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Ziva Payvan #1
Dakiti
The distant world of Haphez is located on the edge of populated space. The planet's native superhuman race is feared and respected by neighboring civilizations. Their military and police forces are unmatched.
Lieutenant Aroska Tarbic is an agent with the revered Haphezian Special Police. He’s lost a lot in a short period of time; the other members of his squad were killed in a tragic accident, and his younger brother was wrongfully convicted and executed for a crime he didn’t commit. Just when Aroska thinks he’s starting to piece his life back together, he’s assigned to a joint task force with a special operations team. It seems like a unique opportunity, at least until he learns his new commander is none other than Ziva Payvan, HSP’s finest operative…and the assassin who killed his brother.
Ziva is good at her job, a business that requires her to ignore her feelings and carry out her missions without question. She’s confident in her own abilities to complete the assignment, but Aroska is a wildcard. When their team stumbles across a young human during a routine investigation, they soon realize the situation isn't what it seems. The boy has unwittingly uncovered a sinister plot, one that could put the entire Haphezian race in jeopardy.
Now the lines between friend and foe have become blurred, and no one can be trusted. United by the imminent threat, Ziva and Aroska must set their differences aside long enough to save their people…and maybe even each other.
Lieutenant Aroska Tarbic is an agent with the revered Haphezian Special Police. He’s lost a lot in a short period of time; the other members of his squad were killed in a tragic accident, and his younger brother was wrongfully convicted and executed for a crime he didn’t commit. Just when Aroska thinks he’s starting to piece his life back together, he’s assigned to a joint task force with a special operations team. It seems like a unique opportunity, at least until he learns his new commander is none other than Ziva Payvan, HSP’s finest operative…and the assassin who killed his brother.
Ziva is good at her job, a business that requires her to ignore her feelings and carry out her missions without question. She’s confident in her own abilities to complete the assignment, but Aroska is a wildcard. When their team stumbles across a young human during a routine investigation, they soon realize the situation isn't what it seems. The boy has unwittingly uncovered a sinister plot, one that could put the entire Haphezian race in jeopardy.
Now the lines between friend and foe have become blurred, and no one can be trusted. United by the imminent threat, Ziva and Aroska must set their differences aside long enough to save their people…and maybe even each other.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 29, 2014
About the author
E.J. Fisch
9 books118 followersEJ Fisch is a long-time action junkie and fan of the science fiction genre. She’ll readily admit that she has a vivid imagination, which can be both a blessing and a curse. She has been writing as a hobby since junior high and began publishing in the spring of 2014. They say write what you like to read, so her Ziva Payvan series combines her two favorite genres—space opera and spy thriller—and has been lauded for its grit, compelling character development, and many twists and turns.
When she’s not busy writing or working her day job as a data analyst in the medical field, she enjoys listening to music, working on concept art, reading, gaming, and spending time with her animals. She currently resides in southern Oregon.
Visit www.ejfisch.com or subscribe to the Updates From EJ newsletter to stay up to date on the progress of her work. Catch the occasional writing excerpt, view concept art, and more!
Have questions? Comments? Thoughts about characters or plot points? Drop a note on the website, here on Goodreads, or email at [email protected]!
When she’s not busy writing or working her day job as a data analyst in the medical field, she enjoys listening to music, working on concept art, reading, gaming, and spending time with her animals. She currently resides in southern Oregon.
Visit www.ejfisch.com or subscribe to the Updates From EJ newsletter to stay up to date on the progress of her work. Catch the occasional writing excerpt, view concept art, and more!
Have questions? Comments? Thoughts about characters or plot points? Drop a note on the website, here on Goodreads, or email at [email protected]!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
September 6, 2015
Dakiti is a rousing science-fiction action adventure yarn, far better crafted than today's average first novel. (I'm guessing that Transcendence Publishing is a real small press, not simply a printing service for self-publishing authors; but in either case, Fisch has taken her craft seriously and given readers a polished work.) The premise appealed to my liking for action-oriented heroines, so I took the opportunity to try out the series by downloading this novel when it was offered free for a day. (I'll definitely be buying a print copy!) Through much of the read, I expected to rate the novel at four stars; and even now I'd say that, strictly speaking, it merits four and a half. But after being glued to the computer screen through the last chapters, I had to round it up, not down.
We have here a tale of interplanetary intrigue, set in a far-future galaxy widely colonized by humans, whose far-flung settlement has brought them into contact with various alien races. Our main series characters belong to one of these, the humanoid Haphezians. They're not really "super-human," as the Goodreads description asserts, but they are taller and more muscular than Earth humans, with strength and endurance to match; and with two stomachs, they only need to eat every few days. (Otherwise, they're physically much like humans, except for more vividness and variation in eye and hair color.) In this novel, we also meet another alien race, the reptilian Sardons. Characters from all three races will interact here, in a galaxy that's riven by tensions, and sometimes open warfare.
Much of human space is ruled by a powerful Federation. But some fringe human planets like Tantal maintain their independence; and as in the Star Wars universe, the Federation faces resistance from a guerrilla insurgency that has elite fighters, the Nosti, who have special telekinetic powers (unlike the Jedi, theirs are derived from injections every ten years with an illegal psi-enhancing drug). The Haphezian monarchy faces a terrorist insurgency of its own, called Solaris; and some years ago fought a war with the Sardons, who sought to end the Haphezian monopoly on the caura extract trade. Ziva and Aroska serve the Haphezian Crown as agents of the HSP, Haphezian Special Police; and Haphezians are much in demand from other, less combat-capable, peoples as allies or as mercenary soldiers. That's what's brought hereditary Tantali governor Enrike Saiffe and his son Jayden on a diplomatic mission to Haphez near the novel's beginning. (So, contrary to the Goodreads book description, Ziva and her team hardly "stumble on" the latter, and they don't discover an "age-old" plot --but there IS a plot to discover, and a nasty one.)
All of this political background is quickly sketched here in the process of narrating swiftly-moving events, without noticeable info-dumps (I expect it to be developed more in the succeeding books). Haphezian culture is suggested a bit more fully than that of the other two races involved here, but detailed world building isn't the author's strong point. Rather, her strong points are tight plotting, smooth and direct prose style that does what she wants it to, well-written action scenes (and a lot of them!), a conflict against a foe whose aims and methods are definitely evil, though that doesn't mean that we think the Haphezian regime necessarily resembles goodness incarnate; and above all, character development and interrelationships between characters. (We're not talking about romantic relationships here, but human relationships --and Haphezians are as "human" as you and I in those respects, regardless of how many stomachs they have.) Fisch throws some twists and turns into her plot (one of these I saw coming --but the satisfaction of guessing rightly is part of the fun!) and the last chapters especially are suspenseful right up to the end.
Ziva Payvan is a complex, round and dynamic character, embodying more than physical strength, good aim with a gun, and quick reflexes --though she's got all of those, in enough measure to make her a VERY formidable fighter in any combat situation; you definitely don't ever want her as an opponent! She's an intelligent, layered person with a capacity for strong feelings, an inner moral code, and a lot of loyalty; but she's not necessarily likeable. A product of a rough childhood and adolescence and of a dysfunctional family, she harbors some secrets and has made some bad choices, one of them really dark . And her government has trained her, and used her, as a professional assassin for State-sanctioned killings, with attendant toll on her softer feelings. She's also abrasive, arrogant, and hot-tempered. But Fisch manages to make her a person you care about.
