Links: Mel Jacob's review / Show Article /

Simon Morden's Petrovich/Machine Jihad/Metrozone trilogy is starting up with the very excellent Equations of Life, which is a terrific read. As donkey says, "That was fun. Let's do it again" (fortunately, there are two more books ready to be released, so we can). Nuns, guns, nuclear weapons, AIs, a Japanese empire rising from ruined London, the CIA doing the bidding of an American Theocracy, the Inquisition (bet you didn't see that coming) and a Russian ex-pat physicist with a good heart, just not the one in his chest, though it takes a while for him to accept it. And lots of educational russo-invective!

Product Description: Samuil Petrovitch is a survivor.

He survived the nuclear fallout in St. Petersburg and hid in the London Metrozone - the last city in England. He's lived this long because he's a man of rules and logic.

For example, getting involved = a bad idea.

But when he stumbles into a kidnapping in progress, he acts without even thinking. Before he can stop himself, he's saved the daughter of the most dangerous man in London.

And clearly saving the girl = getting involved.

Now, the equation of Petrovitch's life is looking increasingly complex.

Russian mobsters + Yakuza + something called the New Machine Jihad = one dead Petrovitch.

But Petrovitch has a plan - he always has a plan - he's just not sure it's a good one.

(Source: Orbit)