Customer Reviews

Endgame

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The descriptions you might see for this book concentrate on the setting: war and the threat of war, the human Commonwealth, the alien Idomeni, and a colony of hybrid alien/humans in the middle. But while the book begins and ends with a death, the focus of the book isn't on violence.

The main character, Jani Kilian, started this series four books ago as a document examiner, as an embodiment of a set of rules. In previous books, Jani has become encrusted with roles, both human and Idomeni. I don't want to read too much into the title, but the endgame in chess is a period of diminishing complexity and increasing opportunity for actions that resolve the game. As this book unrolls, Jani's roles fall away, leaving her comfortable with an unpleasant past and an uncertain future, in an situation without clear rules. It's all very zen in a way. Jani uncovers the possibility of action by leaving everything else behind, and in acting, uncovers the possibility of stillness and resolution.

The plot has a wonderful feeling of circles within circles: the actions and interactions of individuals powering the actions of larger and larger groups of people. It's a little like a ferris wheel: you speed along the bottom, and hang suspended at the top, although the plot has been moving along all the time. The story of a single person able to change the fate of galaxies is a staple among science fiction books, but Endgame is an unusually thoughtful treatment, and the leverage from the personal level to the planetary and beyond never seems forced.

What's extraordinary about this book is the way Smith conveys the details of a particular character thinking and acting at a particular place and time: this is me, this is here, this is now. Smith can place a character at a time and a place as well as anyone I've read.

You can read this book on its own if you'd like, or take this as a final goad to start the series at the beginning with Code of Conduct. Either is highly recommended.

The amazing conclusion to the Jani Kilian series starts with an assassin and plunges along with unstoppable momentum. Once again Jani is at the center of galactic intrigue, fighting hard to keep the humans and the alien idomeni from galactic war and from destroying the home that she's tried so hard to create, Thalassa. Her friends, hell bent on their own courses, seem determined to undermine everything she's done. Packed with complex characters, top-notch aliens, action, and brilliant suspense, Endgame is a story that you'll want to read again and again.

Change has come to humans and the Idomeni aliens when they first met in space and got to know each other. Right now, there is an uneasy coexistence between the two species with treaties in place to guide behavior and interactions. Hybridization is a choice to blend the two species into one, sometimes for health reason and sometimes for the need to find a better way of life. The hybrids live in Thalassa which is trying to become sovereign.

The impetus for Hybridization and alien and human getting to know one another is condemned by the leader of the Idomeni people yet some are not afraid to speak their beliefs even though they are anthemia to the zealots on his homeworld. The hybrid woman Jani Killian is shattered when her mentor is assassinated and she vows to bring his killer to justice. To do that, she will have to change the beliefs of Idomeni, wreck havoc by arranging the largest mass exodus ever known and overthrow the regime whose leaders sent the killer.

This latest Jani Killian novel is science fiction at its' very best. Splinter groups try to drive a wedge between human and alien relations. Yet because the two species are more alike than different they are fated to achieve only minor success, but doomed to failure in the larger sense. Jani is a well developed character; she is independent, doesn't pay attention to diplomatic protocol, does what she believes is right even if it disturbs two civilizations and is totally loyal to her friends. Kristine Smith is a superb species builder who creates a vivid picture of aliens especially on their homeworld and a deep look at human reactions to them.

Harriet Klausner

"End Game," the perhaps final entry in the Jani Kilian saga, is the best yet. And it's been a long time coming--the first of the pentology, "Code of Conduct," has a 1999 copyright date, and the previous volume in the series, "Contact Imminent," appeared in 2004. (There's a list of all the books in the series in a full-page advert following the conclusion of the book. Naturally, they should be read in the correct order.)

This time out, Jani--half human, half alien Idomeni--is confronted with the usual cast of characters that fans in the series know well (and maybe you'll wish a character list had been supplied), who attempt to manipulate her (usually without success). There has been an assassination on the hybrid enclave, Thalassa, which leaves her in charge. She tries to hunt down the assassin (whose point of view alternates throughout the book with Jani's), while the Earth government's various civil and military figures meddle, and the tale becomes one of chase, revenge, and politics.

