Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Orbit (New York, 2019). 1st edition, 1st printing. 544 pages. $15.99.
Description
Dazzling space battles, intergalactic politics, and rogue AI collide in Velocity Weapon, the first book in this epic space opera by award-winning author Megan O'Keefe. Sanda and Biran Greeve were siblings destined for greatness. A high-flying sergeant, Sanda has the skills to take down any enemy combatant. Biran is a savvy politician who aims to use his new political position to prevent conflict from escalating to total destruction. However, on a routine maneuver, Sanda loses consciousness when her gunship is blown out of the sky. Instead of finding herself in friendly hands, she awakens 230 years later on a deserted enemy warship controlled by an AI who calls himself Bero. The war is lost. The star system is dead. Ada Prime and its rival Icarion have wiped each other from the universe. Now, separated by time and space, Sanda and Biran must fight to put things right.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member SpaceandSorcery
I received this novel from the publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review: my thanks to both of them for this opportunity.
When I saw Velocity Weapon showcased in the regular Orbit newsletter of upcoming titles, something immediately drew me to it, and I requested it with a bare
This is not going to be an easy review to write because I must avoid any kind of spoiler: Velocity Weapon offers so many surprises, so many unexpected twists, that to even hint at any of them would be a huge disservice – my unconscious decision to approach it “sight unseen” proved to be the best choice, and I urge you to do the same to enjoy this remarkable novel as it deserves.
The background: the discovery in the 22nd Century of a technology – called Casimir Gate – able to bridge huge interstellar distances fostered widespread colonization. Many centuries later, the settlers of Ada Prime hold the key to the local Casimir gate, while their neighbors on Icarion must pay for the rights of transit through the gate, which has caused increasing political and military friction over time. As the novel opens, in one such skirmish Icarion forces took the Prime fleet by surprise, scoring a bloody victory: while bound to their system by the punishing gate tariffs, they reached substantial technological advances, one of them being the powerful weapon which destroyed the Primes’ convoy.
As the political and military pressures mount, the Keepers – Ada Prime’s ruling body – must decide how to respond, while Biran Greeve, newly minted Keeper, has to deal with the loss of his sister Sanda, who commanded one of the Prime ships lost in the battle near Dralee moon. Sanda is not dead, however: she wakes up in a medical emergency cocoon, one leg missing from the knee down as a consequence of the battle, and the ship she finds herself on is empty of any other form of life. That is, empty except for the AI controlling the vessel – an Icarion ship named The Light of Berossus: what she learns from Bero, as the AI controlling it prefers to be called, is devastating. Icarion deployed their ultimate weapon, the Fibon Protocol, and in so doing obliterated not only Ada Prime but their own world as well: Sanda might very well be the only human alive in this portion of space, and what’s even more shocking comes from the revelation that it all happened 230 years before her awakening and that her emergency pod was the only one with a living survivor that Bero found in the debris field.
The two main narrative threads of Velocity Weapon follow the two siblings as they deal with the harrowing circumstances they find themselves in, and are offset with two other perspectives, one of them Alexandra Halston, the 22nd Century creator of the Casimir gates, and the other Jules, a thief-scavenger who stumbles on a heist with unexpected consequences and deadly ramifications. I must confess that I struggled a little to understand Jules’ role in the overall story – her timeline is parallel to Biran’s but they are systems apart – but in the end the “big picture” started to take shape and I admired the way in which the author juggled all these elements into a cohesive and fascinating whole.
The story is indeed an absorbing one, offering unexpected discoveries and mind-boggling surprises (more than once I had to keep myself from reacting loudly to such surprises when I was reading in a public place, lest other people think I was out of my mind), but the real bone and muscle of this novel are the characters, especially Sanda. The usual mold for a strong female character in the genre requires a hardened individual who is either brusque or forceful, or a combination of both, but Sanda goes beyond these limitations (not to say tropes): she is tough and resilient, granted, but she also possesses a good deal of compassion and a sense of humor that blend into a no-nonsense, hands-on approach which immediately endeared her to me. For example, when she wakes up on Bero and acknowledges the missing leg she remembers losing during the battle, she wastes no time on hysterics but rather looks for the best means of assisted locomotion and later on works on fashioning herself a prosthesis.
