Every time I learn of a new Donovan book I know I’m in for a treat: this series does not only focus on one of my favorite SF themes, the colonization of an alien planet, but it also offers new narrative avenues with each installment, so that the series remains fresh and highly enjoyable.
Reckoning takes a slightly different approach from its predecessors in that it does not explore one of the many dangers facing the colonists in their battle for survival on this very hostile planet, but rather on the evolution of the characters I have come to know and appreciate over time. Of course Donovan and its many hazards are still front and center, but this time the menace comes from Earth and the Corporation, whose visiting representatives have come to take in hand the situation.
With the return of Ashanti, one of the ships that managed to survive the dangers of interstellar travel, laden with its rich cargo of rare metals and precious stones mined on Donovan, the Corporation understands that such wealth in the hands of individuals (like the criminal Dan Wirth, who came back home with his massive plunder) might end up unsettling the balance of power in the Solar System, so a group of representative from some of the most influential families boards the ship Turalon with the goal of asserting the Corporation’s rule on Donovan. They are joined by a Board appointed Inspector General, who will audit Kalico Aguila’s actions so far and decide if she’s gone far too native to be allowed to continue in her role as Board Supervisor.
As Turalon approaches the planet we readers are presented with the underhanded maneuvers that the four representatives play in the attempt of gaining dominance even before making planetfall: they are not only powerful, ruthless individuals who stop at nothing to achieve their goals, they help us see that the corporate boardrooms in the Solar System are as dangerous as Donovan’s jungles and these scions of influential families are bloodthirsty predators in the same league as quetzals. And yet we readers already know that statistical data about Donovan and the hard facts of planetary life are two different things, so part of the enjoyment in reading a new book comes from the reactions of the “fresh meat” (as new arrivals are called) to the reality of life on the ground and in the few areas that colonists have come to claim as their own.
This is particularly true for Falise Taglioni, the sister of Derek (Dek) Taglioni whose full adaptation to Donovan we saw in previous installments: Falise is not only the family’s cold-blooded assassin, she is a spoiled brat far too used to having her way, so that her constant refusal to adapt to groundside conditions offers several opportunities for entertainment – both for the readers and the locals. The disparity between her outlandish outfits and the frontier environment at Port Authority serves the author well in demonstrating the dichotomy between the light-years-distant corporate mindset and the reality of life on Donovan. Like Kalico Aguila before her, Falise will have to accept the fact that mankind must adapt to the environment rather than taming it to its desires and learning the hard way that, as the saying goes, people get to Donovan to stay or die of find themselves. The way in which Falise will find herself while remaining true to her core nature is certainly one of the most intriguing facets of this novel.
As far as the “old” characters in the series are concerned, the focus here shifts a little from Talina or Dek, to follow more closely Kalico Aguila and young Kylee. The first is well aware that her tenure on Donovan might be at its end, given that the Inspector General is clearly out for her blood – and with him we have one of the most despicable characters created by the author, one that I’m sure you will all hate with a passion. Kalico has not only invested all her energies in the mining of planetary resources, she has become a Donovanian through and through (and has the scars to prove it…): she is one of the people for whom the titular reckoning has arrived and might signify the end of her role on Donovan and a return in disgrace to the Solar System. The way in which this particular situation develops represents one of the more compelling and satisfying segments of the novel, one that I followed with a mixture of anxiety and amusement – the latter sentiment due to the sheer unpredictability of the colonists…
Kylee held the biggest surprise in store for me: while I found her character intriguing in her past appearances in the series, I did not exactly connect to her, but here – grown up and struggling to reconcile her hard-earned maturity with the pains of adolescence – I enjoyed her sections and above all the practical, foul-mouthed approach to life she shows, particularly in her dealings with Falise Taglioni, to whom she acts as a sort of mentor in all things Donovan. The interactions between the two of them – the hardened survivor and the spoiled outworlder – offer some of the most entertaining segments in the novel and have managed to change my outlook about Kylee herself.
