Book Review: Black Hole Sun by David MacInnis Gill

On a terraformed Mars, Jacob Durango is a Regulator -- a highly trained and experienced enforcer. He is also "dalit," a mercenary outside the official channels of the Regulators -- basically muscle for hire. When the Draeu, a race of ruthless cannibals, begin threatening a group of miners, Durango gathers together a "davos," or troop of ragtag Regulators to protect the mining colony. Plenty of mayhem follows.

The plot is fast-paced and packed with action. The dialogue is snappy and at times hilarious, particularly between Durango and his AI implant, Mimi (who in her living days was Durango's commander in the Regulators). The author also does a good job in establishing settings on Mars without slowing down the pace of the story.

This book reminded me in many ways of Robert Heinlein's SF novels from the 1950's and 1960's, particularly the use of the first person narrator, the strong female characters, and the freelancing, anti-authoritarian bent of the work as a whole. It's refreshing to see this kind of writing making a comeback.

-- Kifflie