Where Sanda truly shines is in her interactions with Bero and the way the two of them slowly build a relationship based on cautious trust which at times slides into semi-affectionate banter (the exchange about kitten pictures on the internet is beyond precious): after a while she understands the ship’s AI suffers from a form of post-traumatic syndrome, caused by way the scientists manning the ship hurt its sense of self and its developing personality. Sanda’s realization she is dealing with what is in essence a psychologically damaged teenager brings to the fore her true nature along with her vulnerabilities, showing her for the wonderfully rounded and authentic character she is.
At first I did not connect as easily with Biran, Sanda’s brother: on the surface he looked too naïve and somewhat easily influenced, but as the story progressed I started to see he is made of the same stuff as his sister, just in a less apparent way. As he kept going on the path he choose (apologies for the cryptic phrasing, but it’s necessary) I understood how ready he was to sacrifice anything, even the position he had worked so hard to achieve, to fulfill his goal, and I started to warm to him – unexpectedly but with growing certainty.
In the end what can you expect from Velocity Weapon? Certainly a good space opera novel combining action scenes and character growth, but most importantly a story exploring the meaning of life, consciousness and freedom; the intriguing observation of political maneuvering and of plots building over a span of many years; and above all a very entertaining tale that will keep you with your nose in the book for the whole duration. And looking for the next book with an eager eye…
When I saw Velocity Weapon showcased in the regular Orbit newsletter of upcoming titles, something immediately drew me to it, and I requested it with a bare
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minimum of knowledge about the story, which is unusual for me since I like to have an idea about what to expect from any given book. What I found was a very immersive story peopled with characters that felt real and solid, and I breezed through it in a short time: since this is the first volume in a series, I hope that the next ones will come out soon, because there are so many questions I can’t wait to see answered.This is not going to be an easy review to write because I must avoid any kind of spoiler: Velocity Weapon offers so many surprises, so many unexpected twists, that to even hint at any of them would be a huge disservice – my unconscious decision to approach it “sight unseen” proved to be the best choice, and I urge you to do the same to enjoy this remarkable novel as it deserves.
The background: the discovery in the 22nd Century of a technology – called Casimir Gate – able to bridge huge interstellar distances fostered widespread colonization. Many centuries later, the settlers of Ada Prime hold the key to the local Casimir gate, while their neighbors on Icarion must pay for the rights of transit through the gate, which has caused increasing political and military friction over time. As the novel opens, in one such skirmish Icarion forces took the Prime fleet by surprise, scoring a bloody victory: while bound to their system by the punishing gate tariffs, they reached substantial technological advances, one of them being the powerful weapon which destroyed the Primes’ convoy.
As the political and military pressures mount, the Keepers – Ada Prime’s ruling body – must decide how to respond, while Biran Greeve, newly minted Keeper, has to deal with the loss of his sister Sanda, who commanded one of the Prime ships lost in the battle near Dralee moon. Sanda is not dead, however: she wakes up in a medical emergency cocoon, one leg missing from the knee down as a consequence of the battle, and the ship she finds herself on is empty of any other form of life. That is, empty except for the AI controlling the vessel – an Icarion ship named The Light of Berossus: what she learns from Bero, as the AI controlling it prefers to be called, is devastating. Icarion deployed their ultimate weapon, the Fibon Protocol, and in so doing obliterated not only Ada Prime but their own world as well: Sanda might very well be the only human alive in this portion of space, and what’s even more shocking comes from the revelation that it all happened 230 years before her awakening and that her emergency pod was the only one with a living survivor that Bero found in the debris field.
The two main narrative threads of Velocity Weapon follow the two siblings as they deal with the harrowing circumstances they find themselves in, and are offset with two other perspectives, one of them Alexandra Halston, the 22nd Century creator of the Casimir gates, and the other Jules, a thief-scavenger who stumbles on a heist with unexpected consequences and deadly ramifications. I must confess that I struggled a little to understand Jules’ role in the overall story – her timeline is parallel to Biran’s but they are systems apart – but in the end the “big picture” started to take shape and I admired the way in which the author juggled all these elements into a cohesive and fascinating whole.
