Song of Scarabaeus started off slowly for me. I was bombarded by all sorts of technological terms to keep track of. Words like cypherteck, datastream, wet-teck interface, and biocyph retroviral automated terraformer (or BRATs for short) were thrown at me, making me wonder why I had picked up this book. But suddenly, around page 30 or so, the story took over. I was mesmerized. I could not put this book down.One of the reasons why I loved this book was the main character Edie. Edie is a cypherteck, a kind of computer programmer. Cyphertecks are extremely rare. Edie’s computing capabilities make her integral to the mission and she is made an offer she can’t refuse – literally. I loved how Edie constantly put others’ needs before her own. When Finn was brought on board with Edie, Edie insisted that his voice snag (a device to inhibit speech) be removed before she would cooperate with the crew. Edie also vowed to disable his proximity chip so that he could be free of her. Edie’s compassion and sincerity made her a realistic character. The interactions between Finn and Edie were interesting. I loved how they could practically read each other’s thoughts. There was a very slow build up to an attraction. To say that this book is a science fiction romance would probably be inaccurate – I found that Edie and Finn’s relationship was more of a symbiotic relationship. I enjoyed their work as a team. Edie did not want Finn to stay with her because he had to, but because he wanted to. It kind of seemed that every character in this book was out to get the other. You never really knew where each character’s allegiances lay. I was surprised several times. This is truly an original book. It is a world where computer programmers are able to get inside any type of programming using their minds. The various layers of computing is made into a kind of music that needs the fine tuning or a computer maestro to make it work well. It is also a world where the space ships are beat up, rickety, and slightly dented. The spaceship’s name had a touch of humor in it – The Hoi Polloi. There are even ecological radicals wreaking mayhem wherever needed. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series Children of Scarabaeus.Favorite quote: "Nodespace. It was beautiful. Serene in its monotony, and terrifying."Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
