The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi Book Review

 The Consuming Fire 

(The Interdependency #2)

By John Scalzi 

Published Year: 2018

Page Count: 360 pages 

Medium Used: Paperback 

Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fantasy, Hard Science fiction, Court Intrigues, 2026-read. 

Rating : 5/5 😍😍😍😍😍

My review to book one in the series : 

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi Book Review

Carenia - her official title, Grayland - has assumed the powers as emperox of the Interdependency and is now facing an unprecedented problem of the empire on collapse. There is ample, undubious math proof that, within a decade, all the systems of the flow stream connected empire will become isolated, unconnected and taken over by despair, hopelessness and possibly violence. She wants to help cart as many people as she can to the only isolated and functionable habitat on the planet, the End. At the start of the book, she spouts out visions of prophetic nature in order to influence the common folk into believing her/Marce's narrative of vanishing flow streams. He demonstrates how unstable these streams have become and along with another scientist, that they might reappear as unpredictably as they vanish. She might sell her visions to the general public but the guild houses and her cousins from the Wu family question her mental stability and therefore ability to be the emperox. Jasin Wu and Deran Wu along with the Countess of Nohamapetan sketch a long drawn plot to exile her and put one of the two Wus on the throne. The countess plots to marry off Nadashe to the supplanted ruler and get an heir to the family. But her plots are thwarted by the parties involved having varied interests and Nadashe herself making counter moves. I loved how the story ended with this book. Its an amazing world built here - would be a shame if more books are not devoted to the exploration and extending it. I liked the execution of plot to free Nadashe from the prison, to kill off Marce while he is visiting Dalysysla planet and the shocking revelation of the co-existence of multiple star systems like the Assembly or Earth System. I look forward to what the next book has to expound further on the subject! 

Faced with the possibility of having to brave it out through isolation, Marce suggests that he visit the lost planet Dalysysla. Some eight hundred years ago, the flow streams to and fro the planet have vanished, cutting off access to the planet. What he sees when he visits the world is unbelievable. A flow stream from the Interdependency to the planet has been open and they make a journey to it. They find people - only two hundred in count - barely scraping by, simply surviving. They have been sustaining on scavenged food, technology from the habitats and spaceships in the system. They are on the verge of starvation when Marce and his people visit them. They confess that some unknown people have come three hundred years before and helped them cope. Marce learns of the existence of other star systems with human populations and also about a Rupture that has disconnected Interdependency from Earth system and The Assembly system. I felt nothing short of open mouthed wonder at these aha moments! 

Spectacular! I think Scalzi has outdone himself with this second book in the Interdependency trilogy series. While in the first book he gives an outline of the major guild houses involved in the game for power and control, also offering a glimpse into the nature and set up of flow streams between human settlements spread through the Interdependency, in this book, he goes deeper into the flow streams narrative, exposes more corruption and rancidity that lies beneath the seemingly flawless exterior of those that wouldn't hesitate to go to ultimate lengths to seize power and throne for their family/house. I especially liked how bad ass and unforgettable Kiva Lagos is for me. I definitely have to give her a special mention for making both the books so thoroughly enjoyable! And then the brains and power seeker duo from the Nohamapetan house - Nadashe and her mother, the Countess - their characterizations felt so correct that when ever I came across sinister plots behind simple actions, I suspected involvement of the hand of the Countess. And then Cardenia herself - as a newbie at the game of thrones and also someone vested with the huge responsibility of keeping it together in the face of a collapsing empire, she did just fine. She spends as much time as she could with the simulated versions of her father the last Emperox before her and the first priest- emperox Rachela. She gets schooled on how to sell the idea of a collapsing yet survivable empire/future they now face. And Marce Claremont - charms the reader just like he has wormed his way into the bed and heart of Cardenia/Grayland the Emperox. I usually jot down my thoughts and compose a review as soon as I finish my books but for this one, I took my time to chew on the subject, sleep on it. I feel it only helped me get a better grip rather than missing out on salient points.