Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
New York : EOS, 2010.
Description
"A powerful debut....Gripping characterization, non-stop action, fascinating biological speculation, and a dash of romance. Don't miss it!" --Linnea Sinclair Remember the name: Sara Creasy. With Song of Scarabaeus she takes her place alongside Ann Aguirre and Linnea Sinclair, staking her claim as one of the most exciting new writers currently rocketing across the science fiction universe. Seamlessly blending action, romance, intrigue, technology, and a tough, complex, and unforgettable heroine in the vein of Elizabeth Moon, Creasy boldly goes where few have traveled before. No wonder author Vonda N. McIntyre declares that "Sara Creasy is a new writer to watch, and Song of Scarabaeus is a novel to read and enjoy."
User reviews
LibraryThing member Mardel
I saw this book a few times at Barnes & Noble, and a couple times at Borders. Each time I picked it up, looked at it, thought about buying it and ultimately put it down in favor of buying books that were written in first person. I am weirdly obsessive like that. Finally, because my eyes kept being
This book is science fiction with just a touch of romance, and a teeny bit of angst, but not enough to turn me off reading it.
Edie is a being from a planet called Talas Prime. Problem is, she was only half Talas, and half human so she was practically shunned growing up by the elders. She ends up being trained in wet-tech skills, as she was very skilled with working computers and programs. This is an era of people having splints inserted into their heads and/or finger tips to enhance their computer working. I'm not explaining it very well, and I myself don't have much computer type knowledge, but that didn't get in the way of me enjoying this excellent story.
The Crib has trained Edie to use her skills as a coder for terraforming planets for eventual colonization. She and others code seeds that are dropped on uninhabital planets. These coded seeds force climate changes that make a hostile to life planet inhabitable. This is a big money maker.
Edie is kidnapped by a rogue "rovers", people who work against the "Crib", and conglomerate type corporation that pretty much runs the universes. A serf, a man who is little more than a slave (a sentence carried out for "criminal" behavior) is put on a leash and attached to her. Not a real leash, but a splint is inserted into his brain and a code download that will explode his brain if Edie dies or he is too far away from her. He has to serve as her bodyguard. He's not too happy about it, she's not too happy about it.
Edie is kidnapped for her wet-tech skills, which also make her a target for "rads", short for radicals - a group of people who like to kill wet or op-techs so they cannot mess with the the ecology of planets.
Edie and Finn, her bodyguard must come to an understanding. He has to learn to trust her, and she has to basically do the same thing. Trust for both of them is a big deal, hard to come by. Both of them do a couple of stupid things, and both of them make some good decisions. Interesting.
There is some intrigue going on. There are betrayals and more betrayals. There is heartbreak and friendships and retribution. This is a damn good book. It's one of those books that you don't want to put down, and if you do you can't wait to be able to pick it back up again. This is one of those novels that make you hope the author writes another one.
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drawn to it, I bought it. Boy am I glad that I did.This book is science fiction with just a touch of romance, and a teeny bit of angst, but not enough to turn me off reading it.
Edie is a being from a planet called Talas Prime. Problem is, she was only half Talas, and half human so she was practically shunned growing up by the elders. She ends up being trained in wet-tech skills, as she was very skilled with working computers and programs. This is an era of people having splints inserted into their heads and/or finger tips to enhance their computer working. I'm not explaining it very well, and I myself don't have much computer type knowledge, but that didn't get in the way of me enjoying this excellent story.
The Crib has trained Edie to use her skills as a coder for terraforming planets for eventual colonization. She and others code seeds that are dropped on uninhabital planets. These coded seeds force climate changes that make a hostile to life planet inhabitable. This is a big money maker.
Edie is kidnapped by a rogue "rovers", people who work against the "Crib", and conglomerate type corporation that pretty much runs the universes. A serf, a man who is little more than a slave (a sentence carried out for "criminal" behavior) is put on a leash and attached to her. Not a real leash, but a splint is inserted into his brain and a code download that will explode his brain if Edie dies or he is too far away from her. He has to serve as her bodyguard. He's not too happy about it, she's not too happy about it.
Edie is kidnapped for her wet-tech skills, which also make her a target for "rads", short for radicals - a group of people who like to kill wet or op-techs so they cannot mess with the the ecology of planets.
