Games of Command (Bantam Spectra Book) [Mass Market Paperback]

This is Linnea Sinclair's fourth multi-genre Science fiction romance. All these stories borrow from a number of genres, including Space Opera, Romantic Comedy, and usually also Paranormal Romance.

Games of Command is the same type of story as Sinclair's previous books, "Finders Keepers, "Gabriel's Ghost" and "An Accidental Goddess." This time, however, Linnea Sinclair has set herself a much more challenging task; this one is a double romance with two heroes and two heroines, and is set in a universe with a galactic political situation which is more complex, much darker, and rather better thought through than in her three previous similar novels.

Background:

Two star nations which were often enemies in the past - the Keltish Triad and the United Coalition (or "U-Cees") have formed an alliance in the face of a threat from a much more dangerous and aggressive race, the Illithians.

This is a universe in which a number of races have telepathic or empathic abilities. Because both the Triad and U-Cees are terrified of rogue telepaths, both nations have powerful agencies to keep them under control. "Psy-Serv," the Triad agency, is a ruthless and feared "state within a state" which nobody wants to cross. Although we are told that the U-Cee equivalent "Tel-Tal" (the Telepathic Talents Regulatory Agency), "wasn't as overzealous" as Psy-serv, they don't sound like a particularly gentle or benevolent outfit either.

The action of this book starts on the Triad Huntership "Vaxxar," flagship of the First Fleet, which is tasked with watching a large section of the Illithian border. All four of the main characters on the ship have secrets from each other, secrets which could destroy them ...

Branden Kel-Paten, the Admiral commanding First Fleet, has a secret. Kel-Paten is a "biocybe," the product of a radical programme of biocybernetic enhancement. This gives him considerable extra abilities for a terrible price; it is supposed to remove his ability to feel human emotions. Usually it does, and he is an effective, apparently emotionless Admiral nicknamed the "Tin Soldier" by subordinates and enemies alike. But he would be in danger of being removed from command under "Section 46" if Psy-Serv or his subordinates realise that he is feeling a forbidden emotion - an obsessive passion for his flag captain ...

Captain Tasha Sebastian, a U-Cee officer who has been seconded to the Triad as Captain of the Vaxxar, has a secret. The Triad know that she used to work for U-Cee intelligence before the Alliance. What they don't know is that she used to be "Lady Sass," a raider and smuggler who stole many cargoes from the Triad under the noses of Admiral Kel-Paten during a time of cold war between the Triad and U-Cees. To the Triad, Lady Sass was a wanted criminal who is believed to have died seven years ago - it would give them rather a shock if they found out that she is now commanding the flagship of their first fleet ...

Doctor Eden Fynn, Chief Medical Officer of the Vaxxar, has a secret. She is half Zingaran, a people among whom telepathic or empathic powers are common. Officially she is a registered Empath. But she is starting to experience full scale telepathic communcation with one of her patients, Captain Jace Serafino - which might get her in serious trouble with Pys-serv or TelTal ...

Captain Jace Serafino, sometime mercenary and freelance spy for Triad intelligence, has a lot of secrets. The Alliance sent the Vaxxar after him after he appeared to have betrayed them - and saved his life, beaming Serafino from his ship as it was about to be destroyed by a space vortex. His surface personality is that of a freewheeling human mercenary. But hidden in his head is an implant from Psy-serv. Also hidden in his mind is his real personality, which can only communicate telepathically - and knows the most dangerous secret of all, about a sinister conspiracy to seize control of both partners in the Alliance and reduce everyone in both nations to helpless slaves...

As if things were not complex enough, Tasha and Eden both have pet "furzels" called Tank and Reilly who increasingly become characters in their own right as the story develops. Like treecats such as Nimitz in Dave Weber's Honor Harrington books, the furzels are much more intelligent than most humans realise, and also have special abilities; Tank and Reilly are the only beings who can sense a sinister danger lurking on the Vaxxar.

As the book says, "Let the games begin!"

The comments above describe the scene setting from the first few chapters of the book. It should be obvious to readers of Linnea Sinclair's previous novels that this one is much more complex than anything she has attempted to date.

