After The Crown (The Indranan War book 2) by K.B Wagers (book review)
Some of my criticism from K.B. Wagers first book, ‘Behind The Throne’ (The Indranan War book 1), still exists in the sequel, ‘After The Crown’. The only difference now is I can note when the realisation when it will dawn on you that she is writing first person slightly past tense. None of this is helped by the fact that there is no emotion sharing. You are told what she thinks but lead character Hailime Bristol conveys none of the emotional content to this reader. A bomb goes off and there’s not the slightest impact (sic) on her or you. In fact, even the event didn’t hit me because there was no dwelling on it when it happened. This does tend to get a similar treatment when Hailime tries to prevent a war with another planet. In many respects, staying within first person limits what can be shown so you don’t get the bigger picture or major events that are happening elsewhere. However, when things are happening up close and personal, even that isn’t a consideration.
How much to say without giving spoilers. While off her home-planet. Hailime misses out on a deadly insurrection and an announcement that she died in an attack on a rival planet. Much of the story follows these events but limited by the first person perspective. Far too much is rushed over so there is no emotional intensity that the situation demands. In fact, Hailme’s background as a renegade gun-runner makes the plot too idealised. She makes no major mistakes compared to her underlings and has the answer to everything so you’re basically getting a plot by numbers as it moves into military SF territory. None of this is helped by the time it takes not being revealed and the assumption that the insurrectionists at home aren’t doing much at home in the meantime.
This doesn’t mean the story isn’t readable just that it’s not likely to be a classic.
GF Willmetts
December 2016
(pub: Orbit. 389 page small enlarged paperback. Price: £ 8.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-0-356-50802-3)
check out websites: http://www.orbitbooks.net/ and www.kbwagers.com