Jani, faced with the conflicting motivations of the others, tries to make things up as she goes along. Usually her plans succeed only partially, if at all. And that's one of the many things that make this novel so interesting--Jani makes mistakes. She's no superhero, and she can be very nasty and impulsive.

As usual with Ms. Smith, there's great character development and flowing prose. The author's great with small details--when people stop for meals she tells you what they ate and drank without making her readers snarl "get on with it!" And she notices what people do with their hands when they talk.

But (and this is where the author has shown the greatest improvement from book to book), over time she's cut down on the flashbacks and the plot intricacies. This book's clarity itself.

A minor complaint: the novel for all intents and purposes concludes on page 369 when Col. Niall Pierce, the Shakespeare-quoting security chief, tips his hat to Jani. However, in a long, almost Victorian-style coda, the book continues on until page 404. A simple five- or maybe 10-page epilogue would have done the job. But on the whole, this is a fabulous book. It will be interesting to see if Ms. Smith will go on to something else, or start a new series involving Jani. Either way, I'll be waiting anxiously.

Endgame (2007) is the fifth SF novel in the Jani Kilian series, following Contact Imminent. In the previous volume, the Commonwealth military initiated a covert attack upon the idomeni embassy in Chicago. The attackers inflicted great damage on the structure, but only one of them was still alive after the operation.

The idomeni decided to withdraw their embassy. The bornsect returned to the worldskein, but the Haarin left for Elyas in the Outer Circle. Jani went to Thalassa on Elyas.

In this novel, Jani Moragh Kilian is a hybrid of human and idomeni. Indeed, she was the first such after her recovery from the shuttle explosion. She is also a novice priestess, training in the idomeni religion. She is known as Ni Kiersha -- the toxin -- because of her effects upon the idomeni.

Tsecha Egri is the spiritual leader of the Haarin, the common folk of the idomeni. He is also the primary agent of change among the idomeni priesthood. Jani is his religious suborn.

Morden niRau Ceel is the Oligarch of the Vynsharau, principal clan of the idomeni. He is violently opposed to the teachings of Tsecha. He had reduced Tsecha to Haarin to remove his influence from the idomeni priesthood.

Niall Pierce is a Colonel in the Commonwealth forces. He has been promoted through the ranks since his first acquaintance with Jani on Sheraa. Now he is the liaison between Tsecha and the armed forces.

Lucien Pascal is a Captain in the Commonwealth forces. He is also an assassin. He has a weird relationship with Jani.

Imea niaRauta Rilas is an idomeni religious fanatic and assassin. Her profession is unique among the idomeni. She has been killing so-called idomeni anathema from a list provided by Ceel. Her next target is Tsecha, but she would rather be killing Ni Kiersha.

In this story, Rilas comes to Elyas station and encounters a madman. She avoids him and then changes identities. Then she shuttles down to the planet.

Jani is again furious at Tsecha. He has written another major religious treatise. He will send it to the Rauta Sheraa Temple and create yet another fervor among the idomeni priesthood. Still, what else is new about Tsecha and religious agitation?

Jani is also busy arranging a meeting between government leaders from the Outer Circle. They are planning to secede from the Commonwealth due to indifference in the central government. This will cause great changes in the Haarin position on Elyas.

Then Rilas kills Tsecha using a toxic growth tailored to his biology. At first, the doctors do not recognize his death as a murder. They tend to believe that his physician-priestess had overlooked the growth in her examinations. But soon it becomes clear that the organism had grown with unnatural speed to destroy his brain.

Lucien finds the sniper nest from which Rilas had made the hit. He convinces Jani that Tsecha's death had been an assassination. Then it becomes evident that the assassin is an idomeni. Most refuse to believe this, since assassination is just not done among the idomeni. Instead, they use ritual duels to relieve their aggressions.

On her way out of the station, Rilas is recognized by the madman and she kills him. Jani observes her subsequent actions on surveillance tapes and obtains her identity. Niall sends a message to hold the assassin at the next station.

This tale brings Jani back to Rauta Sheraa. She has had nightmares about the events on Sheraa for decades and now she is back where it all began. She finds the city much the same except for where the killings had occurred.

