THE UNITED CONTINUUMS

Myra, Aero, and Seeker must unite their continuums against the hostile Fourth Continuum in this trilogy closer.

A quick recap refreshes readers’ memories on both the world and how the heroes ended up cornered in the First Continuum by the Second Continuum’s forces. The three Carriers must decide how to manage the demands of Cmdr. Drakken and the Fourth Continuum, the hostages taken by the Second, and the oxygen drain plaguing the Thirteenth (a slow storyline disjointed from the main action). While not the most immediate threat, the Fourth is the greatest, as they want the secrets of the Doom. Separating, Aero returns to his continuum, the Second, to sway them against the cartoonishly angry Supreme General; Seeker returns to the Seventh to try to rally the mutated humans to the cause; and Myra stays behind and uses her Beacon in a dangerous game of cat and mouse against Drakken. Short chapters ending in cliffhangers (many with no payoff once the storyline is revisited) bog down the pacing, while predictability decreases readers’ investment, as the Continuums must inevitably unite against the powerful enemy. While racial markers (short of the occasional hair color) are absent, implying a white default, there is a storyline in which the mutated residents of the Seventh Continuum face discrimination. The climactic battle proceeds predictably, though it’s not without entertainment value, and the romantic storylines tie up too neatly.

Marred by filler, pacing issues, and predictability.