional, they are still fleshed out to have some complexity and not be too predictable. There are a few twists. The scene descriptions are vivid enough to understand the situation the characters find themselves in. The plot moves along at a good clip. i never found myself bored or wanted to put down this book. It is a relatively quick read.
I'm looking forward to the next two novels and the prequel.
April 6, 2018
If someone told me that I would enjoy a SF book with StarWars style lightsabers, I’d highly doubted it. However, here I am. Okay, tbh there aren’t really lightsabers in this novel but something quite close.
Two centuries ago the planet Earth died in apocalypse. It was brought by many small wars and terror attacks, by chemical, biological, nuclear and convenient weapons. However, not everyone perished. A lot of people were able to move to Earth orbit, to giant rotating cylinders. Their leaders thought ‘never again’ and severely limited both capitalism and technological progress in the humanity’s new home. Now, to the world of mild utopia comes the horror of forgotten ages: Paratwa, the genetically modified assassin, who lives in two bodies and therefore is inherently more deadly.
I agree with other reviewers that this hidden gem had less popularity than its due. It is a real page turner and the developments will surprise you. Recommended to SF lovers.
Two centuries ago the planet Earth died in apocalypse. It was brought by many small wars and terror attacks, by chemical, biological, nuclear and convenient weapons. However, not everyone perished. A lot of people were able to move to Earth orbit, to giant rotating cylinders. Their leaders thought ‘never again’ and severely limited both capitalism and technological progress in the humanity’s new home. Now, to the world of mild utopia comes the horror of forgotten ages: Paratwa, the genetically modified assassin, who lives in two bodies and therefore is inherently more deadly.
I agree with other reviewers that this hidden gem had less popularity than its due. It is a real page turner and the developments will surprise you. Recommended to SF lovers.
June 1, 2016
In a good way this story reminded me of Blade Runner. A slightly demented, tortured soul but kinda cool, toting wicked weapons hero that's hunting psychotic genetically engineered assassins throughout a post nuclear apocalypse world. Great characters and world building. BUT In a bad way I experienced the Asimov effect...lots of talk ramping up to not much walk. How much who-done-it political intrigue gibber-jabber can a simpleton like me take? Three and one half stars.
December 12, 2016
A great underated scifi. Chracters are fun, especially Nick and Gillian. Plot is well constructed and world is something different and new. I've been told to avoid the 2nd and 3rd books as I will feel a little let down. At this stage I wont to read more in this world but am a little apprehensive due to the less than flattering reviews on the next in the series.
January 16, 2023
This must have been the 10th time I've read this book, but the first time in over a decade. I don't think I've ever read an SF book that I wanted to be turned into either a movie or show more than this one. Not quite science fantasy and not hard science fiction either, Liege-Killer rests comfortably somewhere between. The entire premise of the Liege-Killer (and the Paratwa saga in general) is such a novel one that the story seems fresh even after multiple readings. I'd say this is probably my favorite SF novel of all time.
I really wish Jon Favreau would pick this up, buy the rights and make this into an epic franchise. Maybe we fans can inundate his Twitter feed. :-)
I really wish Jon Favreau would pick this up, buy the rights and make this into an epic franchise. Maybe we fans can inundate his Twitter feed. :-)
January 22, 2022
Molto interessante il concetto di Paratwa. Un racconto incalzante.
June 8, 2025
Solid, detailed, muscular.
June 15, 2023
While some of the narrative and ideas are a little dated (and who cares if they are, right?), this is an excellent book. Magnificent concept for a villain executed really well. Politics that are actually interesting. Brilliant plotting Brilliant action. Loved it.
January 2, 2016
Bio-engineered sociopaths, space colonies, an irradiated earth, and a whole lotta bloody-fun going on.
The Paratwa were bio-engineered, lab grown humans, born in pairs with a single linked-consciousness. With a tendency toward terrible violence, the highest of their breed rose up, and as humanity fell, they left the planet a blasted wasteland. But before all was lost, they were brought down.
Or so humanity thought.
Hundreds of years later, humanity huddled away in 20 mile long cylindrical colonies orbiting earth, mankind finds themselves again under the threat of the Paratwa. And floundering E-Tech must somehow avert a disaster few recognize and none understand.