Edie and Finn, her bodyguard must come to an understanding. He has to learn to trust her, and she has to basically do the same thing. Trust for both of them is a big deal, hard to come by. Both of them do a couple of stupid things, and both of them make some good decisions. Interesting.
There is some intrigue going on. There are betrayals and more betrayals. There is heartbreak and friendships and retribution. This is a damn good book. It's one of those books that you don't want to put down, and if you do you can't wait to be able to pick it back up again. This is one of those novels that make you hope the author writes another one.
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LibraryThing member thewalkinggirl
I'm not sure how to rate this... up until the last two pages I was completely engrossed. I didn't want to put it down for anything. Then, I got to the end and ..... cliffhanger! Not a fan of the cliffhangers.
Edie is kidnapped by rovers, who want her to help them reprogram the nanotek devices
Edie grew up both as an outsider/underdog and as someone who provides an important service to those responsible for maintaining the status quo. Because of her past, she is determined to protect Finn as she wasn't able to protect others. The value she places on Finn's life, however, leads her into conflict with the rovers and makes her even more afraid of being returned to Crib control. Through much of the story Finn is wary and distrustful of Edie, but as they learn more about each other and work together more, their strengthening bond allows them to accomplish and learn more than they had expected--especially related to the planet Scarabaeus, which Edie had been assigned to help terraform years earlier, and which she had thought she had protected.
Not much of Finn's character is revealed in this story, but he reminds me of what the Captain in Firefly might have been like if he'd been captured by the Alliance or if Zoe hadn't been around to keep him grounded.
Overall, good characters, fast pace, excellent world building, and a dark but not too graphic story. Honestly, if it weren't for the cliffhanger ending and the star-crossed romance, I'd probably give this five stars. (Sorry, but I like my characters to have their HEAs.) I think this would appeal to fans of Ann Aguirre, Linnea Sinclair, and maybe Ilona Andrews.
Edie is kidnapped by rovers, who want her to help them reprogram the nanotek devices
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responsible for terraforming worlds. As Edie has been trained by the Crib to do such programming, it's obvious why she's been selected. (The Crib sounds like Monsanto, only instead of making crop seeds that are only fertile for one season, the entire ecosystem of planets is vulnerable.) Because she's so valuable and such a target for eco-rad(icals), she's assigned a bodyguard. In this case, her bodyguard is Finn, a serf (prisoner/slave) with ties to a group that rebelled against the Crib's authority. In order to keep Finn under control, Edie's kidnappers tied his life to hers by implanting a chip in his brain. Even worse, because of the way the chip is implanted, not only must he keep Edie close and alive, any strong emotion she feels (fear, anger, lust) causes him painful mental feedback. (This part is primarily important for the thwarted (for now) romance storyline.)Edie grew up both as an outsider/underdog and as someone who provides an important service to those responsible for maintaining the status quo. Because of her past, she is determined to protect Finn as she wasn't able to protect others. The value she places on Finn's life, however, leads her into conflict with the rovers and makes her even more afraid of being returned to Crib control. Through much of the story Finn is wary and distrustful of Edie, but as they learn more about each other and work together more, their strengthening bond allows them to accomplish and learn more than they had expected--especially related to the planet Scarabaeus, which Edie had been assigned to help terraform years earlier, and which she had thought she had protected.
Not much of Finn's character is revealed in this story, but he reminds me of what the Captain in Firefly might have been like if he'd been captured by the Alliance or if Zoe hadn't been around to keep him grounded.
Overall, good characters, fast pace, excellent world building, and a dark but not too graphic story. Honestly, if it weren't for the cliffhanger ending and the star-crossed romance, I'd probably give this five stars. (Sorry, but I like my characters to have their HEAs.) I think this would appeal to fans of Ann Aguirre, Linnea Sinclair, and maybe Ilona Andrews.
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LibraryThing member Isamoor
Jul10:
Meh. It did have an original setting. And it did have sci-fi romance. But just meh.
Characters: Not fully rounded, but all those present were likable. Was missing a good villian though.
Plot: Nothing much there. The back story was passable I suppose.
Style: Pretty heavy in the trite romance, but
Meh. It did have an original setting. And it did have sci-fi romance. But just meh.
Characters: Not fully rounded, but all those present were likable. Was missing a good villian though.
Plot: Nothing much there. The back story was passable I suppose.
Style: Pretty heavy in the trite romance, but
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had some real sci-fi too. Was an okay outing. Show Less
LibraryThing member nexist
One of the better reads I have had in some time. An actual story aimed at selling itself with its story rather than appealing to the ugly, fat and lame by giving them the sex they have problems finding in real life.