Aroska Tarbic is also a well-developed character, a strong, tough male well able to handle himself in combat, and with no problems about fighting shoulder-to-shoulder alongside of a woman. (Commendably, Fisch shows both male and female characters routinely taking fighting responsibility, and handling it well.) Indeed, all of the important characters here come to life in the author's words. Many of the situations and scenes here are powerfully emotionally evocative.
One aspect of the premise here is problematical: Haphez is a highly-developed, tech-savvy planet with a culture that undoubtedly boasts centuries of development. It seems implausible that they wouldn't have developed a more efficient judicial system, and a more efficient way of carrying out capital punishment, than they apparently have here. We can say the same for a few key details of the plotting that don't stand strenuous examination too well. And hard-SF buffs will quibble about the impossibility of real-time interplanetary radio communication between planets that are light-years apart, given the relatively slow speed of sound waves. (In Ursula LeGuin's fictional Hainish universe, an invention called the "ansible" eliminates this problem --we're not told how, it just does!-- but as far as we know, Haphez doesn't have the ansible.) None of these factors kept me from really liking the book, though! I plan to continue with the series.
Note: As an added plus, bad language here (strictly of the d- and h-word sort) is minimal, and there's no sex, explicit or implied. Very romance-phobic readers can approach this tale without fear. :-)
We have here a tale of interplanetary intrigue, set in a far-future galaxy widely colonized by humans, whose far-flung settlement has brought them into contact with various alien races. Our main series characters belong to one of these, the humanoid Haphezians. They're not really "super-human," as the Goodreads description asserts, but they are taller and more muscular than Earth humans, with strength and endurance to match; and with two stomachs, they only need to eat every few days. (Otherwise, they're physically much like humans, except for more vividness and variation in eye and hair color.) In this novel, we also meet another alien race, the reptilian Sardons. Characters from all three races will interact here, in a galaxy that's riven by tensions, and sometimes open warfare.
Much of human space is ruled by a powerful Federation. But some fringe human planets like Tantal maintain their independence; and as in the Star Wars universe, the Federation faces resistance from a guerrilla insurgency that has elite fighters, the Nosti, who have special telekinetic powers (unlike the Jedi, theirs are derived from injections every ten years with an illegal psi-enhancing drug). The Haphezian monarchy faces a terrorist insurgency of its own, called Solaris; and some years ago fought a war with the Sardons, who sought to end the Haphezian monopoly on the caura extract trade. Ziva and Aroska serve the Haphezian Crown as agents of the HSP, Haphezian Special Police; and Haphezians are much in demand from other, less combat-capable, peoples as allies or as mercenary soldiers. That's what's brought hereditary Tantali governor Enrike Saiffe and his son Jayden on a diplomatic mission to Haphez near the novel's beginning. (So, contrary to the Goodreads book description, Ziva and her team hardly "stumble on" the latter, and they don't discover an "age-old" plot --but there IS a plot to discover, and a nasty one.)
All of this political background is quickly sketched here in the process of narrating swiftly-moving events, without noticeable info-dumps (I expect it to be developed more in the succeeding books). Haphezian culture is suggested a bit more fully than that of the other two races involved here, but detailed world building isn't the author's strong point. Rather, her strong points are tight plotting, smooth and direct prose style that does what she wants it to, well-written action scenes (and a lot of them!), a conflict against a foe whose aims and methods are definitely evil, though that doesn't mean that we think the Haphezian regime necessarily resembles goodness incarnate; and above all, character development and interrelationships between characters. (We're not talking about romantic relationships here, but human relationships --and Haphezians are as "human" as you and I in those respects, regardless of how many stomachs they have.) Fisch throws some twists and turns into her plot (one of these I saw coming --but the satisfaction of guessing rightly is part of the fun!) and the last chapters especially are suspenseful right up to the end.
Ziva Payvan is a complex, round and dynamic character, embodying more than physical strength, good aim with a gun, and quick reflexes --though she's got all of those, in enough measure to make her a VERY formidable fighter in any combat situation; you definitely don't ever want her as an opponent! She's an intelligent, layered person with a capacity for strong feelings, an inner moral code, and a lot of loyalty; but she's not necessarily likeable. A product of a rough childhood and adolescence and of a dysfunctional family, she harbors some secrets and has made some bad choices, one of them really dark . And her government has trained her, and used her, as a professional assassin for State-sanctioned killings, with attendant toll on her softer feelings. She's also abrasive, arrogant, and hot-tempered. But Fisch manages to make her a person you care about.
Aroska Tarbic is also a well-developed character, a strong, tough male well able to handle himself in combat, and with no problems about fighting shoulder-to-shoulder alongside of a woman. (Commendably, Fisch shows both male and female characters routinely taking fighting responsibility, and handling it well.) Indeed, all of the important characters here come to life in the author's words. Many of the situations and scenes here are powerfully emotionally evocative.
One aspect of the premise here is problematical: Haphez is a highly-developed, tech-savvy planet with a culture that undoubtedly boasts centuries of development. It seems implausible that they wouldn't have developed a more efficient judicial system, and a more efficient way of carrying out capital punishment, than they apparently have here. We can say the same for a few key details of the plotting that don't stand strenuous examination too well. And hard-SF buffs will quibble about the impossibility of real-time interplanetary radio communication between planets that are light-years apart, given the relatively slow speed of sound waves. (In Ursula LeGuin's fictional Hainish universe, an invention called the "ansible" eliminates this problem --we're not told how, it just does!-- but as far as we know, Haphez doesn't have the ansible.) None of these factors kept me from really liking the book, though! I plan to continue with the series.
Note: As an added plus, bad language here (strictly of the d- and h-word sort) is minimal, and there's no sex, explicit or implied. Very romance-phobic readers can approach this tale without fear. :-)
March 29, 2016
Are you in the mood for a para-military sci-fi procedural helmed by a tough-as-concrete anti-hero with PTSD and who looks a bit like Gal Gadot? (At least in my imagination!)
Well-paced and detailed, the work of EJ Fisch can trace its ancestry back to the more robust elements of Star Wars' dirty space cities, dubiously far-reaching politics, and white-knuckled action, eschewing the fanciful, elaborate and mystical in favor of the muscular, tight, and intense arc of an elite squad of special agents just as much soldiers as they are cops.
Rife with tension and subtle world-building, Dakiti is a clean and satisfying foray into a unique and unintimidating sci-fi universe sure to please action junkies of all ages. As it is book one of three, there's a bit of trepidation in finishing the novel, wondering which characters will live on in the no-holds-barred business of finding moles, busting terror cells, dodging air-strikes, and trying to keep a grip on their own sanity, but Ziva stands tall with the best of the best as a tough girl with a checkered past and a dangerous future.
Recommended for fans of military sci-fi, procedural sci-fi, or something fun, different, compelling, and easy to read.
