Karen Traviss burst onto the SF scene in 2004 with City of Pearl, a story of first contact that rivals Le Guin and Cherryh at their best.
Crossing the Line picks up where City of Pearl left off, and it’s just as good. Former BioHaz cop Shan Frankland has been infected by c’naatat, the symbiont that rebuilds bodies and heals wounds, making anyone infected almost immortal. A scientist obsessed with c’naatat precipitates a trail of destruction, and Shan, and others, are forced to re-evaluate who they are, what they believe in, and what they’re fighting for.
This is the story of four species, two with a long history of warfare, plus interstellar greed and corruption, rivalries and hatreds – to say more would involve a lot of spoilers.
It’s a masterful book that takes no prisoners from the start and keeps up the tension right to the very end. Karen Traviss has a rare ability to take the reader into the unique viewpoints of her characters, human and alien, wounded, weary, cautious and just plain curious. People live in surroundings we can feel, touch, smell and taste. I want to go to the city in the caldera: it sounds beautiful. And I really like the ississi, diplomats and translators who look like meercats, and the way the pupils of the wess’har’s eyes change shape and they use scent to express emotion.
Traviss brings genuine authenticity to the copper, the TV journalist, the troubled protector of a helpless race, the matriarch, and the minister of the isenj who has no illusions about his government. I feel I know the personalities in each group – for better or for worse. When the fighting breaks out, it’s safest to run for cover.
I have one criticism: with three new planets, four races and a lot of terms, a lexicon would be helpful. But that’s only a minor carp. Crossing the Line is a rich and rewarding book in its own right, not just as the second part of a series. The fully-realised worlds, the groups and individuals, all with believable, often conflicting needs, desires and motivations, are obviously part of a well-thought-out larger whole, and it makes for a deep and satisfying read.
