There is a lot to love in this debut science fiction thriller novel. The pacing is fast, and the mystery thriller aspects of the story are written with a satisfying amount of suspense and intrigue. There is also a whole lot of diverse characters in this novel. All the characters are people of color, and there is even a characters with ze/zer pronouns. The three main characters are all older women as well. I think it was great to see older women in the roles of action-based protagonists.There were a lot of interesting science fiction ideas explored.

There are a couple of elements that could have used more time and explanation. There were too many important characters to follow without enough time differentiating their personality from the others. It was difficult to tell the characters apart beyond the main three that stand out. The setting could have been described in more detail to get a sense of place. I knew that the story was taking place on Ileri and it had rings, but I didn't quite know where or what it was until toward the end of the book. There were unfamiliar science fiction ideas and names given without enough explanation to perfectly follow what was happening. However, things begin to clear up by the end of the novel.

Overall, Assassin's Orbit is a good debut novel with a wonderful mystery thriller story line and a very diverse cast of characters. With more descriptions, information, and explanations this could have been a perfect book.

Gosh, I'm at the point in my life where I really wish we had a better comparison for books featuring older female heroes than The Golden Girls. Nothing against the classic sitcom, but literally the only similarity Assassin's Orbit has with TGG is that the main characters are feisty older women. That's definitely a draw for readers like me, but if you're coming here expecting laughs and feel-good sitcom moments, oh boy, are you in for a surprise.

Which isn't at all a knock on this book: it's just that hilarity isn't what AO is about. Tonally, it feels a lot more like The Expanse, as various players are drawn together to uncover a deadly conspiracy against the backdrop of interplanetary political maneuvering. Our main protagonist is Noo Okoreke, the sixty-ish head of Ileri Station's premiere security consulting firm. When Saed Tahir, the grandson of her business partner Fathya Shariff, is killed while serving as bodyguard to the Minister of External Trade in the lead up to unity talks with the powerful Commonwealth, Noo and Saed's sister Fari offer their services to Constabulary Commissioner Nnenna Toiwa in tracking down the clearly well-trained killers. With anti-Commonwealth riots instigated by the One World party a constant concern, the Constabulary is already spread pretty thin, especially since Nnenna has only recently overseen a purge of corrupt officers from within their ranks. Nnenna is too practical to refuse the help, especially since the Shariff Security firm has contacts with valuable information who would prefer to stay well off the Constabulary's radar.

Noo and Fari's investigations bring them to the rescue of Meiko Ogawa, a Commonwealth spy currently facing enforced retirement after being burned to both Ileri and Saljuan forces. She's set on finishing one last task, however, and teams up with Noo and Fari as they chase their common quarry planetside and into certain danger. But greater trouble is brewing on the Station than any of our heroes expect, as a Saljuan destroyer enters Ileri space and the One Worlders make their ultimate play.

There's a lot going on in this crunchy sci-fi tale of spies and intrigue, and it makes for a wholly engrossing, twisty read. I only wish it hadn't been so difficult to keep track of all the players. I'm usually pretty good with sprawling casts of characters, but John Appel has a habit of referencing them by either first or last name in different chapters -- like I get why he does it, but it's still pretty confusing, and doesn't help me learn or feel the characters very well. It also doesn't help that the names are Okoreke and Ogawa and Okafor, or that separate members of the Tahir family are each referred to as Tahir. It would be easier to differentiate characters if we weren't jumping from place to place amidst the chaos of running combat and insurrection and betrayal. It's certainly atmospheric, but I still have no idea when, for example, Maria Zheng was introduced or to which party she's attached (but I like her and I enjoyed her storyline, so that's something!)

What AO really does well tho is introduce a believable diversity of characters and cultures in a far-future society where a large cohort of humanity leapt away from Earth in order to escape a devastating plague. The predominant cultures are Nigerian, Indonesian and Brazilian, and it's so very refreshing to read (especially because my heart squeezed with happiness as a Malaysian whenever Mr Appel included something recognizably Nusantaran in his narrative.) In addition to having older heroines who kick butt and take names, Mr Appel also introduces the very badass Josephine Okafor, a network security specialist who's been blind from birth. This inclusive representation is flat-out brilliant, and exactly what I want in my contemporary reading.

