Resumo de In Darkness Bound - Lindsay H.F. Brambles

The novel In Darkness Bound is, to a certain extent, a morality play in which author Lindsay H.F. Brambles attempts to depict the difficulties of exercising moral authority in a conflict where none of the combatants are strictly right or wrong. While set in the future, it is firmly rooted in the realities of the world we live in today, where as often as not the clear lines delineating the ?good? from the ?bad? are blurred by the exigencies of political expedience.The novel opens on Inkasar, a planet mired in a decades old war. Here, Captain John Carter, a man selected at conception to be a spacer, has been tasked to do a diplomat?s job for which he is ill-suited. He quickly finds himself facing a hopeless mess when the leader of one of the factions he has brought together for peace talks is murdered by the opposition. The mission quickly spirals out of control, and Carter is fortune to escape with his life.Although his fleet is in need of maintenance and repairs, his crews desperate for R&R, Carter is ordered to take his command directly to Obsidian. There the two most powerful corporates in the Federation are set to wage battle over a world that is home to a small enclave of religious fundamentalists. The latter, who have until now willfully shunned outsiders, now seek protection under dubious legal circumstances. At stake for the corporates is the valuable transit point located in the Obsidian system, a gateway to a possible treasure-trove of riches that will make the victor the most powerful force in existence. For Carter and the Fleet he serves, it means the possibility of being relegated to permanent irrelevance in a rapidly growing empire.The novel explores the difficulties Carter and his people face when they are ordered to evacuate the citizens of Obsidian and ensure the planet doesn?t fall into the hands of the corporates. It?s a task none of them finds pleasant, made less so by the fact that they understand the legal ambiguities of their assignment and by the unsettling realization that society they are displacing is morally repugnant, a culture in which women are treated as little more than chattel.Already hamstrung by conscience, the efforts of Carter and his fleet are further hampered by political machinations back home, where a power struggle is taking place between the Secretary General of the Assembly and the Admiral of the Fleet. The waters are further muddied by the ambitions of the head of Naval Intelligence, who believes Fleet lacks the strong leadership necessary to maintain authority within the Earth Empire. He is determined to thwart the expansionism of the corporates, even if it means introducing into the conflict an element so volatile that it may change the course of human history.As with much of the best SF, the novel is layered with nuance, exploring a range of topical issues readily identified by the reader while maintaining the essence of good fiction by telling a story that is both compelling and thought-provoking. The characters are human to the core, flawed and vulnerable, unpredictable at times, and never straying into stereotype. As a portrait of war the novel is hard-edged and pulls no punches when it comes to describing the brutal reality of armed conflict.While In Darkness Bound does not aspire to emulate the enormous breadth and scope of a classic novel like War and Peace, it does feature a large enough cast of characters to keep things interesting. Moreover, it delves deeply into the lives and emotions of its principal players, with the result that the reader forms strong attachments with the various figures that parade across the landscape of the plot. When characters die, the reader feels the impact of the loss. And unlike some books in the genre, ?good? does not necessarily triumph over ?evil?; indeed, the reader is posed with the question of just who are the ?good? guys and the ?bad? guys, and if, in fact, such definitions can be applied in the situation presented.InDarkness Bound has all the ingredients of a good war epic, with liberal doses of action, politics, romance, and tragedy. For those seeking an entertaining and stimulating read, this novel fits the bill and should not be missed.

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