View from the Imperium [Anglais] [Poche]

Ensign Thomas Kinago starts by making a fool of himself the first day by pimping out his uniform in admiral stripes and arriving late to his first dinner with an Admiral known for adhering strictly to punctuality. The dressing-down he gets afterwards is a beauty I enjoyed greatly as a reader and it sets the tone for the rest of the book. I laughed out loud for a long time when the Admiral asked if he had trouble keeping inside the lines with crayons in kindergarten too.

Thomas is a member of the imperial family somewhat distant from the throne but nonetheless firmly removed from reality when the book starts. It is amusing, emotional and revealing as he realizes how protected he has been. He is a good-hearted fellow it is easy to love but he keeps getting into trouble due to inexperience. It is lucky that he has his Jevees sorry Parsons that steers him the right way.

Jody Lynn Nye isn't exactly new to me. I have enjoyed her Doona collaboration with Anne McCaffrey and a few short stories especially in Worlds of Honor. This is promoted as a space opera version of the P. G. Woodhouse's Jeeves books and it is not too far from the truth but Thomas is more talented than his counterpart.

The story is about as much about his journey of discovery, including some military adventures not mentioned in the blurb as it is about how a mysteriously charismatic leader threatens to take over a distant former sector of the Imperium the new Emperor wants to re include. It makes sense to send Kinago and Parsons there to find out what is going on.

The characters are great and I love the story even if I get to stretch my sense of disbelief a time or two. Thomas makes mistakes, it wouldn't be as much fun else but he also makes many things right especially to his friends old and new. It is good when you cry from laughter and deep emotions in the same book.

View from the Imperium is fun character driven space opera with a bit over the top characters, a big heart and thrilling action. I hope Jody Lynn Nye will continue with the characters and make this a series. As you understand I warmly recommend this light-hearted novel.

I wish I could give this book a better review. It's obviously attempting to be a Jeeves and Wooster in space, with a bit more character depth. However, I found the story a slow read that struggled to hold my attention, especially in the political sections in the early part of the book. While I understand these sections were important to provide a background to the main story in the second half the book they weren't really lively enough to make them interesting till we got back to the main story that is Ensign Lord Kinago. Kinago is an upper crust fop who has spent his life in the lap of luxury in the imperial compound.

Assigned to a ship in the navy on the edge of civilized space he has no idea how 'the other half' live or the realities of life. Unfortunately, while Kinago does get an eduction in this book it's not really that funny though you can tell it is supposed to be so and the threat he goes up against is in strange in the extreme. This is not a book I'd be in a hurry to read again as while the author seems to be trying hard to provide a funny story with some depth of character it never really gels into something that carries you along easily or is memorable.

Call me an old grump, but this book was tedious--I guess I can take only so much endless cutsieness. I read the first  and then the last few chapters and didn't feel that I had missed much. You'll likely love it or hate it.