The story is indeed an absorbing one, offering unexpected discoveries and mind-boggling surprises (more than once I had to keep myself from reacting loudly to such surprises when I was reading in a public place, lest other people think I was out of my mind), but the real bone and muscle of this novel are the characters, especially Sanda. The usual mold for a strong female character in the genre requires a hardened individual who is either brusque or forceful, or a combination of both, but Sanda goes beyond these limitations (not to say tropes): she is tough and resilient, granted, but she also possesses a good deal of compassion and a sense of humor that blend into a no-nonsense, hands-on approach which immediately endeared her to me. For example, when she wakes up on Bero and acknowledges the missing leg she remembers losing during the battle, she wastes no time on hysterics but rather looks for the best means of assisted locomotion and later on works on fashioning herself a prosthesis.
Where Sanda truly shines is in her interactions with Bero and the way the two of them slowly build a relationship based on cautious trust which at times slides into semi-affectionate banter (the exchange about kitten pictures on the internet is beyond precious): after a while she understands the ship’s AI suffers from a form of post-traumatic syndrome, caused by way the scientists manning the ship hurt its sense of self and its developing personality. Sanda’s realization she is dealing with what is in essence a psychologically damaged teenager brings to the fore her true nature along with her vulnerabilities, showing her for the wonderfully rounded and authentic character she is.
At first I did not connect as easily with Biran, Sanda’s brother: on the surface he looked too naïve and somewhat easily influenced, but as the story progressed I started to see he is made of the same stuff as his sister, just in a less apparent way. As he kept going on the path he choose (apologies for the cryptic phrasing, but it’s necessary) I understood how ready he was to sacrifice anything, even the position he had worked so hard to achieve, to fulfill his goal, and I started to warm to him – unexpectedly but with growing certainty.
In the end what can you expect from Velocity Weapon? Certainly a good space opera novel combining action scenes and character growth, but most importantly a story exploring the meaning of life, consciousness and freedom; the intriguing observation of political maneuvering and of plots building over a span of many years; and above all a very entertaining tale that will keep you with your nose in the book for the whole duration. And looking for the next book with an eager eye…
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LibraryThing member seitherin
Good ol' space opera
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.
Sentient spaceship. Strong female protagonist. Likeable rogue. Strong family connections. Politics. War. Bad good guys. Good bad guys.
I haven't enjoyed a book this much for quite awhile.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.
Sentient spaceship. Strong female protagonist. Likeable rogue. Strong family connections. Politics. War. Bad good guys. Good bad guys.
I haven't enjoyed a book this much for quite awhile.
LibraryThing member markon
Space opera with multiple points of view done well! I was interested in all three of the stories being told, and moving between POVs was facilitated by short chapters and clear indications of whose point of view we were currently in.
Sanda, a soldier in Ada Prime's space fleet, Biran, her brother,
This book is fast paced and action packed. I rocketed through, couldn't stop reading to find out what happened next, and to figure out what the hell was going on in the first place.
(I was exhausted when I stopped reading each time, and when the end came. Well, that's my preference, too. I like the stories that wallow a bit. In developing character, or description, or just take their time telling a story. That aren't in a rush. Yes, I like an occasional page turner, and this fit the bill, but I don't want another any time soon.)
The story includes a young and emotionally damaged AI, Beros, as well.
The novel also sticks the landing: many major questions, but not all, are answered. (It's the first book in a series called The Protectorate.)
Sanda, a soldier in Ada Prime's space fleet, Biran, her brother,
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a newly minted Prime on Ada Prime, and Jules, the defacto leader of a group of mercernaries on planet Atrux, are the three major points of view. (Primes are keepers of the technology to create and manage gateways for fast travel in space, and also help govern the Protectorate who controls these gateways.)This book is fast paced and action packed. I rocketed through, couldn't stop reading to find out what happened next, and to figure out what the hell was going on in the first place.
(I was exhausted when I stopped reading each time, and when the end came. Well, that's my preference, too. I like the stories that wallow a bit. In developing character, or description, or just take their time telling a story. That aren't in a rush. Yes, I like an occasional page turner, and this fit the bill, but I don't want another any time soon.)
The story includes a young and emotionally damaged AI, Beros, as well.
The novel also sticks the landing: many major questions, but not all, are answered. (It's the first book in a series called The Protectorate.)
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LibraryThing member hcnewton
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S VELOCITY WEAPON ABOUT?
There are two primary storylines—either one of them would have been a decent basis for a novel on their own. Combine them and you've got something special.