Well-paced and detailed, the work of EJ Fisch can trace its ancestry back to the more robust elements of Star Wars' dirty space cities, dubiously far-reaching politics, and white-knuckled action, eschewing the fanciful, elaborate and mystical in favor of the muscular, tight, and intense arc of an elite squad of special agents just as much soldiers as they are cops.
Rife with tension and subtle world-building, Dakiti is a clean and satisfying foray into a unique and unintimidating sci-fi universe sure to please action junkies of all ages. As it is book one of three, there's a bit of trepidation in finishing the novel, wondering which characters will live on in the no-holds-barred business of finding moles, busting terror cells, dodging air-strikes, and trying to keep a grip on their own sanity, but Ziva stands tall with the best of the best as a tough girl with a checkered past and a dangerous future.
Recommended for fans of military sci-fi, procedural sci-fi, or something fun, different, compelling, and easy to read.
September 22, 2015
DNF on page 152. By this point, approx 44% through book, I should be feeling some connection to something. The world, one of the characters, the plot, the language used to describe them... Something should be hooking me in. But nothing is.
It's competently written. I do like how the author has given her different humanoid races different shapes, sizes and colors of hair. We've gotten some background that should make for a tension-filled plot.
I dunno. In some cases there's some TSTL going on, for example: why would you think your house using government security is safe when government buildings are not safe? And, how could a member of the Royalty's young step daughter run away from home and not be found for 13+ years? Lastly, does no one have fingerprints on this planet, because they keep handing around evidence without bagging it!
Otherwise, I also can't get all snugly in one main character's head because the author keeps changing perspective. I'm not even sure who the main character really is. Usually for story telling purposes, there's one big main one and then others who can be secondary. In this case, everyone feels secondary.
Lastly the plot and people remind me of TV shows. It feels written by an author who is heavily influenced by the visuals, team acting, and the common plot points in TV shows. I'm not saying this copies any particular show, but rather it just has a TV feel to it. This bothers me because so many TV plots are common tropes now. We know how the mismatched partners will ultimately get along with each other. We know instinctively much of the action that will occur next.
And that bores me. I avoid watching tv because I get bored by it, don't need that in my books.
It's competently written. I do like how the author has given her different humanoid races different shapes, sizes and colors of hair. We've gotten some background that should make for a tension-filled plot.
I dunno. In some cases there's some TSTL going on, for example: why would you think your house using government security is safe when government buildings are not safe? And, how could a member of the Royalty's young step daughter run away from home and not be found for 13+ years? Lastly, does no one have fingerprints on this planet, because they keep handing around evidence without bagging it!
Otherwise, I also can't get all snugly in one main character's head because the author keeps changing perspective. I'm not even sure who the main character really is. Usually for story telling purposes, there's one big main one and then others who can be secondary. In this case, everyone feels secondary.
Lastly the plot and people remind me of TV shows. It feels written by an author who is heavily influenced by the visuals, team acting, and the common plot points in TV shows. I'm not saying this copies any particular show, but rather it just has a TV feel to it. This bothers me because so many TV plots are common tropes now. We know how the mismatched partners will ultimately get along with each other. We know instinctively much of the action that will occur next.
And that bores me. I avoid watching tv because I get bored by it, don't need that in my books.
June 17, 2014
Dakiti is an expansive yet personal sci-fi adventure. It takes place in a vivid setting of multiple species and worlds, feuding factions, diplomatic shenanigans, and the looming threat of renewed war. The fast-paced yet detailed ground and space action scenes send the plot careening forward.
Yet Dakiti is at its heart a story about the two main characters. Ziva is a bundle of contradictions sure to provide juicy material for many more books. She's a cold, hardened soldier who is willing to give her life to save others; a revered, respected legend who hides a mysterious past and a deadly secret. Aroska is in many ways even more interesting, as the conflict between his personal demons (real and imagined) and his sense of honor and duty come to a head when everything he thought he knew to be true is turned upside down.
EJ Fisch is a fresh, exciting new voice in sci-fi, and I look forward to more books in the series!
Yet Dakiti is at its heart a story about the two main characters. Ziva is a bundle of contradictions sure to provide juicy material for many more books. She's a cold, hardened soldier who is willing to give her life to save others; a revered, respected legend who hides a mysterious past and a deadly secret. Aroska is in many ways even more interesting, as the conflict between his personal demons (real and imagined) and his sense of honor and duty come to a head when everything he thought he knew to be true is turned upside down.
EJ Fisch is a fresh, exciting new voice in sci-fi, and I look forward to more books in the series!
December 15, 2014
I stumbled into this book on referral from a friend, and was pleasantly surprised by what I found.
I'm really not all that experienced with science fiction/space exploration genres, but I didn't struggle reading this book at all as an "outsider" to this type of story. The science was sufficient without being overexplained, nor underexplained.
What I worried about at the beginning was a "budding romance" story that comes to the MC's out of nowhere, but was really excited that didn't happen, and the author really stayed true to the characters.
Overall, the story happens very quickly, so it kept me intrigued, but there is very little exposition. A lot of the little details kind of escaped me through the story, but the basic/main plot line was clear the entire time, so I didn't really care as much about that. For writing characters with intense personalities and personality traits, I think the author did a really good job making them believable. There was no real "happy ending", which is good, because the story wouldn't have called for one. Everything is resolved, however.
I'm going to buy the second book today.
I'm really not all that experienced with science fiction/space exploration genres, but I didn't struggle reading this book at all as an "outsider" to this type of story. The science was sufficient without being overexplained, nor underexplained.
What I worried about at the beginning was a "budding romance" story that comes to the MC's out of nowhere, but was really excited that didn't happen, and the author really stayed true to the characters.
Overall, the story happens very quickly, so it kept me intrigued, but there is very little exposition. A lot of the little details kind of escaped me through the story, but the basic/main plot line was clear the entire time, so I didn't really care as much about that. For writing characters with intense personalities and personality traits, I think the author did a really good job making them believable. There was no real "happy ending", which is good, because the story wouldn't have called for one. Everything is resolved, however.
I'm going to buy the second book today.
January 28, 2016
Well the rating should tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was very un-put-down-able and I found myself saying, “I’ll just read another few pages then turn the light out” on more than one occasion.
The two main characters, Ziva Payvan and Aroska Tarbic were not just one dimensional, but actually had there own foibles that made them believable and interesting, and the relationship between them is one that keeps you wanting to know more all the way through the book, seeing how it develops and changes. In addition they are not the only ones that have depth to their characters, the author brings to life a number of the friends, acquaintances and enemies of the main characters as you travel through the storyline.
And as for the storyline, well it’s well thought out, fast paced and gripping as Ziva and Aroska endeavour to solve their professional and personal issues against a backdrop of intrigue and ambushes.
This is the second “first novel” by a relatively new author that has really surprised me this year, and this like the other, is genuinely excellent. So it’s 5 stars EJ, and I’m on to Nexus (book 2) as soon as Amazon UK can get it to me.
The two main characters, Ziva Payvan and Aroska Tarbic were not just one dimensional, but actually had there own foibles that made them believable and interesting, and the relationship between them is one that keeps you wanting to know more all the way through the book, seeing how it develops and changes. In addition they are not the only ones that have depth to their characters, the author brings to life a number of the friends, acquaintances and enemies of the main characters as you travel through the storyline.
