If you can't fix it with duck tape .....

....you're not using enough duck tape."
The Amarinth Chronicles should be a five star science fiction thriller, but for one thing - or rather, one character. Lithia is a wealthy Venusian young woman with a younger brother, Bobby, who is still underage. When their parents died, a court order put them in the cafe of their Aunt and uncle on Earth, living in the affluent Uppers of San Francisco. She opens the book and serves as an introduction to the times, showing the divide between rich and poor earther, and how anyone without the means to afford an eating - the helix - is denied access to almost everything, from housing to shopping and education. Later, she is along for the ride and to provide a touch of pseudo romance but essentially simply slows down the story. With just a modicum of alteration, she could be written out as the story wou!d benefit by her loss.

The characters of Deviant Rising are sufficiently developed to give them life and cause the reader to care and, with the exception of Cade, who has had numerous enhancements, are either good or bad with little deviation. The futuristic society is very similar to our own, apart from the colonization of space, and an even more powerful internet-type system, implanted and known simply as the earing: with it the wearer has access to almost all knowledge, language and communication with others instantly: the earing reads minds. Whilst the poorer citizens of earth are demonstrating to acquire it, the colonies, who respect their independence are not to sure and are ready to stand against the mandatory wearing order. Then a secret is discovered which needs to be exposed ....

The book is a good space action thriller, not uniquely different but still exciting enough to be called a good read. Narration is by Emily Smith, whose reading is clear, well modulated and well paced. Her individual character voicings are not bad, either, given that nearly every protagonist, apart from Lithia, is male. Given this, and since the book is not written in first person from Lithia's point of view, it was a mistake to have the book read by someone with such a girly voice. Nevertheless, it was a good performance on her part.

My thanks to the rights holder of The Amaranth Chronicles, who, at my request freely gifted me with a complimentary copy of the book. It was an enjoyable read, especially the first two thirds where characters were introduced and their world's explored; dialogue and interactions were excellent, especially with Aurelius and his companions, and there was a freshness, a feeling of reality to the wok. The pace was comfortable even when action ensued. After the two thirds mark, however, the story devolved into the more usual, predictable fight it out scenario, faster paced but less interesting .
This book is certainly worth reading by any die-hard space thriller fan, especially those with a penchant for p!lucky little female heroines

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