"
Roc, August 2001, 6.99, 352 pp.
ISBN 0451458419
In the distant future, mankind has colonized many planets in different galaxies spread across the vast universe. Some of these planets joined together to form The Confederation, an empire whose goal is to keep the peace even when members are at war. The Legion, one of the Confederation's Strike Forces, is dispatched to the ore rich Cumbre system when they become involved in a civil war and fight off the encroachment of two enemy empires. Throughout these engagements, The Confederation has remained ominously silent and some think that the organization no longer exists.
Two soldiers Garvin and Njangu need to know what happened to the Confederation and its homeworld of Centrum. They obtain the approval to take a spaceship disguised as a traveling circus out into space to see if they can gather any Intel about why there has been no communication from the Confederation. To perfect their disguise, they land on a world inhabited by real circus performers and recruit several acts to intermingle with their own. Once that is accomplished, the action really begins.
Chris Bunch has created an action packed space opera that has the required number of space battles, adventures, and narrow escapes. HOMEFALL has plenty of daring do but the heart of the novel lies the colorful cast of characters, who though at seem zany, know how to pull together when times get tough. Fans of military science fiction and action adventure serve will find this novel most pleasing.
Harriet Klausner
"
Harriet Klausner, Resident Chris Bunch Scholar
Click above for the new Obama Girl Parody video!
Overall Review
Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into
dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- science fiction story
Spying & Investigations
Yes
What is main char. doing?
- spying/espionage in enemy territorry
Tech./$$$/Info hunt
Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying
- info about lifeform(s)/society/phenomena
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- fighter (air/space) pilot
Age:
- 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Spaceship setting:
- really, really giant spaceship/station
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body:
- humans in a futuristic society
- humans in a primitive/fantasy society
- big overbuilt futuristic city
- very controlled society
Planet outside solar system?
Yes
Takes place in spaceship?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only)
- some scientific explanation
How much dialogue?
- significantly more descript than dialog
