First, don’t make the mistake that I made. I picked this off the shelf and saw that there were other sci-fi books by the same author in the same universe, but I did not realize until about chapter 3 that this was book 2 of a tight trilogy. Mr. Boffard does an excellent job of smoothly folding in Book 1 reminders so that I never missed critical information, but I felt that by forging ahead I missed some characterization from Tracer, the first book in the series, that would have enhanced the experience.
That, said Zero-G jumps off the starting block and never slows down. It is a fast-paced action thriller in space with more parkour per page than I thought possible. You will enjoy every heart-stopping sequence. In a world where Earth is unlivable and all of humanity is packed into a single colossal space station, every consequence is amplified.
The Basics:
Title: Zero-G (Outer Earth #2)
Author: Rob Boffard
Genre: Science Fiction, thriller
Publisher: Redhook, 2016
Spoiler-Free Summary:
Like every living human in the setting, Riley lives and works on the gargantuan space station to which humanity fled after Earth became unlivable. She is a tracer, an elite unit of military super-scouts. Criminals with a score to settle, a devastating pandemic, and ruthless terrorists clash with our heroine and one another in an action-filled tale of suspense, family, and perseverance. She jumps from the frying pan and into hell itself as she is thrown from one catastrophe to another.
Why this book might be for you:
If you love action and fast-paced thrillers, this book is for you. This book keeps the engine revved throughout. We start in medias res with a terrorist attack and sprint from one increasingly intense challenge to the next until crashing to a halt.
Written in tight first-person present tense, the reader feels every blow, physical or mental. You cannot help but feel like you are right there in the action.
Why this book might not be for you:
If you haven’t read Tracer, do that first. See the intro – I did not, and I think I will have to circle back to get to know the characters better.
The tense was jarring at first, but after twenty pages I sunk into it and no longer noticed.
I personally enjoyed the rapid pace overall, but at times it was mentally exhausting. I found that I had to be in the right mood (read – not stressed out with work and other concerns) to get the most out of it. As a result, I would sometimes not pick it up for a few days at a time, and it took me nearly a month to finish. It could benefit from trading a chase scene or two for just a little more character development. That said, “it was too exciting!” is a flimsy critique. I will take that over the opposite any day.
Where can you find more?
You can find Rob on Amazon, Goodreads, or on his personal site. On a side note, his web site is actually a delightful slice of sarchasm. Give that a read one morning over coffee if you have a second.
Keep reading, brothers and sisters.
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