By Julie Sara Porter
Bookworm Reviews
Spoilers: Among my favorite Science Fiction and Fantasy novels are the ones that don't involve Earth or characters from our world. I enjoy them because the authors have to work twice as hard to create them. They have to be aware of this new world, the names, the topography, the political landscape, the society, and the species and people that inhabit it. That imagination increases tenfold when writing Science Fiction, because often the author doesn't settle on creating one world, they have to create several as characters hop from planet to planet introducing Readers to these brave new worlds. That's where Innocents, Immortals, and Amoral Gods, the first book in Harry Dehrian’s Emergent Designs comes in.
Innocents, Immortals, and Amoral Gods is an epic Science Fiction novel that created a wide-ranging immersive world.
Trouble is afoot in the Amestra Nuvo planetary system in the Styx Galaxy. The mutilated body of a member of the Elite has been found, possibly eaten by a leviathan. The opportunistic megalomaniacal Governor Jaas has designs on expanding his control beyond his planet of Mosaar. Meanwhile visions of an entity plague the various mortal inhabitants of the Amestra Nuvo System. It becomes clear that a great cycle is about to end and a new one is waiting to reset.
This is a Science Fiction novel that carries many plots and characters to draw the Reader into this world. The subplots are numerous as various characters are affected by the changes in their system.
The Styx Galaxy is rich in character and detail. We are shown technology like Qu-ducts which allow faster than light travel. There are skinsuits, body suits that hold to the skin and appear as a full body. The technology is worked on by mekanoots, automatic mechanics. There is a lot of specfific terminology and even a glossary to describe these terms.
The planets have unusual characteristics like one where the sun rises and sets in the same direction. Then there is a planet of mostly water which is inhabited by blood thirsty leviathans who would probably hang out with Cthulhu.
By far the strangest beings are the Daune Reesh. They are the Most Elite of the Elites, wealthy, powerful and are often at the ear of politicians and royalty. They are able to manipulate and move situations into their favor. They are also immortal and are rumored to have certain powers. They bring overwhelming awe and hostile suspicion towards others because of their immense power but dubious motives.
Because of this vastness in setting and character, more than one character is given a point of view. The narrative is divided by six main characters. They are:
Vierdaat AKA X Dev-He is a cynical recently promoted Giest, law enforcement officer with questionable ethics but dogged perseverance. Dev’s assignment is to investigate a series of graphic murders which he hopes will lead him to a dangerous psychopathic criminal.
Razia-She is an idealistic adventurous member of the Liberation Crusade, a military organization that protects various planets and species from captivity. As she becomes involved in violent struggles and corrupt politics, she finds her previously firmly held values threatened.
Lord Baelin-He is an elite and trusted advisor to Queen Meiral. He is on a diplomatic mission between sympathetic worlds as well as looking after the Queen’s children. His endurance and confidence in his place in the universe end up in jeopardy as he challenges the motives of those around him.
Princess Disa Ecrit M’Rota-She is Queen Meirel’s bookish and studious daughter. The young princess is assigned to do a series of taxing physical and academic challenges that test her skills and abilities. She discovers an inner strength and wisdom she never previously knew.
Princess Nora Ecrit M’Rota-She is Disa’s arrogant feisty sister and Meirel's older daughter. She is aware of her future as queen. Like Disa, she too participates in the series of tests and has to learn some things about real leadership and personal responsibility.
Prince Vikaron Ecrit M'Rota-He is Queen Meirel's brilliant ambitious son and Nora and Disa's brother. He longs to prove himself as a future king to his mother. He investigates a mass genocide that puts him directly in the path of Governor Jaas and places targets on his and his family's backs.
The main characters provide a rich tapestry of the Amestra Nuvo System and Styx Galaxy with their interactions with the various settings and other characters.The Reader becomes invested in each character’s personal journey and their involvement within the larger picture around them.
Dev has a strange symbiotic relationship with his false-bod, a mechanical vehicle which he dubs the “little beast.” It grows from owner and machine to surrogate parent and child. He also has to weigh his own actions, interactions with others, and violent tendencies with his new role as an officer upholding laws as he hunts his prey.
Dev also develops a surprisingly touching bromance with Vikaron as their paths to investigation overlap. They compare notes about their goals and their places in the universe. Vikaron himself has been catapulted out of his comfort zone and has to rely on his wits, strength, and the assistance of others to survive this universe.
Nora and Disa spend a lot of time together and have to rely on one another's strengths and weaknesses. They encounter a fighting group, whose leader challenges their status and leadership and could be a potential love interest for one or both girls.
Meanwhile, Baelin acts as a father figure towards the royal youngsters becoming more personally involved in their lives than their mother. His affection for the children is present as he questions his allegiance to the Queen and the system that he represents.
By far one of the darkest chapters involves Razia and a situation that is all too common on Earth as it is in Styx Galaxy. She and her crew help a charismatic politician seek power that plays on their commitment towards justice and loyalty. Once he is elected, he gives a speech that conveys the exact opposite of what he previously claimed to represent. Razia’s stunned revelation that she and her team willingly allowed an authoritarian dictator through the front door is heart wrenching as it retains a lot of relevance these days in real life.
On the surface this book seems to be a pure Space Opera with clearly drawn heroes and villains where good triumphs over evil. However, there is a dark undercurrent that hints that something Apocalyptic is on the horizon. There is the constant talk about cycles ending and beginning. It seems that all of these random violent corrupt events with natural disasters, military coups, and manipulative power groups might not be so random. It suggests that this cycle might be coming to an end in the most violent way possible and everyone is out for themselves to take all that they can with them.
There are also various statements that describe Styx Galaxy in negative terms. It's cold, lonely, and filled with a vast nothingness. This suggests a Nihilistic or Cosmic Pessimism where the characters are alone in the universe and have to rely solely on themselves and the trusted few that will ride the storms alongside them.
Another clue to the book's theme is in the title. The Innocents are clearly the main characters that are being maneuvered and placed into situations beyond their control. The Immortals has a double meaning. It refers to the literal immortals like the Daune Reesh who use their long life span to bend others to their will. It also refers to politicians and royals, Elites who want their names to be immortal. They can go down in history and they don't care who they step on to achieve it.
The last part of the title Amoral Gods is initially confusing. There are no shown deities in the book. None of the characters pray to them or speak about them and that's the point. The only being that they refer to in any reverence is The Styx Galaxy and as previously mentioned not in the most glowing terms. This suggests that they are alone in the universe. If there are deities or a higher power, they are at best apathetic to the concerns of mortals and at worst play with them for their own amusement.
That the book ends in cliffhangers where the characters are in various forms of danger suggests that the cold universe isn't through playing with them. Things are about to get darker and a whole lot worse before they ever get better. If they ever do get better.
