About ‘Synthesis: Weave (book 1)’ by Rexx Deane:
Genre: Science Fiction; Crime; Disabled Protagonist; Space Opera
The laws of physics are about to change …
A tsunami on a space station.
An explosion with no trace of the bomber.
Cyber-security expert Sebastian knows evidence doesn’t magically disappear, yet when he and his colleague Aryx, a disabled ex-marine, travel the galaxy to find the cause, there seems to be no other explanation.
Can they unravel the mystery before his family, home, and an entire race succumbs to an ancient foe?
‘Synthesis: Weave’ gives off a Star Trek feel, particularly of Deep Space Nine, which is great because that’s my favorite. It begins on a space station with security guard Sebastian who seems to be in a bit of a rough spot financially and mentally. When he’s called to his boss’ office for what he assumes is an announcement of his redundancy, he’s thrilled to realize he’s instead being offered a chance at his dream job: an agent for special operations aka SpecOps.
He’s allowed to choose a partner for his entry test and it is this character who originally drew my interest in the story. Aryx, the station’s engineer, is a former marine who was honorably discharged after saving others in an accident that led to the amputation of both his legs. While there are different technologies in the universe that would allow him to walk (such as cloned parts and mechanical limbs), he is unfortunately the victim of a nasty virus that makes integrating these technologies impossible. Therefore, he is stuck in a wheel chair.
I have been disabled most my life, including several years as a teen when I was bedridden, then limited to a wheelchair, so I appreciate the author’s portrayal of Aryx. He is flawed; he’s independent; he’s capable. He’s not two dimensional like so many other ‘token’ disabled characters. What I mean by that is you often see disabled characters where their sole personality trait is “I’m more than my illness! Fuck off!” While Aryx does express the aggravation of being equated to his disability/illness, there is much more to his character, to his interests, his dreams, his sorrows…and I love that there are unlikable things about him too.
The two’s initial task is interrupted by what is presumed to be a terrorist attack on the station. Being the only SpecOps agent in the vicinity, Sebastian is placed as lead investigator. This sends him and Aryx out to solve a mystery set in all the best elements of crime and science fiction combined. They meet intriguing people including a “magic” practitioner living on a comet, a colony sensitive about the spelling of their name, and a race of sentient trees.
I absolutely loved this book and am looking forward to the next! My only negative comment is that there are a few flashbacks within chapters which aren’t italicized or set apart enough from current events as I’d have liked.
You can find the author on:
Twitter @RexxDeane
Amazon
Goodreads
((Review also submitted to Amazon and Goodreads))
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~Sahreth ‘Baphy’ Bowden
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