This exciting SF book brings us to an unusual setting -
Egypt of the future. No, forget all those dog-headed
deities. In THE BREDE CHRONICLES New Cairo is a
multitudinous, poverty-stricken city, dominated by off-
planet settlers called the Amphidians who are bigger than
humans, stronger, but somehow able to interbreed with us
if
they so choose. As their main interests lie elsewhere
their
presence is not going to enrich an already collapsing
Earth
economy.
Elektra Tate is our guide to the warren of New Cairo. A
fair-haired girl who looks strange to local eyes, she was
abandoned early and grew up with the scavengers in the
dumps. Now she tries to survive by petty thieving for
food,
and she tags along with one Amphidian called Alekzander
Brede any time that he's on Earth. He's got a base in New
Cairo, which has sprouted three-mile-high skyscrapers
since
the off-worlders brought a mineral called Midinium. Brede
doesn't help Elektra, but she persists in the hope that
she
can be useful to this powerful, wealthy man. Trouble is,
he thinks of nobody but himself, like all Amphidians.
The start of the book isn't really relatable, as Brede
goes
for a walk which involves shooting anyone on the street.
This is much like a violent computer game - but to him, it
might as well be, for the many enemies he has accumulated
send killers after him non-stop. More assassins, just
another day. Once this sinks in the reader can start to
look at the man's motivations and pursuits. Brede is
actually part-human, but he's not proud of it. He has his
eye on the ruling human lady of Egypt, called Narita who
is
even more self-obsessed. Narita realises that Brede has
formed an attachment to the thief Elektra, and she must be
extremely insecure because she is determined to get
Elektra
in jail, crippled or dead, fast.
With spacecraft buzzing around like road traffic, guns
galore, many contrasts and brilliant descriptions of New
Cairo and Thebes Two, this is one book you won't forget in
a hurry. Life is traumatic and few people have a way to
better themselves so crew on a space freighter might seem
like a good option - but at what cost? I wasn't sure how
the plot twists were going to work out right to the end,
and P I Barrington has concluded THE BREDE CHRONICLES at a
break point which means we are going to have
to read the next book.
Alekzander Brede is a law unto himself…or so he thinks.
Elektra Tate, the street orphan who loves him has other
ideas.
Half-human Alekzander Brede is a law unto himself…or so
he
thinks. Elektra Tate, the street orphan who loves him has
other ideas. When she betrays him for no apparent reason,
he vows to punish her one way or another. Taking the one
thing she treasures most—their son—begins a cat and mouse
relationship spanning two planets and costing possibly
his
life. Elektra will stop at nothing to save her son but
can
she overcome Brede’s twisted idea of vengeance?
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