This sixth book in the series is aptly titled Reckoning, because many of the proverbial chickens come home to roost here, and that’s one of the reasons I found the book quite engrossing, literally flying from one chapter to the next in my eagerness to know how the various situations would be resolved. While it’s true that we learn nothing new here about the planet itself and its dangers, the interpersonal relationships and the unavoidable clash between the colonists and the new arrivals (not to mention a couple of unexpected murders and a few quetzal incursions) were more than enough to keep my attention riveted and to fuel my expectations for the next book in line – I know I will not be disappointed.
Although this wasn’t my favorite book in the series, I do love how Gear manages to make even the political maneuverings interesting (not always my favorite element). His characters continue to grow and change, which makes me so eager for the next book!
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This series could go on practically forever and there would alway be some new, intriguing angle to explore on Donovan. And the next one could not be here soon enough! 😉
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Isn’t it amazing when a favorite series gets a new instalment? And I do love a good banter/interaction too!
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The dialogues are quite entertaining here, particularly between the new arrivals and the old hands…. 🙂
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I am so glad this series is staying strong. If he hasn’t wrapped things up by book 10 I think I will just dive in…
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Given that a new book comes out regularly every year or so, you could start now with the same cadence and always have a handful of books to look forward to. Just saying… 😉
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Hahahaa, nice try! 😀
Considering my reading rotation is between 5-8 weeks, unfortunately, I’d be caught up within a year or so…
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Well, I had to try and make another convert…. 😉 😀
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I’m really intrigued by this series, especially when you sing only praises for it since the very beginning. I’m impressed it’s been going strong this long too. I do hope the next installment will continue to build up the universe. Fantastic review as always, Maddalena! 😀
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Thank you! And yes, I cannot recommend this series strongly enough. It has all the elements I enjoy: a new planet to explore, unforeseen dangers, manipulative politicians and a few critters to watch out for. The perfect recipe… 🙂
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What I find intriguing is that your summary of the plot makes it sound very much as if the story was set in the West Indies or something, about boats bringing gold and spices back to Europe.
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There is indeed a sort of New World flavor here, particularly because in the internal economy of the story, Donovan is the only habitable world so far discovered by humanity, and it holds plentiful and unexpected riches to be plundered… 🙂
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I’m glad this series keeps on delivering with each installment! Each time I read one of your reviews for this series, I want to dive in! But first, I need to finish up some series! 😛
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Ah, series! The joy and bane of the compulsive reader! 😀
As I’m fond of saying, coming late to a series offers you the opportunity to dive in without having to wait from one book to the next, which is always a plus when yon enjoy the story…
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Yes, this was another winner! Compared to the previous book I thought things were a bit more subdued but in some ways I like that we’re taking a breather and going back to Port Authority to catch up with everyone. Seems like also an opportunity to build up to the next big disaster for the Donovanians 😀
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Because there is *always* a next big disaster to deal with on Donovan, indeed! There are a few unexplored themes from the past (the mysterious predator near the former cannibals site and the lurking danger from the ocean) and I’m sure the author has something new in store as well…. 🙂
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Still haven’t started this series… Aaargh, why are there so many books and so little time??? 😉
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That’s the question I ask myself every day, but I still have to find a satisfactory answer…. (((SIGH)))
🙂
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Ahh… I’m SO fed up! I love colony adventures done well – and yet, here in the UK the books are only available in hardcover and paperback and are expensive. Though I have noted on the author page that Gear has other intriguing-looking series on the go,too that are available on KU – I will check those out! And hope that at some stage the Donovon books become available as ebooks. Love those covers!!!
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Since I do most (if not all) of my reading through e-books I find I have little or no problems with availability, and the price is usually less than with physical books, so that might represent an alternative. And I’ve seen the other long-standing series Gear is writing with his wife: if my TBR were not already filled to capacity I would take a peek at that one too… 🙂
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Yes – I can’t recall the last time I read a print book! But in the UK, the Donovon books are only available in print:(.
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I don’t know if the Kobo site is available in the UK, because if it is they have a very comprehensive catalog 🙂
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Uh – yes. But you need a Nook to access the Kobo site, don’t you? I’ve only got a Kindle…
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That’s too bad! The day when all these different reading systems will be abolished cannot come too soon….
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