When an obscure computer program points the anti-tech organization toward an unlikely pair — hidden away in stasis — the threat has an answer. The question, however is: What kind of answer has Councillor Franco uncovered?
The cylindrical orbitals have their dark sides, no matter what the corporatized authorities want you to believe. There is political intrigue, murder, mayhem, and a mother-son duo that have to come to grips with old issues brought to the fore. Despite a lot of moving parts, Hinz manages the cast of characters well, and keeps the story moving.
And he does not flinch when it comes to his story. Some of the characters are twisted, self-centered and terrible, but others hold onto hope and human morality, no matter how tenuous.
Published in 1987, this appears to be Hinz’s debut novel. It shows in some disorienting POV head-hopping, but the story pulled me in enough to not matter. Councilor Rome Franco provides a moral center that is touching with his care for his wife, even as he grapples with the morality of his own actions and what he may have brought into the world. The villains grow on you, though at times they come across as too cliché. Gillian, as the hero, is beautifully realized, as he struggles with dark inner-secrets. And if you’re a fan of Tyrion from the Song of Ice and Fire books, you will have to wonder if G.R.R.M. wasn’t inspired by Nick — a brilliant, devious little man, full of more questions than answers.
This book is a classic, but hides its age as if it just stepped from a hybernation pod.
Just ignore the new e-book cover.
Instead, think of skyscrapers, hanging from the other side of an orbiting cylinder habitat, like massive stalactites; centersky awash in rain clouds, flaring with lightning; and the crack of the Cohe wand as the energy lash coils around your neck, like Death’s final embrace.
The twist of the novel is inevitable when it comes, likely predictable, but still a delight.
*I hear that the sequels fall flat. Hard to imagine, and Liege-Killer is amazing enough I’ll ignore the advice and try them anyway. I also hear of a graphic novel adaptation of this book that came out in 2013.
Four out of five leering Paratwa grins for a piece of Sci-fi that will (continue to) last through the years.
If you liked this review, check out my blog and my own writing that runs the gamut of the fantastical at www.CliftonH.com.
The Paratwa were bio-engineered, lab grown humans, born in pairs with a single linked-consciousness. With a tendency toward terrible violence, the highest of their breed rose up, and as humanity fell, they left the planet a blasted wasteland. But before all was lost, they were brought down.
Or so humanity thought.
Hundreds of years later, humanity huddled away in 20 mile long cylindrical colonies orbiting earth, mankind finds themselves again under the threat of the Paratwa. And floundering E-Tech must somehow avert a disaster few recognize and none understand.
When an obscure computer program points the anti-tech organization toward an unlikely pair — hidden away in stasis — the threat has an answer. The question, however is: What kind of answer has Councillor Franco uncovered?
The cylindrical orbitals have their dark sides, no matter what the corporatized authorities want you to believe. There is political intrigue, murder, mayhem, and a mother-son duo that have to come to grips with old issues brought to the fore. Despite a lot of moving parts, Hinz manages the cast of characters well, and keeps the story moving.
And he does not flinch when it comes to his story. Some of the characters are twisted, self-centered and terrible, but others hold onto hope and human morality, no matter how tenuous.
Published in 1987, this appears to be Hinz’s debut novel. It shows in some disorienting POV head-hopping, but the story pulled me in enough to not matter. Councilor Rome Franco provides a moral center that is touching with his care for his wife, even as he grapples with the morality of his own actions and what he may have brought into the world. The villains grow on you, though at times they come across as too cliché. Gillian, as the hero, is beautifully realized, as he struggles with dark inner-secrets. And if you’re a fan of Tyrion from the Song of Ice and Fire books, you will have to wonder if G.R.R.M. wasn’t inspired by Nick — a brilliant, devious little man, full of more questions than answers.
This book is a classic, but hides its age as if it just stepped from a hybernation pod.
Just ignore the new e-book cover.
Instead, think of skyscrapers, hanging from the other side of an orbiting cylinder habitat, like massive stalactites; centersky awash in rain clouds, flaring with lightning; and the crack of the Cohe wand as the energy lash coils around your neck, like Death’s final embrace.
The twist of the novel is inevitable when it comes, likely predictable, but still a delight.
