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Hidden Empire #5
Queen of Nowhere
When paranoia is a way of life, trust doesn't come easily.
The Sidhe look like us. They live amongst us. What they lack in numbers they make up with their fearsome mental abilities and the considerable physical resources at their disposal. And their biggest advantage? No one believes they exist.
Almost no one.
Bez, the best hacker in human-space, is fighting a secret war against them. Always one step ahead, never lingering in one place, she's determined to bring them down. But she can't expose the Hidden Empire alone and when the only ally she trusted fails her she must accept help from an unexpected quarter.
Just one misstep, one incorrect assumption, and her Sidhe trap - her life's work - could end in vicious disaster. Worse, if Bez fails then humanity may never have another chance to win free of the manipulative and deadly Sidhe . . .
The Sidhe look like us. They live amongst us. What they lack in numbers they make up with their fearsome mental abilities and the considerable physical resources at their disposal. And their biggest advantage? No one believes they exist.
Almost no one.
Bez, the best hacker in human-space, is fighting a secret war against them. Always one step ahead, never lingering in one place, she's determined to bring them down. But she can't expose the Hidden Empire alone and when the only ally she trusted fails her she must accept help from an unexpected quarter.
Just one misstep, one incorrect assumption, and her Sidhe trap - her life's work - could end in vicious disaster. Worse, if Bez fails then humanity may never have another chance to win free of the manipulative and deadly Sidhe . . .
- GenresScience FictionFantasy
352 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2012
75 people want to read
About the author
Jaine Fenn
44 books78 followersTruth may be stranger than fiction, but it's also far harder to track down. Jaine Fenn has had numerous short stories professionally published, some of which appear in the collection 'Downside Girls' and has won the British Science Fiction Association Short Fiction award. Her Hidden Empire space opera sequence, published by Gollancz, starts with the novel 'Principles of Angels'. Her Shadowlands science fantasy duology is published by Angry Robot.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 29, 2018
They look human, have considerable mental and actual resources at their disposal, and have the advantage that no one actually believes they exist. They were thought to have vanished a thousand years ago, but Bez knows the Sidhe still live among human-occupied space. Even though there are not many of them left, they have people in key positions and wield considerable power and influence over what they consider a substandard race.
Bez has been fighting her own secret war against them. Using multiple identities and rarely staying long anywhere and building a network of spies and agents, she has located almost all of the Sidhe across habs. If she was to make one mistake though, the trap that she has spent her life setting will end in disaster and the Sidhe would have won. Her knife-edge balancing act begins to wobble when she realises that the only person who knows her real identity might not be able to be trusted and that there is another who claims to know who she is and has been helping her all along. To survive this, and bring about her life's work, she is going to need every instinct that has kept her alive so far.
This is the fifth in the series of the Hidden Empire series from Fenn, and it slots nicely into the universe that she has created in her previous books. The world building is as good as the previous books, I particularly liked the starliners that Bez uses to get to the different habs where the populations live in her universe. Apart from the main character, the rest are a little thin, but the plot rescues this with is fast pace, twists and turns and explosive ending. Great stuff as usual and I am eagerly looking forward to her new series.
Bez has been fighting her own secret war against them. Using multiple identities and rarely staying long anywhere and building a network of spies and agents, she has located almost all of the Sidhe across habs. If she was to make one mistake though, the trap that she has spent her life setting will end in disaster and the Sidhe would have won. Her knife-edge balancing act begins to wobble when she realises that the only person who knows her real identity might not be able to be trusted and that there is another who claims to know who she is and has been helping her all along. To survive this, and bring about her life's work, she is going to need every instinct that has kept her alive so far.
This is the fifth in the series of the Hidden Empire series from Fenn, and it slots nicely into the universe that she has created in her previous books. The world building is as good as the previous books, I particularly liked the starliners that Bez uses to get to the different habs where the populations live in her universe. Apart from the main character, the rest are a little thin, but the plot rescues this with is fast pace, twists and turns and explosive ending. Great stuff as usual and I am eagerly looking forward to her new series.
July 27, 2015
What I liked:
As always, the complexity and depth of the world building and technology are SciFi heaven to me. At first Bez irritated me with her apparently paranoia fueled obsession with every detail of her situation, but it soon becomes understandable why this is such a big deal. The broad mixture of cultures she has to integrate herself into makes for a believable and diverse universe. Nice twist at the end.
