Radiant
{4.5/5} “I was a wet-behind-the-ears Explorer Third Class. Tut was not only more experienced than I, but he outranked me: as an Explorer Second Class, he was my superior officer. Protocol demanded that the captain address all Explorer matters to Tut, who would then bring me in if he chose. Going over Tut’s head to call me directly meant the captain thought the situation was so serious it couldn’t be left to a madman.”
Radiant by James Alan Gardner, published in 2004
When the captain of the Pistachio shows Explorer Youn Suu what’s going on on Cashleen, she recognizes the red flakes dropping from the sky. It’s the Balrog, a hive mind that’s more intelligent than humans. Youn Suu points out that the Balrog knows when humans do things, so it knows the Pistachio is nearby — and it knows they must come down to the planet to help out.
This is the last book featuring Festina Ramos. Youn Suu runs into her in chapter 3.
It’s about having to share your body with a superior alien consciousness, people who used to be human but are now different, and beings who wanted to ascend.
This is the 2nd time I’ve read it.
I’ve read 10 books by Gardner, 8 novels and 2 collections. I previously reviewed Ascending.