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Star Brigade: First Renaissance by C.C. Ekeke
01/12/2006 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
pub: Llumina Press. 497 page enlarged paperback. Price: $21.95 (US). ISBN: 1-59526-387-X. Buy Star Brigade: First Renaissance in the USA - or Buy Star Brigade: First Renaissance in the UK  check out website: www.llumina.com and www.shatterhouse.com
I have to confess to starting this novel after reading an anthology of space opera elsewhere reviewed here this month. Whether it was a difference in quality by more experienced writers or whether author C.C. Ekeke was writing in a convoluted way would probably be more up to your own personal tastes and whether you like military space opera.
From a problematic way, I started seeing warning signs when there is an opening glossary where contemporary words are exchanged for some futuristic words. Science Fiction readers do have a tendency for a good ear for such things and rarely get phased by word exchange and tend to take it in their stride. It might have helped had Ekeke actually given a better structuring of the plethora of aliens, their worlds and political systems that run through this reality.
It would have made a better handle in making sense of just why the good guys were good and the bad guy, Maelstrom, was a villain. It would also have stopped him having to stop and describe every character, and there is a lot of them, during the course of the action. This kind of writing tends to mess up pace and any feelings you might have for the casualties gets severely diluted and even missed. Ekeke uses the trappings of Science Fiction but at the end of the day, it is just an adventure story that thinks it's for grown-ups. I mean, when was the last time you had polite military, especially under fire?
The Star Brigade of the title gets reformed when a missing person, Habraum Nwosu, returns and has to re-group to take on Maelstrom. The story follows the various skirmishes leading up to the final confrontation.
Keeping track of the various characters gets lost in the plot. Characters that started off as a little interesting like Habraum and medic Liliana Cortes, brought in as an every person, suddenly gets lost in the story and any significance to the overall plot is lost. Yes, there is an argument that not every character is going to be the centre of attention but in story mechanics, it does tend to make sense to focus on the significant characters right through.
I did wonder at the end who would find this story appealing and settled for those who like the Perry Rhodan-type stories only with a lot more detail. Although some lee-way should be given as this is Ekeke's first novel, he should learn to focus his attention on a smaller lead cast than he did here. Assuming he can come to terms with his pace and emotional content then he might be more settled with his next book.
GF Willmetts
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