After reading the first of John Scalzi’s Interdependency series, how could I not press on with the second book? I mean, literally everything connecting numerous human words is collapsing, which will leave them all stranded billions of light years from each other (aka just about everyone is going to die). So I kind of want to know what happens. Even though I normally don’t read things digitally, my library had it available as an ebook, so I went for the download and dove right in.
The Consuming Fire (2019)
Written By: John Scalzi
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 304 pages (Kindle)
Series: The Interdependency (Book Two)
Publisher: Tor Books
The premise:
The Interdependency — humanity’s interstellar empire — is on the verge of collapse. The extra-dimensional conduit that makes travel between the stars possible is disappearing, leaving entire systems and human civilizations stranded.
Emperox Grayland II of the Interdependency is ready to take desperate measures to help ensure the survival of billions. But arrayed before her are those who believe the collapse of the Flow is a myth — or at the very least an opportunity to an ascension to power.
While Grayland prepares for disaster, others are prepare for a civil war. A war that will take place in the halls of power, the markets of business and the altars of worship as much as it will between spaceships and battlefields.
The Emperox and her allies are smart and resourceful, as are her enemies. Nothing about this will be easy… and all of humanity will be caught in its consuming fire.
No spoilers (for this one or the first book)
Discussion: It’s so easy to get sucked into a John Scalzi book. Even if science fiction isn’t your thing, his style is fun and accessible so even when you’re mired in galactic politics you aren’t bored or lost (just as long as you don’t mind a fair bit of swearing, but since it fits well with the style I find that it works quite well). This book continues the story of Emperox Grayland II (personal name Cardenia) and the trials that she and her newfound companions must face with the collapse of the Flow. In other words, no one believes them. This leads to a lot of scheming, bribing, some jailbreaking, attempted assassinating, and more. Grayland goes in a surprising direction by utilizing tactics unseen since the first emperox (that is, she claims to see visions) which may do more harm than good. But given how no one seems to want to listen to the actual science, she’s doing everything in her means to save as many people as possible.
I like Grayland and I’m starting to think her father, the previous emperox, really underestimated her. Then again, she was never supposed to rule and came late to this position, so he may not have known her very well. She’s smart and even if she doesn’t fully understand some of the people she finds herself faced with, she’s quick to adjust, isn’t afraid to ask for help, and oh boy what she does at the end of the book was some top notch maneuvering. At the end, bad-ass and sharp-as-a-tack Lady Kiva simply says, “Fucking best party ever,” and hell yes it was.
The story also took a few wild turns that threw me for a fantastic loop. It’s the kind of plotting that makes me wonder as an author why I bother because damn the story Scalzi has whipped up does some things that make me feel totally unimaginative. I don’t want to give too much away because it’s so much fun to discover on your own. Suffice to say Flow scientist Marce goes on an expedition to visit the previously lost system of Dalasýsla and uncovers some very interesting things there.
And if anyone is in the market for strong female characters, get in on this series for Grayland, Kiva, and even some of the women who aren’t on the protagonist side of things, but they still have power and they do not mess around. I adore Kiva because not only is she incredibly intelligent, but is also not afraid to beat the shit out of people when the occasion calls for it. She’s also open with her sexuality which some readers may find refreshing. Male, female — as long as you’re good in bed, Kiva doesn’t care. In a nutshell, Kiva’s awesome.
In conclusion: If you’re looking for a fresh science fiction series, your search is over. These have been great fun to read, and while I found the first book slightly easier to put down at the end of each chapter, I pretty much just plowed through this one. The final book, The Last Emperox, is due out April 2020, and you can bet your starships that I’m going to pick it up.
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