Sergeant Sanda Greeve is flying a fairly routine patrol
The second primary storyline features her brother, Biran. Biran's speaking at his graduation ceremony when his sister (and others) are attacked. The news disrupts the ceremony, and Biran uses finds himself in the position of having to calm those who are watching (live or on the news). In the days and weeks following, he rises to a prominent position—becoming the government's spokesman, reassuring and leading the populace through this time.
We bounce back and forth as Biran tries to stave off a war, and to Sanda dealing with its results. It's a great concept and you just don't know what to expect even though Bero has told Sanda what's happening.
And then another escape pod shows up and all bets are off.
THE STUFF I SHOULD'VE PAID MORE ATTENTION TO
There were some flashbacks to the invention of the Gate technology that makes interstellar travel possible, which was pretty interesting, but there was something about it that I just couldn't focus on for very long.
Similarly, there was a tertiary story to the main two. This one focused on a street gang involved in some pretty petty crimes, but they stumbled onto something pretty big. This was interesting, but I couldn't keep most of the characters straight and had a hard time following it. This was solely due to my focus, and as many times as I told myself to pay attention, I didn't. I predict that this is going to come back pretty significantly in the sequel—I'm just hoping I can play catch up. If you read and/or listen to this book—learn from my mistake and pay attention.
HOW WAS THE NARRATION?
I liked it. Bero in particular is hard to get right—and vital to get right. Jameson does it. Everything else came out good, too, don't get me wrong, but for this, the AI is essential. He captured the tones, flavors, and diverse set of characters in an engaging and convincing way.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT VELOCITY WEAPON?
When this came out, it looked intriguing. When I started seeing it show up on my Goodreads feed and book blogs I follow, I really became interested. But I didn't follow up on it. I spent pretty much e the entire time listening to Velocity Weapon berating myself for that.
This is the kind of thing I like in SF. A clever story, compelling characters, and great tech in space. I liked the humans, I really enjoyed the AI (I sort of figured this would be a variation on the AI in Rockwell's Serengeti books, and wow, I was wrong). It was a SF adventure, but it was also a straightforward thriller (with SF frills). I had a blast with this and am looking forward to the sequel.
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WHAT'S VELOCITY WEAPON ABOUT?
There are two primary storylines—either one of them would have been a decent basis for a novel on their own. Combine them and you've got something special.
Sergeant Sanda Greeve is flying a fairly routine patrol
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when she's attacked—a rare burst of heat in a long Cold War. She wakes up in a ship from the fleet that attacked her. Alone. Except for the AI that runs the ship (is the ship?). Bero, the AI, shows Sanda footage and evidence that the Icarions that build him wiped out all life in the system except Sanda 230 years ago.The second primary storyline features her brother, Biran. Biran's speaking at his graduation ceremony when his sister (and others) are attacked. The news disrupts the ceremony, and Biran uses finds himself in the position of having to calm those who are watching (live or on the news). In the days and weeks following, he rises to a prominent position—becoming the government's spokesman, reassuring and leading the populace through this time.
We bounce back and forth as Biran tries to stave off a war, and to Sanda dealing with its results. It's a great concept and you just don't know what to expect even though Bero has told Sanda what's happening.
And then another escape pod shows up and all bets are off.
THE STUFF I SHOULD'VE PAID MORE ATTENTION TO
There were some flashbacks to the invention of the Gate technology that makes interstellar travel possible, which was pretty interesting, but there was something about it that I just couldn't focus on for very long.
Similarly, there was a tertiary story to the main two. This one focused on a street gang involved in some pretty petty crimes, but they stumbled onto something pretty big. This was interesting, but I couldn't keep most of the characters straight and had a hard time following it. This was solely due to my focus, and as many times as I told myself to pay attention, I didn't. I predict that this is going to come back pretty significantly in the sequel—I'm just hoping I can play catch up. If you read and/or listen to this book—learn from my mistake and pay attention.
HOW WAS THE NARRATION?
I liked it. Bero in particular is hard to get right—and vital to get right. Jameson does it. Everything else came out good, too, don't get me wrong, but for this, the AI is essential. He captured the tones, flavors, and diverse set of characters in an engaging and convincing way.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT VELOCITY WEAPON?
When this came out, it looked intriguing. When I started seeing it show up on my Goodreads feed and book blogs I follow, I really became interested. But I didn't follow up on it. I spent pretty much e the entire time listening to Velocity Weapon berating myself for that.
