And we’re back in the universe of Valsollas, and I’m so happy to be here. Once again Lott treats us with a heavily emotional space opera, one that tugs at our heartstrings and leaves us wanting more. Kind of like that one other book… What’s it called? A Dirge For Cascius? Oh yeah, I’ve heard of that book, maybe you should go read it.
This story follows Nelsa, a duelist. Like full on dueling pistols, ten steps then draw, better shot wins kind of duelist. Wanna know how we start? In a duel. Wanna know who wins? Obviously it's Nesla. That’s page three stuff. Otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation about her, would we? Catch up.
Now, Nelsa is a highly complex woman, filled with her own wallowings and traumas. She’s a woman living on the edge of society, getting by with a rush of adrenaline from the sight of her bullet embedded in another person’s body, but secretly not caring if she winds up with one of her own. Maybe it would be preferable, maybe not, but Nelsa is just going through the motions for a time, living off a drink called veroni. It’s strong, potent, and most importantly, it numbs her. Numbs the pains that wrack her body, numbs the horrors that torment her mind.
Many years ago, on the planet of Arkoma beyond the reach of the Velutra, Nelsa crossed the wrong man, and her family was all killed for it, on the sands, without hope for rescue, without having seen her again at all. That’s one thing that keeps her going; revenge on that man, Salazano. And then, after the duel, the perfect opportunity falls right into her lap.
An unknown backer has decided to help her steal an heirloom from the Salazanos. Who the backer is, and what the heirloom is, she can’t say, but it gives her a chance. And thus begins a space western, mafia inspired, revenge heist. Which is a SICK concept, and Lott executes it perfectly.
At first, Nelsa only has a couple people to call, and two more in need of freeing from a sick torturer involved in her family’s death. Saving them proves difficult, and innocents die, but the gang is back together again, and they can get to planning the big heist.
There are worries that Nelsa will be blinded by her own lust for revenge, and take the rest of the group down with her, but with a few talking to’s and ample planning, they proceed, ready to infiltrate the Salazanos, impersonate a family member, steal a ship, and get out. That’s the group’s plan, but Nelsa’s is a little different.
Do things go wrong? YES. What a stupid question, things always go wrong. It’s Murphy’s Law (if you look that up on a search engine, follow it up by finding yourself a copy of A Dirge for Cascius). Do things end up righting themselves? Well, did you get your copy yet? No? Ok, cool, I’m not telling you.
The story being told here is, as expected of Lott, exceptionally unique and refreshing, both in terms of the plot and in terms of tone. The revenge arc is also one of personal growth and acknowledgement of trauma. The characters each have their own fun (or sometimes easily hateable, in the case of the bad guys) voice, and no, I’m not talking about the space cowboy accents they have.
I’m a big fan of the saloon scenes, and especially the grav-sheaths that can just launch people out when they start rowdy saloon fights like in the old west. I’m also a fan of almost every other technology Lott has invented in his writing, as usual. Sure, there's a lot of it, but it's so farfetched and out there that it kind of works, you know? The pistols are made from the stola, which can coalesce to form things like pistols (obviously), a shield, armor, etc… There’s mind/body controlling tech. There’s blackout bombs that put people in utter darkness. There are high grade bullets to pierce intricate armor. There’s so much, and it’s all so fascinating to read about.
If you’re looking for a quick read (took me less than 24 hours, if I do say so myself), that’s tons of fun, makes you think, and has one of the most unique concepts out there right now, go pick up Arkoma when it comes out in late January. Arkoma was a blast, and it has me dying for more. It’s just up to Lott to give it to us, and I know he will.
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