Firefly - Carnival - Tak's Reading Room

No cover — Una McCormack: Firefly - Carnival (2021, Titan Books Limited)

240 pages

English language

Published June 18, 2021 by Titan Books Limited.

ISBN:: 978-1-78909-509-8

(1 review)

A heist by the Serenity crew goes badly wrong in a captivating original Firefly tie-in novel from the award-winning series by Titan Books.

City of sin Neapolis: a desert city on planet Bethel where all manner of entertainment can be found: high-stakes gambling, luxurious hotels, exclusive clubs and any form of diversion imaginable may be had for a price. It’s the eve of the annual carnival: three days of decadent revelry, and Serenity arrives to take a security job, guarding a costly shipment.

An unattainable ransom Tragedy strikes: the shipment is stolen, and the wealthy owner kidnaps Zoë and Book, holding them to ransom for the lost shipment’s value. If Mal can’t find the enormous sum of five hundred platinum by the next evening, both of them will be killed.

A race against time As the carnival begins the crew must attempt the impossible, calling on contacts, calling in favours, …

A heist by the Serenity crew goes badly wrong in a captivating original Firefly tie-in novel from the award-winning series by Titan Books.

City of sin Neapolis: a desert city on planet Bethel where all manner of entertainment can be found: high-stakes gambling, luxurious hotels, exclusive clubs and any form of diversion imaginable may be had for a price. It’s the eve of the annual carnival: three days of decadent revelry, and Serenity arrives to take a security job, guarding a costly shipment.

An unattainable ransom Tragedy strikes: the shipment is stolen, and the wealthy owner kidnaps Zoë and Book, holding them to ransom for the lost shipment’s value. If Mal can’t find the enormous sum of five hundred platinum by the next evening, both of them will be killed.

A race against time As the carnival begins the crew must attempt the impossible, calling on contacts, calling in favours, and revealing hidden talents to save their crewmates’ lives. Meanwhile, the hostages have their own plans…

1 edition

Browncoat Fox reviewed Firefly - Carnival by Una McCormack

Tense, quicker-paced action story

5 stars

This is one of the most commonly favoured entries into the series among fans. While I'm not entirely sure why that is, I wouldn't discount this novel over it by any means. In typical Firefly fashion, Serenity's crew gets sucked into a situation they didn't ask for and have work to do to get themselves through it. As stated by the synopsis, Zoe and Book are kidnapped, which was a nice choice for this story. One reason is that these two have rarely been together in the overall Firefly story; not just the show but the comics and other novels. With 9 characters to work with, there are in fact numerous pairings that haven't been well explored, untapped potential for new and exciting interactions. Another reason is that Book is finally not just a support character or on the side-lines, and with his history better understood thanks to A Shephard's …

This is one of the most commonly favoured entries into the series among fans. While I'm not entirely sure why that is, I wouldn't discount this novel over it by any means. In typical Firefly fashion, Serenity's crew gets sucked into a situation they didn't ask for and have work to do to get themselves through it. As stated by the synopsis, Zoe and Book are kidnapped, which was a nice choice for this story. One reason is that these two have rarely been together in the overall Firefly story; not just the show but the comics and other novels. With 9 characters to work with, there are in fact numerous pairings that haven't been well explored, untapped potential for new and exciting interactions. Another reason is that Book is finally not just a support character or on the side-lines, and with his history better understood thanks to A Shephard's Tale, he exhibits more of his hidden talents alongside Zoe.

Shephard Book fans will definitely not want to miss out on this story! Overall, this was a great read. The environment of the world where Serenity visits, the situations and dialogue following the crew, everything was another satisfying experience. This is already the sixth book in the series and it continues to honour the precious legacy of Firefly.

Subjects

English literature