The Deaths of Tao

November 15, 2013

Two factions of the Tao have discovered a means of escaping Earth, where they have been stranded, sharing human bodies in order to survive. The method used by the warlike Genjix will take longer but might destroy humankind in the process. The relationships between humans and their alien passengers continue to fascinate in this sequel to The Lives of Tao.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 15, 2013
It makes a kind of sense, if you think about it. Some of humanity's greatest people and some of its most historically important have been hosts to an ancient alien species, the Quasing, whose two warring factions, the Prophus and the Genjix, have influenced the course of human history since, well, since before there was human history. Now, in this follow-up to The Lives of Tao (2013), the Prophus and the Genjix are close to finding a way to extricate themselves from their symbiotic relationship with humanity and finally, after countless millennia, leave Earth and get back to their homeworld. Unfortunately, it's possible that the aliens' freedom might only be achieved with the annihilation of mankind. Does Roen Tan, the hapless IT worker who's become a soldier in the war between the Prophus and the Genjix, have what it takes to make sure that doesn't happen? At times treading close to outright comedy, this is a fast-paced sf adventure that is, if you look at it from the right angle, more accurately a political thriller posing as an sf adventure. Fans of the first novel will have a great time, and newcomers should have no trouble picking up the plot's various threads as the story moves along. Great stuff.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)