Vigilant
{4.5/5} “Before legislators voted on a bill, the proctor scrutinizing that vote could set a test to determine whether the politicians understood what the bill actually meant. Those who failed the test could only sit and grind their teeth in public humiliation while those who passed made an informed decision.”
Vigilant by James Alan Gardner, published in 1999
Faye Smallwood was a teenager on Demoth when the plague hit the Ooloms — millions died. Years later she becomes a proctor, a government watchdog. On her first mission she encounters a plot to kill proctors using robots. And she’s rescued by an admiral — Festina Ramos.
This is the 2nd Festina Ramos book, after Expendable.
Gardner’s prose is delightful, and his insight into humans and aliens is impeccable.
This is the 2nd time I’ve read it.
I’ve read 9 of Gardner’s books. I previously reviewed his novel All Those Explosions Were Someone Else’s Fault.