Saturday, March 17, 2018

Reeves, Philip. Black Light Express.

Reeves, Philip. Black Light Express. Capstone Publishers  2018     336p $17.95  ISBN 978-1-63079-096-7  jr/sr     Science Fiction  VG-BN        

The Black Light Express begins with Zen and Nova escaping from the calamity they created in the first book into unfamiliar territory. In Reeve’s world, sentient trains connect universes inhabited by diverse populations of androids, insects, and a slew of other creatures. And the human population is equally diverse in terms of race, sexuality, and gender. But despite the nature of the living creatures, politics, allegiances, and power all drive the action and motivations of the large cast of intergallactic characters. 

While Zen and Nova are on a quest to learn about the nature of the Black Light beckoning them, and a search to find an alternative route to home, the young Network leader Threnody Noon and her companion, Chandni Hansa, are on the run after a coup d'etat forces them into exile. Their paths (and trains) merge, and together, they seek to uncover the mysteries behind the coup, the resurgent Guardians, and the creation of the universe itself. Often funny, sometimes scary, and always thrilling, this is science fiction that manages to connect technology with emotion and rich story telling.

The Black Light Express is one heck of a ride. I hadn’t read the first book in the series, so I needed to depend very heavily on the glossary, and I reread the first few chapters a few times to catch up on the imaginative world created by Reeve. But the complex characters, non-stop action, and wildly creative future world soon had me hooked. 

Recommended for all science-fiction and adventure-loving readers ages 12 and up. Though not required, readers should start the series with the first book, Railhead.    

Summary: In this sequel to Railhead, Zen Starling and his android girlfriend Nova journey into the unknown via sentient trains that travel towards the Black Light Zone, escaping the chaos of the Great Network in search of the secrets of the universe and the AI Guardians who reengage with humans with the reopening of the new K gate. 


Adventure-Fiction, Trains-Fiction                  --Lisa Teixeira

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