Tracer (Outer Earth, #1)

by Rob Boffard

Imagine The Bourne Identity meets Gravity and you'll get TRACER, the most exciting thriller set in space you'll ever read.

A huge space station orbits the Earth, holding the last of humanity. It's broken, rusted, falling apart. We've wrecked our planet, and now we have to live with the consequences: a new home that's dirty, overcrowded and inescapable.

What's more, there's a madman hiding on the station. He's about to unleash chaos. And when he does, there'll be nowhere left to run.

In space, every second counts. Who said nobody could hear you scream?

'Fast, exhilarating and unforgettable, and once you start it you can't stop' Sarah Lotz, author of The Three

'A stunning debut that never lets up, from the nerve-jangling beginning to the explosive end' James Douglas, author of The Doomsday Machine

'TRACER sets a new standard for all-action SF' Ken MacLeod

• ISBN10: 0356505138
• ISBN13: 9780356505138
• Publish Date: 16 July 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Orbit
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 448
• Language: English

Reviews

[Rinn]

I received a copy of this book for free from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. Also posted on my blog, Rinn Reads.

Recently, I decided to give The 100 another shot. I’d given up on it by episode three when it aired on television, but I was in the mood for that sort of science fiction. I devoured both series in a matter of weeks, and I was still hungry for more. Then I saw Tracer on Netgalley, auto-approved for me, and grabbed it.

And Tracer satisfied that hunger pretty well! It begins with one of the most fast-paced action scenes I have ever read, Riley’s every leap, spin and landing painted vividly for the reader. Although the action slowed down at points, it was still there, and for me that was the high point of the novel.

Unfortunately, where the book suffered was the characters. Tracer is told from three points of view: Riley, Prakesh and Darnell. Riley’s viewpoint is first person whereas the other two are told in third person. This was an interesting technique, focusing in on Riley as the main character, but I didn’t really feel a connection to her or any one else. If, in a book, characters are faced with a life or death situation, I need to care for them, I need to hope that they make it through. I just wasn’t feeling it for any of the characters in the book.

However, the plot was really great and that’s what pulled it through, along with the fantastically written action scenes. There are a lot of science fiction novels out there which focus on the ‘last humans’, but rarely is the threat to these survivors other members of their own race, rather than an extra-terrestrial species. THAT’S what’s scary – not an alien invasion, but human beings turning on each other.

Although I would have loved some more character development, this was a really fun science fiction novel, and definitely the sort of thing I was looking for. If you’re suffering from The 100 withdrawal, you might want to give it a try too!