Let's Hear It for the Boys - Shadow on the Sun by David Macinnis Gill

 

Publisher

Durango has always relied on Mimi--once his tough-as-nails squad leader, she is now the bitingly sarcastic artificial intelligence flash-cloned to his brain. Mimi is the only reason he is alive.

Durango has always looked out for his devastatingly beautiful and brave second-in-command, Vienne--now wounded, crushed, missing. Vienne is the only reason he wants to live.

Durango hasn't always despised his father. But he does now. Lyme wants Durango to be the Prince of Mars, and he'll stop at nothing to realize that dream. He'll sacrifice anything and anyone in the name of domination. Even Mimi. Especially Vienne.

Lyme forgot one thing. You don't want to mess with Durango.

Review

I want to hand it to Mr. MacInnis Gill.  He has managed to write a marvellously thrilling SF adventure that is full of mystery, tension and a frisson of romance, but the main characters are separated for the majority of the book.

After the explosive events of Invisible Sun, (my review here), Durango and Vienne are separated and trying in their own unique ways to find each other again.  Of course, Durango's father, Lyme, has a different path in mind for him and Durango's biggest problem is how to foil his devious plans.  As has been established in Invisible Sun and Black Hole Sun, this is not Mars as we have come to expect it and pretty much anything can and does happen.

There are more mercenaries this time around and I couldn't help but laugh at the Brothers Koumanov.   Mimi, the artificial intelligence that is attached to Durango's brain stem, plays an even larger part this time around and I absolutely adore her sarcastic sense of humour.  She so keeps Durango grounded. There is more character development also and we catch more than a glimpse of the real Vienne  and Durango. They are so not your typical romantic figures, but this is definitely a story about finding true love.  It just happens to include a lot of fighting, treachery, explosions and  all the other fun and frolics we've come to expect. This is romance for guys - no mushy stuff.

If you haven't tried this trilogy yet, now is the time, when you don't have to wait for the next one to come out.