Pros
- The plot boundaries are expanded quite broadly with this book
- Some interesting situations that make the science fiction aspect exciting
Cons
- Maybe too much of a focus on Starn’s relationships, which doesn’t seem to have a deeper purpose in the story
Discovery Review
The second book of the series Red Company by B. V. Larson, Discovery, expands the premise of the first book by opening up humanity to the infinitely larger universe and adding more mystery, intrigue, and excitement to a series that would have otherwise been bogged down by local politics.
While the day-to-day duties of the protagonist Devin Starn may be somewhat prosaic, and thus, unremarkable for readers, the rut that is everyday life for an adult is punctuated with the romantic flings that Starn has with other females in the vicinity.
Fans of Larson’s works will find a lot of similarity between Starn and other male protagonists, especially with regards to their physical capabilities and perhaps even type of woman.
While the first book saw Starn attempting to escape a life of indentured servitude, this second book launches both Starn and humanity into the deeper, darker unknown through a discovery that has severe and world-changing implications for humanity.
While mining for minerals in the asteroid belt, Borag encounters a pirate familiar from the first book. Borag is then tasked with eliminating the pirates, and this task will eventually lead Borag and her crew on a chase and a mission of discovery that will lead to the find of a lifetime.
Whereas this discovery has major implications for humanity and its perspective on the universe, Borag and her crew are solely focused on returning home while turning some sort of profit from an endeavor that is becoming more disastrous and expensive by the day.
This focus on indentured servitude does get a little tiring and in the way of the exploration of the greater galaxy, especially when the discovery is activated, transporting Starn across space and time. By that measure, owing the company some measly credits feels almost pointless compared to what lies ahead in the unknown.
Discovery by B. V. Larson is a fantastic sequel to the first book that thrusts the series onto a more intriguing path for both the characters in the story and the plot of the series. Readers will find that the mysteries and the unknown that lies ahead for Borag and her crew are engaging and intriguing to consider.
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