Exodus: A Military Archaeological Space Adventure by Craig Martelle
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
The fourth installment of Craig Martelle and Brad R. Torgersen’s Zenophobia series opens with a probe flying through space and the Tigroid Sankar cramped in a holding cell. In the meantime, the enemy vessel Direwolf is stranded in Hinteran space, with another Tigroid, Arbai, wanting to meet the head of the Golongans, another race the aliens had contacted. Next, Doctor Muni analyzes a server in her Oteran computer lab, with a signal leading her to call General Chayken. Arbai eventually meets Commissioner Sachim, while Chayken meets Sankar and wishes to remove the price on his head.
Arbai meets Sachim and wants to help his rebellion as the members of the Veracity Corporation worry about their companion Sankar, fearing he is dead. However, he reunites with them, after which they fly to Golongal and battle Arbai’s forces. Another Tigroid, Ausha, reveals her backstory as a Cadet-Trainer, after which comes a meeting with Commodore Qlovys at a hidden shipyard. The Bilkinmore reenters Golongan space, with its passengers eventually joining the battle among rival factions like the Golongan Peoples Revolution, intelligent machines led by The Overseer, and various religious factions.
Although this entry of the Zenophobia series, like its predecessors, shows promise, given its animal-populated cast, vibrant setting, and intricate backstory, it disappointed me. For instance, a synopsis of prior entries, a list of dramatis personae, and clear indicators and reminders of the species of the various characters would have been welcome. The absence of the Amazon Kindle X-Ray feature hampers the fourth installment as it does previous entries. Thus, I found myself rereading pages, given some confusing dialogue and sudden scene or perspective changes within chapters. Most who enjoyed the last books may appreciate this one; however, while I mostly like books with anthropomorphic characters, I found it inaccessible.
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