This story blends elements of space western, space opera, cyberpunk and other genres
The "darkness" of the corporation is kept within normal bounds (instead of exaggerated like with Cyberpunk, more in line with the interstellar government of Whedon's "Firefly.")
I recommend the book for people who enjoy less technical sci-fi.
This story blends elements of space western, space opera, cyberpunk and other genres
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into a likable whole. Edie is a "cyphertek." She's been modified with a data-jack and the like. Her function is to program the Terra-forming machines (semi-sentient AI genetic modifiers) that allows humanity to settle the stars. The technology is guarded by a interstellar corporation and licensed to the colony worlds. If you do not renew your license the machine will stop and the world will become inhospitable to humanity. The "darkness" of the corporation is kept within normal bounds (instead of exaggerated like with Cyberpunk, more in line with the interstellar government of Whedon's "Firefly.")
I recommend the book for people who enjoy less technical sci-fi.
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LibraryThing member LauraLulu
I loved this book. Wonderful characters, fast paced action, strong world building, and immersion into the world instead of info-dump, which I always prefer. I haven't read much Sci-Fi, but I love the Sirantha Jax series and this one ranks right up there with Jax. Scarabaeus is more sciencey and
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technical than Jax--the main character, Edie, is a hardcore bio techie, and with the quick immersion into the world, she's throwing futuristic tech terms around and I'm like, whoa, slow down! Not confusing, per se, but not fly-through reading, either. But once I got 30 or so pages in, I was off & running.Edie is a wonderful character, a woman who uses her brains to beat the bad guys. How novel. ;) And she is so wonderfully empathetic, and able to see the gray when others only see black and white. I love that in a character. And a real person, for that matter. ;)I usually don't love female characters who need a man to physically protect them, but Edie & Finn have a great partnership--if Finn's muscle doesn't solve a problem, Edie's brains do, and vice versa. Not everyone can kick ass, all I ask for is a female character who has something to offer. Besides her womanhood, of course.And Finn. Love him. A strong, stoic, tortured hero. My fave kind. A war vet who was neither decorated nor honored, instead, he ended up a POW/slave. I always love reading about guys like Finn, and watching him learn to trust again, and to begin caring again about the world that shit on him so badly. Baby steps. But I like baby steps. It's just so much more realistic. I'm not a fan of characters who undergo a lobotomy because they've met their stupid soul mate. Gag me. Show Less
LibraryThing member clairesbooks
Song Of Scarabaeus is a Science Fiction book written by Sara Creasy. Edie Sha’nim was born on the planet Talas to a native father and human scientist mother. Abandoned by her parents at birth and thought of as an outcast by the other natives Edie grew up in one of the camps where she displayed a
I really enjoyed this book. It took me a little bit of time to get into it as I thought the start was a bit slow but once we get into the action the pace soon picked up. I like Edie she isn’t your feisty action hero girl but more or a nerdy geeky one, she seems to have had a pretty sheltered life at the hands of the Crib and she relies on the protection of others. And then there is the gorgeous brooding tough guy Finn who plays the reluctant hero. I have a huge soft spot for him and I wouldn’t have restrained myself like Edie did when they find themselves alone together. The supporting characters were very interesting too especially the navpilot Cat who could have a book in her own right. Despite the sexual chemistry between Edie and Finn there wasn’t that much romance going on. Their relationship and banter between them reminded a lot of Mac and Barrons from the Fever series. So if you are looking for steamy scenes you will be disappointed but if like me you love it when an author builds the sexual tension rather than just have characters go at it like bunnies you will enjoy this book. I hope this continues to be the case in the next book until we get a sexual explosion of major proportions. The science parts of the book were hard science in my opinion and sometimes I was a bit lost with all the descriptions but I still managed to get the gist of what was going on. I loved visiting the planet Scarabaeus Ms Creasy created a fascinating place along with horrifying descriptions of the events that follow. I will warn you now, there is a big cliffhanger ending but that is ok becasue the second book Children Of Scarabaeus is already out so you don't have to wait to find out what happens next. In fact I am off now to purchase it. I would like to give this book 4 stars out of 5 and would recommend this to people who like Sci Fi who like a little bit of Romance.
