Invisible Sun

February 15, 2012
Danger! Romance! Library ambushes! On the heels of their last adventure (Black Hole Sun, 2010), Martian freedom fighters Durango and Vienne infiltrate an evil government compound in search of missing data they hope will render the planet safe from future harm. This companion novel is packed with Gill's slick, snappy trademark dialogue; the two heroes and Durango's artificial intelligence advisor who's cloned in his brain speak mostly in well-wrought, Han Solo-like wisecracks. There's also plenty of action, including death-defying escapes, ambushes and hair-raising shootouts. Amazingly enough, the body count, however, is much lower than in the first novel. Where humans dropped liked flies (and were, on occasion, eaten) in the first installment, here romance replaces a considerable chunk of the action. Most notably, there is a long-winded, meandering visit to Vienne's monastery home, where bees are tended and tea leaves are read (and Vienne and Durango realize their romantic destiny). Not soon enough, the enemy attacks and Durango and Vienne are off to fight, again. The plot goes haywire from here, and Gill apparently throws in just about every plot device and twist he can think of to get to the end. A weirdly tepid, stop-and-start mess of a sci-fi thriller. (Science fiction. 13 & up)

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May 1, 2012

Gr 9 Up-In this sequel to Black Hole Sun (HarperCollins, 2010), Vienne and her chief, Durango, are the only Regulators from their unit to have survived their Lord's disgrace. They are dalit now, mercenary soldiers marked by the absence of a pinky finger, on a quest to retrieve classified information about Durango's past. Told from alternating perspectives, the story follows Durango and Vienne as they raid and escape pursuit, switching periodically to Durango's nemesis, the pyromaniac Archibald, who is bent on bringing about an apocalypse. Descriptions of the harsh Mars terrain, history, and politics and the assassins' high-tech gadgets are neglected in favor of witty banter and action sequences. The most amusing exchanges happen in Durango's head, where Mimi, an artificial intelligence attached to his brain, provides guidance and commentary. Readers will have to suspend disbelief as Durango not only survives but also continues to fight through concussions, broken limbs, gunfire, and other violence in pursuit of the truth and love. The emotionally devastating climax will leave fans eager for the next installment.-Nicole Politi, The Ocean County Library, Lavallette, NJ

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2012
Grades 8-11 In this stand-alone companion to Black Hole Sun (2010), Gill returns to his fascinating future world: a postapocalyptic Mars trashed by Earth emigrants. Our guides to this strange new world are two renegade teenage mercenaries: Durango and Vienne. Durango, the son of a morally corrupt politician, is a rowdy, carefree teen seeking to escape his roots, and he is hopelessly in love with Vienne. We learn about Vienne's past and then see her embark on a dangerous odyssey as she is captured by an enemy corporation and used as a killing machine. This swift read features constant, bombarding action and subplots to spare. Durango's clever banter with his interior sidekickthe acerbic Mimi, his former chief who has been installed in his brain as an artificial intelligence systemis a highlight, employing the witty, realistic thoughts and retorts of a teen boy. Mimi calls Durango Cowboy, and indeed, there is a strong western flavor to Gill's science fiction. The tense cliff-hanger ending, with a cute Star Wars reference, will leave readers poised for more.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2012
Durango and Vienne (Black Hole Sun) return in another funny, action-packed sci-fi adventure set on Mars. Gill continues to develop his characters, adding depth and insight into their personalities, but he never fails to deliver the more attention-grabbing plot elements. This novel will have great appeal to genre fans and reluctant readers.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)