The Rosetta Codex

Just finished reading this book and I have to say it was one of the most enjoyable sci-fi reads I've had in a long time. Yes, it's low-key, less on gadgets and more on world- and character-building, but I could not put it down. One of those books I looked forward to returning to again and again. The first half was more a coming-of-age tale, surreal in places, reminiscent of the early Dark Tower books by King. In the second half, everything comes together in a sort of pre-ordained destiny for the main character. The characters themselves were well-drawn, never stale, always interesting, and the many worlds and settings fascinating. The ending, I felt, was very satsifying. Russo's style is steady, and consistently good, reminding me very much of the writing of Ben Bova, another favorite of mine. As this is my first Richard Paul Russo novel, I'm looking forward to picking up another very soon.

The main character has a lot of veracity, and his thinking develops as he learns from his experiences. I felt I would have reacted similarly in the same situations, and could envision the varied environments in which the character finds himself. The end happens a bit quickly, and if the author hadn't needed to resolve the question of "what happens next?" he probably would have been better off devoting a whole book to the final sequences. As it is, he has set himself up for a sequel, and I'd really like to see this world continue. Now I'm interested in reading his other work.

The Rosetta Codex is another excellent SF novel fron Richard Paul Russo. I was lucky enough to hear the author read from this new novel last week, and I was immediately interested in the story. As it turns out, I read the Rosetta Codex from cover to cover in one long sitting. He builds a very believable universe which in many ways reminds me of my favorite space opera and 'world builder' science fiction novels from the old school of SF writers. I enjoyed the lead characters and I think the author could easily write another novel set in this universe given the interesting ideas unleashed in this one.

The Exile Prince heads to Conrad's World with a filled hold and special passengers. A few hours before landing, three combat fighters attack the vessel. His father sends five year old Cale Alexandros accompanied by his nanny Sidonie in the Kestrel to the nearby planet with instructions to get to the only civilized spot Morningstar. However, the duo crash on Conrad's World. Nomads find them and rape Sidonie and leave her to die. They turn Cale into a slave. A decade passes when Blackburn the trader enables Cale to escape with him to Morningstar where he meets Sidonie, who survived her desert ordeal. She takes him home to his wealthy family. However, Cale believes that Morningstar is built on top of an alien culture and has found an ancient tome with weird metallic pages containing strange writings that he found in the desert. His family and Sidonie want him to stay home and cannot understand why Cale is obsessed with locating and entering the alien gate that his reference mentions unaware that friends are enemies planning to use him. THE ROSETTA CODEX is a very complex science fiction thriller from start to finish. Readers will enjoy journeying with Cale whose captivity along with the book he found shape his existence though that upsets his family. The story line is action-packed and the support cast is established to enhance the plot. However, this fine alien planet thriller belongs to Cale, whose enslavement has made him so different from his family that they cannot comprehend his need to return to the place of horrors and believe he is a fool to want to ship out again. Richard Paul Russo provides a strong character-driven outer space adventure. Harriet Klausner