XENOCIDE MISSION THE

Following on from where he left off in His Majesty's Starship, the enthusiastic Ben Jeapes wastes no time in introducing the action in his latest sci-fi yarn, and he doesn't let up until the final word. Ridiculous though it sounds, the reader is left with the impression that Jeapes has actually been there and experienced the Xenocide Mission himself. He's equally at home and at ease when describing the hero - Lieutenant Joel Gilmore - carrying out repairs to a faulty piece of equipment, dealing with his somewhat irksome but nonetheless well-conceived allies, the First Breed (or 'Rusties' as they'd prefer not to be known), or facing almost certain death and destruction. You might even end up believing that he has been on the receiving end of a natural half-year sleep cycle, so convincing is the world he has conjured up here. That he has also clearly put an enormous amount of thought and effort into the technology in the story also guarantees the reader's interest is assured. Particularly interesting are the xenocides, the baddies of the piece - they can be described as baddies as a result of Jeapes's writing style, which has something of an almost old-fashioned edge to it, and that's no criticism. These aliens are not in the business of taking prisoners as they sweep across the solar system engaging in some high-tech warmongering, and their clever little foibles only add to the complexity of their characters. Though not aimed specifically at adults, this adult found it easy to get hooked and was soon deeply immersed in the imaginative, exhausting action. Jeapes has left a lot of scope for a follow-up, and it should come as no surprise that he has plans for a series of stories in the wake of this thrilling tale. Ages 10+ (Kirkus UK)