The Paratwa

I really liked Liege-Killer, the first book in this trilogy. The pacing was great, and I enjoyed the sci-fi mystery and suspense aspects. Ash Ock, the second book, wasn't as good, but I reminded myself that it was the second book in a trilogy, and Hinz probably needed to do some setup for the events of the third book. Now that I've read the third book, I wish I could go back in time and tell myself to stop at Book 1.

This book was incredibly painful to get through. For long stretches, all anyone seemed to do was sit around and talk. Timmy, Susan's mentor, lectured Susan, Gillian, and Empedocles about Sappho's origins, motives, and plans for almost 100 pages. Information necessary for certain scenes to make sense wasn't revealed for show more hundreds of pages. For example, the Os/Ka/Loq were mentioned long before they were explained, and the phrase “This kascht reeks of the lacking” was overused before it even meant anything to me.

The other reasons why I didn't like this book are almost entirely enormous spoilers. You've been warned.

The female characters depressed me. Buff was never able to avenge Martha (Gillian did that). Susan, who I had hoped would morph into humanity's ridiculously badass savior, was revealed to have been created solely to make Gillian/Empedocles whole again. She got to resist and rage against this fate for only a few pages. The instant she made physical contact with Gillian, however, she was consumed by what was basically a soulmate bond and happily had sex with him, her love. This was, I think, the first instance I've ever seen of a male author writing a soulmate romantic subplot, and it sucked. Then there was the climactic battle with Calvin KyJy. Although Susan's body got to make the decisive moves, it was Gillian who was in the driver's seat – he got to be the hero via her body. Considering what I had hoped for after Book 2, it was like a slap in the face.

I'm not sure what Hinz wanted readers to feel for Sappho. Pity? Anger? If Calvin KyJy was right, she'd never really loved Ghandi at all and had been using him right from the start to the finish. I felt like vomiting when the form of her partial “tway” was revealed and I realized the significance of Reemul's “toy” in Book 1. It didn't matter that it was an android and probably not even a sentient one at that. It was still horrifying.

Nick's way of “winning” the war against Sappho and the Os/Ka/Loq was insane and left me cold. I did not consider the complete destruction of E-Tech's archives, the deaths of hundreds of people, and the annihilation of all possibility of life on Earth to be a victory. An explanation was given for the Os/Ka/Loq backing off, but it didn't quite work for me. With all the trouble humans had caused, you'd think they'd have happily wiped us all out in exchange for having to wait a few more centuries to have our planet. Goodness knows they had the time.

So yeah. This book didn't work for me. And the “to be continued” feel at the end wasn't intriguing, it was annoying.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) show less

Paratwa
By Christopher Hinz
Publisher: Tor
Published In: New York, NY
Date: 1991
Pgs: 405

Summary:
The Earth is almost ready to be repopulated following the Apocalypse. The colony cylinders are holding the seeds of humanity and Earth. The enemy is coming. The Paratwa, the twinned bioengineered assassins who helped the Earth along on her fall, are on their way. An advance guard is loose in the cylinders. Plans within plans. Secrets within secrets. Long term plans are coming to fruition. A war is coming. Will man survive?

Genre:
science fiction, genetics, war

Main Character:
The Lion of Alexander, the leader of the United Cousteau Clans. He is a grown up, grown old Jerem Marth from the 1st book. He is the narrative soul of this series. And his show more character shines more here than it did in the other two books.

Favorite Character:
Timmy. All the way up until his ultimate raison d’etre is revealed.

I really wanted more of Meridian, the Paratwa lieutenant to the Ash Ock royal caste.

Least Favorite Character:
Calvin KyJy, the one and only tripartite Paratwa. He undergoes a large personality shift during this book. And then, shifts again in the run up to the climax of the story.

Favorite Scene:
When Vilakov hefts his geocannon and carries it Rambo-style into battle.

Plot Holes/Out of Character:
Calvin KyJy for the reasons mentioned above.

Last Page Sound:
Better than the 2nd book in the series, Ash Ock. On a par with the 1st book, Liege Killer.

Author Assessment:
I would definitely read more by this author.

Disposition of Book:
Keep it. Re-read it.

Why isn’t there a screenplay?
There should be. This would make a great movie. Lots of opportunity for big sci fi action and stuff blowing up. Intrigue. Evil. And heroes.

Casting call:
Charlize Theron as Collette Ghandi the earthbound tway of Sappho
Michael Clarke Duncan as Vilakov
Peter Dinklage as Nick
Patrick Stewart as Jerem Marth, the Lion of Alexander
Lucy Liu as Maria Losef, the Director of ICN, the Colonial banking network show less

Part of one of the most exciting series in late-twentieth century science fiction. You'll never look at the phrase "binary interlink" in the same way again.

Capitolo conclusivo di questa grandiosa saga dei Paratwa, terribile ed affascinate finestra su questo futuro distopico e drammatico.
La storia tira le fila delle varie vicende e sopratutto viene spiegata la vera origine dei Paratwa e degli Ash Ock in un susseguirsi di azione, complotti ed intrighi, incredibili rivelazioni.
Un gran bel leggere fantascienza, altamente consigliato.