Review: The Last Colony by John Scalzi

The Last Colony
Author: John Scalzi
Publication: Tor Science Fiction; Reprint edition (July 29, 2008)

Product Information: Retired from his fighting days, John Perry is now village ombudsman for a human colony on distant Huckleberry. With his wife, former Special Forces warrior Jane Sagan, he farms several acres, adjudicates local disputes, and enjoys watching his adopted daughter grow up.

That is, until his and Jane's past reaches out to bring them back into the game — as leaders of a new human colony, to be peopled by settlers from all the major human worlds, for a deep political purpose that will put Perry and Sagan back in the thick of interstellar politics, betrayal, and war.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this conclusion to the story of John Perry, Jane Sagan and Zoe Boutin. After some quiet time as colonists on Huckleberry political matters are disturbing them again. I like the interplay between John and his assistant Savitri. There were lots of humorous remarks. I like the relationship between Zoe and John too. I like learning more about Jane as she learns to be a regular, unenhanced human and how she reacts when she is enhanced again against her will.

Then John and Jane are chosen to be the leaders of a new colonial venture. Only the Colonial Union doesn't tell them that the Conclave (a group of over 400 alien races) has forbidden non-members to colonize new planets. Nor does the CU actually send them to the planet they think they are colonizing. After some adventures including discovering that they are not alone on the planet and the aliens are hostile and learning to survive without all their electronics, the CU comes back. Roanoke colonists are in danger and not only from the Conclave.

The story was exciting. My only complaint is that the story ended. I want to know more about these characters and what happens next.

Challenges: RYOB Reading Challenge, Bottoms Up Reading Challenge