Lit List Short Reviews: Exiles by Miles Watson; The Kuiper Rogue by C.P. Schaefer; The Mango-Lion: The Mangoes Have Fallen by J'yren Christenvie
Exiles (The Chronicles of Magnus) by Miles Watson
Spoilers: Miles Watson’s previous short work, Deus Ex, was a gripping story about the dramatic fall of tyrant Magnus Antonius Magnus. In my review, I suggested that there was enough interest to write another installment or even a full series set in this universe. Apparently, Watson thought so too. The follow up is Exiles which tells of Magnus’ reign of terror from two people who are right in the thick of it. One is an outsider in every sense of the word and the other was the ultimate insider, the one who helped turn Magnus into the tyrant that he later became.
Marguerite Bain is the pirate/smuggler captain of the ship, Sea Dog. Her crew despises her for being a woman but they follow her anyway. She is hired by an anonymous employer who wants her to deliver supplies to a man who is exiled on a small remote abandoned island. She is not to interact with him nor allow him anything with which to communicate. However, her curiosity gets the better of her and she enters the cabin to see the Exile. Upon arriving, Marguerite wakes the Exile and runs in surprise. While inspecting the return cargo, Marguerite finds a notebook that tells of the Exile’s life story. The Exile explains who he is, Enitan Champoleon, and how he changed history by fighting against the Order and allying with an idealistic young man named Magnus Antonius Magnus who had his own sights set on leadership.
Through Marguerite and Enitan, we get the full account of life under Magnus’ rule and the government before it that Magnus fought against and took over. Marguerite is someone who may have lived most if not all of her life under Magnus' governance. She knows no other life. She had been abused, abandoned, left in squalor, and sold into prostitution and smuggling. She has been forced to survive on her own in a world of corruption, tyranny, and abuse.
Marguerite is part of an organization called the Brotherhood, but that name appears to be a mere suggestion rather than demonstrating anything resembling allyship or brotherhood. In fact, she is warned that one of her crew members is a spy and potential assassin. She has to ferret out the traitor amongst her band of misogynistic murderous scum while learning about how Enitan helped put the Lead Scum in charge.
Marguerite’s story is that of the outsider, the effects of Magnus' reign and how it affected the lowest level of people in this society. Enitan’s story is from a different place. He is the one who has been there and shaped history. His actions are the cause, the one who helped Magnus obtain power and saw the tyrant that emerged from the front row.
Enitan recounts a life of intellect but also abandonment, where he had a great mind but little opportunity to use it. The only way he can use his mind is to read escapist adventure novels that mentally take him places that he wants to go. (In one of the saddest reveals, Enitan confesses that he still has those books, even in exile, because all he has left is the imaginary world that was nothing like the real one that he helped change).
Enitan goes AWOL from the military and runs into a group of activists protesting the current government, The Order. They claim that the Order must end and they are the Solution. At first, Enitan sees a quick way to earn money and gives a stirring speech to open up activists’ hearts and especially wallets. He doesn't really believe in the rebel cause, though he hates the Order. He just sees some people who can keep him safe and earn him money.
Enitan changes his tune when he meets the eloquent, firy, idealistic Magnus. The man who wants to put an end to the old Order. Like many rebels before and since, Magnus has a just cause when he sees people getting hurt and being degraded as second class citizens. His far reaching vision promises a better future and his active aggressive personality shows that he's not afraid to fight alongside the soldiers. Enitan is sold, especially when Magnus is impressed by his friend's intelligence and strategic thinking. Unfortunately, that strategic thinking is unable to see the future tyrant's manipulative nature and true ambition until it's too late and Enitan realizes the full scope of what those plans lead to and how much Magnus has changed or rather how much he kept hidden until his true nature emerged. To quote The Who’s “Won't Get Fooled Again,” Enitan “meets the new boss same as the old boss.” Spending years in exile on this tiny island, Enitan feels the weight of remorse and regret for the world that he helped create.
While Deus Ex gave us a glimpse into the Magnus dictatorship, Exiles strengthens it by showing us the people who suffered through it. History is often written on the blood of those who were crushed under the dictator's boot and those who gave the dictator power to do the crushing.