This is the kind of thing I like in SF. A clever story, compelling characters, and great tech in space. I liked the humans, I really enjoyed the AI (I sort of figured this would be a variation on the AI in Rockwell's Serengeti books, and wow, I was wrong). It was a SF adventure, but it was also a straightforward thriller (with SF frills). I had a blast with this and am looking forward to the sequel.
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LibraryThing member jakeisreading
O’Keefe is a fan of a good old-fashioned plot twist, and she executes them relentlessly and perfectly in VELOCITY WEAPON. This book is an utterly unpredictable thrill ride that at one point had me shouting “WHAT?!” while riding the bus home, and gaping at the guy nearest me with my “Can you
He couldn’t.
Sentient spaceships are one of my favourite sci-fi tropes along with generation ships. The connection between captain and craft is the space equivalent of dragon and dragon-rider, relationships are often written to be either profoundly intimate or fraught with a power struggle and need for autonomy. VELOCITY WEAPON provides a more sophisticated take on this, with the spaceship Bero being a complex character who has a complicated relationship with the main protagonist from the start. O’Keefe’s characterisation is strong in this book, and while all the characters are likeable I found Bero the most interesting. I also loved Sanda, whose humour reminded me of a more disciplined, less morally opaque Gideon Nav having recently finished Gideon the Ninth.
VELOCITY WEAPON is incredibly fun and similar in tone to Alex White’s Salvagers trilogy, which also features LGBT+ representation. Like A Memory Called Empire it shares some similarities with Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radtch trilogy being a modern take on military sci-fi, though contains more action than either of those.
I don’t want to provide any further details as I honestly think the less you know about this book the more it will blow your mind, but do buy yourself a copy!
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beLIEVE?” face on.He couldn’t.
Sentient spaceships are one of my favourite sci-fi tropes along with generation ships. The connection between captain and craft is the space equivalent of dragon and dragon-rider, relationships are often written to be either profoundly intimate or fraught with a power struggle and need for autonomy. VELOCITY WEAPON provides a more sophisticated take on this, with the spaceship Bero being a complex character who has a complicated relationship with the main protagonist from the start. O’Keefe’s characterisation is strong in this book, and while all the characters are likeable I found Bero the most interesting. I also loved Sanda, whose humour reminded me of a more disciplined, less morally opaque Gideon Nav having recently finished Gideon the Ninth.
VELOCITY WEAPON is incredibly fun and similar in tone to Alex White’s Salvagers trilogy, which also features LGBT+ representation. Like A Memory Called Empire it shares some similarities with Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radtch trilogy being a modern take on military sci-fi, though contains more action than either of those.
I don’t want to provide any further details as I honestly think the less you know about this book the more it will blow your mind, but do buy yourself a copy!
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LibraryThing member streamsong
One civilization has developed an important technology that lets them build gates that allow instant space travel from one gate to another. They jealously guard the secret which forms a great portion of their wealth. The elite of the civilization are trained in special schools and, if worthy, when
A second civilization wants the secret of the gates. They have developed a weapon that travels at a fraction of light speed. If it hits a planet the impact will destroy it.
This story has a dual line – the first is that of Sanda Greeve, commanding a mission when war breaks out between the two civilizations. She is badly wounded and is ejected in a space pod designed to put her in stasis to save her life.
The second line is that of her younger brother, Biran, newly minted as a Keeper the very night the war breaks out. He refuses to give up on his sister.
Eventually Sanda’s escape pod is picked up my a mysteriously empty intelligent ship which calls itself Bero. Bero tells Sanda that the war ended hundreds of years ago and Sanda is now one of the few humans left alive in this part of the galaxy.
Bero, however is emotionally wounded. It’s an artificial intelligence with no way to handle negative human emotions. As it and Sanda draw closer, there are more and more questions in Sanda’s mind. And eventually, Bero picks up another escape pod, whose owner’s truth does not match Bero’s.
I loved the relationships, including those with the ship Bero. It fit into other reading I’ve been doing, exploring what it is to be human, and what happens to the human-like artificial intelligence that humans create.
Downsides: this is a 500 page book, and, while it came to a bit of a conclusion, it’s actually the first of a trilogy. So there I am. Will I continue to read? Possibly, but not as high on my tbr list as other books.
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they graduate, have a chip integrated into their brain’s neural network and are known as Keepers. They hold the secrets to the gates and are the de facto rulers of their world.A second civilization wants the secret of the gates. They have developed a weapon that travels at a fraction of light speed. If it hits a planet the impact will destroy it.
