Fantasy Book Critic: Finder by Susanne Palmer (reviewed by Lukasz Przywoski)

AUTHOR INFORMATION: Suzanne lives in western Massachusetts with a number of two- and four-legged critters, including one Very Large Fluffy Dog, and is a Linux and Database System Administrator for the Sciences at Smith College.

OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: Fergus Ferguson has been called a lot of names: thief, con artist, repo man. He prefers the term finder.

His latest job should be simple. Find the spacecraft Venetia's Sword and steal it back from Arum Gilger, ex-nobleman turned power-hungry trade boss. He'll slip in, decode the ship's compromised AI security, and get out of town, Sword in hand.

CLASSIFICATION: Science-fiction / Space-Opera.

FORMAT: Finder was published by DAW in April 2019 as a first book in the series. It's available in an e-book, audiobook, paperback and hardcover format. The book consists of 397 pages.

I am Fergus Ferguson, and I find lost things. I’m going to bring Venetia’s Sword home because I said I would, and if I have to go through Gilger and the Asiigto do it, so be it.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: While not exactly a law-abiding do-gooder, Fergus has enough charm to make readers like him. He specializes in chasing things, getting into trouble and running away. When he tries to recover a sentient spacecraft stolen from Shipmakers of Pluto by a ruthless crime boss Airun Gilger, someone makes an attempt at his life. He barely survives, and what was supposed to be a routine job devolves into a disaster. Fergus’ actions may start a civil war, and to make matters worse, dangerous aliens seem interested in him as well.

The action-packed plot sucked me in fast and never let go. Ferguson escapes one dire situation just to find himself in even more trouble. When you start to think he can’t handle more, Palmer proves you wrong. Watching Ferguson getting out of a mess thanks to his quick wit and ingenuity entertained me, and his resourcefulness impressed me. We all recognize lasers and light-swords as standard tools used to fight in space, but how many of you thought about using vibrating alien sex toys as space weapons (of sorts)? Just a few, I guess. And Fergus is one of you.

Luckily, quick thinking and insolence are just the outer layers of his nuanced and well-developed character. His many flaws and upbeat attitude coupled with intriguing backstory delivered through occasional flashbacks make him relatable. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about secondary characters who lack depth. They’re well rounded and fun, I’ll give it to Palmer, but they’re here mainly to make Ferguson shine. That said a good dialogue, evocative descriptions and interesting tech make up for this. And let’s not forget about aliens. They’re cool and they make Fergus’ life more interesting, heck, they make him more interesting :)

CONCLUSION: Breakneck-paced, action-packed, and character-driven, this story is powered by thrilling plot twists that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Well worth a shot.