The ending hints at a sequel, and I'm hoping Mr Appel works out some of the pacing/character introduction kinks in this first novel to present another terrific, if less confusing, story set in this universe. And hopefully by then we'll have a better comparison than a domestic sitcom for a group of entertaining older action heroines getting things done amidst murder and political intrigue.

Assassin's Orbit by John Appel was published July 20 2021 by Solaris and is available from all good booksellers, including <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/15382/9781781089156">Bookshop!</a>

This is a very clever and engaging mystery story, set in a space opera-type future. The plot revolves around discovering who was behind an assassination, but as we learn more about this scifi universe, it becomes clear that there are even greater mysteries to be solved. There is plenty of action, and some political intrigue to add different layers to the story.

I really liked the main characters in the story, even though there really wasn't a ton of time spent on character development. The main characters are in their 60s, and it was a nice touch to see their years of experience and wisdom proving to be so valuable.

Overall I really enjoyed this book more than I expected to, and I hope there will eventually be a sequel!

The strapline for this book is: Golden Girls meets The Expanse with a side of Babylon Five… Hm – not sure about that one. The older women that feature in this sci-fi adventure thriller are far tougher and grimmer than the protagonists in Golden Girls. In fact, the only thing they have in common is that they are women of a certain age. I liked both Noo Okereke and Meiko Ogawa very much – though it took me a while to nail the names. The author didn’t do his western readers any favours by insisting on giving us two unfamiliar surnames starting with the same consonant.

I did enjoy the social dynamic and the political setup. As this story is character-led, it took a while for the full scope of the world to unfold – but once things started really kicking off, the narrative moved forward at full pelt. It was difficult to put this one down, as the stakes just kept on piling up against our plucky protagonists. Appel writes the action really well – I liked the weaponry and tech toys, as well as the cultural differences between the factions which were well portrayed.

All in all, this is a cracking story, full of incident and tension that works well with a solidly depicted world and strong characters. My main concern is that the story leaves some dangling plotpoints that need to be cleared up – and there’s no indication that this is the first book in a series. I would be very sorry if this turns out to be a standalone. Highly recommended for space opera fans. While I obtained an arc of Assassin’s Orbit from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

With a large array of characters and a slow burn of political intrigue, Assassin’s Orbit by John Appel is a workout for the mind. Starting with a pair of investigator type officers who are first on the scene of a shooting, the novel broadens to planets, space stations, and space shuttles. The mystery of the killer and reason for the murders spans a set up for a new world filled with hidden politics. However, the large amount of characters was difficult for me to keep handy in my mind. The author uses first or last names as identification, so I suggest creating a list as the reader goes through the book. For me there was a lot of flipping back to see who was who. I most enjoyed the action sequences in this novel. There were chases, shuttles crashes and even hand to hand fighting which were written like a thriller. The use of tech is so fun too. Appel employs virtual reality, military tech and a lot of futuristic description that I love to read. It took a while for all the puzzle pieces to be explained, but by about 35% into the ebook it begins to really flow. I appreciate that there was not a lot of “fluff” dialogue or descriptions added. This reader would love to see a sequel done, to see how the world pans out since so many changes took place at the end of this story. I recommend this book for science fiction readers that like political thrillers and space opera type reads. Thank you to NetGalley for a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The setting was intriguing, so was the initial plot. However, characters are very important to me and I wasn't able to connect with anyone in the book. There was no emotional involvement. I tried my best to push myself to finish but just couldn't! DNF-ing it at 33%

This space opera starts off with a murder mystery, and widens into a political situations with increasingly important stakes. The pacing is brisk to fast, with plenty of action--and at the heart of pretty much all the action are a bunch of ass-kicking seniors in their sixties. The main villain was obvious from the gitgo, but there is plenty of space for shades of gray, and a couple of surprises. (No spoilers--it's so much more fun not to know what's ahead.)

