The Circuit: Executor Rising (The Circuit, #1)

by Rhett C Bruno

"A hard-charging opener to a promising, if bloody, space-opera series." —KIRKUS


Centuries after Earth was rendered an uninhabitable wasteland, humanity was forced from its homeworld and founded the Kepler Circuit, a string of colonies throughout the solar system. These settlements provide resources to the remnants of humankind, the most important resource being the newly discovered element—Gravitum—found only in the Earth’s unstable mantle.


But a powerful religious faction known as the New Earth Tribunal has risen to preside over most of the Circuit. Though there is barely a faction left to challenge them, a string of attacks on the Tribunal’s freighters causes them to suspect their mortal enemies, the Ceresians, of foul play.


Tasked with solving the problem is Sage Volus: Tribunal Executor. Spy.


Sage quickly infiltrates the ranks of a roguish, Ceresian mercenary named Talon Rayne, seeking to discover the truth behind the attacks, but the longer she works amidst Talon and his squad, the more she finds her faith in the Tribunal tested.


While her quest for answers only unearths more questions, a new threat is on the rise, and it plans to bring down the Tribune once and for all.

• ISBN10: 1626819157
• ISBN13: 9781626819153
• Publish Date: 4 June 2015 (first published 10 June 2014)
• Publish Status: Transferred
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Diversion Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 276
• Language: English

Reviews

[chymerra]

Cassius Vale is an ex-New Earth Tribunal looking for revenge on his former Tribunals. He blames them for his son’s death, 7 years before. Through his android, ADIM (an acronym for Automated Dynamic Intelligence Mech), he has been attacking the Tribunal’s freighters and stripping it of its most prized….a newly discovered element called Gravitum. His grand scheme is to bring the New Earth Tribunal to its knees before destroying them.

Sage Volus is a New Earth Tribunal Executor and spy who is sent on a mission to infiltrate the Ceresians’….who are mortal enemies of the New Earth Tribunal. Her job has an Executor is basically to kill targets that the New Earth Tribunal has deemed dangerous to their cause and to their leadership. And right now, the Tribunal is looking at the Ceresians as that because of the attacks Cassius are doing on their freighters.

Talon Rayne is a Cersian miner who has caught the disease called Blue Death. This disease is a result of direct exposure to Gravitum and it cannot be cured. He was forced into hijacking a freighter after the head of the Clan arrested him after he killed a coworker in an argument (granted the guy had it coming to him). See, Talon used to be an Enforcer for that Clan and because of that, the new head is willingly to cut a deal. Talon hijacks a Tribunal freighter, get the Gravitum and all is well. If he refuses, well Talon has a daughter who is about 6 and, well, use your imagination at to what he threatened..

Sage and Talon’s storyline merges when she is sent to infiltrate the Ceresians and find out who is hijacking the ships. She forms a deep bond with him, to the point when they do hijack a ship and get their butts kicked by the Tribunals, she save his life. Well, kinda. He is sent to a Keeper ship (called a Solar Ark) called the Amerigo…where he is to eventually die of the Blue Death.

I will say that this book is a fast read. I should have know that it would be because the author’s other books that I have reviewed were fast reads too.

The action in the books was out of this world and honestly, made the book. I loved that there were explosions and gunfights. Oh and let’s not forget an android who is developing a conscience and is going off course with what Cassius tells him.

I also liked that there was a hint of romance between Sage and Talon but that it was left up in the air. Makes me wonder if they hook up in the other books?

The end of the book was a cliffhanger of sorts. Normally, I do not like cliff hangers but with this book, it worked perfectly because it makes you want to read the 2nd book to see what is going to happen.

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**