Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Finder by Suzanne Palmer Series: Finder Chronicles #1
Published by DAW Books on April 2, 2019
Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera
Pages: 400
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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Fergus Ferguson has been called a lot of names: thief, con artist, repo man. He prefers the term finder.
His latest job should be simple. Find the spacecraft Venetia's Sword and steal it back from Arum Gilger, ex-nobleman turned power-hungry trade boss. He'll slip in, decode the ship's compromised AI security, and get out of town, Sword in hand.
Fergus locates both Gilger and the ship in the farthest corner of human-inhabited space, a gas-giant-harvesting colony called Cernee. But Fergus' arrival at the colony is anything but simple. A cable car explosion launches Cernee into civil war, and Fergus must ally with Gilger's enemies to navigate a field of space mines and a small army of hostile mercenaries. What was supposed to be a routine job evolves into negotiating a power struggle between factions. Even worse, Fergus has become increasingly--and inconveniently--invested in the lives of the locals.
It doesn't help that a dangerous alien species thought mythical prove unsettlingly real, and their ominous triangle ships keep following Fergus around.
Foolhardy. Eccentric. Reckless. Whatever he's called, Fergus will need all the help he can get to take back the Sword and maybe save Cernee from destruction in the process.
Finder may not be the first book in a series but I had sort of first book syndrome. The first half had me struggling to put it all together and then it was off like a bullet to the end! I did really enjoy it then.
There are many things to like. The world is science fiction, space opera with some different species even. I like the technology and gadgets which come with this type of story. The people aren’t all good guys or bad guys; there are definitely a range of badness. As is typical to the genre, there are those who want the power, control and money.
Our main guy, Fergus Ferguson, is a finder. He goes to locate and hopefully retrieve the missing. His current job is to find and get back a ship to the rightful owners. Space is a bit like the wild West so he will have to steal it back. This area, Cernee, is in the midst of a civil war of sorts between its major players. There is plenty of strategy, action and thrills!
I really appreciate the humor infused into the otherwise grim situations. The reflection on humanity and purpose also shine through as some events spin out of control. I hope we will see more of Fergus and his friends.
“Not too many people Mari trusts,” Harcourt said, “much less likes.”
“I don’t think she trusts me,” Fergus answered, “and I’m entirely certain she doesn’t like me.”
As Mari and Bale walked in, Fergus cleared his throat. “All of you know that my plans tend to be ridiculous and go wildly wrong and weird in unanticipated ways, right?”
“Mari was kind enough to entertain us with the story of your sex toy tennis balls, so I think we have the gist,” Ili said. “Do you have a plan or not?”
“I do,” Fergus said. “No one is going to like it.”
“I never expected we would. Tell us what you got.”
About Suzanne Palmer
Suzanne was born a short distance outside Boston, Massachusetts, a short time before man first walked on the moon. With two somewhat rowdy brothers as her earliest influences, she grew up adept at catching frogs, stomping in mud, and smashing things with sticks. To what extent she has outgrown any of those behaviors, so far, is a matter for debate.
She has been an avid reader of science fiction & fantasy from practically the moment she learned to read. She has also had a lifelong interest in all things creative, though if she has any musical talent it remains so far undiscovered. She won several art competitions as a child, and when she went off to college followed that love. Suzanne has a Bachelors degree of Fine Arts in sculpture from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Even during college years, her artwork had a strong narrative component, and her thesis exhibition consisted of an entire museum exhibit of artifacts from a fictional world. This included clothing, coins, furniture, manuscripts in an entire created language, and an 8′ tall two-legged creature complete with horns, fur, and teeth.
In 2005 she attended the Viable Paradise Writers Workshop on Martha’s Vineyard, and came away from it both unreasonably encouraged and with the rather surprising realization that writing had become an indelible part of her life, even more so than art. She’s been writing ever since, still does art when she can, and otherwise is just plain having fun with it all.
She has been nominated for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award and the Eugie M. Foster Award. She has won reader’s polls for best stories from Asimov’s, Analog, and Interzone. Her first novel will be coming out from DAW Books in 2019.
Suzanne lives in western Massachusetts with a number of two- and four-legged critters, including one Very Large Fluffy Dog, and is a Linux and Database System Administrator for the Sciences at Smith College.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Releases
I can take a little stryggle in the beginning if the book does take off. And I enjoy space operas. This sounds like a fun one. Thanks for sharing your review. This is a new author for me too.
It was fun. It just took awhile to catch hold of me. But then it was really great. So it would have easily been a 4 if not for the start. And maybe that was my brain. I’ve seen reviews both ways 3-4 on this one so far.
I thought I didn’t like this kind of Sci fi but I realize that if I have a romance I can love them. SO need to read more of them
Glad to hear it This one does not have a romance so it is probably not your best choice.
Great review, Anne! I’m still trying to figure out space opera as it eludes me.
Not every genre is for every person. I guess I naturally gravitated to it with the computer nerd thing. I’ve always liked technology which fir with much of scifi.