*I hear that the sequels fall flat. Hard to imagine, and Liege-Killer is amazing enough I’ll ignore the advice and try them anyway. I also hear of a graphic novel adaptation of this book that came out in 2013.
Four out of five leering Paratwa grins for a piece of Sci-fi that will (continue to) last through the years.
If you liked this review, check out my blog and my own writing that runs the gamut of the fantastical at www.CliftonH.com.
July 9, 2018
[This is an old review I'm just now adding to Goodreads.]
I checked this book out because it was in Freading's “space opera” section, I liked the cover, and the description was coherent and made it sound like I'd be in for a lot of action. I'm happy to say that my decision was a good one, and I fully intend to download the second book in the trilogy once I've finished writing this review. Although this was originally published in 1987, it has aged pretty well.
At the beginning of Liege-Killer, someone has gone to the ruins of Earth and secretly revived two people from stasis. Those people turn out to be Reemul, a deadly Paratwa. Each Paratwa is a single mind that happens to have two bodies, called tways. One tway can maneuver a target while the other one swoops in for the kill.
A few hundred years ago, a few thousand Paratwa were responsible for the deaths of millions of humans. They were halted only by the Apocalypse (Earth, ruined to the point of being unlivable) and E-Tech, a group that believed science had run amok and should be tightly locked down and controlled. In the book's present, E-Tech is still in power, but only just. Then the Paratwa Reemul reappears and goes on periodic killing sprees, and E-Tech gradually regains the public's support.
I don't know if there's another, better subgenre term for it, but the bulk of this book was basically a science fiction thriller. Readers got various pieces of the overall puzzle via a variety of perspectives: Rome, the head of E-Tech; Paula, a single mother who witnessed a Paratwa attack; Bishop Vokir of the Church of the Trust; and Gillian, an experienced Paratwa killer from the past who was revived in the book's present. The various revelations and twists had me at the edge of my seat, although there was a big one that I guessed several hundred pages in advance. I couldn't wait to see what the Paratwa were planning, why they were doing it all, and whether Rome, Gillian, and the rest of E-Tech would manage to learn key pieces of information in time.
Liege-Killer is fairly violent, although it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. Not all killings and massacres were on-page – of the more stomach-churning stuff, I can recall one massacre, a flashback in which a Paratwa essentially forced a group of humans to eat one of their friends for dessert, and Gillian and his team's discovery of Reemul's “plaything” (warning: no on-page rape scene, but Reemul is a pedophile and has particularly monstrous tastes). The action scenes were pretty good. Mostly, it was either Gillian or Reemul against opponents who were very outclassed. I kind of wish Gillian and Reemul had had more chances to face off against each other.
As much as I enjoyed this book, it wasn't perfect. I had to grit my teeth every time Jerem, Paula's 12-year-old son, appeared on-page. There are many things I could call that kid, but I will refrain so that this paragraph doesn't turn into a giant block of swearing. I tried to tell myself that he was only 12 and that I shouldn't hate him so much, but it was hard. I did a search, and it looks like some variation of “Jerem whined” occurred only a dozen or so times. It felt like more. Every time Paula tried to get him to shut up and obey so maybe they wouldn't be killed, he had to get just one more complaint in. At one point, he learned that his mother had lied to him about his father. He had been an abusive addict, and, after he died, Paula had wanted to protect Jerem from the truth. So, what did Jerem do after Paula told him all this? He sulked, accused Paula of abandoning his father, and said, “My father's dead. And it's because you're just a stupid bitch.” (178).
I don't think Jerem deserved the stuff that happened to him after that, but I wanted him to apologize for what he'd said and, you know, grow up. He never did either of those things and, in fact, continued to whine and sulk when he was finally reunited with his mom. The only moments with Jerem that I enjoyed were when Gillian was stuck in a hotel room with him and refused to take any of his crap and when Paula was getting the both of them packed up for their new life with the Costeaus and flat out ignored Jerem's whining.
Besides Jerem, there was one other thing I didn't like about this book, and that was its female characters. Hinz did badly by them. Not just one, but two women died so that Gillian could become the man he needed to be in order to battle the Paratwa. As far as I can remember, Rome's wife, Angela, was often in his thoughts but never had any on-page actions or dialogue. I suppose Nu-Lin was okay, but she didn't really do all that much.
