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224 pages, Paperback
First published November 6, 2018
It would be so easy to kill every one of them before they moved their fingers off their trigger guards. But then they'd be right about me: Mars Xi, terrorist, mass murderer, heartless creator of mourners and orphans. — Mars Xi (p.24-5)
This feels like the right end to the VoidWitch Saga and Mars's story. It wraps up the stories or gives us some idea of what is happening with all the major characters, while introducing new characters just for Static Ruin. It's remarkably less violent and bloody than previous books, particularly Void Black Shadow. I remembered when I started reading Static Ruin that I barely caught and certainly didn't mention in my review that the project that created Mars and her Voidwitch sisters was created from her father's, Marius Teo, research. Marius Teo is now the only person who might be able to help Pale, to treat his seizures and help understand the extent of what was done to him. The different style with Mars's restraint for the sake of her pseudo brother, her pure care for him was something that was needed.
Static Ruin picks up on Joon-ho a month after the end of Void Black Shadow, after Mars and her little crew leave Squid and Mookie on Aylett for Joon-ho. The trusted person on Joon-ho is Doctor Ahlim Ouyahia, Mars hopes she can help treat Pale. She can't and her son, Hayreddin, calls the Emperor's Guard, causing Mars to flee to her father's last known location, Sanderak. In all fairness, while Ahlim trusts Mars (it isn't explained why) she is a murderer and terrorist as far as Hayreddin is concerned it makes sense that he tries to protect not only his mother but the pilgrims on Joon-ho. The plot goes from there, but this is Mars, so nothing is ever as simple as it appears for her. "That thread will take her to the outskirts of the galaxy, to grapple with witch cults and privately owned planets, and into the hands of the man who engineered her birth." are the last lines of the blurb. The witch cult is Sommer on Sanderak the place Marius Teo set up, where Mars was born and Sera was raised. The privately owned planet is Azken owned by The Hurtt Corporation headed by Rafael Hurtt. The man who engineered Mars's birth is, of course, her father, Marius Teo.
Nothing and no one is what you expect or what they seem. Least of all Raf (Rafael Hurtt) who seems almost besotted with Mars. Either that or he truly respects what she can give him. But I don't think so, Mallory is the best judge of his actions, and she is not happy. He is willing to give up a lot to get something he wants from Mars, but even then she gets way more out of that deal than he does, there is no way he is ignorant of that little fact. Marius Teo is an old man and a nightmare and I'll leave that there to save from spoilers. The people of Sommer are so endearing, particularly Dima. Between the three groups of people, or locations plus the Emperor's Guard is still hanging around there is a lot of diversity in the antagonists, potential allies and I-trust-you-for-now. All feel much more personal for Mars, the stakes are higher for her, messing with her emotions more. It's really well executed as an escalation of intimacy across the series.
Some quotes and comments
• "You AI are smarter than any human, but most of us treat you like servants or slaves. Any one of us could unplug your core and do whatever we liked with it. But what if you'd been given an autonomous body?"
"That would be illegal."
"But not impossible. So imagine: what if you had a body? What if people treated you like a human? What if you were normal?" — This is Mars trying to make a point of normality and bodily autonomy. The quote at the bottom of the review comes from the same conversation. It's one of the best in the book, Waren is so, so human. (Mars and Waren, p.29)
• Waren referring to curing Pale and getting Mars answers about her life as errands is possibly the funniest thing. He does this while asking Mars to not destroy his ship... again
• The Governor's Residence is stunning. A mansion built entirely underground, "The mansion's dark façade is hewn from stone and veined with constellations glittering in shades of silver, blue, gold, and brass." (Mars, p.52-3). Complete with white doors made of intricately carved polished timber.
• "Hey, hey, it's me, here." I keep crying, but it's different now. The rage is gone, replaced by fear and something like love for the boy who's sharing and hurt. "Pale, please, hey, it's Mars. I'm here, okay?" — The fear of having seizures is bad enough, I can't even imagine the fear of watching it happen. THAT is why I love this line so much. (Mars, p.65)
• "I think you're curious."
"Curious?"
"You could find other humans, but I'm your only chance to travel with a space witch."
"I've said it before, Mars: you're never boring." — This is Mars and Waren. They have a really interesting relationship. Waren likes the adventure as well as being sarcastic and sassy. His personality matches Mars's well. (Mars and Waren, p.88)
• I don't feel perfect. I feel like a bomb in human skin. Like killing was written into my future before I was born. — I like how Mars describes herself sometimes. She is usually brutal on herself in a way that is fair because she has done some awful things. (Mars, p.129)
• "You shouldn't look up to me; I'm not a good person."
"I still love you." — I adore Pale. Pale doesn't talk much but when he does it means something. I really like this simple exchange. (Mars and Pale, p.180)
This is for now at least the last in the Voidwitch Saga though Corey J. White hasn't written off returning to Mars's story at some point, but potentially in a different kind of story (source: a 2020 Goodreads answer). I'm so glad I chose to read this. If you enjoy space dramas, can deal with the violence and the murky ethics it is a joy to read. The books are short but the writing is engaging, the short length means the pace needs to stay up. Though it is definitely a series that I feel needs to be read sequentially.
There's no such thing as 'better', there's only 'different,' and people hate what they don't understand," I say, leaving the cockpit behind to wander down the corridor.
And I don't even understand myself. — Mars Xi (p.29, this to AI Waren)
A representative gif: