Agent of Destruction

The Stem: 1

ISBN: 0-441-00356-7 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com

Reviewed by David on November 08, 1998

Genre: Science Fiction (Space Opera)

Synopsis: In the far future the planetary-surface populations are being brutally dominated by two enormous, war-locked fleets. The silver and the gold fleets, each numbering hundreds of thousands of ships, harbor rigid, militaristic societies who raid the "dirt-dwellers" for materials and slaves. Through dozens of generations, the two fleets have battled each other, and made sure that the planetary civilizations never develop enough to rival the fleets' warships. In desperation, the world-dwellers train a group of saboteurs to infiltrate the ships. When the fifteen-year-old daughter of a planetary president is captured in a raid and taken aboard one of the fleets as a slave, the planetary resistance movement known as the Stem finally has its chance to disrupt the endless war.

Full Review: The novel introduces a universe slightly resembling that of Cherryh's Union/Alliance. After endless petty conflicts, the alienated spaceship crews sent to fight the home-planet wars find more in common with each other than with the surface populations. After many mergers and struggles, the interstellar fleets end up in two huge entities, which revolt against the home planets and suppress their technology and travel, while they battle each other for the domination of the galaxy.

After centuries of oppression and destruction, the planets create the Stem, a secret organization intended to disrupt the two fleets and allow the planets to build up their defenses to stop the endless raids.

Dane Steppart is one of the most talented members of the Stem, trained to manipulate others by analyzing their motivations and predicting their reactions. After being enslaved in a raid, she utilizes her skills to approach some of the most influential members of the silver fleet. Her purpose, as well as that of her counterpart and friend in the opposing gold fleet, is to entice the fleets into a great, costly battle with each other. The way is fraught with risk and uncertainty for Dane and her friends. Perhaps the greatest is the fact that some of the fleet officers are both talented and honorable. While Dane is playing a loyal friend of the officers, it becomes increasingly difficult to harm the enemies she is coming to respect, and even love.

The conflict of loyalties, along with a rather likable heroine make for an interesting reading. Most secondary characters, however, are pretty flat, and the technical side of the starships and battles is sketchy and unbelievable. In general, this is an average space opera, pleasant for reading on a plane ride, but not much more.

While Agent of Destruction is a stand-alone novel, there is a sequel, Agent of Chaos.

Overall: 5; Plot: 4.5; Characters: 5; Style: 4.5; World-building: 4; Originality: 5;

ISBN: 0-441-00356-7 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com