Critical Point

January 20, 2020
Huang’s exciting third novel to feature mercenary Cas Russell (after Null Set) finds Cas taking baby steps toward living a normal life—until she discovers her friend is missing. Cas’s investigation gets off to a dangerous start when a man with the magical power to make people instantly forget about him blows up her Los Angeles office. The action only escalates as clues lead Cas to both a freelance bomber and a recently deceased plastic surgeon. Huang allows plenty of opportunities for antihero Cas to showcase her supernatural mathematical skills by defusing bombs, examining evidence, and executing fantastic feats during the exhilarating action sequences. Less successful are the tale’s quieter beats: the dialogue tends to become incoherent when characters are flustered, and some introspection grows tedious as Cas struggles with ethical questions. The reveal of the true antagonist also falls flat, but Huang still manages to bring this complex, many layered plot to a mostly satisfying conclusion. Cas’s continuing development will please series fans, but new readers may find the backstory overwhelming. This fast-paced sci-fi thriller makes up for its flaws with clever plotting and thrilling action.

March 1, 2020

Cas Russell is a mathematical genius, and uses those skills as a mercenary. Unfortunately, after saving the world from a shadowy organization that planned to brainwash most of the population, she discovers that her skills were a result of their machinations--and her past identity was erased. Or so everyone thought. Now dealing with memories and flashes of the past, Cas finds that she has gained the unwanted attention of someone who likes blow things up. When that attention moves onto one of her closest friends, Cas races to discover answers that could result in killing everyone she cares about. VERDICT High-stakes action and emotional velocity are hallmarks of Huang's writing, creating an engaging and flawed protagonist that many will identify with, even when her internal conflict overwhelms some of the quieter plot threads. The third entry in the "Cas Russell" series (after Null Set) is a sf thriller that fans will truly enjoy.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

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