And as for the storyline, well it’s well thought out, fast paced and gripping as Ziva and Aroska endeavour to solve their professional and personal issues against a backdrop of intrigue and ambushes.
This is the second “first novel” by a relatively new author that has really surprised me this year, and this like the other, is genuinely excellent. So it’s 5 stars EJ, and I’m on to Nexus (book 2) as soon as Amazon UK can get it to me.
July 14, 2015
One part Anne McCaffery, one part David Weber, Shake vigorously and get some quality writing! What can I say, I'm very happy I picked this book up on a free promo. Haven't read the 2nd one yet, but I can already tell they're both going in the reread pile. Wonderful stories E.J.!
May 22, 2015
I came across this book during a random Twitter search and – given my soft spot for action heroines and science fiction – downloaded a sample. That pulled me in and the full book soon followed it to my Kindle.
A brief summary of the plot (minor spoilers for the early chapters):
Set in faraway star systems in (presumably) the distant future, Dakiti is the first title in a series of novels featuring Ziva Payvan: a cold-blooded, no-nonsense special forces operative. Not the nicest person in the galaxy, but if a dangerous assignment needs to be completed or someone has to be eliminated with no questions asked, she’s the go-to woman. If Jack Bauer (from 24) was an alien female with red eyes, he’d probably be Ziva Payvan.
Payvan is (in)famous among her fellow agents at the Haphezian Special Police (HSP). Most have never seen her face, let alone worked with her, but everyone knows her reputation. So when Aroska Tarbic – an agent still reeling from the loss of his team – is assigned with Ziva on a Special Ops joint task force, one might expect him to be pleased. But there’s one tiny problem: Ziva murdered Aroska’s brother Soren and he (quite understandably) hates her guts. And Aroska is not the forgiving sort – things are relatively cordial for about an hour or so, then he and Ziva are at each other’s throats.
However, Aroska doesn’t want to kill Ziva. Not yet – he wants some answers about his brother first. And Ziva gives the impression that toying with people is second nature to her, so the two operatives bury the hatchet (maybe half bury it) and work together. Pretty soon they’re involved in stopping an assassination attempt on a diplomat, who appears to be connected to a transmission that could blow the lid off a dastardly plot. And it seems someone at HSP tipped the would-be killers off.
With an unknown mole in the agency and enemies gunning for them both, Ziva and Aroska decide to work together for the good of the galaxy. That’s what they tell themselves, anyway – even though neither really believes it.
Thoughts and Opinions:
I don’t want to reveal much more of the story, as it would spoil the detailed world and twists that the author EJ Fisch has crafted. The best compliment I can give a novel is that it I didn’t want to put it down, and that was certainly the case here.
The pacing was pretty much spot on. Sometimes authors get bogged down in description, particularly with science fiction/fantasy as those genres require more world building that contemporary thrillers. EJ Fisch provided just enough detail about Haphez and the other worlds for me to create a mental image without going overboard. I particularly liked how the author handled long periods of expository dialogue – there were lots of actions mixed in, with characters noted as moving around/performing actions rather than simply speaking. This really helped me to picture the scenes in progress.
There were a couple of historical background elements regarding wars or other events that were a little confusing and possibly could have done with a few extra lines of explanation here or there, but overall Ziva’s world was an exciting and detailed one.
One of the highlights was the relationship between Ziva and Aroska – best described as hate/respect rather than love/hate, as there is certainly no love between the two at any point. Or even any hints at romance at all. In an era when romance seems to be obsession for action/adventure novels (regardless of whether it makes sense for the characters or not), it was a refreshing change to have a different dynamic. And as noted above, Ziva is definitely not the romantic sort. The only mention of romance is between Aroska and Saun, another fellow operative who may be more than a friend.
There are no major complaints from me, but one minor one is the predictability. The identity of the mole in HSP seemed obvious, and I expected a twist in the tale that never came. Also there were times when I knew what was coming next (if not always – thanks mainly to the Ziva/Aroska relationship). The villains weren’t quite as well developed as the (anti)heroes, but the traitor’s motivation was well explained, logical, and a bit meatier than what could have been the familiar HSP don’t pay me nearly enough for the sh*t I do.
The ending felt a bit anti-climatic in parts since the main bad guy and traitor were despatched a few chapters before the end. I was expecting a big drawn-out confrontation, but perhaps I shouldn’t have – Ziva was so deadly she didn’t need one.
There’s one particular plot development about Ziva (won’t say too much more to avoid spoilers), briefly told through an effective and well-told flashback. Suffice it to say it’s a game changer for her relationship with the HSP. You know it’s going to play an important part and it does at the very end. Ziva remains an intriguing character – deadly with firearms and blades, lots of secrets (including a hidden compartment in her boot and a past she’s killed to keep hidden), fellow operatives Skeet and Zinni who trust her implicitly, motives shrouded in mystery. Definitely someone I’d want on my side in a fight, though. You don’t want to be her enemy.
As things progress, Ziva and Aroska have the opportunity to save one another (multiple times), but just when you think they’re about to get along, they don’t. Even at the end of the book the relationship is strictly professional – a little more friendly than at the start, but lukewarm at best.
It will be interesting to see how the series progresses from here, and I’ll definitely be checking out Nexus – Book Two of Ziva Payvan.
A brief summary of the plot (minor spoilers for the early chapters):
Set in faraway star systems in (presumably) the distant future, Dakiti is the first title in a series of novels featuring Ziva Payvan: a cold-blooded, no-nonsense special forces operative. Not the nicest person in the galaxy, but if a dangerous assignment needs to be completed or someone has to be eliminated with no questions asked, she’s the go-to woman. If Jack Bauer (from 24) was an alien female with red eyes, he’d probably be Ziva Payvan.
Payvan is (in)famous among her fellow agents at the Haphezian Special Police (HSP). Most have never seen her face, let alone worked with her, but everyone knows her reputation. So when Aroska Tarbic – an agent still reeling from the loss of his team – is assigned with Ziva on a Special Ops joint task force, one might expect him to be pleased. But there’s one tiny problem: Ziva murdered Aroska’s brother Soren and he (quite understandably) hates her guts. And Aroska is not the forgiving sort – things are relatively cordial for about an hour or so, then he and Ziva are at each other’s throats.
However, Aroska doesn’t want to kill Ziva. Not yet – he wants some answers about his brother first. And Ziva gives the impression that toying with people is second nature to her, so the two operatives bury the hatchet (maybe half bury it) and work together. Pretty soon they’re involved in stopping an assassination attempt on a diplomat, who appears to be connected to a transmission that could blow the lid off a dastardly plot. And it seems someone at HSP tipped the would-be killers off.
With an unknown mole in the agency and enemies gunning for them both, Ziva and Aroska decide to work together for the good of the galaxy. That’s what they tell themselves, anyway – even though neither really believes it.
Thoughts and Opinions:
I don’t want to reveal much more of the story, as it would spoil the detailed world and twists that the author EJ Fisch has crafted. The best compliment I can give a novel is that it I didn’t want to put it down, and that was certainly the case here.
