Scan barcode
A review by jackiehorne
Games of Command by Linnea Sinclair
3.0
2.5 A solid read for those who enjoy space adventure without the science of hard SF, or SF's typical exploration of intriguing intellectual "what ifs." When the Triad and the United Coalition sign a treaty, UCee commander Tasha Sebastian finds herself second in command to Triad biocyborg Admiral Branden Kel-Paten. Kel-Paten has been nursing a crush on wily enemy Sass for years, and the new alliance's officer exchange program has finally given him the chance to spend time with her in person. But when Kel-Paten's ship comes to the rescue of renegade spy Jace Serafino, it becomes difficult to tell just who is an ally, who is an enemy—and whose love you can trust.
The characters veer closer to the flat end than the fully developed end of the character continuum, although if I had to spend time reading about underdeveloped characters, at least they weren't the stereotypically sexist ones all to common in SF. Tasha is no a wilting violet, but a tough, wily, sexually experienced thirty-six-year-old; Kel-Paten, part human, part machine, is a top-notch military strategist, but a fumbling boy when it comes to wooing. Of course, the overtly rakish Jace mitigates any fears of overly-wimpy masculinity that Branden might raise. Jace's love interest, an intelligent but not too physically tough doctor, also mitigates fears that Tasha's toughness might raise.
Wish Sinclair might have explored what it might mean to be part human, part machine; what it might mean to love such a person; or had either or both Tasha & Kel-Paten wondering if his insta-love might just have been planted by some programmer, and, even if it was, whether it was still meaningful; etc, etc. Also wish that there was more emotionally at stake; both the main couple and the secondary couple just simply accept differences in and doubts about each other rather than working through them (Tasha wakes up from a short nap and suddenly realizes "I love him!"). And I could definitely have done without the babytalking dog-like cat-creatures who play such a big role in the book. But Sinclair's after something far less ambitious, something more cutesy, than what I enjoy reading. Not to my taste, but I can see why it would appeal to others.
The characters veer closer to the flat end than the fully developed end of the character continuum, although if I had to spend time reading about underdeveloped characters, at least they weren't the stereotypically sexist ones all to common in SF. Tasha is no a wilting violet, but a tough, wily, sexually experienced thirty-six-year-old; Kel-Paten, part human, part machine, is a top-notch military strategist, but a fumbling boy when it comes to wooing. Of course, the overtly rakish Jace mitigates any fears of overly-wimpy masculinity that Branden might raise. Jace's love interest, an intelligent but not too physically tough doctor, also mitigates fears that Tasha's toughness might raise.
Wish Sinclair might have explored what it might mean to be part human, part machine; what it might mean to love such a person; or had either or both Tasha & Kel-Paten wondering if his insta-love might just have been planted by some programmer, and, even if it was, whether it was still meaningful; etc, etc. Also wish that there was more emotionally at stake; both the main couple and the secondary couple just simply accept differences in and doubts about each other rather than working through them (Tasha wakes up from a short nap and suddenly realizes "I love him!"). And I could definitely have done without the babytalking dog-like cat-creatures who play such a big role in the book. But Sinclair's after something far less ambitious, something more cutesy, than what I enjoy reading. Not to my taste, but I can see why it would appeal to others.