This story has a dual line – the first is that of Sanda Greeve, commanding a mission when war breaks out between the two civilizations. She is badly wounded and is ejected in a space pod designed to put her in stasis to save her life.
The second line is that of her younger brother, Biran, newly minted as a Keeper the very night the war breaks out. He refuses to give up on his sister.
Eventually Sanda’s escape pod is picked up my a mysteriously empty intelligent ship which calls itself Bero. Bero tells Sanda that the war ended hundreds of years ago and Sanda is now one of the few humans left alive in this part of the galaxy.
Bero, however is emotionally wounded. It’s an artificial intelligence with no way to handle negative human emotions. As it and Sanda draw closer, there are more and more questions in Sanda’s mind. And eventually, Bero picks up another escape pod, whose owner’s truth does not match Bero’s.
I loved the relationships, including those with the ship Bero. It fit into other reading I’ve been doing, exploring what it is to be human, and what happens to the human-like artificial intelligence that humans create.
Downsides: this is a 500 page book, and, while it came to a bit of a conclusion, it’s actually the first of a trilogy. So there I am. Will I continue to read? Possibly, but not as high on my tbr list as other books.
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LibraryThing member aadyer
A readable but somewhat overlong first chapter in a trilogy involving artificial intelligence, human politics, and family dynamics. This isn’t quite as good as you might expect and I’m not sure that I would carry on with the next book in the series.
LibraryThing member majkia
excellent sci fi, with terrific characters, an emergent AI, and a plot that just keeps you reading.
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Weird and good. I could not see where the story was going for the first nearly half - we knew how the earlier timeline ended, how was this going to be integrated? And then total switch of perspective and it's a whole new story - talk about unreliable narrator! Lots of very interesting twists -
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everyone's a spy, all of a sudden. One error a couple times over - the data tech gets misgendered (as "he") several times while the Grotta folk are escaping. And an annoying end - there are a _lot_ of loose ends dangling. Hope there's a sequel coming out soon! Show Less
LibraryThing member wunder
The plot was a series of surprises, so I could never get engaged with what was happening. It was mostly waiting for the next event from the Hand of the Author. There are a lot of good things here. I like the braided stories and the almost playful jumping around in the timeline, but it isn't enough
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for me to read the next in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member tuusannuuska
Well now, this was a surprise! Here's what I had to say at around page 100:
"I don't usually like multiple timelines, and this time's no different. So far I'm not a huge fan of any of the characters (aside from Bero) and I don't have much interest in the plot either. Hopefully this will improve in
Damn did it pay out to just keep going. The beginning is the weakest part of the story, but once things get going, they go. There were a couple of points in the story where I literally said "what the fuck" out loud. Based on the beginning of the story, I was expecting a predictable parade of sci-fi cliches, but this turned out to be really good. The rest of my reading plans for the month are now in great jeopardy, because I might just have to continue on with the series.
By the end, Bero is still my favorite character and I really hope we get more from him in the next book. I'm still a little ambivalent on the rest of the characters, though I do really appreciate the family dynamic of Sanda, Biran and their dads. I also really liked the casual inclusivity of the whole world. The only thing I could have done without was the subplot between Sanda and Thomas, but I guess every book series needs a thread of romance. Luckily it wasn't central to this story.
The overarching side plot was, above all else, very confusing, but I'm sure thing's will become much less muddy in the sequel. If nothing else, the revelation at the end was really fricking intriguing. I kind of love it when a book proves to be so much better than I initially thought!
"I don't usually like multiple timelines, and this time's no different. So far I'm not a huge fan of any of the characters (aside from Bero) and I don't have much interest in the plot either. Hopefully this will improve in
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the near future."Damn did it pay out to just keep going. The beginning is the weakest part of the story, but once things get going, they go. There were a couple of points in the story where I literally said "what the fuck" out loud. Based on the beginning of the story, I was expecting a predictable parade of sci-fi cliches, but this turned out to be really good. The rest of my reading plans for the month are now in great jeopardy, because I might just have to continue on with the series.
By the end, Bero is still my favorite character and I really hope we get more from him in the next book. I'm still a little ambivalent on the rest of the characters, though I do really appreciate the family dynamic of Sanda, Biran and their dads. I also really liked the casual inclusivity of the whole world. The only thing I could have done without was the subplot between Sanda and Thomas, but I guess every book series needs a thread of romance. Luckily it wasn't central to this story.