The pacing was pretty much spot on. Sometimes authors get bogged down in description, particularly with science fiction/fantasy as those genres require more world building that contemporary thrillers. EJ Fisch provided just enough detail about Haphez and the other worlds for me to create a mental image without going overboard. I particularly liked how the author handled long periods of expository dialogue – there were lots of actions mixed in, with characters noted as moving around/performing actions rather than simply speaking. This really helped me to picture the scenes in progress.
There were a couple of historical background elements regarding wars or other events that were a little confusing and possibly could have done with a few extra lines of explanation here or there, but overall Ziva’s world was an exciting and detailed one.
One of the highlights was the relationship between Ziva and Aroska – best described as hate/respect rather than love/hate, as there is certainly no love between the two at any point. Or even any hints at romance at all. In an era when romance seems to be obsession for action/adventure novels (regardless of whether it makes sense for the characters or not), it was a refreshing change to have a different dynamic. And as noted above, Ziva is definitely not the romantic sort. The only mention of romance is between Aroska and Saun, another fellow operative who may be more than a friend.
There are no major complaints from me, but one minor one is the predictability. The identity of the mole in HSP seemed obvious, and I expected a twist in the tale that never came. Also there were times when I knew what was coming next (if not always – thanks mainly to the Ziva/Aroska relationship). The villains weren’t quite as well developed as the (anti)heroes, but the traitor’s motivation was well explained, logical, and a bit meatier than what could have been the familiar HSP don’t pay me nearly enough for the sh*t I do.
The ending felt a bit anti-climatic in parts since the main bad guy and traitor were despatched a few chapters before the end. I was expecting a big drawn-out confrontation, but perhaps I shouldn’t have – Ziva was so deadly she didn’t need one.
There’s one particular plot development about Ziva (won’t say too much more to avoid spoilers), briefly told through an effective and well-told flashback. Suffice it to say it’s a game changer for her relationship with the HSP. You know it’s going to play an important part and it does at the very end. Ziva remains an intriguing character – deadly with firearms and blades, lots of secrets (including a hidden compartment in her boot and a past she’s killed to keep hidden), fellow operatives Skeet and Zinni who trust her implicitly, motives shrouded in mystery. Definitely someone I’d want on my side in a fight, though. You don’t want to be her enemy.
As things progress, Ziva and Aroska have the opportunity to save one another (multiple times), but just when you think they’re about to get along, they don’t. Even at the end of the book the relationship is strictly professional – a little more friendly than at the start, but lukewarm at best.
It will be interesting to see how the series progresses from here, and I’ll definitely be checking out Nexus – Book Two of Ziva Payvan.
December 3, 2019
Great author - new to me
Where has this author been?? I don't read hard military sci much at all, but bought this for $.99 in a Bookbub offer. It had enough character development and non-black-and-white personalities to make it very interesting. Will definitely read more.
Where has this author been?? I don't read hard military sci much at all, but bought this for $.99 in a Bookbub offer. It had enough character development and non-black-and-white personalities to make it very interesting. Will definitely read more.
January 27, 2021
Fast-paced, full of action. The writing was easy to read. It was some of the thoughts behind the writing that I struggled with. While the overall plot points worked well enough, a lot of the minor plot points, character choices, and such were pretty confusing and illogical. I also had difficulty connecting to the characters.
But if you are looking for a military space opera, you might very well enjoy this.
But if you are looking for a military space opera, you might very well enjoy this.
January 9, 2016
On phone so this review will be likely crap.
It probably could have been a much better book if one of two things had been the case: (1) Aroska or . whatever his name was didn't exist or, probably better (2) POV stuck with Ziva.
The Ziva sections were much better. Maybe around 4 stars. Aroska's sections were around 1 or 1 1/2 stars. I could not stand that moron. He seems to do everything wrong, has a massive chip on his shoulder, leaks secrets like a leaky balloon, and worse yet, just plain rubs me the wrong way.
As it is, hmms, a rating of 2 and a half stars? 3?
By the way - - I didn't actually realize Ziva and Aroska were in the police. Their organization seemed much more like a military one. Only two reasons lead me to realize they were not in a military organization: I read something in a thread somewhere noting that they were not military and there is a scene wherein the military was called in. If you are in the military saying that a different organization is being called in, and calling them "the military" seems weird. I know that the description noted that Aroska was in the special police, but I either didn't catch that the first time, or - didn't take that to necessarily mean that it wasn't a military organization (there are many police like organizations inside the military).
It probably could have been a much better book if one of two things had been the case: (1) Aroska or . whatever his name was didn't exist or, probably better (2) POV stuck with Ziva.
The Ziva sections were much better. Maybe around 4 stars. Aroska's sections were around 1 or 1 1/2 stars. I could not stand that moron. He seems to do everything wrong, has a massive chip on his shoulder, leaks secrets like a leaky balloon, and worse yet, just plain rubs me the wrong way.
As it is, hmms, a rating of 2 and a half stars? 3?
By the way - - I didn't actually realize Ziva and Aroska were in the police. Their organization seemed much more like a military one. Only two reasons lead me to realize they were not in a military organization: I read something in a thread somewhere noting that they were not military and there is a scene wherein the military was called in. If you are in the military saying that a different organization is being called in, and calling them "the military" seems weird. I know that the description noted that Aroska was in the special police, but I either didn't catch that the first time, or - didn't take that to necessarily mean that it wasn't a military organization (there are many police like organizations inside the military).
June 28, 2014
Set in a vivid world in a distant galaxy, Dakiti's is a suspenseful sci-fi adventure that will keep you at the edge of your seat. The world and the races that inhabit it are intriguing. The story is fast-paced and action-packed, but the thing that makes this book really great are the complex characters and the relationships between them. This is especially true for the two main characters, who are sure to provide us with even more interesting material in books to come. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves science fiction or just good stories in general.
November 14, 2014
This book has been sitting on my "to read" shelf for a while now and I'm so happy that I finally got to it. I loved the story and the characters! The story was well paced with a nice balance between the plot and the character development. For me, a good story always leaves me wanting more and that is exactly how I ended the book. I can't wait to read the second book and hope there are more after that. A great start to a series and a worthwhile read for space opera/military science fiction fans!!
September 12, 2014
I loved this story. It was a fast paced ride with believable characters, a fleshed out world and a mystery to be solved. It might be set on an alien world but it felt natural, there was no need to suspend belief or fight to understand something. The two main characters shine and bounce off each other perfectly, dialogue flows nicely and there were moments when I felt like part of a close knit group of people who trust and believe in each other.
Am I looking forward to book 2 - most definitely. I like the style, the world and the characters so more of the same can't come fast enough.
Am I looking forward to book 2 - most definitely. I like the style, the world and the characters so more of the same can't come fast enough.
March 30, 2015
I read science fiction often as a teenager but fell away from it in recent years only to begin yearning for it again in the past few months after rereading some Anne McCaffrey books. I decided to give Dakiti by EJ Fisch a try, and I'm glad I did. What I found within the pages of this book was an assassin with a secret, some aliens with interesting hair, a creepy medical facility, and unanswered questions that will definitely make me pick up the next book in this series. Four stars!
