Cyberscion

At the start of Jacobs’s fun debut novella, Benjiro Ibn Benjiro Ayad Nakamura, or Ben, as he is known to most, is poised to take over leadership of the Nakamura cybersinecure, a far-future aristocratic line, when the ceremonial katana that plays an integral role in the ascension ceremony is stolen. Ben assembles a diverse group of talented commoners from the “outerboroughs” that he would otherwise never come into contact with to help retrieve the katana before the ceremony takes place. What ensues is an Ocean’s 11–style heist plot as Ben and the group, all of whom have distinct skills that will help them find and take back the katana, scheme and train together in preparation. This premise is undeniably entertaining, but Jacobs leaves some big questions about his central conceit unanswered: why, for example, is this government so dependent upon these ceremonial objects? And why, then, does Ben choose to keep his predicament secret from all except this group he found on the dark web? A final twist clarifies some, but not all, of these mysteries. Still, cyberpunk fans will find this a fast-paced, action-packed romp with plenty to hold their attention. (Mar.)