Devil's Gun

May 22, 2023
Rambo’s rollicking, high energy sequel to You Sexy Thing returns to the bioship of the same name, its valiant captain, Niko Larsen, and its colorful multispecies crew. The crew’s space restaurant was taken over by baddies in the previous installment, and now they’re on the run from a vicious pirate king, Tubal Last. Niko’s determination to find both her missing lover, Petalia, who may be Last’s prisoner, and an ancient space weapon rumored to be able to defeat Last takes the crew on a wild romp through a topsy-turvy universe full of just as much magic as science. Along the way, each of Niko’s crewmates must confront their own traumatic pasts. Most touching are the stories of half-lion, half-human Talon, who yearns to clone his murdered twin, Thorn; augmented chimp Gio, who, after escaping the nasty villain Gnarl, just wants to hang with the crew; second-in-command Dabry, who mourns his lost family; and You Sexy Thing itself, slowly learning to understand and experience human emotions. In the midst all the chaos, the crew also manages to set up a new, pop-up restaurant. Rambo has a knack for conjuring extraterrestrial speech and thought patterns, the camaraderie between the crew is heartwarming, and the far-out foodie descriptions are wonderfully bizarre. This freewheeling space opera adventure hits the spot, while leaving plenty for readers to look forward to in the next one.

June 1, 2023

Captain Niko Larsen and her crew know that the only way to guarantee their future is to find the space pirate Tubal Last before he finds them. However, their arrival at the intergalactic Gate finds it out of commission, and they decide to fall back on their restaurant skills to learn information and provide food for the scores of other stranded ships. When an archaeologist shows up stating that she can revive the Gate, Niko knows there is trouble brewing, but the possibility of finding a weapon that could defeat Tubal Last is more than enough to send the crew on this mission. As the story unfolds, the burdens carried by many of the crew (such as Talon's illegal pursuit to recover his twin and Atlanta's need for a new role when everything she believed is lost) are also revealed. The character-driven plot--including the intelligent ship--creates a rich emotional story filled with humor, heart, and culinary touches. VERDICT Rambo's follow-up to You Sexy Thing is another action-filled space opera with delightful characters and tasty dialogue.--Kristi Chadwick

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2023
The pirate Tubal Last isn't dead, and this is something the crew of the Thing has to deal with--while the ship figures out how to interact with its new crew, Atlanta seeks out a role that justifies her staying on board, and Talon drowns in mourning for his twin. There are rumors of Gates shutting down, and indeed, the very Gate they need is out. The stranded ships and their crews take advantage of the opportunity to trade, and the Thing's crew plays to it's strengths: they'll offer a pop-up restaurant. Creating a dining experience is only half the story; there's also the mysterious archaeologist whose promises may provide solutions to all their problems. The depths of Talon's grief allow him to be manipulated by Gio's former captain, a revenge-minded sort who sees conspiracies everywhere. What sneaks on board without the captain's knowledge leads to a promising adventure; the crew dynamics, the complexity of grief, and drive for purpose give the narrative necessary depth. The reader is left with more questions than answers--a good sign for sequels and not a bad way to end Rambo's latest (after You Sexy Thing, 2021).

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