May 13, 2015
Really liked it!
The book has some down points regarding the coherence of some characters' actions but the story is so griping and fast pacing that it can be overlooked.
The relationship between Ziva and Aroska was very interesting to see develop from the first bad reaction, and Ziva definitely is a bad ass and strong female main character.
Deserves to be checked out!
The book has some down points regarding the coherence of some characters' actions but the story is so griping and fast pacing that it can be overlooked.
The relationship between Ziva and Aroska was very interesting to see develop from the first bad reaction, and Ziva definitely is a bad ass and strong female main character.
Deserves to be checked out!
December 3, 2015
From the toughest lady boss I've read in recent memory, to insanely fast action, this is definitely something. Die Hard meets Avatar, but...I dunno, that really doesn't do it justice either. My only complaint is that Aroska's growth felt rushed, but hell, the whole book is a rush. Despite the speed, the alien world and premise are still fully drawn.
Well worth the read.
Well worth the read.
November 2, 2016
This is a fantastic first go of it for author Fisch. Worlds were immersive, characters saw the beginnings of true development, and the plot - while a little predictable - was quite good.
It's not often I will go out and purchase a hard copy of a book after reading the Kindle version, but this was definitely good enough to do so. I am proud to display it.
It's not often I will go out and purchase a hard copy of a book after reading the Kindle version, but this was definitely good enough to do so. I am proud to display it.
September 21, 2023
For a first novel, this was good. The characters were very likeable. Even though it took place over a few areas and switched between characters, it was easy to follow. This wasn't a book that was boring, but kept my attention from the start. I look forward to reading more about Ziva. She's quite the badass.
July 17, 2015
This first novel is a great first attempt by the author. This is a very fun read full of interesting characters. Plot lines are tried and true. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys sci-fi action adventure as it has plenty of both.
May 25, 2016
This was a fun space opera that threw in just a little too much, and asked me to forgive a few to many faults, but kept the excitement level high enough that I enjoyed it.
I will read the next book.
I will read the next book.
December 21, 2015
Crisp, concise prose with deep characters weighed down by secrets, emotional issues, and past tragedies that will always linger for some of them? Yes please. An interesting start to a no frills world of betrayal, intrigue, action, and the characters that struggle to survive within it.
May 4, 2016
I thought this book was a great science fiction book that had a very distinct spec ops flair to it. Ziva is one of those awesome kick butt heroines that stays true to the end. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes strong female characters and squad based action adventure.
June 3, 2020
Dakiti by E.J. Fisch is an action-packed science-fiction space-opera that will keep you on the edge. It has everything a good novel should have: an intense plot, deep characters, vivid setting, and conflict—OMG lots of conflict. Not just character conflict either. It’s a great mix of both character and action conflict.
The two primary characters are Lieutenant Ziva Payvan and Lieutenant Aroska Tarbic of the special police in Haphez. To say these two don’t like one another is a vast understatement, especially for Tarbic. He hates Payvan enough to want to kill her. When he’s forced to work as a part of her team, he seriously considers leaving his prodigious career. Lucky for us, he doesn’t. It’s just one simple mission, after all, right?
But then the mission goes wrong and the two must work together or fail. As the situation gets more complicated and deadly, they find themselves depending on one another to survive.
I’m an action-junkie, but the characters and characterizations were my favorite part about the whole novel. The first time we see Ziva is through Tarbic’s eyes. And because his perspective is skewed, we believe she is someone we shouldn’t like. However, as the story progresses, her character deepens. There is more to her than meets the eye.
Every time I turn a page, there is deeper conflict. Not just between Ziva and Tarbic, either. There, of course, is the antagonist and the people he has working for him. Bothum is not a nice person. He will use anyone in any way to get what he wants. And what he wants has to do with Dakiti. Just what or who is Dakiti? You will have to read to find out.
There is one thing about this novel that I did not care for. Though the action and conflict moved me forward, some of the character choices were unconvincing. For one, Tarbic is part of a special police force, yet he shares information with his girlfriend. Granted, she works for the same police force as him, yet she is not a part of his team. This seems like a big no-no that he should technically get fired for when this is all over.
The second unconvincing action was made by Tarbic, Ziva, and the rest of the team. After being told by the director not to go in for a rescue, they all risk their lives and their careers to do it anyway. I get that supposedly one of their own has taken, but I still don’t buy their motivation. Special ops do not go against the orders of their superiors. And, if by chance they do, they do not get to keep their careers afterward. They go to jail. Period.
These are just two of the irrational actions taken by the characters in this story. However, I could swallow them enough that I was still entertained and engrossed in the story. And I enjoyed the story well enough to buy the sequel.
E.J. Fisch’s writing style makes getting into the story easy. She is wonderful at spinning a tale and keeping the reader engaged. So, if you enjoy deep characters and tons of action, then Dakiti is the perfect read.
The two primary characters are Lieutenant Ziva Payvan and Lieutenant Aroska Tarbic of the special police in Haphez. To say these two don’t like one another is a vast understatement, especially for Tarbic. He hates Payvan enough to want to kill her. When he’s forced to work as a part of her team, he seriously considers leaving his prodigious career. Lucky for us, he doesn’t. It’s just one simple mission, after all, right?
But then the mission goes wrong and the two must work together or fail. As the situation gets more complicated and deadly, they find themselves depending on one another to survive.
I’m an action-junkie, but the characters and characterizations were my favorite part about the whole novel. The first time we see Ziva is through Tarbic’s eyes. And because his perspective is skewed, we believe she is someone we shouldn’t like. However, as the story progresses, her character deepens. There is more to her than meets the eye.
Every time I turn a page, there is deeper conflict. Not just between Ziva and Tarbic, either. There, of course, is the antagonist and the people he has working for him. Bothum is not a nice person. He will use anyone in any way to get what he wants. And what he wants has to do with Dakiti. Just what or who is Dakiti? You will have to read to find out.
There is one thing about this novel that I did not care for. Though the action and conflict moved me forward, some of the character choices were unconvincing. For one, Tarbic is part of a special police force, yet he shares information with his girlfriend. Granted, she works for the same police force as him, yet she is not a part of his team. This seems like a big no-no that he should technically get fired for when this is all over.
The second unconvincing action was made by Tarbic, Ziva, and the rest of the team. After being told by the director not to go in for a rescue, they all risk their lives and their careers to do it anyway. I get that supposedly one of their own has taken, but I still don’t buy their motivation. Special ops do not go against the orders of their superiors. And, if by chance they do, they do not get to keep their careers afterward. They go to jail. Period.
These are just two of the irrational actions taken by the characters in this story. However, I could swallow them enough that I was still entertained and engrossed in the story. And I enjoyed the story well enough to buy the sequel.
E.J. Fisch’s writing style makes getting into the story easy. She is wonderful at spinning a tale and keeping the reader engaged. So, if you enjoy deep characters and tons of action, then Dakiti is the perfect read.
May 10, 2020
I'm a huge fan of sci-fi in general, especially space operas and military sci-fi, so when the author offered me this book for review, I was more than happy to read it.