I really, really enjoyed this book. The narrative voice is fun and vivid, the diversity is awesome, and there is enough resolution to be satisfying, while leaving very, very tempting threads for what I really hope will be future volumes.

It’s described as “Golden Girls meets The Expanse with a side of Babylon 5”. I admit, that certainly grabbed my attention. I’ll come back to the tagline, because I’m going to assume that it was invented by a PR person, rather than the author.

The context: many humans fled Earth generations ago, and colonised various planets. The action here is split between a station above the planet Ileri, and the planet itself - which is about to decide whether to join a conglomeration of other planets, or stay neutral. The story opens with several murders, all of which seem to have happened to enable the assassination of one government minister. Investigating that crime kickstarts everything and introduces the key characters, in particular private investigator Noo Okereke. Political manoeuvring would make for a nicely complex story by itself but of course that's not enough - there's an even larger issue at play, which is gradually revealed.

I really enjoyed this novel. One of the key things that intrigued me were the characters: they're overwhelming female, and many of them are "older": they're not just out of school, or starting in their first jobs. Instead, Noo is a seasoned investigator; you can basically hear her going all "I'm too old for this shit". The spy is likewise an old hand, and the police chief is, well, just that - she's worked her way up the ranks. It was fantastic to have people - and let's be honest, women in particular - whose expertise makes sense because they've earned it, who can draw on experience and hard-won judgement, in order to make decisions. And who know when they're making a probably bad decision but are willing to go do it because sometimes it's the only choice you've got. And aside from affording them that expertise, their ages were largely irrelevant; it's basically not commented on by anyone. They're just... allowed to be competent.

The one thing that occasionally annoyed me was the pace - that it felt uneven. Sometimes it seemed to go slowly for no reason, and sometimes it sped up so that I'd (metaphorically) blink and huge things had happened. That made reading a bit of a chore sometimes.

OK. So. This tagline. Look, I can see why someone might think it was a good one - it’s catchy as heck. But it’s just not accurate. I can only assume that “Golden Girls” was the only example the person could think of that features "old" ladies actually doing stuff, which is a whole issue in and of itself. But GG was about four women living together, with some knowledge of each other, and it's centred on that idea of sharing each other's lives. That's just not how this novel works. There are two women who have worked together for years - but they barely interact in the novel. Older women are the focus of the action, and many of them come together throughout the story to work together. But that’s not GG. The Expanse? Well, only insofar as humans are off Earth and hanging out on other planets. But... no other aspect of The Expanse is present. And Babylon Five? Well, it's set on a space station, which this is also to a great extent; and there's a threat of war, but it's from other humans. So. Yeh. Tagline is deceptive.

This really is a fun and intriguing novel. Some clever ideas, generally fun characters, it doesn't drag (usually), complexity of plot matched with chases and explosions. No regrets reading it.

This was a detective novel set on a space station. I call it a detective novel with a science fiction setting because unlike most science fiction novels, it doesn't seem to use the traditional tools of science fiction to explore greater themes. It's a fun novel with a diverse cast of characters not traditionally cast as protagonists. However, there are SO MANY characters that I had to keep notes to keep track of who was who. While a few of these characters slowly developed personalities throughout the novel, many characters came across as one-dimensional. The central mystery was interesting and had high stakes both emotionally and politically, but I struggled to engage.

A fun fast-paced intro to a new sci fi universe where humankind has had to abandon earth due to a "nano-plague" that controlled the populace. The diaspora has settled on many different worlds now and is prospering, but trouble is brewing between the new worlds.
Great action sequences with brutal consequences. The only downside I would say is the flood of names and people, some of them similar sounding, made for some confusing times when trying to discern which character aligned with which alliance.

I really did try with this book, but it just didn’t grab my attention at all, and I struggled through it.

My thanks to Netgalley and Rebellion for the advance copy.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this story. I am new to the space science fiction realm and I think this book does a good job at the genre. The beginning was slow for me but I was really drawn in at the end.

