The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi

Title: The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi

Pages: 343.

How it was obtained: I bought it from Barnes and Noble, thinking I could read it before I departed for Thailand.

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 0 days. I actually started reading it in the Barnes and Noble before I even bought it.

Days spent reading it: 2 days.

Why I read it: The Ghost Brigades is the sequel to Old Man's War, which I enjoyed thoroughly. So I picked this one up as well.

Brief review: John Scalzi has made it onto my sci-fi writers to watch out for list. After a fantastic debut with Old Man's War, I continued to be entertained and challenged with The Ghost Brigade.

The Ghost Brigade is the nick-name for the special forces side of the Colonial Defense Fleet. It is comprised of clones who are brought to life in adult bodies and completely sentient (well, mostly). This advanced cloning gives them unique physical qualities but also emotional limitations.

I loved how this book gave us more back story and insight into the universe that Scalzi created in Old Man's War. I felt there was a lot more fleshed out in this book as far as the overall universe. The story centers around a traitor to humanity who makes a copy of his mind before he fakes his own suicide. The book explores themes about the soul, conscience, identity, uniqueness, individuality, and the freedom of choice. Of course it does not skimp on the action and very witty dialogue that Scalzi will probably be well known for in the future.

John Scalzi is a great author, and he makes me laugh frequently. This is quality science fiction that is completely enthralling to read. I devoured this book as quickly as I could and would definitely recommend it (but I would rate it PG-13 or R on language alone).

Favorite quote: Rationality is not one of humanity's strong points.

Stars: 5 out of 5.

Final Word: Special.