Saturn Run by John Sandford and Ctein
Blurb:
In 2066, a Caltech intern notices an anomaly – something is approaching Saturn, and decelerating. Space objects don’t decelerate. Spaceships do. A flurry of meetings produces the inescapable conclusion: Whatever built that ship is at least one hundred years ahead in technology, and whoever can get their hands on it will have an unmatchable advantage. A conclusion the Chinese share when they find out themselves. The race is on, and a remarkable adventure begins – an epic tale of courage, treachery, resourcefulness, and astonishing discovery, as the members of a hastily thrown-together crew find their strength and wits tested against adversaries both of this earth and beyond. What happens is nothing like you expect – and everything you could want from one of the world’s greatest masters of suspense.
My Review:
I usually enjoy a good sci-fi story, so I was excited to read this book. This book has a lot of science and detail in it; you can tell the authors put a lot of time into researching the technology and science of it. Some of the technology in the book is actually quite interesting. The different engines, the heat shields, the eggs (little personal space transporters), and the unusual gadgets on the ship especially caught my attention. The writing got a little technical in a few spots, but it wasn't too bad, and it didn't last long. The characters are fun. Many of them are well written; some of them are a little cliche, like the intelligent, good-looking, stuck-up, spoiled, lazy, ivy league Sandy, who doesn't really deserve to be there, but is. I like that the President of the United States is a woman, Santeros. Also, the commander of the ship is a woman. She goes by Fang-Castro. The story is somewhat predictable, but there are a few surprises along the way that hold your attention. You could feel the characters' excitement, fear, worry, stress, and feeling of accomplishment at every step of the way. I don't have any idea if any of it is really possible, but it's a fun and unique story.
There is a lot of profanity in this book. A lot. And much of it is the "f" word, which is extremely annoying and distracting. There is violence in this book as well, with several characters dying, and some intense fighting scenes. There is also quite a bit of "intimacy." There are scenes, innuendos, jokes, and bets. Without all the profanity and "intimacy" I would have enjoyed this book more. All that stuff is so distracting and irritating. I wish authors would leave it out (ok, I'll step off my soap-box now....)!
Rating: R (Profanity, including a lot of "f" words, violence including fighting scenes and several characters dying, and a lot of "intimacy," with scenes, innuendos, jokes, and full-on, ship-wide bets with a lot of money.)
Recommendation: Adult. This book is NOT appropriate for YA readers, or younger.
Disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
