Too Like the Lightning

May 23, 2016
Palmer's fiction debut is the ambitious and colorful first installment of her Terra Ignota series, following the political intrigues of Mycroft Canner, a convict who, as punishment for his crimes, becomes the servant of all he meets. The setting is a richly depicted future where gender is concealed, people live in carefully coded sects, and theology is pick-and-choose. Mycroft is tasked with hiding a child whose existence could cause chaos; this is no easy feat, and he and those around him are soon plunged into the world of high politics. Palmer's prose is written with an Enlightenment sensibility, deliberately dense and ponderous. This stylistic decision can be engaging, especially in the tête-à-têtes between Mycroft and the reader, but the heaviness detracts from what might otherwise be an engrossing plot. Mycroft is a witty unreliable narrator whose own biases color the world brought before the reader; it lurches between hellish and utopian. Palmer proves that the boundaries of science fiction can be pushed and that history and the future can be married together. Agent: Amy Boggs, Donald Maass Literary.

April 15, 2016

The year 2454 introduces an atmosphere that is entirely unlike our own: one in which technology and economics rule, gender and social norms are taboo, and religion is outlawed but spirituality is accepted. Carlyle Foster's position as a sensayer allows him to counsel people in the ways that the world could be. However, arriving at his newest assignment, he encounters a child with living, bleeding, plastic toy soldiers, and a convict serving the family--Mycroft Canner. The existence of one young boy who can make his wishes come true could threaten this utopian system. As Mycroft narrates this story, he depicts a calm sense of reality, one that hides a deep, intense undercurrent that will spur a revolution among the realm's inhabitants. VERDICT Palmer's debut novel examines the cohesive yet clashing connection between philosophical ideologies and advanced technology. Mycroft's experience as a convict refreshes stale sf elements and offers a unique perspective on the birth of a future rebellion.--KC

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2016
Palmer's Terra Ignota series opener is thought-provoking, to put it simply. The year is 2454, and the world consists of philosophical hives, rather than nations. This utopia includes a group called set-sets who live in virtual reality since birth, laws against practicing religion in public, and a smell-tracks category at the Academy Awards. Even here, though, the ability to bring inanimate objects to life is not normal. Enter Bridger, a young boy who has just such powers. Mycroft Canner, our hero, is a convicted felon required to live a nomad's life of service. Carlyle Foster is a sensayer, a spiritual counselor who helps people discuss religion without breaking anti-proselytizing laws. Both men have stumbled upon Bridger and are determined to guide him and keep him safe. Although the primary plot centers around a stolen list ranking the most powerful people on the planet and its political ramifications, the overarching theme of the book is philosophy, from the debate about gendered pronouns to thoughts about the afterlife. Richly detailed and ambitious, Palmer's debut requires careful reading.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)