When Charlie Stross says he likes a book, I pay attention. He’s earned a spot as one of my favorite authors, and I’m patiently waiting to see what he comes up with next. If you haven’t read Accelerando, do it… do it now!
But I’m not here to talk about Charlie Stross, I’m here to introduce you to Hannu Rajaniemi.
Ever heard of Hannu or his Jean le Flambeur series of books? I hadn’t either, until I saw Charlie write about him on Reddit. On a whim I ordered The Quantum Thief – Hannu’s first book – and am I ever glad that I did. If you love Science Fiction, charming criminals, and galaxy spanning heists, then look no further. You’re in for one hell of a ride.
Jean le Flambeur is a post-human criminal, mind burglar, confidence artist, and trickster. His origins are shrouded in mystery, but his exploits are known throughout the Heterarchy— from breaking into the vast Zeusbrains of the Inner System to stealing rare Earth antiques from the aristocrats of Mars. Now he’s confined inside the Dilemma Prison, where every day he has to get up and kill himself before his other self can kill him.
I’ve got a soft spot for anti-heroes, and Jean le Flambeur is quite possibly my new favorite. He’s charming, he’s clever, and he tells one hell of a story. How much of what he says is true is for you to decide…
Now, there’s a whole lot more to the synopsis, but I’ve chosen to omit it. I went into this one almost completely blind, and I would like you to do the same. There’s nothing boring about this book, period. There’s no part that I feel comfortable spoiling, because every page is wonderfully crafted and worth experiencing without prior knowledge of the events.
So here’s what I promise: read the book, and if you don’t like it I offer a 100% satisfaction back guarantee.
Looking forward to hearing what you think in the comments below!