I loved the premise immediately, with two people who had every reason to hate each other forced to work together. Admittedly, I wish it had been slightly more emphasized in the first part. For example, if Aroska had talked about what his brother was like or the crime he was accused of. But I did appreciate the sexual tension and how Ziva's strength wasn't an issue for Aroska. He accepted her abilities as fact, even as much as he hated her, and it made for a strange mix of hate and respect that I liked.
Zinni and Skeet were also characters I hadn't expected to love, but I loved the portions of the story that featured them on their own. I was a little annoyed at Skeet basically explaining Ziva to Aroska (and therefore the reader) but it wasn't any more than the usual amount of exposition. And the pair's parts together in the second half of the story were always exciting.
The biggest struggle I had for the book, and the reasons I knocked off a star, was how the plot seemed to lurch ahead. The newly formed team really only had one true mission together (aside from impromptu bits of action) so it feels like they jump to the big mission at the end. The time spent at the titular facility made up nearly a third of the page time. I didn't mind it's length, it was properly dramatic and explosive, as all fights in military sci-fi should be. But I couldn't help but feel there should have been a smaller mission leading up to it, like a test run for the newly formed team.
Other than that, it's a great book. I would definitely put it more in military sci-fi, so someone looking for a pure space opera probably won't get what they're looking for. But if you like shoot-outs with plasma rifles, it's a good pick.
I loved the premise immediately, with two people who had every reason to hate each other forced to work together. Admittedly, I wish it had been slightly more emphasized in the first part. For example, if Aroska had talked about what his brother was like or the crime he was accused of. But I did appreciate the sexual tension and how Ziva's strength wasn't an issue for Aroska. He accepted her abilities as fact, even as much as he hated her, and it made for a strange mix of hate and respect that I liked.
Zinni and Skeet were also characters I hadn't expected to love, but I loved the portions of the story that featured them on their own. I was a little annoyed at Skeet basically explaining Ziva to Aroska (and therefore the reader) but it wasn't any more than the usual amount of exposition. And the pair's parts together in the second half of the story were always exciting.
The biggest struggle I had for the book, and the reasons I knocked off a star, was how the plot seemed to lurch ahead. The newly formed team really only had one true mission together (aside from impromptu bits of action) so it feels like they jump to the big mission at the end. The time spent at the titular facility made up nearly a third of the page time. I didn't mind it's length, it was properly dramatic and explosive, as all fights in military sci-fi should be. But I couldn't help but feel there should have been a smaller mission leading up to it, like a test run for the newly formed team.
Other than that, it's a great book. I would definitely put it more in military sci-fi, so someone looking for a pure space opera probably won't get what they're looking for. But if you like shoot-outs with plasma rifles, it's a good pick.
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October 28, 2021Very well written and fun, exciting and full of great characters! The main character is a strong female character that is appealing, and the main male character is has a great hook and arc.
January 20, 2024
Enjoyable read.
March 15, 2023
SPSFC 2 Quarterfinalist. This is my personal opinion/score only. I gave this a 7/10 (or 3.5 out of 5 for GR, rounding up to 4 for Self-Pub as is my practice).
First of a series – it looks like there's 3 books in the Ziva Payvan series, plus 2 in the connected (I assume) Ziva Payvan Legacy.
I'd call this a police/military SF adventure with a dash of enemies to friends (not lovers). There's not really any romance plot line in this book at all which will come as a relief to some and disappointment to others. I sort of thought there might be a romance brewing, but it did not materialize.
We start off the book meeting Lieutenant Aroska Tarbic, an Agent with the Haphezian Special Police on the day when everyone is assigned to new jobs/teams for the next term. Tarbic is assigned to work with Agent Ziva Payven, a badass operative with a superstar reputation. The only problem is Tarbic is also aware, through some illicit investigations of his own, that Payven was assigned to execute his brother and did so. There are a few side-characters, but for the most par they're not fleshed out in great detail.
Payven and Tarbic agree to work together against their common enemy, a faction called Solaris and almost immediately get pulled into a plot involving Solaris and a party of foreign diplomats.
The world building is fairly extensive with multiple planets, civilizations, races, and large cities and installations. I did find it a little bit of a cheat that the main race we spend time with, the Haphezians, are basically tall, strong humans with funky colored eyes, stripey hair, and facial tattoos/markings. The race the Haphezians have historically been at odds with, though they currently are under treaty, is basically lizard-men. The author did a pretty good job in building in the world exploration without having large info dumps.
Lots of adventure, the plot hangs together pretty well for the most part. There's some forbidden mental powers (Nostia) that are introduced through the use of a banned chemical substance which makes for a fun sideplot.
And now for the things that didn't click as well for me:
Some of the adventure and escape parts when Payven and her team are breaking into a secure facility to rescue people was a bit eye-rolly for me. Especially Payven's ability to escape anything with unlikely feats of gymnastics and lockpicking. In addition, I found the mobilization of a whole army based on a friend asking a favor to be less than believable when there are so many other instances of typical bureaucracy at work.
Fairly clean on the editing, though there are a handful of small grammatical errors that I spotted and the type of spelling errors that elude spell check (away instead of a way, noise instead of nose). Very readable though and that was not a major detractor.
The items that were really detractors for me were three things. One, there was a double-agent plot that was handled with an extremely heavy hand. Yes, the reader is supposed to understand the person is a double agent, but it was illustrated probably six or seven times to really make SURE the reader got it. The second thing was that although most of the character work focused on Payvan and Tarbic, I didn't feel that connected to either one of them. I like it when you feel a little more connection to your protagonists. Maybe this was a function of meeting Tarbic first and then having the focus switch a lot to Payvan? I'm not sure, but I always felt at a small remove from the characters. Thirdly, the initial set up of the book was this huge, unforgivable anger that Tarbic had over Payvan killing his brother, but it was pretty much put aside with little fuss or resolution, it's just left as a mostly unresolved plotline.
Recommended for: Fans of Tanya Huff's Confederation series or perhaps Tango and Cash in space?
First of a series – it looks like there's 3 books in the Ziva Payvan series, plus 2 in the connected (I assume) Ziva Payvan Legacy.
I'd call this a police/military SF adventure with a dash of enemies to friends (not lovers). There's not really any romance plot line in this book at all which will come as a relief to some and disappointment to others. I sort of thought there might be a romance brewing, but it did not materialize.
We start off the book meeting Lieutenant Aroska Tarbic, an Agent with the Haphezian Special Police on the day when everyone is assigned to new jobs/teams for the next term. Tarbic is assigned to work with Agent Ziva Payven, a badass operative with a superstar reputation. The only problem is Tarbic is also aware, through some illicit investigations of his own, that Payven was assigned to execute his brother and did so. There are a few side-characters, but for the most par they're not fleshed out in great detail.
Payven and Tarbic agree to work together against their common enemy, a faction called Solaris and almost immediately get pulled into a plot involving Solaris and a party of foreign diplomats.
