Zero Sum Game, by S.
L. Huang (Tor)
To say this novel
grabbed me by the throat and refused to let go is putting it mildly. It’s as
much a thriller as a science fictional tale. I absolutely adored that the
heroine’s superpower is her mathematical ability, and how that ability allows
her to use normal human physical attributes in an extraordinary way.
The plot
hits the ground running when Cas Russell takes a job that seems innocuous
enough on the surface: rescuing a young woman who’s gotten in trouble with a
drug-running gang. The client is the older sister, referred to Cas by the notoriously
violent, psychopathic Rio, who uses his devout Catholic faith to guide his
conscience. Oddly enough, he considers Cas a friend, although neither of them
trusts the other.
From there, things go pear-shaped in a hurry, since Rio never
made the referral and Cas keeps stumbling upon references to a mysterious name,
“Pithia.” Before long she’s battling a telepath capable of not only reading
minds but changing them in ways that make it impossible for the victim to break
free.
Verdict: a hell of a
ride, juicy mathematics-geek neepery, twists and turns and ambiguities, with
nary a stumble. A bit on the gory side for those sensitive to it.
