The Prison in Antares

October 26, 2015
Resnick’s second Dead Enders book (after The Fortress in Orion), linked to his larger Birthright universe, is an entertaining adventure, though it relies all too often on clichés. Recovering from the events of his previous adventure, Nathan Pretorius is once again called upon by the Democracy to gather his team of unlikely heroes (master thief Snake, shape-projector Proto, strongman Felix, empath Circe, and tech guru Pandora), along with a new recruit (quickly nicknamed Irish), to rescue a scientist whose kidnapping could lead to a disastrous loss in an interstellar war. Resnick wisely makes the stakes higher than before, which grounds the story more firmly in the well-worn space opera setting. Still, most of what’s here has been done before, often in Resnick’s own books, and few of the evens feel like they have any real effect on, or new insight into, the larger setting. This is a solid comfort read, but those who skip it won’t miss it. Agent: Eleanor Wood, Spectrum Literary.

December 1, 2015

Set in the author's trademark Birthright Universe, during the years of the Democracy, when humanity has spread so far into the galaxy Earth has become a backwater, Resnick's second adventure (after The Fortress in Orion) about a crack team of black ops specialists sends the Dead Enders on a mission to break into the most secure prison in the universe and rescue a scientist before his mind can be broken and vital security secrets revealed. VERDICT With the tone of Ocean's Eleven in space, and the devil-may-care attitude of Firefly, this story will have a wide-ranging appeal, from sf enthusiasts to those who enjoy a good caper story with an attractive gang of misfit characters who don't stick to the usual rules.--JM

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