New Book Alert: VanWest: The Present (The VanWest Series Book 2) by Kenneth Thomas; Science Fiction Series Soars To New and Better Heights on Mars and An Earthling Underground City

 

New Book Alert: VanWest: The Present (The VanWest Series Book 2) by Kenneth Thomas; Science Fiction Series Soars To New and Better Heights on Mars and An Earthling Underground City

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Previously on VanWest: The Past, VanWest, the ultimate super soldier and Universal Games champion, traveled back in time to stop a resistance group called The Utopians from changing the past by halting Earth's environmental destruction and the Universal Council's stranglehold on the 30th century. 

After VanWest infiltrated the Utopians, he was drawn by their philosophies and became enamored with his former childhood friend, Iris VonHelmann, daughter of the Utopian leader Prof. VonHelman, AKA "Mad Newton". He also learned that he was the clone of the last Martian President and his psychic abilities foretold that his former allies will slaughter his new ones. 

VanWest,once the pride of the Universal Council Elite Enforcers, joined the Utopians and became involved in their attempt to assasinate the ruthless UC leader, Dr. King. The assasination attempt and trip to the past ended badly. However, the Utopians made new allies with Van West's former squadron, the Enforcers.

 Now, Iris, VanWest, and computer hacker, LeSouris are in New Jersey's underground trying to obtain a ship to Mars while VonHelman seeks to recruit new allies to join the resistance against the Universal Council.

Kenneth Thomas's VanWest The Present is a teriffic follow up to the previous book, The Past. It is not as complex as the previous volume with the various scenes of time travel and double crosses that further confuses the plot. The Present's plot is pretty straightforward, separating into mostly two distinct storylines and emerges the better for it. Besides the major settings between two very intriguing locations of Mars and the Underground Cities in New Jersey are well-written and described.

A group of New Jerseyans settled in the abandoned tunnels in the Garden State, forming their own underground societies in which the cities are connected via an intricate network. Because they have been underground for so long, the New Jerseyans have evolved to adapt to their surroundings, such as enhanced eyesight, resistance to radiation, and gills. They also have unusual speech patterns such as removing some verbs such as "am," "is", and "are." ("Them two on news wire all the time! This brings heat to my casino!")

New Jersey's income largely depends on the literal underworld. It is filled with underground casinos and Papini traders. (Papini is an addictive drug that promises relief from radiation poisoning). The underground underworld is led by several warlords, one of whom is Method A.

Method A is a flamboyant character that calls to mind Aunty Entity, Tina Turner's character in Mad Max Beyond The Thunderdome. She shamelessly flaunts her wealth from gambling and narcotics, but rules her people with firmness and protectiveness. When VanWest, Iris, and LeSouris arrive in Jersey to try to get a transport to Mars, Method A is naturally concerned that their presence will bring Super Soldiers to her tunnels. However, the promise of moolah (money) and VanWest's prescient warning of their arrival changes her mind. Once an antihero looking out for Number One, Method A becomes a card carrying member of the Resistance and this Reader's favorite character in the series.

The nice thing that Thomas does in this book is expand the POV from VanWest and Iris to other characters. Method A in particular benefits from this. While VanWest, Iris, and La Souris are in Mars, Readers return to Method A's doings as she and her people fight the Super Soldiers and broker alliances with other warlords with clever names like Rulez Haah and Gangs Hater. During the Universal Council's attack on Jersey's underground, Method A shows true leadership abilities as she guides her people to safety while fighting the soldiers and negotiating with the other warlords. 

Meanwhile VanWest's exploration of his past on Mars is moving and heartfelt. This journey has a great setting for him to explore it. Mars proves to be a contrast to the dying Earth. Instead the Red Planet is brimming with life and beauty. 

There is a volcanic plain which spews eye-catching vivid red and yellow plumes of lava. Ornate murals that reveal Martian history surround a chamber.  The "Face on Mars" mountain makes an appearance and still seems to form a human face (and has become a tourist attraction). There are many spaceports filled with wide varieties of visitors from miners to drug dealers.

 The more VanWest, Iris, and LaSouris travel through this alien landscape, the more VanWest gets flashes of the life of Dederic Vander Westhuizen, the last Martian President and the man from whom VanWest was cloned. He sees his wife and family. He sees his battles and arguments with the Universal Council. VanWest is haunted by the ghost of Vander Westhuizen's daughter who points him in the right direction to learn about his own history and that of his predecessor.

VanWest also recalls his life and early training as a clone forced to follow the UC's lead and given no other options in life. An eerie passage occurs when VanWest finds himself inside a lab and comes face to face with other clones of Vander Westhuizen. They are similar to VanWest in appearance, characteristics, and abilities including psychic abilities. VanWest is able to use that to his advantage as he mentally communicates with his fellow clones so they can fight the Council and the soldiers.

The final chapters feature extensive battles in Mars and Jersey. These chapters shine with action, suspense, and betrayal. Alliances are formed and some are permanently broken. People question the motives of an important character who has been around since the previous book to the point that it is possible that the character may emerge as an antagonist in the next volume.

 The final pages reveal promise for a better future, one of cooperation and community over conquest and violence. However, there might be trouble on the horizon, trouble that will no doubt be the focus of the next volume, VanWest: The Future.

If The Future is anything like the previous volumes of The Past and Present, it should be a bright future indeed.