Paula had the potential to be awesome. She was street-smart enough to know that the visitors to her antique gallery were bad news and needed to be guarded against, and capable enough to evade E-Tech's people and deal with Costeaus (pirates) without falling apart. I figured she'd meet Gillian and turn into a love-struck idiot. I was only slightly wrong. The guy she fell for turned out to be Aaron, the pirate with the scarlet penis tattooed on his face.
Hinz skipped all the scenes that might have made their relationship believable. Since there was no emotional build-up to indicate anything else was going on, I initially figured Paula had slept with Aaron so that he'd be more willing to help her find her son. Imagine my surprise when it turned out they were really in love. Paula went from hating Costeaus in one chapter to being in love with one the next time she appeared on-page, and, from the point on, she ceased doing anything other than being Jerem's mother and Aaron's lover. It was disappointing.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and was drawn in by the mysteries and suspense surrounding Reemul, the Paratwa plan, and the two Paratwa hunters from the past, Gillian and Nick. The world was fascinating, and I'm looking forward to reading Ash Ock. I just could have done without Jerem and wish Paula had finished at least as strong as she'd started.
Additional Comments:
For the most part, this book was error-free. I only counted three instances of what I think might have been OCR errors.
Rating Note:
I gave this 4.5 stars on sites that allow half stars. It's quite likely I might have rounded up to 5 star on Goodreads if I'd added it to the site back when I first read it. However, knowing what I now do about where this series goes, I'm opted to round down to 4 stars.
(Original review, with read-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
I checked this book out because it was in Freading's “space opera” section, I liked the cover, and the description was coherent and made it sound like I'd be in for a lot of action. I'm happy to say that my decision was a good one, and I fully intend to download the second book in the trilogy once I've finished writing this review. Although this was originally published in 1987, it has aged pretty well.
At the beginning of Liege-Killer, someone has gone to the ruins of Earth and secretly revived two people from stasis. Those people turn out to be Reemul, a deadly Paratwa. Each Paratwa is a single mind that happens to have two bodies, called tways. One tway can maneuver a target while the other one swoops in for the kill.
A few hundred years ago, a few thousand Paratwa were responsible for the deaths of millions of humans. They were halted only by the Apocalypse (Earth, ruined to the point of being unlivable) and E-Tech, a group that believed science had run amok and should be tightly locked down and controlled. In the book's present, E-Tech is still in power, but only just. Then the Paratwa Reemul reappears and goes on periodic killing sprees, and E-Tech gradually regains the public's support.
I don't know if there's another, better subgenre term for it, but the bulk of this book was basically a science fiction thriller. Readers got various pieces of the overall puzzle via a variety of perspectives: Rome, the head of E-Tech; Paula, a single mother who witnessed a Paratwa attack; Bishop Vokir of the Church of the Trust; and Gillian, an experienced Paratwa killer from the past who was revived in the book's present. The various revelations and twists had me at the edge of my seat, although there was a big one that I guessed several hundred pages in advance. I couldn't wait to see what the Paratwa were planning, why they were doing it all, and whether Rome, Gillian, and the rest of E-Tech would manage to learn key pieces of information in time.
Liege-Killer is fairly violent, although it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. Not all killings and massacres were on-page – of the more stomach-churning stuff, I can recall one massacre, a flashback in which a Paratwa essentially forced a group of humans to eat one of their friends for dessert, and Gillian and his team's discovery of Reemul's “plaything” (warning: no on-page rape scene, but Reemul is a pedophile and has particularly monstrous tastes). The action scenes were pretty good. Mostly, it was either Gillian or Reemul against opponents who were very outclassed. I kind of wish Gillian and Reemul had had more chances to face off against each other.
As much as I enjoyed this book, it wasn't perfect. I had to grit my teeth every time Jerem, Paula's 12-year-old son, appeared on-page. There are many things I could call that kid, but I will refrain so that this paragraph doesn't turn into a giant block of swearing. I tried to tell myself that he was only 12 and that I shouldn't hate him so much, but it was hard. I did a search, and it looks like some variation of “Jerem whined” occurred only a dozen or so times. It felt like more. Every time Paula tried to get him to shut up and obey so maybe they wouldn't be killed, he had to get just one more complaint in. At one point, he learned that his mother had lied to him about his father. He had been an abusive addict, and, after he died, Paula had wanted to protect Jerem from the truth. So, what did Jerem do after Paula told him all this? He sulked, accused Paula of abandoning his father, and said, “My father's dead. And it's because you're just a stupid bitch.” (178).
