Theresa Derwin

Books two & three of the Onyalum Series, continues the story of Tyler Jensen, drug dealer & inhabitant of LA, who in the first novel Admiral's Ghost, merges with an alien Adanni to become a 'world-hopping' “ethereal agent of destruction known as an Onyalum”, who possesses the deceased at the point of death, reviving them, assimilating their memories and continuing their life in an ongoing quest to explore the Universe. In the first novel, Tyler possesses an Admiral on the alien world Poolto, becoming embroiled in a fraught war. The second novel takes Tyler on a journey of self discovery, revelling in the existence of a decadent priest who angers their ‘god’, whilst the third novel tackles global warming & Tyler’s attempt to gain redemption for the previous destruction he has caused.

The third novel is a much more solid read with stronger, more cohesive characters. During the 2nd & 3rd novels, we see flashbacks of numerous worlds, encountered by Tyler/Adanni, which are intriguing and show potential for a book in their own right. In fact, where Samil's world takes up a large percentage of the Trial of Gesh, yet is less exciting, the reader gains much more through a brief experience of Mestaphene, a world at war with insect like creatures storing the planet’s inhabitants for food. There are certainly shades of Heinlein in this part of the novel, but the world building is surprisingly in depth for such a short snippet. The concept of that particular world, the inhabitants and the war has great potential, and Van Yoos has managed to breathe life into Mestaphene’s inhabitants in a very short space of time.

In regards to the Red Star Conspiracy, there was a feel to this novel of switching between genres. Though it professed to be science fiction, it has much more of a Conan Doyle style adventure than SF about it, but was ultimately a satisfying conclusion to the series. Though the novel ends with Tyler & Adanni reaching a compromise and heading off to pastures new, with the sense their journey will continue, this a fitting end to the series, and Van Yoos would do well to explore new characters in one of the worlds he has touched on throughout the trilogy. Overall; a satisfying conclusion