Song of Scarabaeus (Scarabaeus, #1) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Feb 15, 2011 Steph rated it really liked it

Shelves: author-웃, series-ended, series-book1, year-read-2011

I started Song of Scarabaeus without really knowing whether I would enjoy it or not. But, since I've been enjoying Aguirre's Sirantha Jax series, I thought I'd give it a go.

We are dropped into Edie Sha'nim's military-like world full of Fringers, the Crib, serfs, cyphertecks and BRATs right from the start, but quickly find our way through it as Creasy feeds us, sometimes slowly, details which help us become knowledgeable and immersed in this colorful world.

Edie is the best cypherteck there is, I started Song of Scarabaeus without really knowing whether I would enjoy it or not. But, since I've been enjoying Aguirre's Sirantha Jax series, I thought I'd give it a go.

We are dropped into Edie Sha'nim's military-like world full of Fringers, the Crib, serfs, cyphertecks and BRATs right from the start, but quickly find our way through it as Creasy feeds us, sometimes slowly, details which help us become knowledgeable and immersed in this colorful world.

Edie is the best cypherteck there is, she's been on eighteen missions and eighteen worlds have been "molded by {her} hands, {her} mind, over the last seven years. And not one has failed. {In fact,} Two of them have already been announced publicly as colony worlds ... for settlement within the next five years."

Edie has been forced to work for the Crib, a gov't organization who develops, changes and modifies worlds making them habitable for humans. But, her impressive records makes her a target for a group that wants to use her to their bidding. When they get their hands on her, she finds herself tied to Finn, a Saeth ("rogue, independent fighters"), by a (mind) "leash" that will cause his head to explode if they get more than 1,989 meters apart. He's to be her bodyguard.

Finn has had a troubled past, war-hero who lost all and gained nothing, years of slavery, even had his voice taken from him. Of course, all this means you immediately fall in love with him. ;) Edie is a kick-ass heroine who uses her mega mind to thwart the bad guys instead of her muscles. Gotta love that! The two find themselves in a situation where they cannot be separated. If Edie dies, so does Finn. Since their lives depend on each other, they quickly adjust to situation while working together to find a way out.

Although the book is sometimes called Sci-Fi romance, the romance, little that there was, has the feeling of something that will develop over time throughout the series. The beginning was interesting, but the second half really takes things up a notch. Once the characters find themselves on Scarabaeus, things get wicked! I couldn't stop reading, only did because my iTouch battery died. Creasy does a great job of making you feel like you are right there. She also creates side characters that you come to enjoy almost as much as the h/H.

I look forward to continuing the series with #2, Children of Scarabaeus. ...more

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Apr 20, 2010 The Flooze rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned, vanquished_2011, sci-fi

Song of Scarabaeus is absorbing. Though Creasy’s tone differs, I’d liken her storytelling talents to those of Ann Aguirre (author of one of my favorite series, Sirantha Jax). This is a study in full-immersion, where tech-speak is casually (but not carelessly) thrown about, reactions are realistic, tension is high and characters fall mostly within the grey zone.

In the larger view, Creasy paints a somewhat familiar picture: far-off planets ravaged by a power-hungry empire, deprived of their resou ...more

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Apr 21, 2010 Laura Lulu rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi

I loved this book. Wonderful characters, fast paced action, strong world building, and immersion into the world instead of info-dump, which I always prefer.

I haven't read much Sci-Fi, but I love the Sirantha Jax series and this one ranks right up there with Jax. Scarabaeus is more sciencey and technical than Jax--the main character, Edie, is a hardcore bio techie, and with the quick immersion into the world, she's throwing futuristic tech terms around and I'm like, whoa, slow down! Not confusin ...more

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Nov 04, 2010 Katyana rated it really liked it

Shelves: future, fiction, sci-fi

This was an excellent start to a new series. The opening is a little chunky - casual use of lots of unfamiliar terms, giving the read a little bit of a stagger / stutter until you get familiar with them - but after the first 20-30 pages, the story takes hold and doesn't let go.

I was amused and irritated by the number of characters that "took possession" of Edie and then expected her to be happy with her situation and loyal to them. It's funny how everyone in this book - the Crib, Natesa, the rov ...more

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Nov 20, 2010 Deyara rated it really liked it

This was great. I was hooked almost right from the start, totally better than the blurb makes out. Quite good characterisation, you dont find out all that much about them, and yet they were all pretty interesting (and miss them when they are gone). The parts on Scarabaeus though, with all the flora - reminds me so much of something else but I cant think what it is, which is a bit maddening. Would definitely try more by this author.

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