End of All Thinsgs by John Scalzi

Science Fiction

From Goodreads:

Hugo-award winning author, John Scalzi returns to his best-selling Old Man's War universe with the direct sequel to 2013’s The Human Division

Humans expanded into space…only to find a universe populated with multiple alien species bent on their destruction. Thus was the Colonial Union formed, to help protect us from a hostile universe. The Colonial Union used the Earth and its excess population for colonists and soldiers. It was a good arrangement...for the Colonial Union. Then the Earth said: no more.

　

Now the Colonial Union is living on borrowed time—a couple of decades at most, before the ranks of the Colonial Defense Forces are depleted and the struggling human colonies are vulnerable to the alien species who have been waiting for the first sign of weakness, to drive humanity to ruin. And there’s another problem: A group, lurking in the darkness of space, playing human and alien against each other—and against their own kind —for their own unknown reasons.

　

In this collapsing universe, CDF Lieutenant Harry Wilson and the Colonial Union diplomats he works with race against the clock to discover who is behind attacks on the Union and on alien races, to seek peace with a suspicious, angry Earth, and keep humanity’s union intact...or else risk oblivion, and extinction—and the end of all things.

Set in The Old Man’s War universe The End of all Things once again follows CDF Lieutenant Harry Wilson as the Colonial Union, Earth and the Conclave face new dangers.

A set of four novellas make up the book.  While Wilson is a character in all different people are featured in each.

 I love The Life of the Mind.  Who knew a brain in a box could have so much personality. 

This Hollow Union is set in the Conclave and features several of the aliens.  The politics don’t sound too different from what we hear today.  I found the habits of some of the aliens very interesting.

Can Long Endure follow several CDF soldiers as they try to put out fires.  Things are not going that well.  The final reaction by one of the characters says a lot about what the future holds for the Colonial Union.

Finally To Stand or Fall brings it all together.  All three governments have to decide how the future will play out.  That is the end of all things.  At least for now.  Scalzi does not say that he will never return to this universe so we will see.

This is a nice addition to the Old Man’s War Universe.  To understand the world building and back story you really need to have read the previous books in the series.  If you have this is an enjoyable story and one you might not want to miss.

Tor published The End of all Things by John Scalzi in 2015.

The Descartes Legacy by Nina Croft

Science Fiction/Mystery

What Goodreads says:

"Lucas Grafton has spent the last ten years hunting the Conclave, a secret organization who took everything from him: his wife, his child, his very identity. Now he has a lead—an imminent terrorist attack on London—code-named Descartes.
Born with a genetic illness, Jenna Young has always known she was different. But the unexpected death of her father catapults her into a world of murder and terrorism she never expected. In order to stay alive, she must solve a twenty-five year old mystery—and her only ally a hard bitter man in search or retribution, her only clue the Descartes Highlands, an area on the near side of the moon.
Luke’s need for revenge collides with Jenna’s hunt for the past, and together they must stand against the Conclave. All the while uncovering the truth behind Jenna’s illness, a truth that will make Jenna question her very humanity."

At the end of The Descartes Legacy Nina Croft tells how this book came to be.  It seems that one morning at breakfast Bob, her other half, asked her why she didn’t write a good book?   She says; “He survived (just) and I discovered his idea of a “good book” was one with no romance, no vampires, werewolves, or aliens.  I managed some of that, although the romance crept in (hey, I like romance) and just a tiny, little alien.  I hope he likes it.”

I don’t know how Bob feels about the result but I really liked it. 

Jenna Young is a great character. She is pro-active, stronger than she thinks and does not wait on others to save her.  She has been taught to keep others out of her life but changes when she needs to in order to survive. I loved her reaction to all that happened and how she took control in the end.

Luke Grafton is the ultimate loner, shutting everything personal out of his life.  He has a single-minded goal, find and destroy the Conclave.  When Jenna shows up on his radar as a way to get answers he tries to maintain his distance.  That is where the romance crept in.

The Descartes Legacy is a very well written and plotted story.  From start to finish the tension never lets up. Just when I though I knew what was going on a new surprise that changed everything was dropped into the action.  Everything from the world building to the character development kept the story moving.  Look for an exciting finish but it only solves part of the problem.  Now I have to wait for the sequel to see what happens next.

Entangled: Edge published The Descartes Legacy by Nina Croft in 2013.