Freenet

What could have been an engaging space adventure novel stumbles on its way to the finish line. Fearing rape by an abusive stepfather, cyber-enhanced omnidroid Simara Ying flees his spaceship in a commandeered shuttle and lands on the hostile planet Bali (no relation to the Earthly locale by the same name)., which the spaceship was orbiting. Retrieved from the wreckage of her craft by Bali native Zen Valda, Simara struggles to adapt to the unfamiliar mores of a culture that doesn't have the high-tech amenities Simara took for granted. Offered the chance to return to galactic civilization, Simara accepts it, dragging Zen along with her. Now it is Zen who is forced to adapt. Worse, Simara's misfortunes have not been mere chance. Someone seems to be orchestrating fatal "accidents" for the omnidroids; Simara and all her kind may be targeted for death. Stanton (the Bloodlight Chronicles) seems indecisive about who the protagonist of his book is, first focusing on Simara and then reducing her to a damsel in distress to give Zen the spotlight, only for Zen to be displaced in turn by media star Roni Hendrick. Stanton struggles to effectively convey his grand vision of post-human destiny. His prose is not up to the task, and in the end he's reduced to using informed characters to provide heavy-handed exposition. Betrayed by flawed technique, this ambitious book falls short in execution. (Apr.)