Like her previous books, it is at times a little silly. For example, I can believe that a captain of a warship might wear casual clothes in his or her own quarters, and that in an emergency she might have to run onto the bridge in such clothes. However, I can't see anyone capable of holding down the position of captain of an admiral's flagship, particularly where the admiral is a notorious martinet, getting herself in the position where she might have to dash onto the bridge wearing a t-shirt with the slogan "No, No, bad captain!"

Mind you, some of the silliest moments of the book are also some of the most entertaining.

An earlier version of this book was published under the title "Command Performance." The two books are not quite the same and everyone I know who has seen both versions says that "Games of Command" is significantly better than the earlier draft.

Since "Games of Command" came out, Linnea Sinclair has published "The Down Home Zombie Blues" which despite the whacky title is much closer to a mainstream Science Fiction novel. In my opinion, which not everyone who likes Ms. Sinclair's books willl share, the newest book is even better than "Games of Command."

If you like your science fiction deadly serious and highly plausible, don't touch this book with a barge-pole. If, on the other hand, you want to be entertained and liked any of Linnea Sinclair's other novels or Lois McMaster Bujold's "Miles Vorkosigan" series, then get this book. Now.

'Games of Command' is a rewrite of Linnea Sinclair's 2002 book 'Command Performance' - and a big improvement. The previous review covered the plot, so I'll just say if you, like me, weren't much impressed by 'Command Performance', buy this instead.

The first half of the book is much the same, with changes in minor characters and a much larger role for the furzels (cats), but the second half is very different. Instead of crashing on a preindustrial world where the group must try to hide their origin (especially the cyborg!) we remain in the same period. Instead of a world in fear of a wizard, we have dangerous aliens. In other words now we have one integrated book instead of two disconnected halves. And Jace is much more likeable - I got sick of his endless needling of Kel-Paten, who had no idea how to respond. In the new book the relationship is much more equal. I also prefer the way Sass and Kel-Paten's relationship develops.

All in all - big improvement!

Lady Sass had been a merc, a rim runner from Kesh Valirr. Then "Ace" Edmonds, of the United Coalition (U-Cee), gave nineteen-year-old Lady Sass an offer to legitimately become a part of the U-Cee Fleet. Lady Sass jumped at the offer. "Lady Sass" went to prison and died.

Commander Tasha Sebastian's past looks legit. Very few knew Tasha's history as Lady Sass. There is now a new Alliance between the Triad and the U-Cee. Tasha is one of the first transferred (merged) as part of the Alliance Personnel Integration Program. Problem is that Tasha finds herself serving under her former nemesis, Admiral Branden Kel-Paten. Kel-Paten is a biocybernetic officer. He can "spike into" his Triad huntership, the Vaxxar, at any time and actually become a large part of the ship! It is said that the "Tin Soldier" is more 'cybe than human. Neither Tasha, nor Ace, could understand why Kel-Paten had personally requested Tasha Sebastian be transferred to the Vax. He even allowed Tasha and his new Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Doctor Eden Fynn, to bring their pet furzels with them! However, the two furzels, Tank and Reilly, are more than anyone could possibly imagine.

Wanted rebel Jace Serafino literally tears out of a vortex and ends up in the Vax's sick bay. Eden must keep the pirate alive for interrogation. Jace is supposed to have information to help the Alliance, but he also has information that could expose Tasha's past and rip the Alliance apart. Then Eden finds out that Jace also has an implant that only his unconscious self is aware of. As a touch empath, Eden must bring Jace's split personality together if the much needed info for the Alliance is to be received.

At the same time, somewhere aboard the Vaxxar, resides a dangerous entity. It quietly waits bides its time. And only two playful furzels sense its deadly presence.

The Tin Soldier and Lady Sass must team up, put all their secret cards on the table, and learn to trust each other. They find that together, they make one hell of a team!

***** Author Linnea Sinclair NEVER fails to please! I am, once again, in awe of this author's ability to spin complex webs within multiple plots. Will hold your attention from start to finish. This one is NOT TO BE MISSED! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.