Overall, I liked this fast paced sci-fi book. It was well written, with an engaging plot and it featured a team of very unusual protagonists: mature females, aka karate grannies that could kick your butt and bake you a delicious apple pie, simultaneously. I loved the world the author created, with its unique space history, nanotechnologies and a lot of political scheming. It first started as an assassination and the subsequent murder investigations that quickly grew into a full scale coup and a political disaster.

However, there were two things that I think could have been improved. Firstly, there is a lot of action, which is great in the beginning, but such non-stop action comes at the expense of meaningful character development and proper world setting. To be honest, I did it really know what was going on, in terms of historical background, until about 80% of the book, and it was a bit frustrating to me as a reader. Secondly, while the diversity in this book is amazing, at times it felt like there were just too many characters with their own POV and it made it hard to care about each of the protagonists. At times, I couldn’t even recall who that particular character was, just because there were too many similar characters, just with different names.

I will definitely read the author’s other books, especially if they are set in the same universe as this one.

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A fantastic space opera that left me wanting more!

I absolutely loved this book! The characters, the plot and the writing pulled me in and didn't let go until the final page. I love sci-fi so this was right up my alley. It's always hard finding the right mix of space shenanigans and action, and this book fulfilled that hole in my heart.

Assassin's Orbit is a must read for sci-fi fans who want to take an action-packed trip through space!

Thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion books for providing a galley in exchange for a fair review.

By and large, I am a fan of Assassin’s Orbit. John Appel is a good writer who writes strong action scenes and realistic dialogue. He has developed a complex universe, where an existential threat from humanity’s past is a real menace to the characters and society broadly. His future universe is multi-cultural, with a nice non-Western feel to it; future hi tech spacefaring cultures have African, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Brazilian roots, among others. He also has a real knack for weaving in advanced technology casually into the text, so that you feel like you are looking into a high tech future without tons of exposition to set the stage. Well done.

Why 4 stars and not 5? Probably a bit too little exposition. I was murky about the power structure in the author’s universe and I think it matters in this very politically focused novel. Also, the explosive transition from buildup to frenetic action happened too fast for me. One moment the lead characters are investigating different threads in a mass assassination and next a war is going on. Too much of the action occurs offstage and between two chapters and it was a bit awkward.

That said, i enjoyed the book, thought it concluded well, and would like to see these characters and universe again.

A very good and quick read. I saw another reviewer who commented on how quick it moved, and I totally agree. Would definitely check out more of his work. This is also a book that my students could appreciate, for the story as well as the social aspects.

This was fantastic. Get paced and the perfect mix of science with fiction!
I loved the pacing of this novel as it was very much 'one more.page' and before I knew it I'd finished

This is billed as Golden Girls meets Babylon 5 – which is odd and inaccurate. There’s a human-only space station – so no exotic aliens or weird cultures to explore. The cast of characters are on the mature side – rather than excitable kids with laser guns. But it isn’t particularly obvious.

The plot is a bit tangled. Lots of politics without the exposition to make it interesting. There are vague hints of top-secret nanobot drama, but with no real villain identified until halfway through it all feels a bit vague. Effectively the first half is a police-procedural with some sci-fi trappings.

The use of tech is very well thought out. It gives a great vision of what persistent Augmented Reality would be like – and there’s some fun to be had in the idea of what computer hacking looks like in the future. As it progresses, it becomes increasingly cyberpunk.

Sadly, the cast is just too large. By half-way through the book, I felt that I didn’t know who was who or what they were doing. I kinda gave up trying to keep track and just went along for the ride. The book doesn’t quite know what it wants to be. Is it an emotional melodrama or a space shoot-em-up? Is it a political intrigue or police pot-boiler?

It’s a good story – but doesn’t quite pull all the elements together.

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.

