Song of Scarabaeus Review

Title: Song of Scarabaeus

Author: Sara Creasy

Date of Publication: April 27, 2010

Formats Available: Mass Market Paperback, E-Book

Synopsis: After being kidnapped from her job with the Crib, the evil organization that rules over every planet and world imaginable, Edie's not sure being kidnapped is such a bad thing. However when her capturers electronically leash her to a body guard, Finn, and implant a bomb in his head that will explode the second he strays too far from her side, Edie makes it her goal to escape and disable the leash. Edie' abilities with the equipment used to keep worlds alive surpass even the most talented operators, making her extremely valuable. As the rebels that have kidnapped Edie use her to destroy the Crib and make planets a better place for their inhabitants its soon becomes clear that not everyone is what they seem and someone is determined to betray the team and destroy everything they have worked so hard to achieve.

My Review:

Originally I was really excited to read this book, the leash idea intrigued me and I was really looking forward to some sci-fi romance and an exciting plot line, however the farther I got into Song of Scarabaeus the more apparent it became that my dreams would not come true. Bogged down in overwhelming technical terms and a weak plot, finishing this novel proved to be a real struggle.

The first fifty pages or so of this novel were almost incomprehensible to read, filled with nothing but technical terms and detailed descriptions of made up devices, I understood probably every fifth word. It took me almost the whole book to figure out what the plot actually was because it was deeply hidden under unnecessary descriptions and made up words. I do like science fiction novels but I felt that Song of Scarabaeus went completely above and beyond what was necessary for the story.

Both Edie and Finn were poorly written characters, between their vapid personalities and dull interactions with each other I just couldn't make myself care about them. Their relationship is impossible to understand, one moment they had just met and the next moment Edie is refusing to do anything without him and fighting for his life, it would have been an "insta-love" if there had been any romance at all in the novel, but thankfully there wasn't. I found myself constantly forgetting about characters because of their lifeless personalities and no real role in the novel.

Besides being weak the plot also moved at an unbearably slow pace. The entire novel is spent with Edie examining and repairing equipment and searching for a way to free herself from Finn, with hardly any action at all. When there was action it was so bogged down with dialogue and Edie operating equipment that the little action there was wasn't even exciting.

Unfortunately I would have to say this is one of the few books I would not recommend. Between the impossibly slow pace, the incomprehensible writing, and the awful characters I just didn't enjoy this book. Fans of science fiction that enjoy complex gadgets may enjoy this one, but it definitely wasn't for me.

1/5