Traitor's Run

The Hegemony is a human-led federation of worlds that safeguards its dominance by subjugating potential opponents. When the insular Kresz – a crustacean/insectile humanoid species – refuses to join, the Hegemony treats them as a threat. The subsequent drama unfolds from mostly two points of view: Rhees Lowrans, a talented albeit disgraced human pilot who blames herself for the death of a loved one; and Udun, a Kresz who prefers to live offworld, a rare trait amongst his species. As each is drawn into separate conflicts – ones that threaten their lives and challenge their beliefs – they are forced to make choices that were previously unthinkable.

There is much to like about this novel, including the representations of good and evil in both humans and aliens, and also the strong female characters working in institutions that, thus far, appear to be dominated by males. The novel’s strengths lie with Stevenson’s thoughtful and intelligent depictions of various aliens and their cultures, particularly the worldview, religion and social mores of the empathic Kresz. The narrative voices are successfully character specific, though can be dry at times and often remained so during weapon-to-weapon conflict and scenes of emotional turmoil. Readers looking for classic space opera with a twist will enjoy this novel. I will certainly be looking out for Book 2. Thank you Net Galley and coeur de lion for sending this book for review consideration.

The Hegemony is an alliance of planets dominated by humanity to the detriment of alien species. Rhees is a human pilot that figures out what humanity is doing and decides to fight against the tyranny. I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next novel by Keith Stevenson.

I recieved an ARC in return for an honest review.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of Traitor’s Run from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Traitor’s Run is the first instalment in The Lenticular Trilogy by Australian author Keith Stevenson, and it has all the trappings of science fiction that you’d expect; a vast galactic canvas with a myriad of extremely well-drawn alien societies, interstellar travel, and plenty of political machinations. The central administration of humanity’s Hegemony is fixated on controlling all sentient species it encounters, although not without reason, as we learn early on that humanity was almost wiped out in a war with another species at some point in the past.

The story is told from two points of view: Rhees Lowrans is a Fleet pilot whose miscalculation during an exercise costs the life of her lover. Dismissed from Fleet in disgrace, her father’s connections gift her a second chance in the Hegemony Diplomatic Corps (HDC). The HDC is part intelligence agency, part black ops and humanity’s first line of defence against extraterrestrial threats. Rhees soon comes to despise Troels Volmar, the Comptroller of HDC and his ‘ends justifies the means’ approach to diplomacy.

The second viewpoint is from Udun, an alien from the Kresz homeworld. (Picture a lobster in the shape of a very large human with a cobra-like hood that can engorge from the back of its neck and you get the idea.) The Kresz are a highly empathetic species, which means they sense the emotions of other Kresz nearby and participate in a world mind whilst retaining their individuality. The Kresz are an insular species and want nothing to do with the Hegemony, but the HDC has other ideas.

Udun is unlike most Kresz in that he is interested in other species and yearns to spend more time off the Kresz homeworld. And here we encounter one of the key themes in Traitor’s Run; both Rhees and Udun are ostracised for not conforming to the expectations of their societies. While their respective journeys do not intersect – at least not in this instalment – there are obvious parallels including the inevitable collision between independent thinkers and heavy-handed regimes. Thought-provoking material indeed.

I find some science fiction can be difficult to engage with, particularly where high science concepts dominate or the canvas is so vast it inevitably comes at the expense of characterisation. However, I didn’t find that with Traitor’s Run at all. Stevenson’s pacing is brisk and his tendency towards a modest level of description and short paragraphs worked well as I read the novel on my Kindle.

Conclusion:

This is intelligent and accessible SF, with engaging characters and themes that are very relevant to modern day. I can’t wait for the next instalment and would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys stories about humanity finding its place amongst the stars.

Keith Stevenson throws us headfirst into an epic galactic opera in Traitor's Run, kicking off The Lenticular Trilogy. Picture a universe jam-packed with exotic alien cultures, space trips, and a whole lot of political drama. Right at the centre? The Hegemony - humans playing both heroes and baddies. Dive deep, and you've got Rhees Lowrans, a pilot with some heavy baggage, and Udun, this wild empathic lobster-like alien from the Kresz, trying to figure out the massive space politics game.
The beauty of it? It isn’t just about strange planets or flashy space wars. Stevenson gives each alien world its own soul and backstory. We see everything through Rhees and Udun's eyes - the good, the bad, and the cosmic. The plot is huge, but the two main characters keep things grounded. Their stories pack an emotional punch.
So, if you're into epic space tales with a fresh spin, Traitor's Run should be your next binge. It's got drama, heart, and makes you think twice about where humans fit in the universe. And there's more to come in this series! I can't wait!