My rating: 🌟🌟 (2 stars)
Publisher: Blue Sky Studio
It's been a while since I posted reviews as my 2020 was crazy before Coronavirus so there's a bit of a backlog (because I kept reading just not posting here). Currently, I'm reading cozy mysteries so there's likely be a torrent of reviews of them after this backlog is posted. Now, let's get to Colony War!
This is one of those books in a series that you read and realize, you could have skipped entirely for all the forward momentum in plot that took place. The relevant bits could have been pared down and split between the first book and the third (heaven help me, I'm going to begin reading that one tonight).
The story picks up quite literally where the first book leaves off because the first didn't have an ending, just an abrupt full stop scene cut. So the bots are going rogue and Maggie and Jonah are basically trying to be the double team solution. As the story plays out here, it's often an aimless, nonsensical and irritating unplanned mess. They run, they posture, they make to be daring and brave but alas, it's all sturm and drang as most of it results in nothing worthwhile (that's pretty much saved for the last quarter of the book).
One of the more annoying things here is that Maggie's undercover and fake Space Force credentials have come to light yet when it serves the plot, she's treated and spoken of as though those credentials are real. I almost tossed the book when this happened in interaction with actual military personnel on Earth. Worse, Jonah did all the talking and it really made her redundant in the scene. As far as utility to a fight, it made no sense for Jonah to have Maggie accompany him to chase down Buford, especially as Jonah was heretofore most worried about Buford killing her. Buford's left Elderon for Earth? Leave Maggie on the station. But no, Jonah asks her to help him go apprehend Buford and she goes. Mind, she's only had one week of firearms training (which finally occurs to him when they actually have to fight) and he seeks out no one else in his cadet group (Ping's hurt but Kholi and the other two have apparently disappeared into the ether).
There's more but I just don't want to go on. Suffice it to say, this ended with me not even liking Jonah any longer. Maggie, I can still stand but she's got some annoyance points racked up here. Also, there's very little Tripp in this one as he's still on Elderon and continues to have no POV chapters. The tech industry parts are still some of the best of the book but the characterizations are lacking. As I don't like Jonah, the attraction between him and Maggie really falls flat.
If you must, I'd recommend reading the last quarter because the action was well done. I'll even give the author's Afterword some points because it's well done, informative and really shows how she researched for her story.
Summary: An army of bots is roaming the space station — hijacked by a terrorist inside BlumBot International. The bots share a hive mind that learns and adapts, making them the most deadly adversaries Jonah has ever faced.
Jonah and Maggie are prepared to fight alongside the Space Force, but how can they defeat an army that never eats, never sleeps, and never grows tired? To protect the colony, they must join forces with Tripp Van de Graaf — the cocky young executive with dimples for days. Tripp makes no effort to hide his attraction toward Maggie, and Jonah hates him instantly. But Tripp’s company holds the key to defeating the bots: their human creator, Ziva Blum.
When Maggie, Tripp, and Jonah learn that more humanoids are hibernating on Earth, they must race to stop a madman bent on destruction and save the world from a robot apocalypseJonah and Maggie are prepared to fight alongside the Space Force, but how can they defeat an army that never eats, never sleeps, and never grows tired? To protect the colony, they must join forces with Tripp Van de Graaf — the cocky young executive with dimples for days. Tripp makes no effort to hide his attraction toward Maggie, and Jonah hates him instantly. But Tripp’s company holds the key to defeating the bots: their human creator, Ziva Blum.
When Maggie, Tripp, and Jonah learn that more humanoids are hibernating on Earth, they must race to stop a madman bent on destruction and save the world from a robot apocalypse.
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