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natural talent for talking to tech. As a teenager she is rescued by the Crib they insert an implant into her arm that gives her a dose of the special neurotoxin that natives of Talas need in order to stay alive and she is trained to become the best cyphertech there is with an outstanding talent for biocyph seed technology. It is now some years later and Edie reluctantly works for the Crib travelling from planet to planet terraforming them with her biocyph expertise so that humans can inhabit the planet, whilst the Crib bleeds the inhabitants dry. The story begins with Edie kidnapped by renegade mercenaries who want to free the terraformed planets from being under the Crib’s control whilst also making some money themselves. In order to keep Edie safe and to ensure that she complies with the mercenaries demands they assign her an escaped freedom fighter now captured slave called Finn. Finn has a chip is in head that is linked to Edie’s chip so if Edie dies or is further than 2000m away Finn will die too. The mission that the mercenaries have kidnapped Edie for is to go to the planet Scarabaeus and retrieve the non-working BRAT's that Edie put there seven years ago. I really enjoyed this book. It took me a little bit of time to get into it as I thought the start was a bit slow but once we get into the action the pace soon picked up. I like Edie she isn’t your feisty action hero girl but more or a nerdy geeky one, she seems to have had a pretty sheltered life at the hands of the Crib and she relies on the protection of others. And then there is the gorgeous brooding tough guy Finn who plays the reluctant hero. I have a huge soft spot for him and I wouldn’t have restrained myself like Edie did when they find themselves alone together. The supporting characters were very interesting too especially the navpilot Cat who could have a book in her own right. Despite the sexual chemistry between Edie and Finn there wasn’t that much romance going on. Their relationship and banter between them reminded a lot of Mac and Barrons from the Fever series. So if you are looking for steamy scenes you will be disappointed but if like me you love it when an author builds the sexual tension rather than just have characters go at it like bunnies you will enjoy this book. I hope this continues to be the case in the next book until we get a sexual explosion of major proportions. The science parts of the book were hard science in my opinion and sometimes I was a bit lost with all the descriptions but I still managed to get the gist of what was going on. I loved visiting the planet Scarabaeus Ms Creasy created a fascinating place along with horrifying descriptions of the events that follow. I will warn you now, there is a big cliffhanger ending but that is ok becasue the second book Children Of Scarabaeus is already out so you don't have to wait to find out what happens next. In fact I am off now to purchase it. I would like to give this book 4 stars out of 5 and would recommend this to people who like Sci Fi who like a little bit of Romance.
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LibraryThing member Capnrandm
Review from Felicia piqued my curiosity, picked it up from the library and devoured it in a day. Does remind me of Grimspace, if only because this first book leaves me anticipating the next.
LibraryThing member Isa_Lavinia
Very compelling and believable writing when it comes to the development of the relationship between the main characters.
The plot, while interesting, lags a bit due to overuse of techno concepts.
The plot, while interesting, lags a bit due to overuse of techno concepts.
LibraryThing member MlleEhreen
SONG OF SCARABAEUS is a winner. I don't usually like sci-fi, so I cottoned onto the book despite its genre, not because of it.
It's got some killer twists and turns, and Creasy set up her two leads - Edie and Finn - as opposites in every way. That makes the development of their relationship
The plot sets off like an avalanche, and the pace is quick and exciting all the way through. But Creasy makes time for character development and backstory, too. At the beginning, Edie is abducted and her captors set a course for the planet Scarabaeus. A key event in Edie's past took place there, and the closer we get, the more we learn about what she did and why. Once they arrive on Scarabaeus, the biggest shock isn't finding out who the bad guy is. It's seeing the consequences of choices Edie made years before.
These plotlines, one extending forward and the other back, weave together really well and work as a whole. The romance element is strong, but not dominant. The writing itself is elegant, a pleasure to read, and the worldbuilding imaginative and interesting, without ever crowding out the story.
Highly recommended.
It's got some killer twists and turns, and Creasy set up her two leads - Edie and Finn - as opposites in every way. That makes the development of their relationship
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interesting as they feel one another out, and makes them a very strong team when they work together. The plot sets off like an avalanche, and the pace is quick and exciting all the way through. But Creasy makes time for character development and backstory, too. At the beginning, Edie is abducted and her captors set a course for the planet Scarabaeus. A key event in Edie's past took place there, and the closer we get, the more we learn about what she did and why. Once they arrive on Scarabaeus, the biggest shock isn't finding out who the bad guy is. It's seeing the consequences of choices Edie made years before.
