Debatable Space

November 26, 2007
It’s rarely a good sign when an author tells readers with “sad grasshopper minds” to skip ahead if they’re bored, as Palmer does in this muddled debut space opera. After grabbing readers with action sequences revolving around a plan to use former President of Humanity Lena Smith against her despotic son, Peter, whom Lena tenderly calls “the most evil human being who has ever lived,” a series of long, rambling “Excerpts from the Thought Diary of Lena Smith, 2004–” bring the action to a screeching halt. Lena’s description of her thousand-year life and accounts of her sexual escapades and theology will weary many readers. The concepts, writing and plotting leave a great deal to be desired, and Palmer’s attempt at humor centered on the notion of powerful, intelligent flame beasts addicted to bad television also falls flat.

January 15, 2008
Flanagan is a space pirate with big plans that involve kidnapping Lena, the daughter of the Cheo, who rules the known worlds, and demanding an enormous ransom for her. His plans go awry, however, when his target proves to be more than he bargained for, and her father less willing to ransom his child than Flanagan could wish. Hard sf meets action-adventure in this rapid-paced tale of a kidnapping gone wrong and the luckless anti-heroes who are more interested in surviving than in killing. Featuring cool-headed, sharp-witted characters who are neither heroes nor villains, this strong debut belongs in most sf collections.

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2008
First-time novelist Palmer draws on his film and TV writing experience in an inventive tale featuring multiple viewpoints and a vividly imagined future civilization. Marauding space pirate Flanagan and his crew kidnap Lena, daughter of the known universes ruling emperor, the Cheo, and hold her for ransom. Neither Flanagan nor Lena is, however, quite what each appears to be. Despite her youthful physique, Lenas real age clocks in over 1,000, and the Cheo isnt her father hes her cherished son. Flanagan is less the murderous barbarian Lena accuses him of being than a traumatized family man seeking to avenge his familys death at the hands of the Cheos minions. As Flanagan fends off the Cheos warships, Lena begins to see a surprising bright side to her captivity, and the pair forges an unlikely alliance against a common enemy. Palmer reaches deep into the space opera tool kit for a dazzling blend of technological gadgetry, rich character development, and riveting storytelling.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)