I don't think Jerem deserved the stuff that happened to him after that, but I wanted him to apologize for what he'd said and, you know, grow up. He never did either of those things and, in fact, continued to whine and sulk when he was finally reunited with his mom. The only moments with Jerem that I enjoyed were when Gillian was stuck in a hotel room with him and refused to take any of his crap and when Paula was getting the both of them packed up for their new life with the Costeaus and flat out ignored Jerem's whining.
Besides Jerem, there was one other thing I didn't like about this book, and that was its female characters. Hinz did badly by them. Not just one, but two women died so that Gillian could become the man he needed to be in order to battle the Paratwa. As far as I can remember, Rome's wife, Angela, was often in his thoughts but never had any on-page actions or dialogue. I suppose Nu-Lin was okay, but she didn't really do all that much.
Paula had the potential to be awesome. She was street-smart enough to know that the visitors to her antique gallery were bad news and needed to be guarded against, and capable enough to evade E-Tech's people and deal with Costeaus (pirates) without falling apart. I figured she'd meet Gillian and turn into a love-struck idiot. I was only slightly wrong. The guy she fell for turned out to be Aaron, the pirate with the scarlet penis tattooed on his face.
Hinz skipped all the scenes that might have made their relationship believable. Since there was no emotional build-up to indicate anything else was going on, I initially figured Paula had slept with Aaron so that he'd be more willing to help her find her son. Imagine my surprise when it turned out they were really in love. Paula went from hating Costeaus in one chapter to being in love with one the next time she appeared on-page, and, from the point on, she ceased doing anything other than being Jerem's mother and Aaron's lover. It was disappointing.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and was drawn in by the mysteries and suspense surrounding Reemul, the Paratwa plan, and the two Paratwa hunters from the past, Gillian and Nick. The world was fascinating, and I'm looking forward to reading Ash Ock. I just could have done without Jerem and wish Paula had finished at least as strong as she'd started.
Additional Comments:
For the most part, this book was error-free. I only counted three instances of what I think might have been OCR errors.
Rating Note:
I gave this 4.5 stars on sites that allow half stars. It's quite likely I might have rounded up to 5 star on Goodreads if I'd added it to the site back when I first read it. However, knowing what I now do about where this series goes, I'm opted to round down to 4 stars.
(Original review, with read-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
October 31, 2021
I was kindly sent a copy of this book by Gemma from Angry Robot. This has not influenced my review in any way.
How have I not heard of these books before?! Christopher Hinz has created a fantastic dystopian world. Humanity has survived an apocalypse and now lives on orbiting space stations under the rule of the Irryan council. The cause of this apocolypse was the Paratwa and humanity's need for technology. The Paratwa are super assassins that have two bodies (or tways) controlled by one mind. They can change what they look like and use technology to take over someone else's life. This is called sapient supersedure where someone is killed and then substituted with a lookalike that assumes his or her identify. Many people were able to have themselves frozen and then re-awakened many centuries in the future. One of those reawaken is the Paratwa and then we get those that are awakened to try and stop them. This opens up the story to something that can span hundreds of years with the same characters and I'm sure that the sequel will do just that.
At first it was hard to get into the story as there's just so much going on. POV's change during a chapter so you really have to concentrate to know what is going on. The Paratwa are complex and it takes a lot of getting used to. Once I had grasped it the story was really enjoyable. The world-building is brilliant and is full of politics, mystery and murder.
There's a great twist in the book which you don't see coming until just before it's revealed.
I highly recommend this book and will be adding books 2 and 3 to be wish-list.
How have I not heard of these books before?! Christopher Hinz has created a fantastic dystopian world. Humanity has survived an apocalypse and now lives on orbiting space stations under the rule of the Irryan council. The cause of this apocolypse was the Paratwa and humanity's need for technology. The Paratwa are super assassins that have two bodies (or tways) controlled by one mind. They can change what they look like and use technology to take over someone else's life. This is called sapient supersedure where someone is killed and then substituted with a lookalike that assumes his or her identify. Many people were able to have themselves frozen and then re-awakened many centuries in the future. One of those reawaken is the Paratwa and then we get those that are awakened to try and stop them. This opens up the story to something that can span hundreds of years with the same characters and I'm sure that the sequel will do just that.