The Kuiper Rogue by C.P. Schaefer
C.P. Schaefer's The Kuiper Rogue is a tech heavy Hard Science Fiction novel that is perfect for that type of Science Fiction fan. Those who are more interested in character and world building, well there is some of that too.
On the Gaia 3 Titan Moon Base, hopes are high for a new Earth based space colony. There have already been bases established on Earth’s moon and on Mars. Saturn’s moon is the latest. However, something in the sky might put those plans to a screeching halt. Will Vandoloh, astronomy prodigy and son of Margaret, Gaia 3’s captain, sees a curious object in a computer simulation. An enormous comet passes through Saturn and triggers a chain reaction of catastrophic events including oxygen depleting on the base, crew members acting delirious and succumbing to insanity, and radiation levels rising to fatal levels. Worse, this comet is heading for Earth and even worse according to ancient writings from Earth’s history, this happened before and the results weren't good. It may lead to the extinction of not only Titan’s population, but maybe Earth’s as well.
The technical details in Kuiper Rogue are plentiful. They are very reminiscent of a Star Trek episode where one of the crew members, like Spock or Data, will go into a long winded explanation of what is going on and what if anything can be done to stop it.
For the tech heavy Sci-Fi fan, there is a lot of talk about orbital singularities and the schematics of the Gaia 3 project. Sometimes those passages can be a bit dense and unwieldy for the less scientific minded.
The most memorable aspects of the book are the rare moments of characterization underneath all of the science hardware. There are some chilling chapters when the crew goes insane because of the high radiation, low oxygen levels, and the comet’s arrival. One appears to be eating human flesh and another’s eyes glow red and face distorts into a very monstrous appearance. It's like a horror movie in outer space.
Some of the best moments are between Margaret and Will. Margaret is the tough as nails strong willed head of her crew but also a loving mother. There are many times when she has to walk a tightrope between those roles, worried about the danger that her son is in but knowing that he can help save the rest of the crew.
Will is a brilliant young man who finds his niche in examining space and working on other worlds. He also wants to make his mother proud. The duo’s love for each other is paramount throughout the whole book.
While the technical detail in The Kuiper Rogue is massive, so is the human element, particularly the family ties between mother and son.
The Mango-Lion: The Mangoes Have Fallen by J'yren Christenvie.
J’yren Christenvie’s book, The Mango-Lion: The Mangoes Have Fallen, is one of the strangest allegories that I have ever read. It is about the youth and maturity of a mango. Yes, a mango, the fruit. Once you get past the odd premise, you will find an uplifting story about growing up and striving for one's goals.
Liligu is a young mango spending his days on a tree with his mango family and friends. His mother tells him that one day, he will become a big beautiful mango tree. Before he can ask how, the tree is invaded by humans, called “bigmouths.” They eat some of Liligu’s friends and family and pluck him, carrying him away from the tree and his mother. He is then given to a human girl named Lilibeth and through her and the new friends that he makes, Liligu learns exactly what he needs to become a big beautiful mango tree.
Liligu starts out like a small child. He is curious but afraid of everything. He wants to become a tree but is afraid of the Bigmouths. Left on his own, he is scared, uncertain, shy, and nervous about everyone around him.
He befriends two stuffed animals, a giraffe named Girigu and a pig, Piligu. Because their memories come from being made in factories alongside their “brothers and sisters” (other stuffed pigs and giraffes), Liligu gives them his memories of having a mother and being close to family.
He also learns to trust some bigmouths. They aren't all bad. Lilibeth is very kind to him and treats him like a favorite toy or pet. Through her, Liligu learns to trust those even if they are part of people that he thinks that he won't like.
During his journey, Liligu obtains knowledge. He has dreams of his mother and wants to know what they mean. He wants to be educated. He receives wisdom from Mr. Wateru, a watermelon, Dr. Uki, an apple, and Bozero, a dog who advise him based on their own experiences. They only give him some information, which while helpful, is incredibly limiting. It takes his friendship with an orange named, Orange where he learns about love, sacrifice, independence, and what it takes to fulfill one's dreams.
Liligu learns that it takes growing up, experiencing the world, and making a positive choice to make it better.