What I didn't like:
I missed Taro, Jarek, and especially Nual, with all three having been cast in much smaller roles in this after being the main characters previously. While the story mostly stays with the central character Bez and in her POV, there are odd jumps to other significant but fleeting characters that threw me out. Toward the end their significance becomes more obvious which makes it easier reading, but some readers might find it jarring. Also, this is apparently the last book. Wah!
In conclusion:
This is my favourite kind of space opera. I have loved all the books of the Hidden Empire, and I'm sorry this appears to be the final one. This was probably the less explosive and action packed of the five - more tension and intrigue - but nevertheless an entertaining and compulsive read. One for those who want SF with a different twist. It can be read as a stand-alone, but personally I think it's more enjoyable if you've read the rest of the series.
As always, the complexity and depth of the world building and technology are SciFi heaven to me. At first Bez irritated me with her apparently paranoia fueled obsession with every detail of her situation, but it soon becomes understandable why this is such a big deal. The broad mixture of cultures she has to integrate herself into makes for a believable and diverse universe. Nice twist at the end.
What I didn't like:
I missed Taro, Jarek, and especially Nual, with all three having been cast in much smaller roles in this after being the main characters previously. While the story mostly stays with the central character Bez and in her POV, there are odd jumps to other significant but fleeting characters that threw me out. Toward the end their significance becomes more obvious which makes it easier reading, but some readers might find it jarring. Also, this is apparently the last book. Wah!
In conclusion:
This is my favourite kind of space opera. I have loved all the books of the Hidden Empire, and I'm sorry this appears to be the final one. This was probably the less explosive and action packed of the five - more tension and intrigue - but nevertheless an entertaining and compulsive read. One for those who want SF with a different twist. It can be read as a stand-alone, but personally I think it's more enjoyable if you've read the rest of the series.
March 11, 2017
The Sidhe, who once enslaved and ruled all of humanity, have returned and inserted themselves into key positions of power right across human-controlled space. Only a few are aware of their return, and the data expert Bez is working hard to bring about their downfall. Her plan requires perfect timing, the recruitment of trustworthy allies and, if necessary, blackmail. But when her strongest ally apparently betrays her, Bez is left to face the Sidhe alone.
Queen of Nowhere is the fifth novel in the Hidden Empire sequence. This sequence is interesting because it tries to be a fairly tightly-serialised space opera whilst trying to make each book a stand-alone, with the focus moving between different groups of characters. Queen of Nowhere brings Bez, a fairly minor character in the earlier books, into sharp relief (Jarek, Taro and Nual, our 'regular' protagonists, are relegated to bit-players in Bez's story). Compared to the frequent point of view changes and shifting between planets of the previous volume, Bringer of Light, Queen of Nowhere benefits from a tight focus on Bez and her storyline.
That said, Queen of Nowhere also depicts events on a fairly large scale, some of them happening many light-years from where Bez is. The book's structure intercuts between Bez and brief scenes on other planets as members of Bez's network get ready for the decisive moment of action and their enemies try to protect themselves. It's an efficient structure which helps get across a big story in a modest page count.
Fenn's biggest weakness - her fairly prosaic, indifferent prose style - has been addressed, with more colour and strangeness in her descriptions. A visit to a planet with both segregation of the genders but also a relaxed attitude to sex is fairly vividly described. Her characterisation has also taken a big step forwards. Bez may be the most compelling protagonist Fenn has created so far, her very ordinariness and lack of material resources (despite her immense data-mining abilities) or superpowers being contrasted against Fenn's more familiar characters. Action sequences are handled with skill and there's a general feeling of improvement across the board.
The main weakness is that this is part of a series, despite the author's attempts to make things approachable for a newcomer. Indeed, newcomers may be frustrated by what they'll see as deus ex machina (such as Taro and Nual's Angel powers) whilst long-term readers may be disappointed by a lack of development on dangling plot threads from earlier in the series. The 'greater threat' which even dwafs the Sidhe and was introduced in Guardians of Paradise goes completely unmentioned, and there's certainly the feeling in the book's conclusion that we still have some way to go to reach the endgame, despite some elements being wrapped up in this volume.