The world building is fairly extensive with multiple planets, civilizations, races, and large cities and installations. I did find it a little bit of a cheat that the main race we spend time with, the Haphezians, are basically tall, strong humans with funky colored eyes, stripey hair, and facial tattoos/markings. The race the Haphezians have historically been at odds with, though they currently are under treaty, is basically lizard-men. The author did a pretty good job in building in the world exploration without having large info dumps.
Lots of adventure, the plot hangs together pretty well for the most part. There's some forbidden mental powers (Nostia) that are introduced through the use of a banned chemical substance which makes for a fun sideplot.
And now for the things that didn't click as well for me:
Some of the adventure and escape parts when Payven and her team are breaking into a secure facility to rescue people was a bit eye-rolly for me. Especially Payven's ability to escape anything with unlikely feats of gymnastics and lockpicking. In addition, I found the mobilization of a whole army based on a friend asking a favor to be less than believable when there are so many other instances of typical bureaucracy at work.
Fairly clean on the editing, though there are a handful of small grammatical errors that I spotted and the type of spelling errors that elude spell check (away instead of a way, noise instead of nose). Very readable though and that was not a major detractor.
The items that were really detractors for me were three things. One, there was a double-agent plot that was handled with an extremely heavy hand. Yes, the reader is supposed to understand the person is a double agent, but it was illustrated probably six or seven times to really make SURE the reader got it. The second thing was that although most of the character work focused on Payvan and Tarbic, I didn't feel that connected to either one of them. I like it when you feel a little more connection to your protagonists. Maybe this was a function of meeting Tarbic first and then having the focus switch a lot to Payvan? I'm not sure, but I always felt at a small remove from the characters. Thirdly, the initial set up of the book was this huge, unforgivable anger that Tarbic had over Payvan killing his brother, but it was pretty much put aside with little fuss or resolution, it's just left as a mostly unresolved plotline.
Recommended for: Fans of Tanya Huff's Confederation series or perhaps Tango and Cash in space?
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May 28, 2015
**This book was sent to me in exchange for my honest review**
RATING: 4.5 STARS
E.J., you have won me over...
Such a fantastic story with BELIEVABLE characters. This book was given to me back in December, and I am a bit ashamed that it took me so long to get to it. But I'm SO glad that I finally did.
There's a uniqueness to this book. I haven't come across anything like it in a long while, probably not ever, to be honest. The names of characters and locations alone made for a very fun experience. I loved learning how to pronounce them!
Dakiti follows a young Lt. Aroska Tarbic, who is an agent with the special police. He's been through quite a few ordeals with the execution of his brother to the loss of his team in an accident. Suddenly, he is assigned to a task force that is headed up by the person who executed his brother, Commander Ziva Payvan. Through this book, he's learning how to work with her, but he also ends up becoming involved in uncovering a huge threat to society. Because of this threat, Ziva and Aroska have to work together...
I thought this was a fantastic start to what promises to be a great series. The characters were complex, but so much fun to learn about. The world is so vast and carries the story so well. And the pacing was just right. Even though, it's not a long story by any means, I still had to pace myself when reading it because I wanted to make sure I understood the world, and the characters. This isn't your cookie cutter, run of the mill type of book. You can tell that Fisch paid a LOT of attention to what she was doing.
Usually, I think it's difficult for an author to balance having a big world AND complex characters in the same book, but EJ Fisch is one of those authors that seems to have a talent at doing it in just the right way. I really connected to Aroska and his struggled. I understood his frustrations, externally and internally, and I felt for him a lot throughout the story.
Ziva, our other protagonist, was simply phenomenal. I loved how Fisch portrayed her. There was so much strength to her character. So courage. BUT with all of that, you could still see the vulnerability and even the femininity, especially during certain points of the books when she was dealing with specific characters or during flashbacks throughout the book. It can be SO hard to not erase the feminine aspect of a female character. Strong women in books is definitely a hot topic BUT there needs to be a realistic approach to it. And I think Fisch knows that approach.
The growth in the two main characters comes so gradually that I almost don't see the switch until the very end of the book. And I loved it. Neither Aroska or Ziva allows each other to walk over one another. She stands up to him and vice versa. Their relationship grows in a way that I, quite frankly, wasn't expecting. It's all very platonic. Which is my ONE gripe. But that's because I'm a hopeless romantic and see potential for love in EVERYTHING. But I am actually really happy that Fisch didn't taint the friend/colleague relationship between the two with romantic feelings (at least not at this point) because it made for a better story!
So, bottom line, if you're expecting lovey-dovey romance... you're not getting it here. But don't let that deter you from this book. It's a great Sci-Fi read! One of the better works that I've come across in a long while. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book. I highly recommend this one!
RATING: 4.5 STARS
E.J., you have won me over...
Such a fantastic story with BELIEVABLE characters. This book was given to me back in December, and I am a bit ashamed that it took me so long to get to it. But I'm SO glad that I finally did.
There's a uniqueness to this book. I haven't come across anything like it in a long while, probably not ever, to be honest. The names of characters and locations alone made for a very fun experience. I loved learning how to pronounce them!
Dakiti follows a young Lt. Aroska Tarbic, who is an agent with the special police. He's been through quite a few ordeals with the execution of his brother to the loss of his team in an accident. Suddenly, he is assigned to a task force that is headed up by the person who executed his brother, Commander Ziva Payvan. Through this book, he's learning how to work with her, but he also ends up becoming involved in uncovering a huge threat to society. Because of this threat, Ziva and Aroska have to work together...
I thought this was a fantastic start to what promises to be a great series. The characters were complex, but so much fun to learn about. The world is so vast and carries the story so well. And the pacing was just right. Even though, it's not a long story by any means, I still had to pace myself when reading it because I wanted to make sure I understood the world, and the characters. This isn't your cookie cutter, run of the mill type of book. You can tell that Fisch paid a LOT of attention to what she was doing.
Usually, I think it's difficult for an author to balance having a big world AND complex characters in the same book, but EJ Fisch is one of those authors that seems to have a talent at doing it in just the right way. I really connected to Aroska and his struggled. I understood his frustrations, externally and internally, and I felt for him a lot throughout the story.
Ziva, our other protagonist, was simply phenomenal. I loved how Fisch portrayed her. There was so much strength to her character. So courage. BUT with all of that, you could still see the vulnerability and even the femininity, especially during certain points of the books when she was dealing with specific characters or during flashbacks throughout the book. It can be SO hard to not erase the feminine aspect of a female character. Strong women in books is definitely a hot topic BUT there needs to be a realistic approach to it. And I think Fisch knows that approach.
The growth in the two main characters comes so gradually that I almost don't see the switch until the very end of the book. And I loved it. Neither Aroska or Ziva allows each other to walk over one another. She stands up to him and vice versa. Their relationship grows in a way that I, quite frankly, wasn't expecting. It's all very platonic. Which is my ONE gripe. But that's because I'm a hopeless romantic and see potential for love in EVERYTHING. But I am actually really happy that Fisch didn't taint the friend/colleague relationship between the two with romantic feelings (at least not at this point) because it made for a better story!
So, bottom line, if you're expecting lovey-dovey romance... you're not getting it here. But don't let that deter you from this book. It's a great Sci-Fi read! One of the better works that I've come across in a long while. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book. I highly recommend this one!
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