The Sensitist (Convergent Space Book 3) by John-Paul Cleary
I was introduced to the work of John-Paul Cleary just a little four years ago when I stumbled upon his first novel in the Convergent Space series (the first book is the same title as the series), followed by his second book entitled The Shadow Ship. I enjoyed both of those earlier works and have just finished reading the third in the series, and must say that this may be my favorite of the three.
To recap, A mysterious ship has gone around the part of space held by a faction called the Renaissance and planted bombs inside their planets. These bombs are capable of utterly destroying the planets they are planted in. Control of the explosive devices are given to Tihn Forlihn, the once leader of another faction called the Phlegar.. The control is not a physical device, but rather a set of commands and codes that Tihn has memorized and cannot forget. Moving forward in the Convergent Space universe, Tihn become the most sought after person in the galaxy for several reasons, but mostly for his knowledge of what he calls the Vapourgun.
One faction seeks him to exploit him to win a war while another looks for him to prevent their space from being devastated. The race is on to get to Tihn first, but there are other factions that may have something to say about it too.
The story opens with a character that captured me immediately. He is a gentleman named Rico Bretch who is a captain in an army on the planet called Estia. He is an older man who is fighting for one of two factions on the planet called the Progressives. They value youth and are fighting an enemy called the Reformists who value the experience that is offered by age. Bretch is in command of a squad (made up of equally elderly soldiers) that is routinely sent out on the most hazardous missions. Thanks to his experience, he seems to always manage to complete the missions he is sent on, sometimes with many casualties. One such mission seemed like an attempt by his Progressive commander to get Bretch and his entire squad killed. When he manages to survive once again, he is rudely mustered out and sent away to become part of the Reformist society.
Bretch is happily welcomed into the company of the Reformists and can have anything he wants there. Unfortunately, although the enticements are tempting, he is understandably suspicious of his new hosts. So he decides to go somewhere else and think things through. After all, he has spent most of his life fighting the Reformists.
Bretch is a character I can connect with and I enjoyed reading his exploits, on and off the battlefield. He is smart, cunning, and ruthless when he needs to be, but he also has deep feelings and the ability to think on his feet. He has a solid sense of right and wrong and is not afraid to make judgements based on his observations of a given situation. Without giving too much away, he manages to improve his situation immensely without intending to do so just because of the way he uses his wits.
Another character is Amilla, the Sensitist who has been called away from her normal routine on false pretenses only to be disappointed in the end. She finds herself deceived and used by nearly everyone. Amilla very much represents a tragic figure, and even moreso because none of her misfortune is of her own making. Amilla is accompanied by her Companion, a computerized device that has been with her all her life. It not only advises her and keeps her informed, but also helps her regulate her bodily functions. I believe that because of Amilla’s inherent naivety, she wouldn’t have survived very long outside her comfort zone.
Amilla’s comfort zone is to be a Sensitist and an author of “sensory literature.” A sensory book not only allows the reader to enjoy a story, but they can also enjoy the emotion by inducing chemicals into the reader.
Another character is Kodava. He is an animal of some sort who has to be kept in a movable cage with a muzzle. He is able to talk and move, but the restraints are to keep those around him safe. Kodava is a complex character that I would have to describe as being severely bipolar, except the ups and downs are not good. He is racked with self loathing and much anger that causes him to either do harm to himself or to do devastating harm to others. In one scene of The Sensitist, Kodava sees a situation develop which drives him to smash out of his restraints and go on an awesome rampage. His ambition is his undoing.
Cleary’s writing is very easily understood and the technical aspects of the story are not hard to grasp. He gives enough information for the reader to understand the essence of the situation without overwhelming jargon. Add to that, a writer who is adept at creating characters that come alive. Even the minor characters are given enough personality to really add to the story.
I especially liked the pacing as the plot unfolded. The characters start out in different situations and different worlds and slowly come together. The reader gets just enough of the picture in each chapter until it switches to another part of the story, leaving the reader with a mild cliffhanger with each plot block. I sincerely did not want to put the book down and read at every opportunity.
I recommend The Sensitist as well as the previous two novels in the series, Convergent Space and The Shadow Ship (both of which I reviewed on this blog, just click the title). All three are some fine science fiction that includes space opera, political intrigue, and fast paced action. John-Paul Cleary spins a good yarn that is worth the time, and as far as the Kindle editions are concerned, well worth the price of $4.00 each!
Well, there it is…
Qapla’!
Edited By Benjamin Arrowood