Queen of Nowhere (***½) is, by a whisker, Fenn's best novel to date.
Queen of Nowhere is the fifth novel in the Hidden Empire sequence. This sequence is interesting because it tries to be a fairly tightly-serialised space opera whilst trying to make each book a stand-alone, with the focus moving between different groups of characters. Queen of Nowhere brings Bez, a fairly minor character in the earlier books, into sharp relief (Jarek, Taro and Nual, our 'regular' protagonists, are relegated to bit-players in Bez's story). Compared to the frequent point of view changes and shifting between planets of the previous volume, Bringer of Light, Queen of Nowhere benefits from a tight focus on Bez and her storyline.
That said, Queen of Nowhere also depicts events on a fairly large scale, some of them happening many light-years from where Bez is. The book's structure intercuts between Bez and brief scenes on other planets as members of Bez's network get ready for the decisive moment of action and their enemies try to protect themselves. It's an efficient structure which helps get across a big story in a modest page count.
Fenn's biggest weakness - her fairly prosaic, indifferent prose style - has been addressed, with more colour and strangeness in her descriptions. A visit to a planet with both segregation of the genders but also a relaxed attitude to sex is fairly vividly described. Her characterisation has also taken a big step forwards. Bez may be the most compelling protagonist Fenn has created so far, her very ordinariness and lack of material resources (despite her immense data-mining abilities) or superpowers being contrasted against Fenn's more familiar characters. Action sequences are handled with skill and there's a general feeling of improvement across the board.
The main weakness is that this is part of a series, despite the author's attempts to make things approachable for a newcomer. Indeed, newcomers may be frustrated by what they'll see as deus ex machina (such as Taro and Nual's Angel powers) whilst long-term readers may be disappointed by a lack of development on dangling plot threads from earlier in the series. The 'greater threat' which even dwafs the Sidhe and was introduced in Guardians of Paradise goes completely unmentioned, and there's certainly the feeling in the book's conclusion that we still have some way to go to reach the endgame, despite some elements being wrapped up in this volume.
Queen of Nowhere (***½) is, by a whisker, Fenn's best novel to date.
April 1, 2020
Honestly one of the most satisfying wrap-ups to a series I've ever found. Combines answering the questions raised by earlier books and answering questions I now realise I should have been asking as early as Book 1...
Neither saccharine nor needlessly grim, this book pulls everything together whilst leaving just enough room for more stories set in this universe. Cannot recommend the book or its series highly enough.
Neither saccharine nor needlessly grim, this book pulls everything together whilst leaving just enough room for more stories set in this universe. Cannot recommend the book or its series highly enough.
October 25, 2018
I felt a bit disconnected from the first half of this book - it seemed to be more about data drops and encryption protocols than a real story. It did pick up in the second half, however.
I hadn't realised (and the edition I read didn't make it clear) that this is #5 in a series. I might have enjoyed it more if I'd read the first four.
I hadn't realised (and the edition I read didn't make it clear) that this is #5 in a series. I might have enjoyed it more if I'd read the first four.
July 15, 2020
I received this from my public library as part of a random selection of 10 books as a result of COVID. It's the first one I had read so the fact it is last in the sequence was slightly annoying because the author very much assumes that you know what has gone before.
I probably won't read the earlier books, but I enjoyed it and I can see the sequence really appealing to some.
I probably won't read the earlier books, but I enjoyed it and I can see the sequence really appealing to some.
April 29, 2013
This isn't terrible, but the writer is seriously punching about her weight. There are a lot of embarrassing moments when this author thinks she is being droll or clever when she's spouting cliches. The Arch Enemies are basically sexy Fembots - which might work in a comedy sketch, but these are played straight. I don't think even early Heinlein would have tried to get away with that.
The (alluded to) sex is mostly mommy porn, although there is at least more than a nod to non-heterosexual attraction. The chapters set in the gender divided community were by far the most interesting bits in this book. From time to time there was a weird sense of passages coming into a much sharper focus, I suspect these sections were inspired by autobiographical events.
I started to wonder if this writer had a rather suburban or small town religious upbringing so she escaped into pulp sci fi. Probably a troubled child, who kicked the dust off her teen-aged sandals, left her petty minded mom behind, and then experimented with soft drugs and bisexuality.
