Zero Sum Game (2018)
Written by: S.L. Huang
Series: Cas Russell Book 1
Genre: Science Fiction (Audio Book)
Length: 11 hours 43 minutes
Publisher: Tor
Why I Chose This: I originally read Zero Sum Game back in 2014 when it was a self-published e-book, and I remember finding it a real page-turner. Earlier this year, the book was revised and reprinted by Tor, giving me the perfect excuse to revisit it.
The Premise:
Cas Russell is good at math. Scary good. The vector calculus blazing through her head lets her smash through armed men twice her size and dodge every bullet in a gunfight, and she’ll take any job for the right price.
As far as Cas knows, she’s the only person around with a superpower…until she discovers someone with a power even more dangerous than her own. Someone who can reach directly into people’s minds and twist their brains into Moebius strips. Someone intent on becoming the world’s puppet master.
Cas should run, like she usually does, but for once she’s involved. There’s only one problem…
She doesn’t know which of her thoughts are her own anymore.
This review is spoiler free
Discussion: Much like the self-published version that came out five years ago, when I first dove into Zero Sum Game, I was immediately hit with the cool factor. I mean, this is a thriller about a young woman who gets superpowers thanks to being really good at math. As you can imagine, this comes in handy for calculating the trajectory of bullets, giving the action sequences another layer of excitement.
But while the cool fight scenes are what draws you in, what keeps you there are the characters. Cas Russel is a morally gray character who uses her powers to help her retrieve stuff for people. And while it’s true there are some lines she just won’t cross (she doesn’t like putting kids in danger), Cas isn’t afraid to hurt, or even kill people, if she calculates that the need is great enough. The novel is populated by a cast of characters who also exist on this complex spectrum of good and evil. An example of this is Tresting, a former cop who seems to be honorable and good but hints that there’s more to him than that. And of course, there’s Rio, a man who is often described as a monster, but in a Dexter-like twist, will only do horrible things to bad people. His relationship with Cas is particularly interesting, as Rio is the only person Cas trusts completely, despite his monstrous tendencies. As someone fond of hacker characters, I also really like the snarky and highly capable Checker.
One of the benefits of Cas’s super powered math is it inserts speculative elements to an otherwise standard thriller plot (Cas helps a client escape from a drug cartel, but quickly discovers there’s more to the situation than she expected). That way, when more speculative elements enter the plot later on, it’s not quite so jarring. Cas’s journey ends up leading her against a shadowy organization called Pithica, who’s leader has ability to control people’s thoughts. As Cas digs further into the mystery, she begins to doubt her own mind, and that of her allies.
Thoughts on the Audiobook: This time around, I mostly experienced Zero Sum Game through audiobook. I felt like the narrator, Lauren Fortgang, did a really good job capturing Cas’s personality and making the rest of the cast feel distinct. I hope that she will continue to narrate the rest of the series for Tor, as I’ve come to associate her voice with Cas’s.
In conclusion: If you’re looking for a fast-paced book filled with twists and turns, a cast of morally complex characters, and really cool superpowers, then I would recommend picking up Zero Sum Game. The series will be continuing with its second book, Null Set, this July, and I know I’ll be picking it up once I have a chance.
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