The overarching side plot was, above all else, very confusing, but I'm sure thing's will become much less muddy in the sequel. If nothing else, the revelation at the end was really fricking intriguing. I kind of love it when a book proves to be so much better than I initially thought!
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LibraryThing member tbrown3131949
The full review is available at The Gray Planet.
Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O'Keefe is an interesting and fun space opera with a little bit of everything, including some irritating style quirks.
Sanda Greeve is a gunship pilot in the Ada Prime military. After being on defensive patrol near Icarion
230 years before, at the time of the Battle of Dralee, Sanda's younger brother, Biran, is a newly graduated Keeper. The Keepers are specially trained leaders of Ada Prime and have computer chips implanted in their skulls. The chips don't give them any special abilities, but rather contain encrypted data on the construction of Casimir Gates, the interstellar jump points that tie together the Prime Universe. This secret data allows the Primes to maintain control of interstellar space.
The remainder of the novel is written in chapters that alternate between Sanda's point of view and Biran's point of view, 230 years apart. We are also introduced to another group of characters, led by Jules, a young woman from the lower cast in the Prime Universe who works with a criminal gang living in lower class neighborhoods.
There are also interludes that give us two other points of view. The first is that of Alexandra Halston, an historical character who was the businesswoman who led Prime Corporation, which developed space commercially and built the first Casimir Gate. The history of the Prime Universe is dated from the development of the first Gate.
The second Interlude point of view is that of Callie Mera, Ada Prime's favorite newscaster. Callie does have an important role to play, but unless that role is significantly increased in sequels, Callie seems superfluous.
The velocity weapon of the title is Bero, who is an interstellar capable ramscoop ship. As a weapon, Bero can accelerate masses to relativistic velocities, thereby increasing their mass and making them dangerous projectiles. This is the edge Icarion uses in their opposition to the Gate monopoly the Primes hold.
The story hinges on Sanda's struggle for survival after being awakened on Bero, and on Biran's struggle to find his sister and save her, if she is still alive.
Sanda's struggle is the stuff of science fiction adventure--she is faced with lots of problems and has to be clever to solve them. But O'Keefe also provides a lot of twists and turns for Sanda, most of them interesting at least, and many of them pretty surprising. After being alone for some time, she is joined in her struggle for survival by another rescued soldier, Tomas. Tomas is an enigma and Sanda is not sure if she should trust him. Their relationship is well-developed and interesting.
Biran's story is a political one where he must work within the existing power structure of Ada Prime's ruling Protectorate of Keepers to be sure the possibility of Sanda's survival and her rescue is a high priority. Biran also fights against what he thinks is the Protectorate's mismanaged approach to the war with Icarion. As he seeks information about Sanda, Biran uncovers a variety of deep and significant secrets within the political power structure of the Protectorate.
Velocity Weapon is an enjoyable ride, although at times I found myself aware of the writer's manipulative ways. There are 80 chapters and six interludes in the book, and maybe they don't all end with cliffhangers, but most of them do, particularly in the last half. This is a bit overdone, but it is effective. O'Keefe keeps giving us more and more as the story goes on, but she effectively handles the complications (albeit with a few deus ex machinas thrown in) and uses most of her surprises to complicate and deepen the story.
O'Keefe adds interesting and well thought out plot twists and science fiction elements that kept me interested. She has constructed a universe where the science fiction elements (her space travel technology and where it came from, the Keepers and their secrets, what Jules and her fellow criminals discover and are caught up in) are an integral part of the plot. This gives the book a depth that most space opera no longer has for me. As a space opera, this book is a big success.
O'Keefe is good enough with her characters that I care about Sanda and Tomas and Biran. The motivations of their antagonists are subtle and complex and serve to expand the action and provide interest.
I want to follow the adventures of Sanda and Brian and others as they figure out what's really going on in their world and how to control it.
Much of this novel contains major surprises which I won't reveal as they would ruin the story. There are also myriad minor surprises and cliffhanger moments along the way, sometimes too many. But O'Keefe manages make it all hang together and and keeps the story coherent.
I really liked the book and am ready for volume two.
Velocity Weapon by Megan E. O'Keefe is an interesting and fun space opera with a little bit of everything, including some irritating style quirks.