The (alluded to) sex is mostly mommy porn, although there is at least more than a nod to non-heterosexual attraction. The chapters set in the gender divided community were by far the most interesting bits in this book. From time to time there was a weird sense of passages coming into a much sharper focus, I suspect these sections were inspired by autobiographical events.
I started to wonder if this writer had a rather suburban or small town religious upbringing so she escaped into pulp sci fi. Probably a troubled child, who kicked the dust off her teen-aged sandals, left her petty minded mom behind, and then experimented with soft drugs and bisexuality.
July 3, 2015
This is the fifth book in this excellent series -- read my review of Principles of Angels here. So would it continue to be as gripping as the previous offerings?
The Sidhe look like us. They live amongst us. They have fearsome mental abilities and considerable physical resources at their disposal. And their biggest advantage? No one believes they exist. Almost no one. Bez is fighting a secret war against them. Always one step ahead, never lingering in one place, she's determined to bring them down. But she can't expose the Hidden Empire alone and when her only ally fails her she must accept help from an unexpected quarter. Just one misstep, one incorrect assumption, and her Sidhe trap -- her life's work -- could end in disaster. Worse, if Bez fails then humanity will be lost to the manipulative and deadly Sidhe...
Read more at SFReader: Queen of Nowhere, by Jaine Fenn
The Sidhe look like us. They live amongst us. They have fearsome mental abilities and considerable physical resources at their disposal. And their biggest advantage? No one believes they exist. Almost no one. Bez is fighting a secret war against them. Always one step ahead, never lingering in one place, she's determined to bring them down. But she can't expose the Hidden Empire alone and when her only ally fails her she must accept help from an unexpected quarter. Just one misstep, one incorrect assumption, and her Sidhe trap -- her life's work -- could end in disaster. Worse, if Bez fails then humanity will be lost to the manipulative and deadly Sidhe...
Read more at SFReader: Queen of Nowhere, by Jaine Fenn
February 12, 2017
Really enjoyed reading this. I'm not sure whether it's the last in the series but it ties up most of the loose ends of the current plotline to do with the Sidhe but the last chapter hints at something which could be taken further. There's a greater sense of scale here, Bez, the main character moves from hub to hub a fair bit as well as chapters written from other points of view. Speaking of Bez, she's hard to like at first with lots of sharp edges but Fenn gives you lots of insight into why she is the way she is without bogging the story down with lots of exposition. There's a lot going on at once and sometimes it's hard to keep track of where something is happening but it all comes together for a very satisfying end to the book.
March 5, 2017
A rather disappointing fifth (and final?) entry in the series. The storyline itself was decent and provides at least some closure in case this is actually the end of the series.
Unfortunately, I didn't much care for the new main character. After the previous novel I thought Nual, Taro and Jarek would play a much bigger part in the war against the Sidhe. Instead they are made into minor side characters.
Furthermore, a lot of the book suffers from poor writing. The quality of the prose has been quite variable in this series, and this novel in particular has several sections that are downright embarrassing.
Unfortunately, I didn't much care for the new main character. After the previous novel I thought Nual, Taro and Jarek would play a much bigger part in the war against the Sidhe. Instead they are made into minor side characters.
Furthermore, a lot of the book suffers from poor writing. The quality of the prose has been quite variable in this series, and this novel in particular has several sections that are downright embarrassing.
March 30, 2016
This is, at the time of writing, the most recent Jaine Fenn novel, and as a result I'm a bit sad that I've finished it. The only thing left to read is Downside Girls, but after that there's no more Sidhe for me until the sixth novel comes out!
January 17, 2014
A slight departure for the series. It seems to be the start of the fall of the Hidden Empire and the series regulars only crop up in extended cameos. Instead it concentrates on a paranoid antisocial hacker and is much more cyberpunk orientated. Still highly recommended.
January 12, 2013
Queen of Nowhere brings the series together to a good conclusion. I wouldn't rule out a sequel but the ending is pretty neat.
August 4, 2013
No wonder it was hard to follow....5th in series...no indication on the book that it was part of a series. Otherwise, just weird
January 20, 2014
A really excellent book. Great pace. Loved it.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews