David C. Jeffrey's QARSOON: Space Unbound Book 4 finds Aiden Macallan, captain of the unique spaceship Sun Wolf, once again at the center of events that could spell the end of humanity. A group of genetically altered beings known as the Netvor—engineered to be physically superior to humanity and free from annoying things like empathy or mercy—are determined to destroy both humans and the Libera, a group of Netvor left with their humanity intact due to a mysterious mutation. When Macallan (whose ship is one of two equipped with a zero-point drive that allows it to move at close to light speed) receives a message asking him to visit the Libera’s adopted home world to open up diplomatic relations, he accepts despite the danger. He has no choice: The Netvor have moved a weapon capable of destroying Earth into the Solar System, and time is running out.
Jeffrey continues to populate his series with terrific sci-fi concepts. Instantaneous travel over vast distances remains possible due to the existence of voidoids, mysterious portals at fixed points in space, and the Libera hide from the Netvor by establishing a base on a “rogue planet” they’ve named Qarsoon. The planet travels in a “hyperbolic flyby” in a binary star system, escaping the gravitational pull of the suns and existing in a perpetual gloom of darkness (its surface temperature livable only due to its volcanic activity). The descriptions of Qarsoon are poetic and fascinating: “Aiden could feel it. Could sense the howling absence of a mother sun. The orphaned planet had long ago surrendered to the loneliness of eternal night, wholly consumed by the black emptiness of interstellar space.” There’s also plenty of well-written action, as Macallan is assaulted by assassins and engaged in space dogfights. Jeffrey writes these two-fisted scenes with easy control, conveying the action in short, impactful sentences that maintain excitement.
Some of the plotting is convenient. Macallan’s second-in-command on the Sun Wolf is so transparently hostile to every decision his commanding officer makes that Macallan’s choice to leave him at his post (and even give him temporary command of the ship) makes little sense, except to set up a major plot point. There's also a moment late in the story that seems to spell certain doom for our heroes, resolved by what can only be described as a deus ex machina that reminds the reader of Arthur C. Clarke’s Third Law about sufficiently advanced technology.
Despite those flaws, QARSOON remains a briskly paced and well-written space opera that's filled with terrific ideas, well-defined characters, and pleasingly complex politics.
Though bogged down by occasional exposition and an unsatisfying resolution, David C. Jeffrey's QARSOON: Space Unbound Book 4 is still propulsive, populated by unique sci-fi concepts, and boosted by well-developed characters.
~ Jeff Somers for IndieReader