One of the more Visceral scifi reads I've experienced...

This week I listened to Alexandra Haag's narration of The Goodall Mutiny by Gretchen Rix. This is my first experience with both the author and the narrator. Told from the 3rd person limited perspective of Lt. Joan Chikage, the story immediately launches in on an incredibly self contained tale of her & the 10 crew members she commands dealing with an unknown crisis on their own. The story takes some turns - some expected and others not so much. From Chapter one, Rix's writing is among the most visceral I've read recently. As I listened on my commute & elsewhere, I wondered what people thought as I know my face cringed from her repeated descriptions of vomit, body odor, mangled corpse, etc. Initially, I was fairly grossed out, but after listening through most of the book & reflecting on it - I think Rix managed to get the 3rd person limited perspective as close to 1st person as possible without crossing that line. The reactions I had were what I'm sure Chikage had and it got me in her head and feeling things the way she would.

The plot - fairly simple - I was honestly Wow! Hot Ash and the Oasis Defect wasn't what I was expecting but it was an awesome ride! I'm a big fan of dystopian novels, which is why I gave this book a try. But it's more than that. It really makes you think, and also laugh, and sit on

the edge of your seat. It's sexy while also being dramatic and thought-provoking.

Detective Ash Westgard is such a fun character. She's arrogant but also good at her job, despite the occasional on-duty inebriation. An early scene in the book has Ash meeting up with her posse for a night on the town. They're all prettied up looking for liquor, dancing, and a lay. Then the book surprises me by tossing in some yoga and dead lifts in between bars.

In this near-future dystopia, women rule the country. They are encouraged to be forward, physically strong, and decisive. Meanwhile, men have declined in numbers and are second class citizens. They don't get paid as much as women, don'thold any high-ranking jobs, and are considered extraneous to society. Wyeth has built this into the story seamlessly and that bar/gym crawl at the start of the book was my first peek into this world.

Sex is part of Ash's life so it is part of this tale. She enjoys both women and men, though has more respect for women. Indeed, Ash starts off a little bit sexist, believing that women are innately better than men. Yet, as the murder mystery unfolds, she finds she needs info from a certain group of guys. Through this investigation, she gets to know them and one in particular better. I love that Hot Ash and the Oasis Defect has built this flaw into Ash, making her a very real character. And I also love that she comes to see that she may be wrong about a few things where men are concerned.

Hot Ash and the Oasis Defect is definitely an intriguing book with the perfect mix of action, sex, and reflection.

Narration Review

Cheryl May nailed it. Just a fantastic performance all around. I love her catty voices for the ladies when they are trash talking. I love her serious, completely in control, have a gun aimed at your head voice for Ash. May's voices for the male characters were masculine and all characters had distinct voices. The pacing was perfect and there were no tech issues with the recording. for some sharp out of nowhere change that never quite came. There's a cat that is a focal point in the disaster. Thoughts of Red Dwarf crossed my mind occasionally. There are a few plot lines that are just left dangling at the end, but not in such a way that this is any kind of cliffhanger. Rix did virtually no "world building" in this book. The characters, their history, and the ship (such of it that we see) are all pretty well self contained, other than letting us know that some of them have served together longer, or come up the ranks together. Chikage Van der Ryn and Nestor, and are the only ones with much of a character arc, and by the end of it I definitely liked Lt. Joan Chikage. Nestor's character arc takes a sharp turn that is never really explained much or resolved in this book.

Alexandra Haag does a great job as the narrator for The Goodall Mutiny. She doesn't diversify her voices for different characters much, but I think that goes with the writing style well here. Her pacing was perfect and the sound production was good. The only character that I could identify, aside from Chikage, from her narration though was Van der Ryn. That being said, this book is not dialogue driven.

4 Stars on the Narration
4 Stars on the Writing quality
3 Stars on the plot
3.75 Stars overall.

Overall - I enjoyed The Goodall Mutiny. Would I read something else by Rix? Yes. Would I listen to another narration by Haag? Yes. But at the same time, I don't feel compelled to continue the series, nor would I say I'll steer clear of it. Engaging story, but not one that I feel sucked into. If you like a good sci-fi space romp and don't mind a little vomit, you'll probably enjoy The Goodall Mutiny.