Orbital Book 4: Ravages

Orbital Book 4: Ravages, by Sylvain Runberg & Serge Pelle, Cinebook

THE FOCUS of this concluding two-volume sci-fi series shifts away from lead characters Caleb and Mezoke as officials force celebrations for war’s ending to take place.

That’s not helpful when people are dying, by person or persons unknown, but as we’ve noted in real life over here in England of late, politics can be a knee-jerk public reaction to something while those really handling the situation grit their teeth and get on with it.

For this volume that’s often seen to be Nina as he steers the sentient craft being that is Angus through unexplored waters in Malaysia, discovers an alien that has crash-landed on Earth, and learns about another.

The volume is slow to mid-paced for most of its length, the Babylon 5 styled politics kept to a minimum and for those who don’t care for such matters offset by the atmospheric and expressive Euro-cartooned art. When the action kicks in it’s like real life, a short sharp shock to the system, especially the book’s conclusion.

Several characters are introduced this volume, and some in the previous one return, with agendas, problems and plot developments of their own that aren’t concluded in this book and will presumably continue in a next double collection of translate volumes, though what affect the outcome of this one will bring to bear on them remains to be seen.

For more information on Orbital visit Cinebook.

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