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Carnival by Elizabeth Bear
01/03/2007 . Source: Tomas L. Martin 
pub: Bantam Spectra Books. 393 page paperback. Price: $ 6.99 (US), $ 9.99 (CAN). ISBN: 0-553-58904-0. Buy Carnival in the USA - or Buy Carnival in the UK  check out websites: www.bantamdell.com www.bantamdell.com
Elizabeth Bear enjoyed success and good reviews for her debut trilogy ('Hammered', 'Scardown' and 'Worldwired') following tired army veteran Jenny Casey, an AI recreation of physicist Richard Feynman in a world rapidly spiralling into climate chaos and a newly appeared alien technology.
I, for one, was very impressed by the characterisation, world-building and tech of the three books, although I felt her plotting was at times a little uncontrolled. Sometimes her technique produced fantastically unpredictable action sequences but other times left events feeling rushed or incoherent.
Her fourth novel, 'Carnival' continues much of the same trends from this promising SF author. The world and universe created is lush with invention and the characters are appealing in their unorthodox nature.
The book follows two secretly gay agents of the AI-ruled Old Earth Coalition, who travel to the world of New Amazonia, where women are the ruling class and men are kept as near-slaves and as stud males for breeding.
On the surface, the two agents, Vincent Katherinessen and Michelangelo Kusanagi-Jones are there to steal the alien technology that powers the cities of the planet. Beneath that, however, is a complex web of deceptions and rebellion that both agents are desperately trying to hide from each other.
As politics in the capital heat up amidst the local festival of Carnival, it quickly becomes a game of spy vs spy as the various factions within the planet try to exert their power over Vincent and Michelangelo. Add that to the alien intelligence Michelangelo comes across and you've got a recipe for political intrigue and suspense.
There were some parts about 'Carnival' that I liked very much. The characters were interesting and very dynamic. The politics of New Amazonia and the galaxy are top-notch, full of ambiguities. The technology of the nano-technology clothes worn by the agents was breathtaking in parts.
Occasionally, this book gets a little bogged down and hard to navigate. The naming of characters didn't help here as in different POVs, different names were used fore the main characters, which got a little confusing. The plot was strong but occasionally could have done with more information to keep the reader embedded in the here-and-now rather than recapping to get a bearing.
Overall, 'Carnival' is an interesting book with some excellent extrapolations and is an enjoyable read. Every time I read Elizabeth Bear, I enjoy it very much despite slight misgivings and I will be keeping an eye on her releases for a long while to come.
Tomas L. Martin
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