Shifting Reality was a surprise for me. I downloaded some samples from Amazon and was flicking through them when I was abruptly hooked by Patty Jansen.The story bolts out of the gate right from the first word. No waffling, no info dumps, the technology neatly outlined within a few paragraphs. Within the first chapter, the world has already taken shape along with the character's place within it. You know her priorities, the pressures she's under and her relationships with other people. Better yet, you care.
It's the kind of opening I love. That feeling like you've just harpooned a whale and forgotten the rope wrapped around your leg. That feeling of 'I guess I have no choice now, I'm following this through to the end'.
Melati is a teacher within the New Jakarta space station, assigned to oversee fast-grown clone soldiers. When one of her charges makes an incredible claim, she must solve a mystery of identity theft and murder against a background of war. She's hampered by class clashes between decks and two cultures that would both like her to shut up and stop pointing out the obvious.
Melati is a brilliant protagonist. She has a sharp moral compass that won't allow her to overlook wrongdoing, but she's not standing on any soapboxes. She lives in a morally gray world and accepts it. The times she speaks up or intervenes she is completely within reason to do so, such her uncle knowingly serving human traffickers at his restaurant despite Melati being a former victim of theirs. Which makes it all the more frustrating when people tell her she's overreacting.
In a way, she's like Steve Rogers if he was female, dark-skinned and Muslim. Stripped of the privileges of Roger's gender, race and religion, Melati makes similar refusals to back down from what she knows is right, but the world isn't half as prepared to listen. And she doesn't have the option of punching anyone in the face.
The twists and turns of the story can occasionally be difficult to follow, but for the most part is clear. My only real criticism is that the antagonist/s (?) comes out of nowhere. There is some set up, but it doesn't make for a particularly satisfying pay-off. However it's implied that this will be explored further in the sequel, so I'm happy.
Shifting Reality is accessible, well-written science fiction that balances fantastic flights of imagination with real-world issues. The characters are human and relateable, even when their actions are silly or distasteful, and the plot will suck you in from the word 'go'. Whether you like a good mystery or a good sci-fi, this is the book for you.
"Words, words, words. No one ever did anything. They just made promises."
