An interstellar war has just come to an end, but some violence-loving soldiers are reluctant to stand down. Scur, separated from her unit, is captured and tortured by the sadistic Orvin. After passing out, she awakens from suspended animation to find herself on an enormous starship floating dead in space about 1,000 years in the future. Other than the hapless crew, who have also just revived, the ship is now inhabited by hundreds of former soldiers, war criminals (including Orvin), and civilians, none of whom know why they're there or where in space they are. Scur quickly takes charge, hoping to preserve order, to figure out why they're on board in the first place, and to enact vengeance on the malignant Orvin. This is an odd tale, stylized and almost gothic in its sensibilities, reminiscent of Greg Bear's Hull Zero Three in its willingness to mystify its audience and leave its shipboard mysteries unsolved. Scur is not a particularly appealing protagonist, but her growth from embittered grunt to legitimate leader is worth following. Reynolds (Poseidon's Wake) has a loyal base of hard-SF fans, and this novella, though relatively minor, should satisfy them. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Reynolds, best known for his sprawling "Revelation Space" series, restricts himself here to a single spaceship and a deadly dilemma. Protagonist Scur awakes from cryosuspension aboard a vessel that is marooned in deep space and left with no one in charge. A religious war that had wracked the galaxy is over, yet conflict remains among the ship's motley array of refugees, soldiers, and criminals, chief among them a brutal man who is Scur's implacable foe. With the ship's computer failing and the fate of humanity in doubt, Scur must find a way to lead others in this intimate, provocative exploration of who and what are worthy of being saved, even redeemed. A punchy story well voiced by Susan Duerden, who gives Scur-the literary daughter of Alien's Ripley-the right proportion of grit to intelligence. Verdict Highly recommended for sf listeners. ["While shorter than Reynolds's usual fare, this is no less ambitious in covering vast scopes of space and time while addressing big questions": LJ 6/15/15 starred review of the Tachyon hc.]-Kelly Sinclair, Temple P.L., TX © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.