In the world of Myke Cole’s Shadow OPS books, magic is real and weaponized. Javelin Rain takes place immediately following Gemini Cell, at a time when magic is wild, uncontrolled and barely understood. In it, Jim Schweitzer is on the run and dead. Having died in Gemini Cell, he was resurrected to be an undead super soldier. Upon the conclusion of Gemini Cell, Schweitzer left the military to return to his wife and child, both of whom he was told died. As such this review will contain spoilers. Schweitzer, his wife and son in tow, is still on the run from the military as Javelin Rain begins. He is forced to make hard choices in his escape and finds himself trusting no one and doing things out of desperation in order for him and his family to survive.
The military sends magical beasts and reanimated soldiers to bring in Jim and his family. Of course Jim fights back and as a result there’s a great deal of collateral damage. Schweitzer main advantage over the fodder sent to stop him is his ability to think, the fact that he overcame the jinn who was trying to share his body.
Meanwhile, readers are also shown the other side. That is, the inside of Gemini Cell, the measures and people brought in to capture Schweitzer. A sorcerer from Haiti, Dadou Alva, is transferred to assist Jawid, the sorcerer who reanimated Jim’s corpse by bonding Jim’s soul to that of the jinn Ninip. Jawid is thought to be a loose cannon, a potential risk the Gemini Cell cannot tolerate. Dadou is a powerful, attractive woman who uses every bit of her power to attempt to bend Jawid back in line with Gemini Cell’s goals.
The scientist who was heading up the project, Eldridge, is having a crisis of conscience. He’s beginning to empathize with Schweitzer and doubt the aims and goals of his mysterious Director. Both Eldridge and Dadou only interact with the Director through encrypted communication and never actually been in the Director’s presence. This is just adds to Eldridge’s growing distrust of the man who gives him his orders.
One of the many things that made this such an excellent novel is how Cole made the “supporting” characters of Dadou, Eldridge, and even Jawid, come across as protagonists of their own story. Reading the chapters from each of their viewpoints evoked a great deal of sympathy and empathy for their individual plights. I understood their reasons and even if it wasn’t easy to agree with the results of their motivations, it was understandable why these characters chose to follow the paths they followed. I felt moved by their story, their plight even if it was in conflict with Schweitzer.
Javelin Rain continues Myke Cole’s outstanding track record of delivering novels that balance entertainment and thought provocation. This may be his darkest novel and the one filled with the smallest slivers of hope, but knowing this one takes place years before Control Point, is hope enough that Jim Schweitzer and Eldridge may have a sort of peace by the time their stories come to a conclusion.
Bravo.
Highly Recommended, but reading Gemini Cell is almost a requirement.
© 2016 Rob H. Bedford
Published by Del Rey / Mass Market Paperback ISBN 978-0-425-26965-7
March 2016 / 352 Pages
http://mykecole.com
Review copy courtesy of the publisher
Excerpt. http://www.tor.com/2016/03/01/excerpts-javelin-rain-myke-cole/
