Maiden

By: Charles Brass

Narrated by: Diana Guillermo

Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Revived after decades of hibernation, she wakes in a time no longer her own. Injured, captive, her only allies are enemies from the past.

Her Creator’s rebellion against the Brethren’s oppressive rule a distant memory, young Crystal Maiden stands alone as the last of her kind. Compelled to continue the fight, she must first learn how to coexist with those who, for her, were enemies mere days ago. Then somehow overpower their captors. Afterward, she and Scrounger, who rescued her from hibernation, might repair their crippled nodeship and escape.

But their captors turn out to be former allies of the rebellion. Their plight is dire, as they, too, face annihilation at the whims of the Brethren.

Now, Crystal stands at a crossroads. Ally herself with these new, potentially powerful friends and continue her Creator’s rebellion—likely doomed to be a short-lived effort. Or return with Scrounger and trust her rescuer’s influence with the Brethren is strong enough to protect her—and turn her back on the very reason for her existence.

The Brethren, however, have learned of her revival. Their response will force Crystal’s hand...and threaten the millions of human lives trapped in Brethren Space....

Maiden is the latest thrilling stand-alone science fiction novel by Charles Brass. Purchase your copy today and ride the slipring network through Brethren Space!

©2023 Charles LeBrasseur (P)2023 Charles LeBrasseur

A suspenseful and thought-provoking narrative!

"Maiden" by Charles Brass is a captivating science fiction novel that explores the complexities of allegiances and the consequences of one's choices. The story of Crystal Maiden, revived in a new era, offers a suspenseful and thought-provoking narrative. With well-developed characters and a gripping plot, "Maiden" is a must-read for science fiction enthusiasts, keeping readers engaged from start to finish.

Great Concept, Weak Execution

The premise is good if well worn. A post conflict dystopia where a group of scrappy exiles hold out against the collective/empire (aka The Brethren) where everyone mysteriously fights with archaic close combat melee weapons (aka swords/blades and electroprods) despite being part of an interstellar civilization. Enter the Last Jedi … er … Maiden who was specifically created to battle the evil Sith … er Brethren. So much potential that just didn’t hit home for me. To start, the world building was so extremely loose and haphazard that I still don’t know how it all holds together. Most confusing is how slip rings (star gates) appear to come if two sizes (person transporters and ship transit points). Then is is how the Brethren are actually organized and who (or what) is a Master, a Knight, a Drone, or a Minion. I think I figured it out towards the end, but it was pretty confusing until then. More problematic is the interaction between each estate was full of overly aggressive bluster and all around idiocy that they worn thin long before the end.

The quasi-good guys (aka Exiles) are even worse, with an irritating display of imperial arrogance and pod measuring in virtually every scene (at least among the leadership). I absolutely hated ever part they were in. Fortunately the main characters, Crystal Maiden (The title character), Builder Scrounger (who is somehow related to the Brethren) and the Smart Ship (AI) are refreshingly innocent (read juvenile) and somewhat likable. However, even that didn’t make up for the slow pacing and buildup (all the interesting action is almost at the end of the book). Unfortunately there was way too much incessant dialogue and unnecessary detail that the lack of action made the first half of the story painfully boring (where my difficulty concentrating on what was happening might be the reason I didn’t follow the world building very well). In addition, the narration, while featuring very good accents and character voices, only reinforced the issues that I had with the aggressive interactions of both the Brethren and Exiles (in most cases it felt unnatural and way over the top).

I was given this free advance review/listener copy (ARC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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