ENEMY IMMORTAL

A misfit Earth soldier joins a rescue mission in outer
space in Meeks-Johnson’s debut sci-fi novel.

When the Entanglement, a powerful alliance between
many alien planets, brings a new species into its fold, all the members of that
species are assigned the same job. For example, the rule-oriented Dasypods make
up the Entanglement’s Police Guild. Lt. Jade Mahelona is a native Hawaiian who
fears that Earth’s assimilation into
the Entanglement will destroy its diverse culture, in the same way that white
colonialism damaged Hawaii’s. Jade’s scientist mother did experiments on her
daughter that gave her the ability to sense electrical fields and read the
feelings of people around her. As a member of Earth’s Solar Defense Force, she
takes on a mission to rescue a group of alien colonists. Her team includes Cmdr.
Ironsides, a grumpy Dasypod who’s prejudiced against humans; Quist Quillipson, an
Obnot from the Science Guild who has a brain like a supercomputer; and professor
Conrad Singleton, an enthusiastic human linguist and xenologist who may be
hiding a dark secret. As the squad teleports from base to base, Jade becomes
aware that the interstellar empire known as the Immortal Ascendency is primed
to violate its treaty and attack the Entanglement. To prevent the annihilation
of humanity, the SDF must go to war. The alien cultures that Jade encounters
are delightfully and often humorously bizarre; for example, the Dasypods enter
periodic meditative states in which they think about their flaws, followed by
compulsive apologies to everyone around them. Jade’s thoughtful meditations on
the dangers of colonialism are also compelling. However, the book’s characterization
of humanity as militaristic, first and foremost—and its reinvention of a Hindu
god as a murderous alien tyrant—muddles the message. A few characters,
such as Lt. Keolo Davis and Immortal Lord
Umlac aren’t as well-developed as the main squad, and the duller segments that
focus on them may leave readers itching to get back to the more
likable heroes. The prose is simple and engaging throughout, even when
conveying complicated scientific concepts.

A clever and entertaining, if somewhat-uneven,
adventure tale.