This story brings the storyline to a conclusion. The action is rather minor compared to previous volumes, but greatly significant within the storyline. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Smith fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of alien cultures, religious developments, and interpersonal relationships.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Worth waiting for, and with a great twist in the tail, but if you are new to Kristine Smith it would be better to start with the first book in the series, as the interaction of the characters is very complex and you need to know the background to the main protagonists. Smith creates an extremely compelling world, full of ingenious technology, aliens and political intrigue, but yet exciting and gripping. I don't normally have patience with hard-to-pronounce names and language, but survived this. If you're interested then the author's website provides guidelines.

Judging by the title, this will be the last Jani book by Christine Smith. Like all of them, it's a fun read and thoroughly worth buying. If you haven't read the previous books, don't start with this one, though--you'd be pretty mystified if you didn't read the other books in the series first.

Smith does a decent job of closing out the story cycle, resolving most of the political, social, and personal dilemmas that were raised by previous events in Jani's life. However, I was left with the feeling that it was all a bit too easy, that Smith dodged some possibilities that would have given the book more edge, and made the outcome a bit more of a surprise. (If you don't like spoilers, stop reading here.)

Much of the tension in the previous Jani books was driven by issues of trust. Jani had good reason to mistrust just about everyone--particularly every male--with whom she came into contact. She was at the center of a high-stakes political storm, and there was every possibility that one side or another would decide to eliminate her. In addition, her associates had their own agendas. For example, could she trust the memorably-named Dr. Shroud, who had genetically modified her body as a grand experiment? Were his professed feelings for Jani real, or just a way to hold on to a valuable guinea pig? What about the ever-protective Niall, a colonel in the Service--were his offers of friendship (and perhaps something more) just just a ploy to control Jani? In the previous book, we go through cycles of doubt, revelation, and reconciliation in Jani's relationships with these and other men.

In Endgame, it turns out that the men in Jani's life are all basically nice guys who couldn't possibly want to hurt her. Sure, she drops Shroud as a lover...but she doesn't go so far as to change doctors. Perhaps this much would be plausible, except for one thing: Julien. Julien, the smooth-talking pretty boy, who we know is a professional assassin and is described by Jani herself as a "sociopath" who keeps little mementos of his kills tucked away in a secret drawer. Jani knows Julien is nasty, but she is nevertheless physically attracted to the point that she swoons every time Julien touches her. Or breathes on her. Or enters the same room.

Such a suicidal attraction is not itself inherently incredible; people are people, and even the wisest have weaknesses that make them act the fool at times. The problem here is that Jani's weakness for Julien has NO consequences, because--in the end--it turns out that our sociopath is also enamored of Jani, and just can't bear to kill her--though he's been commissioned to do so by a certain politician.

I find that totally incredible. Sociopaths don't develop a fondness for other people that prevent them from advancing their own interests. If they do that, they aren't sociopaths. At one point, someone tells Jani that Lucien is "obsessed" with her. Sure, it's possible--even probable--that sociopaths develop obsessions for certain people. However, the culmination of any such obsession would be to add another souvenir to the collection, not drive off into the sunset with the victim.

The only explanation I can think of for this out-of-character behavior is that, perhaps, the author is herself in love with her characters to the point that she can't bear to have them behave like monsters. That's a weakness.

On the positive side, this book is good enough to make me care about its characters, and criticize their behavior. I hope the Smith goes on to write many more books, and that her writing talents continue to grow. She's an author well worth watching.

NOTE: On re-reading my review, I decided maybe I was a bit hard on the book...I'd like to give it 4 stars, but there seems to be no amount of clicking that will change the rating. (I'm using Firefox 2.0.0.11)

I bought and started reading this book and it made no sense. No character background, no setting - total confusion. Turns out this is the final book of a series I'd never heard of, so no wonder it requires lots of context.

The thing that annoys me isn't that the book is part of a series, but that there is NO INDICATION AT ALL on the cover that this book is number N in a series. These days I deliberately check every book for this issue as this has happened to me before, so this one _must_ be obsfucated on purpose. Now I either buy the other books, or I just throw it away. I am going to throw it away on principle.

It must be that publishers think that people wont buy "book #4" in a series if they haven't read the other books - and guess what? They are right! And we shouldn't buy them - especially when typical book stores don't stock the earlier books. Trying to trick consumers into buying them is just dishonest.