January 15, 2020
Jordan's ambitious debut novel is an epic science-fiction adventure that chronicles the journey of an orphaned Human girl--believed to be the last member of an extinct species--from interstellar pariah to potential savior of her infamous race. Sarya the Daughter lives with her adopted mother, Shenya the Widow--a giant, spiderlike "apex predator...wrapped in lightning and darkness"--on an orbital water-mining station in the rings of a giant gaseous planet. As a citizen of the Network, a vast accumulation of intelligence consisting of millions of species that has enabled faster-than-light travel and prevented conflict for a half-billion years, Shenya has protected Sarya and lied about her true identity: She is a Human, the one race destroyed by the Network because of its destructive tendencies. But when a bounty hunter attempts to abduct Sarya and her home is destroyed, the little Human finds herself on the run and all alone in a universe inhabited by godlike intelligences who may be using her as a pawn in a much deeper game. As she learns more about her race's tumultuous relationship with the Network, she begins to realize that even one small, moderately intelligent bipedal being can make a difference, even when it involves conflicts with godlike entities. The sheer scope of the story is noteworthy, from the various intelligence tiers, which include groupminds and sentient planets, to the colossal settings (orbital stations, spaceships, the end of the universe, etc.). The theme of free will also packs a powerful punch. But while the grand-scale premise of the narrative is laudable, the story gets unwieldy in places, and the momentum suffers. Additionally, Sarya--while an intriguing character--never becomes fully three-dimensional, and the emotional impact of her journey feels muted and detached, overshadowed by the massiveness of the story unfolding around her. A flawed but satisfying SF adventure that is, at times, mind-blowing.
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February 24, 2020
Jodan’s rollicking debut starts slowly but then quickly builds toward mind-boggling revelations about order, chaos, and the vastness of the universe. Sarya, the last of the human species, is a moody teenager with no idea why she exists when the rest of humanity was destroyed centuries ago, kept alive by her adoptive mother, Shenya the Widow, a fearsome arachnoid alien who has concealed Sarya’s true identity to protect her from the fear and hatred of a galaxy that remembers little about human beings. When a school field trip goes horribly wrong, Shenya sacrifices herself so that Sarya can escape a doomed space station. Sarya sets off in search of answers, seeking an entity called Observer, who claims to know her origin story. The pace lulls a bit as Sarya recovers Shenya’s memories over the course of her journey, but picks up again once she arrives at Blackstar, the hub of the galactic hive mind. Throughout, Jordan plays with the concept of choice, leaving both Sarya and the reader questioning whether the decisions she makes are truly her own or whether some other entity is pulling the strings. Jordan’s deeply considered treatment of various levels of extraterrestrial intelligence will put readers in mind of the work of Neal Asher and appeal to fans of big-idea science fiction. Agent: Charlie Olsen, InkWell Management.
February 15, 2020
Jordan's debut is a witty, engaging sf novel for fans of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Sarya the Daughter can't expect much as a registered low-tier Spaal; low-tiers just aren't meant to accomplish more than the bare minimum. When a fateful encounter with a stranger results in the death of her adoptive mother and the destruction of her home, Sarya's secret is exposed: Sarya is in fact not a low-tier Spaal, but a Human?the only one known to exist for the last 10 million years. Now two omniscient entities want Sarya for their own purposes: one to resurrect the Human species, and one to extinguish it for eternity. The Last Human ponders serious themes such as classism, lack of freedom, and the meaning of destiny, all while injecting this contemplation with humor. The characters, while low-tier in intellect (or so others who inhabit the book claim), are high-tier in enjoyability.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)