OUTLAW PLANET by M R Carey (BOOK REVIEW)
This is the story of Bess – or Dog-Bitch Bess as she came to be known. It’s the story of the gun she carried, whose name was Wakeful Slim. It’s the story of the dead man who carried that gun before her and left a piece of himself inside it. And it’s the tale of how she turned from teacher, to renegade, and ultimately to hero.
This is also the tale of the last violent engagements in an inter-dimensional war – one of the most brutal the multiverse had ever seen.
This is how Bess learned the truth about her world. Came to it the hard way, through pain and loss and the reckless spilling of blood, and carried it with her like a brand on her soul. And once she knew it – knew for sure how badly she’d been used – she had no option but to do something about it.
From one of science fiction’s most original and revolutionary voices comes a tale like no other. Vengeance always comes with a price . . .
This is also the tale of the last violent engagements in an inter-dimensional war – one of the most brutal the multiverse had ever seen.
This is how Bess learned the truth about her world. Came to it the hard way, through pain and loss and the reckless spilling of blood, and carried it with her like a brand on her soul. And once she knew it – knew for sure how badly she’d been used – she had no option but to do something about it.
From one of science fiction’s most original and revolutionary voices comes a tale like no other. Vengeance always comes with a price . . .
Mike Carey manages to do something different with every book he writes, and it’s always an absolute pleasure to see what he comes up with each time. Always smart, always imaginative, I’m drawn immediately into his worlds, and this was no exception.I went in blind except for the blurb, and would recommend that new readers do likewise. Starting out slowly, this book ramps up the action carefully, setting the stage well for a truly bombastic tale of politics and revenge.
I was reminded somewhat of ‘Firefly’, but this is mostly due to the quasi-Wild West vibes and gunslinging action. The brilliantly original social (and caste) system is like nothing I’ve ever seen before and I adored it, my imagination caught by just how humanoid animals of all sorts would work together. It would not be as advertised by Disney.
Quick, witty and with characters that will stay with you, Outlaw Planet is sci-fi brilliance.
Outlaw Planet is available now from Orbit, you can order your copy on Bookshop.org
