Taran Hunt

IN A NUTSHELL
The Immortality Thief' was an impressive debut novel that had me signing up for the rest of this space opera series.

What I liked most about 'The Immortality Thief' was that it managed to remain a tightly focused personal story woven into a fully imagined universe. Focusing on the history and motivation of the main character, a young man whose whole city was obliterated while he was still a child, gave a richer context to this The action-packed, quest-oriented thriller.

I loved show more the strong visuals in the story. The vast decaying space station on which most of the action takes place, loomed in my imaignation like a ruined gothic cathedral. The monstrosities that infested the space station were scary and, in the case of the predatory children, disturbing.

The scope of the imagined universe and the depth of imagination behind it was impressive. It provided a context in which our hero finds himself caught between two natural enemies, both of whom contributed to the destruction of his people.

There were interesting ideas about language, trust and the relationship between the two. I particularly liked that one of the languages was expressed entirely through the use of coloured lights. Trust appeared in many forms: enforced trust that lasts only as long as survival depends on collaboration; trust born out of a common heritage or history that survives longer than a rational assessment of the data would suggest; and trust that comes from choices taken, risks shared and sacrifices made.

The pages were packed with action, spiced by the main character's reflections on his memories. Memory also became a theme in the book. The power and the inaccuracy of what we remember and how the memory of a trauma shapes not just our past but how we parse the present.

I felt the pacing was a little off in the middle section of the book, when the three main characters were fighting their way across the huge, decaying spaceship. I understood that this was an important experience for challenging and shaping the relationship between the three of them, but there were so many violent encounters, and they were so similar that I began to feel like I was trapped in a video game where I couldn't level up.

The final quarter of the book more than made up for any frustration. It had me turning the pages eagerly. The ending was unexpected but pleasing. I've already downloaded 'The Unkillable Princess' (2025), the second book in the series show less

To be honest, I really wasn't interested in reading this novel until I became aware that a follow-up was on the verge of coming out, and a positive review I can no longer track down encouraged me to give it a try.

Those of you who follow my reviews know that I often find myself disappointed in contemporary space opera, and it seems like I'm becoming increasingly hard-nosed about giving these books a chance. That said, I wound up being very pleased with Hunt's first novel, and what it comes show more down to is that Sean Wren is a very good main character. He really carries the plot along, as at first he is merely trying to survive what appears to be a suicide mission, but then tries to rise to the occasion once he understands the real stakes involved. There's lot more introspection than you see in your typical adventure novel.

Yeah, this book probably does go on a bit too long for what is a smash and grab caper on a derelict space station, but good characterization and dialogue will go a long ways toward transcending the cliches. This being the case I feel like I have to give Hunt top marks; hopefully the second book transcends the sophomore jinx. show less

An excellent found family, horror(ish) space mystery. I truly loved Sean, Lantern Eyes and Indigo.
While this was a tad formulaic, the story had me turning the pages to try and figure out what exactly happened and why. I liked the ministers and their plight. I have always liked character driven stories with each character filling the plot back story with flashbacks or just general conversation.

Taran Hunt's "The Immortality Thief" was a pleasant surprise for me, as it was an enjoyable modern space opera when books like that seem to be thin on the ground. However, I'll also admit that I picked it up after this novel had just come out, and the back-of-the-napkin premise of the second book wasn't firing my imagination.

Unfortunately, I do have to admit to being a little underwhelmed, as Hunt has to engage in a lot of what I consider hand-waving to make this scenario work, which also show more includes what seems like an excessive amount of flash-back structure, to the point that narrative drive feels atomized. That said, Hunt does get to a believable emotional pay-off in the end, and we'll just move on and chalk matters up to a case of the Second Novel Blues. show less