sholio | Book rec: Zero Sum Game by SL Huang

It's always a bit awkward reccing friends' books, especially since I got to read an earlier draft to give beta feedback. But I couldn't not rec this, because it's really really good, and I want the sequel nowwwww.

SL Huang's website has buy links for various online retailers, and here is Zero Sum Game on Amazon, where you can read a preview. (Or just click on the cover.) These links have the proper blurb and so forth, but basically: this book is about a mercenary whose superpower is math.

I can't seem to write a proper rec tonight to save my life, so I figured instead I'd throw together a bullet-point list of things I loved about this book for enticement purposes:

It reads like a good, character-based action movie. Fun and fast enough for popcorn reading, with enough thinky undertones to keep it from being too light. I'm not actually sure whether I'd class it as sci-fi or not -- I think it could go either way -- but if you like things blowing up plus character stuff: HERE YOU GO!
No romance whatsoever. (Yes, this is a selling point for me, and I think for a few of you as well! XD I'm thoroughly burned out on the Obligatory Action Movie Love Interest plot, and the heroine interacts with, and has interesting relationships with, multiple male characters and has no sexual interest in any of them. Let's face it, with stuff blowing up and people trying to kill you, there are other priorities ....)
Kickass, snarky, emotionally damaged female protagonist.
Twisty plot that genuinely threw my expectations in multiple places.
Non-neurotypical characters.
Mostly PoC cast.
There's a general theme of "band of misfits against the world!" but it never seems forced. That is, the characters fall together naturally, don't really get along, and have legitimate reasons to be (temporarily?!) working together, mostly of the "enemy of my enemy is my friend" variety.
An antagonist whose powers/abilities have really disturbing implications - and the book totally goes there.

On a side note, the author really knows her stuff on action scenes; she's been helping me out as a gun/weapon/fight-scene beta for a couple of years now, and her blog has a useful series of posts on gun basics for writers.

So there you have it. :D ALL THE THUMBS UP!

Book rec: Zero Sum Game by SL Huang

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