What Am I Reading Now?

What am I reading? Funny I should ask! I am currently reading a bit of science fiction by the name of The World Before. This is the third book of a series of six by Karen Traviss. Collectively, the books are known as the Wess'Har Series. The series revolves around a planet so far that it takes 26 years to get there from Earth. So, yes...cryo-sleep is a must. The destination planet, known as Wess'ej, has a native species of squid like beings, a settler race of militarily powerful aliens who are in a protector role vis-a-vis the planet and it's original inhabitants. Additionally, there is another race still which covets the planet, as their home planet and it's inhabitable moon are over-populated and denuded of any other species. And, of course, the story follows the human interlopers, who are sent to colonize the already hotly contested planet.

I believe this author is most popular for her novels based on the the Star Wars universe and a series of books based on two popular video games: Halo and Gears of War. So, if you're geekier than me, and this would include knowing the above games and being interested enough to read about the fictionalized back story to a video game, than you will probably enjoy reading these other popular series.

Traviss can definately write a believeable yarn and explores issues, at least in these first three novels, such as ecological balance, immortality and the tendency of humans to treat virtually everything (living or inanimate) as a commodity to be bought and sold.

City of Pearl is the first of these novels and sets the scene for next five novels which are essentially one long story. So starting at book three and then going back to read book two will spoil the plot surprises you will encounter in earlier books.

Okay, so yada-yada-yada....would I recommend the books? Yes, but with a caveat. I find the story, even for science fiction, a little implausible. The idea that the protagonist, a hardened female cop (even in the year 2039) can become part of another race and then become it's de-facto leader is a little hard to swallow. Having said that, Traviss can obviously write; she has a ton of books published which are popularly followed and the universe she creates in this series is very believeable.

1. City of Pearl (2004)
2. Crossing the Line (2004)
3. The World Before (2005)
4. Matriarch (2006)
5. Ally (2007)
6. Judge (2008)

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