At first it was hard to get into the story as there's just so much going on. POV's change during a chapter so you really have to concentrate to know what is going on. The Paratwa are complex and it takes a lot of getting used to. Once I had grasped it the story was really enjoyable. The world-building is brilliant and is full of politics, mystery and murder.
There's a great twist in the book which you don't see coming until just before it's revealed.
I highly recommend this book and will be adding books 2 and 3 to be wish-list.
January 20, 2015
I read this book when it first came out in the eighties and remembered loving it--it's one of those books with such novel and vivid ideas that it has stuck with me all these years and undoubtedly influenced my own writing. I decided to revisit it and see if it held up to my memories. It did--for the most part. The story was just as riveting, with all its twists and turns and surprises, many of which I had forgotten, so in some ways it was almost like a new book. The only problems I had were not with the story, but structural. There was a lot of unexpected change of viewpoint--"head hopping". And at times it got a little slow; there is a great deal of political machination, but don't be tempted to scan over these parts because sometimes that's were the author puts those little zinger clues that are so important. Neither of these would have been a problem thirty years ago, but literary styles have changed. "Head hopping" is a lot less common (thank goodness) and we've come to expect our entertainment (books, movies, TV) to move a lot faster. All in all, this was a very good read and I would recommend it for any hard-core SF fan, particularly those who are young enough to have missed out on it the first time around.
November 14, 2016
I read this book in 1987 (?) when it first came out and then read it's two sequels. I found this book to be an extremely well written and thought out world. My impression is that it never got the reader base I thought it deserved.
The plot has a slight resemblance to the 1993 movie Demolition Man in that a special being called a Paratwa which is a genetically engineered assassin with two bodies and one mind is defrosted about 250 years in the future. The future has mankind living in space colonies after destroying the earths ecology in a more violent period late in our current century. Another pair who are not a paratwa are defrosted to counter the threat, being the only force in that more normal time that would know how to counter the assassin. The story involves a well envisioned world with interesting culture and people. I'm not interested in going into detail, read it.
I decided to re-read this book because after some thirty years, Hinz wrote a book "Binary Storm" which is a prequel and recounts what happened in the late 21st century. That is also a 5 star book but would strongly recommend reading "Liege-Killer" first or you will spoil the fun of discovery in this book.
The plot has a slight resemblance to the 1993 movie Demolition Man in that a special being called a Paratwa which is a genetically engineered assassin with two bodies and one mind is defrosted about 250 years in the future. The future has mankind living in space colonies after destroying the earths ecology in a more violent period late in our current century. Another pair who are not a paratwa are defrosted to counter the threat, being the only force in that more normal time that would know how to counter the assassin. The story involves a well envisioned world with interesting culture and people. I'm not interested in going into detail, read it.
I decided to re-read this book because after some thirty years, Hinz wrote a book "Binary Storm" which is a prequel and recounts what happened in the late 21st century. That is also a 5 star book but would strongly recommend reading "Liege-Killer" first or you will spoil the fun of discovery in this book.
August 15, 2021
I was delighted to receive an ARC of this cult classic and Compton Crook Award Winner for Best Novel.
It is set in a post-Apocalyptic world and features the most-feared warriors - the Paratwa. But, unfortunately, it also features what proves to be their sponsor and their nemesis - the Ash Ock - a race of super-beings.
The settings and characters are beautifully defined, and the story pace makes for brilliant reading, with a little love interest thrown in for good measure.
I love science fantasy, and this did not disappoint. For those who love this genre, I would highly recommend it.
It is set in a post-Apocalyptic world and features the most-feared warriors - the Paratwa. But, unfortunately, it also features what proves to be their sponsor and their nemesis - the Ash Ock - a race of super-beings.
The settings and characters are beautifully defined, and the story pace makes for brilliant reading, with a little love interest thrown in for good measure.
I love science fantasy, and this did not disappoint. For those who love this genre, I would highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews