Null Set

May 27, 2019
This exciting SF thriller sequel to Zero Sum Game keeps up the pace and piles on the tricky twists. Cas Russell, an expert mathematician and crimefighter, is recovering from a mind-melding fight and adjusting to a life filled with false memories. While on the hunt for a notorious L.A. crime lord, Cas begins to lose her grip on reality, her mind invaded by a past and an identity she does not recognize. Increasingly paranoid, Cas soon believes her friends all have ulterior motives and goes digging. Her curiosity may prove to be her undoing, as her discoveries upend the tenuous stability of the L.A. crime scene. The gritty tone complements the backdrop and plot, and there is a geniality to Cas that endears her to the reader. As Huang weaves together a compelling bit of science fiction in the possibilities of overwriting memories and identities, Cas’s existential struggles echo those of social media users wrestling with profiles and personas. Although the side characters have the tendency to fade into the background, the central narrative is still strong. Readers who appreciate suspenseful science fiction will enjoy this vigorous novel.

June 1, 2019

In Zero Sum Game, Cas Russell was able to take out Pithica, the organization of telepaths trying to create a better world through their control, but now the crime rate is spiking and Cas feels responsible. So, why not take on the crime organizations that are ramping up in Los Angeles? Especially since Cas's own mathematical abilities make her nearly superpowered. Except that Cas knows that her last battle with Pithica cracked open a secret in her memory, one she will have to fight for and against as it begins to affect her mind. Now she's on everyone's hit list and unsure of her own stability, whom will she trust when her world is crumbling? Zooming from external to internal conflict, Cas struggles with the choices she's made for the rest of the world, knowing that she may have no choice but to do that again. VERDICT Huang's sophomore novel brings us the same tight action, compelling characters, and mathematics magic as Zero Sum Game. Fans of the TV series Jessica Jones will enjoy meeting Cas.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

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