Echo of Worlds

TITLE:  Echo of Worlds

AUTHOR: M. R. Carey

The sequel to Infinity Gate. This seemed to have more techy info dumps and I had trouble with some of the science, but that didn't hurt my enjoyment of this fast-moving story of AI versus organics across the infinite Earths of the multiverse. The war between the Pandominion (sentient organics, including humans) and the Ansurrection (AIs) has ratcheted up and the Pandominion has a plan to destroy the machines. Rupshe, a powerful AI on a non-affiliated Earth that suffered a decimating war a decade ago has its own plan, along with a small team of organics and AIs to help.

Aside from my poor job of summarizing the plot, this is a immensely readable book, with memorable characters, especially Paz, a teenaged girl from Ut, a version of Earth where the main sentient species evolved from rabbits instead of apes. Paz, with her digital implants (including  part of her brain as part of a life-saving surgery), becomes the key to ending the war. This is a story with a lot of heart.

Translation State

TITLE:  Translation State

AUTHOR: Ann Leckie

Set in the universe of Leckie's Ancillary/Radch books, which I loved, this is a standalone novel that explores identity issues while also exploring the nature of the alien Presger aliens, specifically the Presger Translators. Told in three alternating POVs, the main characters come to life, and despite their differences, they each want to be their authentic selves.

Enae, on her own for the first time since her grandmother's death, takes on a diplomatic job and is tasked with finding a fugitive missing for two centuries. Reet, a mechanic adopted as a baby by a human couple, longs to find any info about his birth parents, discovers more than he bargained for. And Qven, the only one of the three who has a first person pov in their chapters, is a rebellious would-be Presger Translator who wants a different life than the one they were created for. It's no surprise that these three characters cross each other's path, leading to a confrontation that puts the treaty between the Presger and humans at risk. 

The story is fairly basic, especially when compared to the Imperial Radch trilogy. But the usage of a wide variety of personal pronouns, along with a discourse on what it means to be human, as well as three likable protagonists, elevates the story. I hope Leckie continues to write in this universe.

Downloaded

TITLE: The Downloaded

AUTHOR: Robert J. Sawyer

In 2059, the crew of a starship scheduled to travel to a planet in a different star system, have their consciousness uploaded to a quantum computer and their bodies placed in cryosleep for the long journey. Also uploaded in the same Canadian facility are a group of convicts who chose to serve their sentences in a virtual prison. When something goes horribly wrong, everyone is downloaded to their waking body500 years in the future. While the facility is intact, the outside shows signs of a plent-wide disaster. The astronauts and ex-cons must learn how to work together in order to survive.

This short novel is a quick read, told in alternating points of view. The narrative gimmick has many of the characters answer questions from an unnamed interviewer. The characters are all interesting, though at times, their voices seem a bit too similar. But the keep the story moving forward and there's a real sense of them as people just trying to deal with the unexpected reality in which they find themselves.

Wings Upon Her Back

TITLE: The Wings Upon Her Back

AUTHOR: Samantha Mills

In a city divided into districts devoted to one of the five gods, fourteen-year-old Zenya, born to scholars who worship the Scholar God, longs to fly. Her ambition means leaving her home and family for the warriors who worship the Mecha God. Chosen by the great warrior Vodaya to join her team, Zenya devotes all her energy to be everything Vodaya wants. But now, after 26 years of doing anything Vodaya commands of her, Zenya, now Winged Zemolai, commits an act of mercy that leads to the loss of her wings and banishment. The past, showing how Zenya earned her wings is told in alternating chapters.

Zemolai is a  fully developed character, and her fall from grace is well-told, including her gradual disillusionment especially when it comes to her charismatic leader, Vodaya. 

The books makes for a quick read, one I enjoyed. However, the glowing reviews had me expecting something greater, something more complex or profound. It's a good book, just not the great one I'd been expecting. 

Coffee Trader

TITLE:  The Coffee Trader

AUTHOR: David Liss

This book is a prequel of sorts to the author's first book, A Conspiracy of Paper. The main character,  Miguel Lienzo, having escaped Spain and the Inquisition, is the trader of the title and an ancestor of the protagonist in the aforementioned first book. Living in Amsterdam, in 1659, with other displaced Jews, he is now able to practice his religion. To ply his trade, he often crosses lines set by the Ma'amad, the group of elected leaders in the Jewish community who set lifestyle rules and protect the community from anyone wishing to do them harm.

Having lost his funds and ruined his reputation in a deal gone wrong, Miguel is forced to live in his brother's flood-prone basement, a bad situation made worse by the enmity between the brothers and by Miguel's growing affection for his brother's wife. So, when a Dutch widow he's befriended wants to partner with him in a scheme to make a fortune in trading the new drink made from coffee berries, Miguel agrees, setting in motion a twisty endeavor full of intrigue and betrayal.

I haven't really read historical fiction set in this time period, so it made for an interesting read. And Lisss's pacing and plot twists kept me turning pages.