Sanda Greeve is a gunship pilot in the Ada Prime military. After being on defensive patrol near Icarion
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space, she suddenly finds herself awakened after being preserved in an evacuation pod, apparently after a space battle she doesn't remember. She has lost part of one leg. She finds herself aboard an Icarion (the enemy) AI Class Cruiser, The Light of Berossus The ship AI introduces himself as Bero. Bero tells Sanda that 230 years have passed after the Battle of Dralee in which Sanda's gunship was destroyed. As part of the battle, Ada Prime, Sanda's home planet was destroyed by a special weapon deployed by the Icarions. 230 years before, at the time of the Battle of Dralee, Sanda's younger brother, Biran, is a newly graduated Keeper. The Keepers are specially trained leaders of Ada Prime and have computer chips implanted in their skulls. The chips don't give them any special abilities, but rather contain encrypted data on the construction of Casimir Gates, the interstellar jump points that tie together the Prime Universe. This secret data allows the Primes to maintain control of interstellar space.
The remainder of the novel is written in chapters that alternate between Sanda's point of view and Biran's point of view, 230 years apart. We are also introduced to another group of characters, led by Jules, a young woman from the lower cast in the Prime Universe who works with a criminal gang living in lower class neighborhoods.
There are also interludes that give us two other points of view. The first is that of Alexandra Halston, an historical character who was the businesswoman who led Prime Corporation, which developed space commercially and built the first Casimir Gate. The history of the Prime Universe is dated from the development of the first Gate.
The second Interlude point of view is that of Callie Mera, Ada Prime's favorite newscaster. Callie does have an important role to play, but unless that role is significantly increased in sequels, Callie seems superfluous.
The velocity weapon of the title is Bero, who is an interstellar capable ramscoop ship. As a weapon, Bero can accelerate masses to relativistic velocities, thereby increasing their mass and making them dangerous projectiles. This is the edge Icarion uses in their opposition to the Gate monopoly the Primes hold.
The story hinges on Sanda's struggle for survival after being awakened on Bero, and on Biran's struggle to find his sister and save her, if she is still alive.
Sanda's struggle is the stuff of science fiction adventure--she is faced with lots of problems and has to be clever to solve them. But O'Keefe also provides a lot of twists and turns for Sanda, most of them interesting at least, and many of them pretty surprising. After being alone for some time, she is joined in her struggle for survival by another rescued soldier, Tomas. Tomas is an enigma and Sanda is not sure if she should trust him. Their relationship is well-developed and interesting.
Biran's story is a political one where he must work within the existing power structure of Ada Prime's ruling Protectorate of Keepers to be sure the possibility of Sanda's survival and her rescue is a high priority. Biran also fights against what he thinks is the Protectorate's mismanaged approach to the war with Icarion. As he seeks information about Sanda, Biran uncovers a variety of deep and significant secrets within the political power structure of the Protectorate.
Velocity Weapon is an enjoyable ride, although at times I found myself aware of the writer's manipulative ways. There are 80 chapters and six interludes in the book, and maybe they don't all end with cliffhangers, but most of them do, particularly in the last half. This is a bit overdone, but it is effective. O'Keefe keeps giving us more and more as the story goes on, but she effectively handles the complications (albeit with a few deus ex machinas thrown in) and uses most of her surprises to complicate and deepen the story.
O'Keefe adds interesting and well thought out plot twists and science fiction elements that kept me interested. She has constructed a universe where the science fiction elements (her space travel technology and where it came from, the Keepers and their secrets, what Jules and her fellow criminals discover and are caught up in) are an integral part of the plot. This gives the book a depth that most space opera no longer has for me. As a space opera, this book is a big success.
O'Keefe is good enough with her characters that I care about Sanda and Tomas and Biran. The motivations of their antagonists are subtle and complex and serve to expand the action and provide interest.
I want to follow the adventures of Sanda and Brian and others as they figure out what's really going on in their world and how to control it.
Much of this novel contains major surprises which I won't reveal as they would ruin the story. There are also myriad minor surprises and cliffhanger moments along the way, sometimes too many. But O'Keefe manages make it all hang together and and keeps the story coherent.
I really liked the book and am ready for volume two.
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Awards
Philip K. Dick Award (Nominee — 2019)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2019-06-11
Physical description
533 p.
ISBN
9780316419598