I have been fortunate enough to receive an advance review copy of Kristine Smith’s new science fiction novel Endgame.

It is the fourth book in the Jani Kilian universe, following Code of Conduct, Rules of Conflict, Law of Survival, and Contact Imminent.

My challenge with this review is to talk intelligently about the book without spoiling it for those who will want to read it.

The Story

Endgame’s protagonist, Jani Kilian, is a compelling, complex, driven hero. Injured over 20 years ago in a messy conflict between humans and the alien idomeni, she was rebuilt using idomeni genetic material.

In the intervening years, she’s survived the inevitable medical crises of her physique hybridizing. She’s also navigated multiple bloody and paranoid political, alien-human and personal upheavals by staying always on the run.

Until now.

Jani has found a home with a group of fellow hybrids on Thalassa, where she serves in the role of religious leader and diplomat. When her new home is threatened by human and idomeni political and economic pressure, she decides to confront the issues and fight.

Her battle is staged across multiple worlds, at bedsides and in boardrooms, and with guns and prayers. Through it all, she remains a driven, charismatic, polarizing presence. Enemies despise and fear her, allies love her, but all respect what she stands for.

This book should be accessible as a standalone novel, however, having read all the predecessors was helpful in understanding characters and worlds.

The Writing

I admire Kristine Smith’s writing. Her style is intricate, layered and detailed, but her pacing is rapid and her characters vivid.

Jani is a tremendous, multidimensional protagonist. (I won’t demean her by calling her a heroine – she will never require a rescuer on a white horse.) She’s brilliant, driven, strong, paranoid, angry, hopeful and visionary, and her every action consistently builds her character. I cheered and agonized for her through every step of her battle.

The author’s worldbuilding, as well, is outstanding. Although the stories and settings are not similar, the political and religious themes rival Dune in their complexity and reach. You feel the wind and heat as she stands on a Thalassan cliff, the sterility of shipboard life, and the sun-baked immensity of the idomeni homeworld.

The idomeni are a well-drawn alien race. They may look similar enough to pass as humans, but their culture, taboos, behavior and violent reactions all mark them as entirely, well, alien from us.

In this story, the author brings multiple story arcs to a close successfully. Idomeni internal politics threaten to explode, human politics and anti-hybrid sentiments come to a head, and Jani’s personal life falls apart. Jani, of course, has a hand in resolving all of it.

The final scene is spectacular – compelling, symbolic and poetic. It’s a fitting conclusion to Jani’s saga and left me very pleased with this book.

Endgame’s release date is November 1, 2007. Buy it and read it!