Review: Zero Solar by Anthony Robinson

Author Anthony Robinson sets Earth and Mars on their final collision course in Zero Solar, the concluding chapter of his thrilling near-future series. Bringing all the characters together for a collision of cosmic proportions, this installment finally answers the questions that have been brewing for two books, but also presents some new mysteries and twists along the way.

Mark Bowen remains in the belly of the beast, playing both sides against the middle and trying to stop the most destructive war in human history. It is becoming harder to remain in Prince Dothan’s good graces, particularly when Bowen knows what plans he buried with Lockland’s convenient death.

Exposing the interplanetary conspiracy before humanity loses everything is the ultimate goal, but Bowen needs to stay alive to do it. The secret connection of his family to Mars, a mysterious notebook that could reveal all, a plot to kill a princess, and Bowen’s desperate attempts to reunite with his loyal team make this novel a many-faceted gem, with plenty of side stories and secondary characters to push the energy forward.

As was the case in the first two Solar novels, there isn’t a clear binary of enemies – good vs. evil – as there are sinister intentions and actors on both sides of the solar system, as well as some wild cards thrown in for good measure. Without deciding the boundaries of morality for us, at least not completely, Robinson is able to stimulate thought in his readers, rather than relying on common tropes we have all seen play out before.

The world-building skill continues from the first two novels, as does the creativity in hierarchy, cultural design, and traditions. Space travel advancements and near-future technology are all accessible to the common reader, which isn’t always the case in expansive sci-fi sagas. In terms of character development, Bowen has transformed in countless ways since the beginning of this series, and when he is finally allowed to take the fight to Dothan, the payoff proves worth the wait.

Some of the plot developments come across as a bit too convenient, while other easy solutions or coincidences may suggest a few cut corners in the drafting of this three-part story. All in all, though, the believability of a sci-fi novel like this is impressive, setting the timing just far enough in the future that it feels fictional, but not so far that readers would be unable to relate to the players involved. That unusual immediacy in this genre makes for a rewarding and sometimes chilling read.

While the bones of the story are as brilliant as the others in the series, the writing still suffers from a distinct simplicity of tone, word choice, syntactical structure, and dialogue. These characters are entertaining and sympathetic, but their dialogue is often rudimentary and generic, which differs from their narrative descriptions and personalities. There are frequent adjectival repetitions, often within a few lines of one another, and procedural elements slow down the pace of reading significantly. Some lengthy segments could be shortened by allowing the reader to make certain assumptions, rather than telling readers what every allusion or bit of foreshadowing might mean.

Those fundamental issues in the writing could be improved, but there is no argument that Anthony Robinson knows how to weave an entertaining web, and Zero Solar is a particularly powerful final chapter to this unique and inventive series.