(Content warnings: Blood, death, murder, violence, gun violence, vomit, gore, vehicle accident [it's a flying car accident, so it bears a resemblance to both a car/plane crash])

Okay, first, the diversity in this book was absolutely lovely, it was the most inclusive book I've read in a while and it's clear the author put a lot of effort into it. The main cast is made up entirely of older women, which was so refreshing to see, there's lots of characters of color, LGBT characters, etc, etc. Some highlights for me included:

- the blind main character who uses a cane and assistive technology - I love to see sci-fi stories explore how technology can accommodate disabled people instead of erasing/"fixing" them :')
- multiple (though minor) characters using ze/zem pronouns (you don't see humans using neopronouns in sci-fi often, nice), and also the use of M. as a gender neutral alternative to Mr./Mrs./Ms. aka top 10 things that make you go omg can we please implement this into the real world right now immediately. Like as as a nonbinary person who doesn't really like Mx.? Totally filed that away in my brain for future reference.
- Muslim characters! (I can count the number of Muslim characters I've encountered in science fiction on one hand, so that's something that really stood out to me, though as I'm not Muslim I can't vouch for the accuracy).

Now, having said that... I'll be real. The characters sure are diverse, but they're just so flat and uninteresting, OOF. Which is at least partially due to the sheer amount of them. (And this is coming from someone who read that 19 POV Expanse book and ENJOYED it). The number of more or less important side characters you have to keep track of is excessive and more than once did I have to search for a name in the ebook to try to remember who's who. There was this one dramatic betrayal towards the end of the book where I literally went, "uhhh wait, who's that again?". And I think it's because of all those many, many side characters that the main cast suffers; I feel like if it merged or cut out most of the side/minor characters and spent all that time developing the leads instead, it could've been quite solid, but instead it just constantly felt like there was something missing.

Plot-wise, it was more action-packed thriller than the murder mystery I expected, and it was okay, but not good enough to carry a story when the characters didn't - see, I don't actually mind flat characters when the plot has me too busy losing my mind from excitement. But it just never quite gripped me [sad emoji] Though I DID love the gradual reveal of what exactly went down on Earth, I was not expecting such a chilling and ballsy backstory. THAT part slapped, 100%. The worldbuilding was really well done, too, if not super unique. Anyway, if you like fast moving sci-fi thrillers with lots of action and combat (so much combat!) and don't mind simplistic characters, you'll probably enjoy this book.

Oh, and one more thing that kinda sapped my enjoyment of the book was the, uhhh, the copaganda. Unfortunately™ I find myself unable to sympathize and root for cops even in a setting so far removed from our reality (and like. can you blame me. especially in the current political climate). I'm sorry dude I simply do not care for Toiwa and all I could think whenever it came up how virtuous and principled and stuff she is was huh! Cool copaganda you've got there! Yeah, I definitely enjoyed her chapters the least. Do I think it was intentional on the author's part? No, dude's clearly trying to be progressive and props to him for that. Was I still uncomfortable with the story being completely uncritical of the police as an institution and wanting me to constantly align with and root for cops? Yeahhh.

(Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!)

The ”thing” I’ll be happiest to see in the rearview mirror: pre-pub comparisons of a book to multiple existing stories. Is there a name for that? This story is billed as “Golden Girls meets The Expanse with a side of Babylon Five” . . . who comes up with this marketing stuff?

Golden Girls. Nope, unless the fact that almost all the characters in this socially conscious saga are women and some of them are mature but still kicking ass big-time. . . no comedy. The Expanse. Okay, if you like your hard sf technology banged into your face on every page in every of the vast expanse of characters, as in “isn’t my djinn cool?” Babylon Five. IDK, never watched it, but if there’s supposed to be a strain of hip humor I sure didn’t see it.

The book had a slow burn for me, a very slow burn, but I persevered and finished. It’s a mashup of genres and locales, ticking the list from earthside to space station to bonzo space battle. Is it a murder mystery or a spy story, a revolt against totalitarian control or a cautionary tale of religious zealots?

The best part for me was the brief space battle climax at the end. My favorite character was the unsighted data investigator with her sensor network. She was cool! The saga is set up with tons and tons of backstory and the promise of sequels and traitors ahead. Maybe there will be improvement as they come. 2 stars.

Thanks to Mr. Appel, Rebellion Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.