Book Review: Foxchaser by Nicolas Ensign
Part space opera, part dystopian fantasy, part archetypal hero’s journey, Foxchaser was easy to get into and easy to follow despite having some unusual science elements. Spiked with humor to balance the horror, mounting suspense breaks into some terrific, edge-of-your-seat action sequences with unexpected outcomes.
Nicolas Ensign’s characters include a souped-up homicidal toaster, curiously armed with both AI and weaponry (an example of future possibilities we should really think about before this AI thing gets out of hand). That the toaster is an integral part of the motley crew of the Foxchaser and a surprisingly relatable character speaks to Ensign’s talent.
Their action against a group staging an interplanetary coup leaves Captain Jayce and the Foxchaser to decide whether to strand several enemy survivors or bring them along without having the ability to hold them prisoner. It’s heartening that they made room for them and that when they learn the truth, these former enemies quickly add their capabilities to the crew.
Rather than cheapening the plot with contrived and unnecessary romance, the focus was on how humans, AI, and even the cat could become like family, united by their efforts to simply keep on living. Good science fiction isn’t just about scientific and technological bells and whistles, it’s about defining what being human means, and what we want for the best of all futures for humanity. Foxchaser is all of that.
Thank you to author Nicolas Ensign,
Kewsign Publishing, and BookSirens for the free advance reader’s copy of the book. I owe them nothing and am giving my review because I want to. I hope that Foxchaser is only the first of many volumes to come. I can’t wait to find out more about that cat!
Cat's Game 