Balshazzar's Serpent

2.4 stars that don't quite round up to three. There simply are no likeable characters in this book. There is no one I found admirable or even very interesting, so despite the 'action' and mystery, I really didn't care what happened to any of the characters. On one side there is a group of star-hopping religious fanatics, one of thousands of cults that have sprung up after the outlying star colonies have lost contact with Earth. This group means well, they aren't crusaders or witch hunters, but they are insufferably self-righteous. Then there is a group of marooned space pirates. Their leader might be considered a charming rogue -- if they weren't a bunch of murdering rapists. A few characters come out as not being quite as bad as their show more associates, and some exhibit some positive personality traits, but none rise above them far enough for me to care much. show less

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