5.0 out of 5 stars
Galahad vs. Titan - Well worth the wait!, September 9, 2010
For those wondering if the original Galahad book (Comet's Curse) was a one-off, Web of Titan arrives on the scene stronger than the series starter, with a more complex crisis facing the Galahad's crew, and the introduction of a key new character (Hannah) to the cast. Having read two books in this series, I'm impressed not only with this book, but with the growth of this entire concept. In getting here, it seems that Dom Testa brushes many genres -- from Planetes-like manga/anime to SciFi Space Opera -- gleaning what is of use to him along the way, and constructing a logical, if tragical, plot that put teenagers in space on a quest for another star.
Replete with nods to science that express both the beauty and the fascination of the discipline, Testa chose a level-headed, young woman for the Captain. In a time when maths and sciences are properly trying to turn feminine heads, this book is a good fusion for a literature classroom. It would certainly get discussion rolling (I think that teachers can underestimate girl's interests and skills in both math and science, which is easy to do without open dialog). Galahad is, currently, a modern Utopian society, another element of the book that should lend it to critical examination if it ever hits the classroom.
There is still to be work to be done regarding characterization, however. Some of the kids can come across as snapshot depictions sacrificed to the plot. You may feel this when introduced to Hannah, who, at points, seems like a lovely postcard of Alaska. Her obsessive devotion to order and angles gives her added dimensions, but also underscored a trend with these books - the kids, though very smart, are close to flawless (apart from prickly and morose Bon). This may or may not be a function of the size of the cast, but we have every indication that the peace borne of two major life-threatening events in 4 months, will not last, which is an interesting development for future storylines. Here's to hoping Testa can add the same beauty and elegance to the science of group-dynamics as he does to his descriptions of comets, planets, and outer space.
In any event, for those of us who know (and love) Triana, Bon, Gap, Channy, and Lita, the most developed characters, by far, more ground is covered in this book, adding some depth. It's still an area that does need work. The children come across as stiff and formal, even to one another. But sometimes this works very well, as with Tree's and Bon's ongoing difficulties connecting.
As a final note, the ship's brain, ROC, continues to narrate in this book... only it works better this time around. As Testa stops tying ROC to Orzini (done frequently in the first book) the A.I. begins to emerge in its own right. ROC also turns out to be a clever writing device, useful to pacing and tension during the flow of the story, but the personable and direct conversation between ROC and the reader really helps to bind the reader into the story in the book. Only problem is, he gets all the good lines!
`The Cassini Code: A Galahad Book' is sure to be full of more complications, twists, turns, and character growth. Let's hope this series has even more to serve up!
http://www.amazon.com/Cassini-Code-Galahad-Book-ebook/dp/B003R0LBTY/ref=pd_sim_kinc_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
Text-to-Speech: Enabled <-- Yay!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
action-packed young adult science fiction thriller, July 1, 2010
This review is from: The Web of Titan: A Galahad Book (Galahad (Mass Market)) (Mass Market Paperback)
The tail of the comet Bhaktul flew inside the Earth's atmosphere. This quickly proved not a close miss though contact did not occur; the tail left a virus behind that killed anyone over eighteen and killed anyone who turned eighteen in the future. The human species is heading to extinction. To save the human species, a ship was constructed to take two hundred and fifty-one of the planet's top teens less than sixteen to colonize a planet in a distant solar system. Two years later the Galahad leaves with a sabotaging stowaway on board (see The Comet's Curse).
When the Galahad reaches the Saturn moon of Titan, they pick up a metal pod. The teen crew has no idea what it is or why it was so important that they pick it up. They retrieve the pod, which contains two chambers; the adult compartment is empty while the smaller one holds a cat. At the same they pick up the object, several crew members become extremely ill and the ion drive suddenly accelerates to a point that if it does not stop, the Galahad will explode. Desperate ship commander Triana directs the crew to focus on the two emergencies.
The second Galahad young adult science fiction thriller is action-packed but also contains a strong cast, who make the voyage and the current crises seem genuine. Readers will relish the frantic efforts to survive that are mindful of Scotty's save the Enterprise of original Star Trek. Triana is the charismatic leader who encourages the crew not to quit though solutions are not working in spite of incredible efforts to save themselves as they are humanity's last hope.
Harriet Klausner
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