JohnTilden.Net

When the news came out that Sharon Lee is the 2025 winner of the Robert A. Heinlein Award given by BSFS with support from The Heinlein Society, it marked the latest in a string of noteworthy authors that I hadn’t read. Since the writing duo of Sharon and her late husband Steve are best known for their “Liaden Universe” I figured I would start with book #1.

It’s a good read, fast-paced and a decent adventure story with some interesting world-building in it.  I was actually reminded of Charles E. Gannon’s writing in the Caineverse, although this came first.

I don’t think right now I’m going to be rushing to read all of the books, but I think I am interested enough to find the two more that involve the main characters of this book.  Time will tell!

This is the SIXTIETH book in J.D. Robb’s tales of near-future NYC.  J.D. Robb is just a pen name for Nora Roberts, keeping this series separate from the other books Nora writes, at a pace around four books a year!

I read the first one in the late 90s-early aughts when my wife was trying it out.  She didn’t read more than three or four of them, but I read them all and have been reading the two-a-year as they are released.

I really enjoy the plots set in the near-future world, starting in February 2058 with this latest book taking place in August 2061.  As you can imagine, that’s a lot of murder and intrigue for only three-and-a-half years of book universe!  But it’s a recognizable future from us, with off-world habitation and many interesting advances in robotics and medicine that are commonplace.  The only thing I quibble with in this future is that it doesn’t seem to have Coca-Cola in it! (Main character Eve Dallas is a Pepsi fan as is the author.)

The series has grown from what I understand is basically “romance with light sex scenes” to the point that Roberts says she’s no longer writing romance, just novels with good plots and interesting characters to develop.  The series noticeably has cut back on the sex scenes, without any loss to its popularity.  With a kick-ass police lieutenant (Eve) and handsome multi-billionaire Roarke as the center, there is now a large cast of supporting characters that take turns getting a spotlight in the books.

I have also noticed in the last few books that the plots are getting a little more involved with their backstory/setup, and entail fewer and fewer actual deaths, showcasing the procedural work (and luck) that catches the bad guy before much happens.

The characters have grown from troubled to stable and content, if not even happy at times.  Roberts has said that if the series ever ends, it might be with Eve and Roarke expecting a child.  There aren’t many readers pushing for that!