SPSFC4 Review: Slipspace: Terra Nullius by Zachary Forbes
Blurb:
Two brothers...
Two empires...
And two definitions of what it means to be alive...
Slipp McMahon is a disgruntled veteran of the Terran Straits Republic, having retired from service when mechanical 'artificials' slowly took the place of his living, breathing compatriots. He is caught up doing private work in the outskirts of the known galaxy when a strange job falls into his lap. It involves a girl, an ancient oil deposit, and all the money he needs to retire his aging mother.
But his brother, Breth, who still works for the Republic, has sworn to uphold the law by any means necessary. A major promotion hangs in the balance, as well as the future of warfare across the galaxy...
Review:
The story opens in a marketplace, in a negotiation over the cost of fuel for an antiquated ship used for space travel. The man storms off with his charge in tow, unable to afford the credits needed to refuel and depart. He, Jord, is the protector of Tarha, a 15 year old girl with a dangerous secret, who is being hunted by a determined enemy. The callousness with which the hunters regard their prey, or any other being who gets in the way of their objective, is clear. I would not want to have them chasing, let alone capturing me!
Enter Slipp McMahon, smuggler, former Captain in the Space Force, who also despises bots/artificials. But that’s because humans are increasingly being pushed out of the military, replaced with artificials. The reasoning is attrition rates, and saving human lives. Slipp is the sort of MC one finds themselves unsure which direction the needle on his moral compass points. Gruff, capable, he gets himself into some dire predicaments, and he’s an all around wise ass, which is one of the things I enjoyed about this MC.
Slipp’s brother, Breth McMahon, is an Officer of the Republic’s Observation Agency, which is the equivalent of the FBI. He’s very much the straight arrow, the rule follower, executes the orders he’s given without question. He’s the good son, sending “credits” home to his mother to help defray the costs of maintaining the family farm. He also finds himself pitted against his brother, in what soon becomes a deadly political game of cat and mouse, with lies, deception, and treachery, and I found myself both sympathizing with, and being aggravated by, his very rigid black and white thinking. If he’s told to do something, he does it without question, which made me wish I could shake some sense into him.
As the story unfolds, Slipp is increasingly becoming more subject to his own conscience, his gruff and brusque demeanor more a false front to the softening toward his new charge, the young Tarha, who is now the focus of a deep state conspiracy. They are in the crosshairs of not only the Republic, but a growing cadre of deadly enemies, but Slipp has yet to determine who they all are. His only job is to keep Tarha alive to receive his big payout. But is that really his only motivation now? One thing that didn’t quite fit with Slipp’s caution in keeping Tarha hidden, was something that happened after they escaped from the pursuit of several groups trying to take Tarha back to captivity. Slipp ultimately makes several poor choices, and the whole safety in anonymity goes out the window.
The tension throughout never lets up. The engine was started, and the gas pedal was smashed to the floor. Or launched through space, and hitting some far flung civilizations along the way. I liked the pacing of this book, and the roles of each of the main characters were well crafted, and the arcs were believable. The tension between Slipp and his brother Breth felt typical of the relationship brothers seem to have with each other. Vying for praise from their mother, careerwise, they butted heads regularly, but eventually Breth realized his brother wasn’t quite the dregs of society he thought. And Slipp sees that his brother does possess the ability to change course, although it takes a close brush with death to change Breth’s assumptions.
And when artificials turn on those they’re supposed to obey, no one is safe. There are traitors at every level of these disparate planets and societies, from the governing bodies, to the deadly underbelly of crime syndicates.
This story will keep you guessing who the real bad guys are. For anyone who is a fan of space travel, political intrigue, a gruff and misunderstood MC, and an interesting undercurrent of mythology, this book is for you. I will unreservedly recommend this to anyone looking for a fast paced sci fi novel with many twists and turns.
Guest Reviewer Bio:
My name is Vivian Cicero, and I am one of the judges for the SFF Insiders SPSFC4 team. I will be posting guest reviews of the titles I’ve selected to read for the competition. I’m an alpha/beta/ARC reader, as well.
