Look, right upfront, I've got an axe to grind with John Scalzi. He ruined my beloved Fuzzies, and I'll never forgive, never forget. This book was a gift. I was obliged to read it, and I was hoping... but this book demonstrates everything that is Scalzi, in 360 pages.

It's Hollywood TV scifi, and as original as a random twenty dollar bill.

There's so much Foundation (the TV series) in this novel you wonder if lawyers got itchy palms. I won't point out anything specific here for risk of spoilers, but it's not subtle, it's blatent.

Credit where credit is due, it's still entertaining. He can write, I just wish he had an original take on, well, anything, rather than endless remixing of what's already done.

If you want a splashy, glitzy beach read, you're in luck. Me, I'll keep avoiding this guy's writing.

As always, if you have questions or comments, hit me up on the fediverse.