Terminal Alliance by Jim C. Hines science fiction and fantasy book and audiobook reviewsTerminal Alliance by Jim C. Hines

The people remaining on a devastated Earth have been turned into zombies by a virus accidentally unleashed by one of their own scientists. Fortunately for some humans, a race of aliens known as the Krakau have figured out how to genetically engineer humans without the virus. Thus, about 10,000 humans still live, but rather than return to Earth to be cannibalized by their own species, they choose to work for the Krakau who saved them. The Krakau are benevolent overlords; they have even preserved the records of as much of Earth’s civilization as they could so that their human fosterlings can have their own culture.

One of these humans is Marion “Mops” Adamopoulos who leads a team of janitors on one of the Krakau spaceships. When the ship is attacked by the Podryans, an aggressive alien species, a series of mishaps incapacitates their Krakau leaders and leaves Mops in charge of the ship. With her crew of janitors, she must learn how to fly the ship, defeat the Prodryans, and unravel the mystery of the bioweapon that attacked them. Their investigations will uncover some uncomfortable truths…

Terminal Alliance by Jim C. Hines science fiction and fantasy book and audiobook reviewsTerminal Alliance (2017), the first novel in Jim C. HinesJANITORS OF THE POST-APOCALYPSE series, is an amusing space opera with a unique premise. Choosing janitors for the starring roles gives Hines plenty of opportunities for comedy. Mops and her team usually solve problems by relying on their ability, as a cleaning crew, to move around unnoticed, as well as their intimate knowledge of dirt, poop, bodily fluids, food service, and cleaning supplies and equipment. There were a few times that I thought the plot was a little silly or repetitive (in terms of the way the crew solved problems), but generally I thought it was entertaining.

There are a few serious moments that I would have liked to see extended, such as when the janitors wonder whether they are really humans or whether they are just aliens who’ve been handed a human culture. There’s also a good opportunity to address stereotype threat in an interesting way because the aliens have told the humans that they are not very intelligent and the humans believe it, which lowers their self-esteem and self-efficacy.

I listened to the audiobook edition of Terminal Alliance which was published by Tantor Audio and read by Rebecca Mitchell. I wish I could be more enthusiastic about it, but I thought Mitchell’s performance was stiff and didn’t effectively bring out Hines’ sense of humor. If I had read it to myself, I might have found it funnier than I did. I will read the sequel, Terminal Uprising, in audio format because Tantor Audio sent it to me. Often audiobook performances improve in the second volume as the reader gets to know the characters and gets the hang of the author’s pacing and, in this case, sense of humor. I hope that will be the case here. I should note that most reviewers at Audible disagree with me about Mitchell’s performance so, if you’re thinking of listening to this book in audio format, I suggest listening to a sample first.

In print form, Terminal Alliance was published by DAW, which I suppose is why the spray bottle in Mops’ hand on the book’s cover seems to be advertising DAW’s logo. Cute!

 

Published in 2017. When the Krakau came to Earth, they planned to invite humanity into a growing alliance of sentient species. This would have worked out better for all involved if they hadn’t arrived after a mutated plague wiped out half the planet, turned the rest into shambling, near-unstoppable animals, and basically destroyed human civilization. You know—your standard apocalypse. The Krakau’s first impulse was to turn their ships around and go home. After all, it’s hard to establish diplomatic relations with mindless savages who eat your diplomats. Their second impulse was to try to fix us. A century later, human beings might not be what they once were, but at least they’re no longer trying to eat everyone. Mostly. Marion “Mops” Adamopoulos is surprisingly bright (for a human). As a Lieutenant on the Earth Mercenary Corps Ship Pufferfish, she’s in charge of the Shipboard Hygiene and Sanitation team. When a bioweapon attack by an alien race wipes out the Krakau command crew and reverts the rest of the humans to their feral state, only Mops and her team are left with their minds intact. Escaping the attacking aliens—not to mention her shambling crewmates—is only the beginning. Sure, Mops and her assortment of space janitors and plumbers can clean the ship, but flying the damn thing is another matter. As they struggle to keep the Pufferfish functioning and find a cure for their crew, they stumble onto a conspiracy that could threaten the entire alliance. A conspiracy born from the truth of what happened on Earth all those years ago…

Author

  • Kat Hooper

    KAT HOOPER, who started this site in June 2007, earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience and psychology at Indiana University (Bloomington) and now teaches and conducts brain research at the University of North Florida. When she reads fiction, she wants to encounter new ideas and lots of imagination. She wants to view the world in a different way. She wants to have her mind blown. She loves beautiful language and has no patience for dull prose, vapid romance, or cheesy dialogue. She prefers complex characterization, intriguing plots, and plenty of action. Favorite authors are Jack Vance, Robin Hobb, Kage Baker, William Gibson, Gene Wolfe, Richard Matheson, and C.S. Lewis.