I received a copy of this book for free and am leaving this review
voluntarily.
Over the years, I have come to know that when I see the name Michael Jan
Friedman on the cover of a sci-fi space opera novel, it is going to be a truly
great one. Empty Space: Betrayal certainly fits in as a great space
opera story involving a cast of some of the most interesting characters I've
read about in all my years of reading. The reason the characters are so amazing
is that they differ greatly from many I can remember reading. I put a lot on
the quality of the players in a tale, and, right from the beginning, the
principal character is unique in my experience.
Another great part of reading Mike's stories is his outstanding plot twists.
The reader never sees what comes when it comes to books by this highly
experienced author.
Empty Space: Betrayal is a great story space opera fans should not
miss.
While the Terran system faces threats from alien species, it falls to the
men and women of the Terran Fleet to provide an adequate defense. This becomes
increasingly difficult when the Terrans are suffering heavy casualties. One of
those casualties is Captain Robinson Dark, an officer who dies in the line of
duty. However, the Terrans have learned how to reanimate their fallen officers
to fight another day, at least for a while, until they eventually suffer from
madness and become a danger to their fellow crewmates.
Because of his reanimation, Captain Dark no longer qualifies to command a
starship, even though he retains all his skills and knowledge from before his
death. On the other hand, he can very well command a mission to retrieve alien
technology to help the Terran war effort.
He has to make a deal with an enemy to get his job done. It is almost like
making a deal with the Devil, but as shaky as that may appear, it goes
pear-shaped unexpectedly. Nothing is assured even in what seems to be a
well-planned mission.
Robinson Dark is a captain and a leader. He is also what is called an
"empty," a reanimated individual who retains knowledge and experience
from their previous life, but not their emotions. While devoid of emotion, Dark
is not without compassion. He indeed cares about those in his command, and he
also defends other empties from the bigotry they face at the hands of those who
are living their "first lives." While there are those who feel
animosity at being commanded by empties, Dark is highly respected by most of
those he commands, and he leads them well.
My favorite point of plot involves a precarious alliance Dark forms with a
Poyan Elder, Za'mogh. When Dark discovers a secret about some alien technology,
he must find a way to get to it, so he makes a deal with Za'mogh to retrieve
the tech and share it with the Poya. This tech could mean a huge shift in power
in the galaxy. Unfortunately, Za'mogh has ambitious enemies and must watch his
back. Dark doesn't know about Za'mogh's problems. This all makes for a great
story full of twists and turns. It is pure literary fun!
The theme that stands out to me the most in Empty Space: Betrayal is that of
betrayal and deceit. Za'mogh gets an abject lesson on that theme, but he also
teaches a lesson in the consequences of it. This, for me, was the best part of
the story.
My takeaway from this story is from a line uttered by Michael Corleone in
the film The Godfather Part II. He said, "Keep your friends close, but
keep your enemies closer." The line speaks for itself and, as an aside
note, the quote is commonly attributed to Sun Tsu or Machiavelli, but there is
much ongoing debate on this score.
I deeply appreciated and enjoyed reading Empty Space: Betrayal. It is a
great space opera with feeling. It has everything one could want from a sci-fi
novel: great heroes and appalling villains, and a character who defies being
either a hero or villain. There are numerous obstacles for the characters to
work through. Mike's writing flows off the page and into the mind's eye to play
out in an extremely entertaining way. It is an entertaining work of genius from
an author who excels at writing just plain fun stuff.
Highest Recommendations!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Friedman had worked at one time or another in network and cable television,
radio, business magazines, and the comic book industry, in the process of
producing scripts for nearly 200 comic stories. Among his comic book credits is
the Darkstars series he created for DC Comics. He also co-wrote the
story for the acclaimed second-season Star Trek: Voyager TV episode
"Resistance," which guest-starred Joel Grey. In 2011, Friedman
spearheaded the establishment of Crazy 8 Press, an imprint through which
authors publish their purest and most passionate visions. Crazy 8 Press
currently features more than 80 original titles.
As always, Friedman advises readers that no matter how many Friedmans they
know, he is probably not related to any of them.
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
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