Junker Blues: The Belt: Junker Blues series

Lon E. Varnadore (Goodreads Author)

3.57 · Rating details · 7 ratings · 3 reviews

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Published August 8th 2020

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Nov 06, 2020 David Pax rated it liked it

Junker Blues - The Belt is a space opera set in the future, following Marcus, a human escaped from Eridani slavery, and Harley, who is a human cyborg, as they venture through the asteroid belt dodging all those out to get them.

This is the second book in the Junker Blues series, and I recommend starting with Junker Blues - Mars when reading the series, as there are a few plot points that depend on the first book. This story carries Marcus and Harley through the Sol asteroid belt, interacting with Junker Blues - The Belt is a space opera set in the future, following Marcus, a human escaped from Eridani slavery, and Harley, who is a human cyborg, as they venture through the asteroid belt dodging all those out to get them.

This is the second book in the Junker Blues series, and I recommend starting with Junker Blues - Mars when reading the series, as there are a few plot points that depend on the first book. This story carries Marcus and Harley through the Sol asteroid belt, interacting with different cultures along the way. Some of the cultures are helpful, some neutral, and some, well, are not a place I'd want to stay for long.

Showing the different cultures is perhaps the strongest element of the book, something that kept me engaged. With the main characters "on the lam" from both legal and private parties pursuing them, and their ship operating on partial engine power, they have no choice but to bounce from place to place. I like the way asteroids are used to provide settings for these small cultures, similar to the way Pacific islands are used as settings for age-of-sail adventures. Separated by space, each culture has distinctive elements just as one would expect from peoples who have limited contact. There is some technology that is common, such as air processors, but other tech that is unique to each culture.

This is an adventure story, pure entertainment, and as such it works. Traversing the asteroid belt one step ahead of the law makes for action-packed adventure that could be a good way to spend a lazy afternoon.

The Science (includes spoilers):
All my reviews include a discussion of the science in the story, specifically for people who are interested in those details.

As a space opera the science is secondary to the story, but there are a couple things that struck me.

I liked the way the asteroid belt was described. Too many times asteroid fields or belts are described as dense clusters of rocks, which simply is not accurate. Objects the size of asteroids have enough gravity to attract other objects and eventually form planets if they are close together. This story correctly shows the asteroids spread far apart, with travel time or faster-than-light jumps needed to get from one to another. This is one way that following the science makes for a better story - using the real distances between asteroids gives the feeling of traveling between islands, enhancing the drama of the ship's engine troubles and forcing the characters to make difficult decisions.

There is a use of unobtainium toward the end of the story that I didn't like. A material that renders a culture hard to detect is described as an exotic element. Any exotic element, say past the end of the periodic table as we know it, would be easy to detect due to radioactivity and mass. Here again is where science gives an answer that could have supported a good plot point. If the asteroid were a C-type asteroid, one rich in carbon, the structure could have been made of carbon composites. Very strong, and a material that absorbs most of the light falling on it. Add the stealth technology described in the story and the invisibility of the asteroid doesn't need an exotic element but is still just as wondrous a place. C-type asteroids make up about three-quarters of the asteroid belt, and are known for their low albedo due to the high carbon content.

These two points show how incorporating science into the narrative of a story, even a space opera, makes for a better story line overall.

Disclosure - This review is based on a free review copy ...more

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Jan 14, 2021 C. Gonzales rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction

Wow, I loved this and I had the hardest time putting it down.

I love an author who can create such a fun and unique world. Lon E Varnadore brought us into a fantastic setting and made his world and his characters stand out.

Solid storytelling and imagination from the author. Great characterization as well.

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Jan 12, 2021 R.K. Emery rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction

An imaginative and brilliant story with so much action all entwined with a wonderfully depicted universe.
I felt engulfed in the story from the get-go. I love how we get the background of a Sci-Fi world and characters, but at the heart is a true mystery feel. I can get lost in a mystery book any day.

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