Corsair Is a Rip-Roaring, Spacefaring, Character-Rich Pirate Adventure
The only thing better than being a pirate is being a pirate in space. Or, perhaps, being an author that writes about pirates in space. James L. Cambias’ first novel, A Darkling Sea, was about humans encountering species of sentient aliens. Sophomore effort Corsair sails to more familiar terrestrial waters, but there’s still plenty of room for exciting space action, techno jargon, and characters you’ll love to loathe.
Corsair
Hardcover $25.99
Corsair
Hardcover $25.99
Corsair centers on David Schwartz, bad boy computer genius known in shadier circles as “Captain Black the Space Pirate.” David’s cargo of choice is helium-3, a highly sought after gas that can only be obtained in sufficient quantities from the moon. Since this is science fiction through and through, there happen to be several robotic mining bases on the lunar surface, along with swarms of satellites monitoring everything in transit back to Earth. To pull off a caper, all David has to do is log in to a computer, do some hacking, redirect a payload, collect the waylaid booty, and cash in.
The first wrench in David’s plans comes in the form of Air Force Captain Elizabeth Santiago. Elizabeth is the kind of person who follows the rules even when they leave her holding the short end of the stick. Her first attempt to thwart Captain Black costs her a job. As if that wasn’t frustrating enough, Elizabeth suspects she has a connection with the man behind the roguish eye patch. As in, they totally dated in college.
The first two-thirds set the characters and their relationships in place, and the final section breaks it all to pieces with a series of loud bangs. Captain Black jumps in for “just one more heist,” which naturally goes south at a critical moment. Elizabeth gets pulled back into the anti-piracy field, but for her, it’s personal. A handful of supporting characters keep the cast on their toes, including some colorful individuals you’ll kind of want to smack with a rotten fish. Looking at you, Barnacle Bill, irritating pirate engineer.
Corsair centers on David Schwartz, bad boy computer genius known in shadier circles as “Captain Black the Space Pirate.” David’s cargo of choice is helium-3, a highly sought after gas that can only be obtained in sufficient quantities from the moon. Since this is science fiction through and through, there happen to be several robotic mining bases on the lunar surface, along with swarms of satellites monitoring everything in transit back to Earth. To pull off a caper, all David has to do is log in to a computer, do some hacking, redirect a payload, collect the waylaid booty, and cash in.
The first wrench in David’s plans comes in the form of Air Force Captain Elizabeth Santiago. Elizabeth is the kind of person who follows the rules even when they leave her holding the short end of the stick. Her first attempt to thwart Captain Black costs her a job. As if that wasn’t frustrating enough, Elizabeth suspects she has a connection with the man behind the roguish eye patch. As in, they totally dated in college.
The first two-thirds set the characters and their relationships in place, and the final section breaks it all to pieces with a series of loud bangs. Captain Black jumps in for “just one more heist,” which naturally goes south at a critical moment. Elizabeth gets pulled back into the anti-piracy field, but for her, it’s personal. A handful of supporting characters keep the cast on their toes, including some colorful individuals you’ll kind of want to smack with a rotten fish. Looking at you, Barnacle Bill, irritating pirate engineer.
A Darkling Sea
Paperback
$15.19
$15.99
A Darkling Sea
Paperback
$15.19
$15.99
Corsair works really well as a sci-fi thriller. The plot stays exciting without resorting to popcorn chapters incorporating a shopping list of action movie tropes. Yes, there are exciting space battles, but they unfold themselves from a bed of interesting characters who have even more interesting, intertwining relationships. Elizabeth and David’s history is a great example: the story isn’t about their defunct romance, but it adds pages worth of subtext to their every interaction. When Elizabeth fails to foil Captain Black, it’s more than just a career killer; it’s a personal setback.
Cambias keeps the narrative sailing along at a fine clip, eventually mooring it in the Sea of Satisfying Conclusions. It’s a well-rounded, enjoyable read, the sort of book you’ll be surprised to find you’ve read in a single sitting.
Corsair works really well as a sci-fi thriller. The plot stays exciting without resorting to popcorn chapters incorporating a shopping list of action movie tropes. Yes, there are exciting space battles, but they unfold themselves from a bed of interesting characters who have even more interesting, intertwining relationships. Elizabeth and David’s history is a great example: the story isn’t about their defunct romance, but it adds pages worth of subtext to their every interaction. When Elizabeth fails to foil Captain Black, it’s more than just a career killer; it’s a personal setback.
Cambias keeps the narrative sailing along at a fine clip, eventually mooring it in the Sea of Satisfying Conclusions. It’s a well-rounded, enjoyable read, the sort of book you’ll be surprised to find you’ve read in a single sitting.