These plotlines, one extending forward and the other back, weave together really well and work as a whole. The romance element is strong, but not dominant. The writing itself is elegant, a pleasure to read, and the worldbuilding imaginative and interesting, without ever crowding out the story.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member devilwrites
The premise: ganked from BN.com: Trained since childhood in advanced biocyph seed technology by the all-powerful Crib empire, Edie's mission is to terraform alien worlds while her masters bleed the outlawed Fringe populations dry. When renegade mercenaries kidnap Edie, she's not entirely sure it's
But Edie's abilities far surpass anything her enemies imagine. And now, with Finn as her only ally as the merciless Crib closes in, she'll have to prove it or die on the site of her only failure . . . a world called Scarabaeus.
My Rating
Must Have: This book is not the romance you think it is. Not by a longshot. Good news for SF fans who want minimal romance, but that may be bad news for readers who want more romance than not in their SF. That said, I think Creasy strikes a wonderful balance: this is an SF story with solid romantic tension that zigs when you think it should zag, and that's enjoyable when you've got certain expectations about a hero and a heroine being the primary focus of a book. The SF portion of the story is pretty cool and interesting, and Creasy manages to keep the pages turning with just the right amount of action. The only complaint I have is that this book KIND of ends on a cliffhanger. But it's not the kind of cliffhanger that has you furious when you realize there's no more pages, but the kind that clearly resolves the story but you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there's more. And there is: I confirmed it on the author's website. She turned in book two back in August. Now, how long this series is going to be is still a mystery to me, but I won't hesitate to pick up the next installment. The story and the tension seems to be moving along at just the right pace, and the characters are worth following. This book still reminds me of Ann Aguirre's Grimspace in an odd way, but I can't pinpoint why exactly because the stories themselves, let alone the characters, are so different. But I think if you like Grimspace, you'll enjoy this. :)
Review style: The biggest thing I want to talk about is how this book totally defies its cover and how it's more SF than it is romance and why readers should give it a shot. Vague spoilers for the romance, but that's about it. The full review is in my LJ for anyone who's interested, and as always, comments and discussion are most welcome.
REVIEW: Sara Creasy's SONG OF SCARABAEUS
Happy Reading!
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a bad thing . . . until they leash her to a bodyguard, Finn--a former freedom fighter-turned-slave, beaten down but never broken. If Edie strays from Finn's side, he dies. If she doesn't cooperate, the pirates will kill them both.But Edie's abilities far surpass anything her enemies imagine. And now, with Finn as her only ally as the merciless Crib closes in, she'll have to prove it or die on the site of her only failure . . . a world called Scarabaeus.
My Rating
Must Have: This book is not the romance you think it is. Not by a longshot. Good news for SF fans who want minimal romance, but that may be bad news for readers who want more romance than not in their SF. That said, I think Creasy strikes a wonderful balance: this is an SF story with solid romantic tension that zigs when you think it should zag, and that's enjoyable when you've got certain expectations about a hero and a heroine being the primary focus of a book. The SF portion of the story is pretty cool and interesting, and Creasy manages to keep the pages turning with just the right amount of action. The only complaint I have is that this book KIND of ends on a cliffhanger. But it's not the kind of cliffhanger that has you furious when you realize there's no more pages, but the kind that clearly resolves the story but you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there's more. And there is: I confirmed it on the author's website. She turned in book two back in August. Now, how long this series is going to be is still a mystery to me, but I won't hesitate to pick up the next installment. The story and the tension seems to be moving along at just the right pace, and the characters are worth following. This book still reminds me of Ann Aguirre's Grimspace in an odd way, but I can't pinpoint why exactly because the stories themselves, let alone the characters, are so different. But I think if you like Grimspace, you'll enjoy this. :)
Review style: The biggest thing I want to talk about is how this book totally defies its cover and how it's more SF than it is romance and why readers should give it a shot. Vague spoilers for the romance, but that's about it. The full review is in my LJ for anyone who's interested, and as always, comments and discussion are most welcome.
REVIEW: Sara Creasy's SONG OF SCARABAEUS
Happy Reading!
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Awards
Aurealis Award (Shortlist — 2010)
Philip K. Dick Award (Nominee — 2010)
Language
Original publication date
2010-04-27
Physical description
354 p.; 18 cm
ISBN
0061934739 / 9780061934735