Weekly Reader: Suzy Spitfire and the Snake Eyes of Venus by Joe Canzano; Pulp Science Fiction Tribute is A Lot of Fun, Action, and Surprising Heart

 

Weekly Reader: Suzy Spitfire and the Snake Eyes of Venus by Joe Canzano; Pulp Science Fiction Tribute is A Lot of Fun, Action, and Surprising Heart

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Joe Canzano's novel Suzy Spitfire and The Snake Eyes of Venus is a loving tribute to those Science Fiction pulp novels of the 1930's-50's where the lone hero is hired to transport something to a distant planet and becomes embroiled in the local conflict. There are of course a few key differences. One is that violence is a lot more present and graphic in this book as compared to the predecessors so it's more of a mix of pulp SF Meets Mad Max (So in other words, Mad Max). I mean the first volume in the series is called Suzy Spitfire Kills Everybody. Gee, I wonder if it's going to be violent. What do you think?

The other is the gender of the lead character. Unlike the usual male leads of the old SF novels, Suzy Spitfire is very much a woman but every much as tough, clever at getting out of situations, badass, and quick with a weapon as her male counterparts.

Suzy Spitfire and the Snake Eyes of Venus is also similar to those old novels in that it is one long suspenseful adventure after another. There isn't much depth or characterization beyond the usual types seen in these types of intergalactic adventures. But darn it all it is just so much fun and hard to put down. Inside there is some warmth found within two characters who maintain a strange friendship.

In this volume, Suzy "Spitfire" Castillo is recruited by Danielle Banks, the wealthy wife of a law enforcement officer, to find and turn in Shogun Hunter, a serial rapist and murderer who fled to Venus. (Earth law enforcement has no jurisdiction on other planets and Venusian law enforcement won't do anything.) On her way to the Second Planet from the Sun, she gets boarded then held up by Jack and Kiara, two teens looking for a ride to Venus. She manages to subdue Jack (not a real tough task since he's not exactly good at being a villain) but sees Kiara as an innocent victim. She reluctantly takes Kiara under her wing as the duo head to Venus with a cargo hold of illegal firearms courtesy of her former boyfriend, Ricardo, a member of Los Pocos, an organized crime outfit.

Well the rest of the book gets kind of convoluted. Suzy and Kiara are followed or traced by just about everybody on two worlds including Ricardo and the rest of Los Pocos, two Earthian law enforcement officers who want to capture Suzy for themselves, Snake Eyes, a religious order based in Venus, and a resistance group fighting the puppet regime established on Venus.

Some of the storyline is incredibly hard to follow. It's kind of difficult to keep track of the various characters and their allegiances, especially when some turn out to be moles and traitors to their original groups and are actually part of another group. If you don't try too hard to follow the various twists, the book can be a lot of fun. There is plenty of nonstop action as characters get shot, stabbed, assaulted, and all manner of undelightful things. Readers looking for a bloody action packed time will not be disappointed.

There is also plenty of suspense. Many cliffhanger chapters end with either Suzy or Kiara being held up or chased around Baadal Shahar, a city in the clouds on Venus (Remember, Venus is a mostly gaseous planet). There are some pretty intense moments, particularly when the duo catch up to Hunter and Kiara is left alone with one of his acquaintances. This is a particularly effective situation since Kiara is the more vulnerable of the two and she accidentally wanders right into Hunter's path simply by trusting the wrong people. Suzy is elsewhere and it's a struggle for her to come to Kiara's rescue.

Among the action and suspense, there is a surprising amount of heart that is found in the relationship between Suzy and Kiara. It's easy to see why. True to her nickname, Suzy is a real spitfire. Bad tempered, independent, strong willed, and firy. She is sharp tongued and good with a weapon. Even though she is in a romantic relationship with Ricardo, she keeps him at arm's length partly because of his involvement with Los Pocos and also because she is uncertain if she wants to pursue a life with him. 

Suzy also has a dark past. Her father has been recently killed by gangsters and her sister was brutally assaulted. The flashbacks of her father and sister's attacks still weigh heavily on her. However, she continues her dangerous lifestyle and drinking heavily to soothe the ache. In Kiara, she sees a little sister, someone who, like her actual sister, needs protection. Suzy is there to provide that protection.

Like Suzy, Kiara has also had a rough life even though she is only 14 (so she says. Suzy observes that she looks a lot younger.) She is a former prostitute and cook who is looking for someone to protect her. She went from one damaging relationship to another with Jack. She has clearly been abused. She keeps justifying Jack's sociopathic behavior to Suzy, who does not buy her excuses and wants her to see the reality of how much of a jerk and loser Jack really is. 

Kiara is less self assured and more dependent than Suzy. Despite having this dark past, she is incredibly vulnerable and fragile. She follows Suzy around like a damaged puppy even though Suzy warns her that she will get hurt. 

Kiara is looking for validation and somewhere to belong. She finally sees it in Baadal Shahar where she runs into women like her who have been abused, victimized, and trafficked. That's when she breaks from her dependence to be as decisive and active as Suzy.

Suzy Spitfire and The Snake Eyes of Venus is a lot of fun, with a lot of action and suspense. Underneath the excitement is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.