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Review Summaries
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Aspect Jan 2003, 6.99, 316 pp.
ISBN 0446610828
Fifteen hundred years into the future, mankind has not only reached the stars, humanity has tamed them. Mercury is mined for the precious metals needed by the rest of the galaxy and most people live past three centuries. Marik Space station is the hive and the Aerie house billion of people living on many artificial worlds. Politics remain much the same in the thirty-sixth century as it does in the present day and there is a great need for the PSA located in the Hive to train intelligent agents.
Jak Jininaka and his friend Dujou are agents-in-training who need to practice their skills in order to complete the Junior Task. The opportunity arrives when Princess Shyf of Greenworld sends him a message saying she needs his help. Jak and Dujou race to the rescue only to find the message was a hoax. When an operative sends a message to Greenworld saying trouble is brewing, Jak and Dujou are sent to investigate. They find out that Jak's greatest enemy is trying to establish himself as ruler of that planet. The two PSA trainees devise a plan that will foil his scheme and hope they live to see it succeed because after all they want to pass their Junior Task.
Set in a far distant future where anything is possible, Jak sets out on a quest to help a friend and finds himself placed in the princess's harem considered raunchy, but the scenes are played for laughs. In fact, John Barnes does a brilliant job satirizing space operas in general as a final send off salute to Star Wars and the numerous clones.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident John Barnes Scholar
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Overall Review
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Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 10% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%
Tone of book
- very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- science fiction story
Political power play
Yes
Political plotlets
- saving govt/kingdom from external overthrow
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- student
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- bulging muscles
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- killer
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Which planet?
- Mercury
Spaceship setting:
- really, really giant spaceship/station
Takes place in spaceship?
Yes
Not Earth, in Solar System?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only)
- a moderate amount of scientific explanation
How much dialogue?
- significantly more dialog than descript
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