Ceres [Paperback]

L. Neil Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 22, 2010

*** 2010 Nominee for the Prometheus Award *** In the 22nd century people have spread into the Solar System. Born and raised in a twentieth of Earth's gravity on the asteroid Pallas, young skater Llyra Ngu is grimly determined to compete and win on mankind's homeworld-an ambition that many say will cripple or kill her. ** Her older brother Wilson is equally set on quitting his job as a surveyor's apprentice to become an asteroid hunter, a calling fraught with the promise of fabulous riches and the danger of sudden death. He will find a full share of romance and disappointment, love and loss, and pursue the asteroid hunter's holy grail, the legendary Diamond Rogue. ** Llyra's training will require years, and a journey that will take her to Ceres, at one tenth Earth's gravity, where her father bosses the Ceres Terraformation Project, to the one-sixth gravity of the Moon, to Mars and one third gravity, and finally to Earth. Along the way, she will survive jealous rivals, a hostile press, terrorist attacks, and the hijacking of a spaceliner in order to achieve her goal. ** In the end, Llyra and Wilson will hear the call of the stars, themselves.

Product Details

• Paperback: 490 pages
• Publisher: Phoenix Pick (November 22, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1612420079
• ISBN-13: 978-1612420073
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,140,383 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Terraform Ceres, November 16, 2011

By 

Steve - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ceres (Kindle Edition)

Futuristic yet down-to-"Earth" story of a family struggling to leave their mark on the new worlds of our solar system. From the effortless double-digit axle of a skater in limited gravity to the political turmoil that drives the inspiring and destructive plot.

4.0 out of 5 stars Like Cold Chocolate Milk On A Hot, Humid Day, October 10, 2011

By 

FURB Furbish "FURB" (Taylorsville City, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ceres (Paperback)

Ceres is the most recent installment of the Ngu family saga. The Ngu's were are humans spawned on Earth that settled on Mars. They clashed with United Nations forces sent from Earth to quash dissent. The Ngu's then went on to settle other worlds. It helps a bit if you have a cursory knowledge of the solar system's geography, as Smith's creative universe extends from planet Earth, to the dwarf planets of Pallas and Ceres (in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter).

As we join the Ngu progeny many years later, Wilson Ngu, a wanna-be asteroid hunter, and his sister, Llyra (a contender for figure skating championships), and several of the supporting cast members are trying to make their way in the universe. An environmental group known as The Mass Movement, and their militant arm Null Delta Em, set forth to make an example of the Ngus for despoiling the pristine worlds of the asteroid belt. The mysterious prescence of the Quickest Gun in the Moon lurks in the shadows of Armstrong, the moons largest city, ready to make his move. What is his purpose?

The follow passage is timely. As I read it, I was reminded of the terrible events that happened just over a decade ago, those unspeakable acts of destruction and murder occurring at the world trade center in New York City:

"Unlike a government somewhere, we will not attempt to capitalize on what might be perceived as an opportunity by declaring war on some other government, or making vague, impossible promises as an excuse to control our citizens more closely. This was an individual criminal act, no matter if it was committed at the behest of some government. We all have individual choices to make, each of us, individually. Each of those individuals responsible -- and they know who they are -- will be hunted down and made to pay for waht they've been a part of. From now on it is they who will worry about odd noises coming in the night. It is they who will be glancing fearfully back over their shoulders."

I can't speak for the company that employs me -- at least not until I confer with them -- but speaking for the Ngu family, I tell you now: it is time for you to run and hide. Even if you do, I will find each and every one of you. It will be as if the organizations you work for never existed, because each and every memeber, each and every office, each and every agent will be rendered as extinct as the Dodo bird.

In summation, Smith slowly draws you into his world as you sip on Llyra in her quest for ice skating geatness, but once Wilson is introduced, this story accelerates like cold chocolate milk through a silly straw. You gulp and gulp, until, just as the vessel is emptied of its refreshing goodness, you are completely satiated.

A word of caution, there is a bit of gratuitous sexual detail, which didn't appeal to me. There is, however, lots of action to be had in Ceres, and I bet you'll find this book to be a lode of fun, even if you aren't a libertarian sympathizer.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars painful, and a head-scratcher, September 5, 2011

By 

freedom reader (PRK, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ceres (Paperback)

L. Neil Smith is one of my favorite authors. Unfortunately, long experience has proven how uneven his work is. What makes this a painful read is twofold: firstly, it's a sequel to Pallas, my favorite of his novels, and it is lacking.

The novel takes place three generations after Pallas, as Emerson Ngu's descendants go about their lives on Pallas, terraforming Ceres, in archaeology, and in asteroid mining. These characters are fairly well drawn, but I wanted to know what became of the newly young Emerson, Rosalie, Drake-Tealy, Miri, and other characters from the first book. Emerson and crew simply disappeared while traversing the Oort cloud...or did they? The current characters just don't reside in memory as well as the originals.

Now there are the usual learning curve issues as Emerson's great-great grandson learns asteroid mining, relationships, being a hero, and dealing with Earth press, to say nothing of the needlessly fractious marriage his parents have. Had the novel focused on the asteroid mining, that would have made for a better book.

Instead, the central thread the second most painful thing about the book: Llyra Ngu's obsession to be the best figure skater on Pallas, the Moon, Mars, and Earth is the plot point tying the whole thing together. Sports bore the hell out of me, and figure skating only barely manages to outdo curling, solo synchronized swimming, or floor gymnastics for total irrelevance. I suspect Smith has become a "figure skating dad," and sought to inflict it on his readers.

Smith does manage to tease the reader with house-sized Drake-Tealy objects that tow mining ships at extremely fast speeds and emit odd energy patterns. Also, Emerson and crew manage to come back into the book near the end, threatening a sequel. After this book, I'm not sure I care any more, the same as I failed to care about the Probability Broach characters after the many lame sequels that followed.