Editorial Reviews
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1733560413
A Question of Evil by Nicholas Samuel Stember is the second book in The Imperial Chronicles series. It is a galactic science fiction adventure that blends space opera, military conflict, government manipulation, and supernatural fantasy. This story is about a nineteen-year-old woman named Angel who is a survivor of Tenebrous, a devastated colony world. She is sentenced to twenty years at Phoenix Rehabilitation Station after killing a pirate captain to keep him from shooting an Alliance officer. This place is where the supposedly benevolent United Star Alliance uses cruel technology and psychological conditioning to suppress the individuality of its prisoners. But this brutal treatment ends up giving Angel pyrokinetic abilities. She manages to escape with an inmate named Sinclair and assumes a new name, Blaze. She is soon drawn into an ambitious military power known as the Red Star Imperium, which is spreading its influence across the galaxy.
Stember did a wonderful job creating memorable scenes by combining intense action and futuristic technology. From the first chapter, for example, technician Boone increases the power of a behavioral modification machine on purpose, in an attempt to destroy Angel’s mind. Stember knows how to get the right reaction with disturbing scenes like this. What makes it even more disturbing besides the practice is the fact that it’s being presented as a rehabilitation method. We are soon presented with another contrast: when Angel discovers her pyrokinetic abilities, what follows is a dangerous escape with Sinclair.
But even more than this, the descriptions of Tenebrous made me want to delve further into the story. I could imagine the ruined cities and violent gangs. I can also understand how the planet’s lawlessness shaped Angel’s distrust of authority. The Demoness spacecraft and the Cosmic Surge actually add to the danger. Angel, who is now Blaze, seems to be fascinated with the destructive technology, which I found just as unsettling as the consequences of its use. It made me wonder just how far her desire to belong and have power would take her.
The worldbuilding is incredible, and I loved the way Stember created the alien civilizations, the Cosmic Aura, the competing galactic powers, and the hierarchies among the military. Even the combination of advanced weaponry and supernatural powers was clever. I appreciated how he broke down the unfamiliar worlds, the imperial chambers, and the spacecraft in a way that helped me to visualize everything. If there were one thing I felt needed work, it would be the uneven pacing. There were times when the action scenes moved the narrative along quickly, but the conversations about military strategy, for example, slowed the pacing significantly.
As far as characters, the one who grabbed my attention was Blaze (Angel) because she is intelligent, sarcastic, and can be loyal, but she has a temper, and her use of violence makes her frightening. But I loved her friendship dynamic with Sinclair. Sinclair added humor to the narrative, especially when he insisted that he was a vampire. Another interesting character who stood out was Lord Tanus Adalric. He’s probably the most frightening character in the story because he’s merciless, calculating, and commanding. But the way he and Blaze interact reveals emotional complications that could threaten their standing with the Imperium, and it also challenges how both characters perceive power and trust. The theme of morality was obvious, especially in how The Alliance uses what they call a rehabilitation system to strip away people’s freedom. But the Imperium is committing terrible acts as well and offering Blaze a chance to advance and belong. I like how, for example, Blaze starts questioning the Imperium’s cruelty. Stember did a good job bringing out the cruel acts on both sides and also showing how conflicted Blaze becomes.
Overall, A Question of Evil has action and great world-building. It has its share of political tension, futuristic and mystical elements, in addition to morally complex characters. I was most interested to see if Blaze could keep her humanity while also becoming increasingly powerful and trying to be loyal to an empire focused on conquest and control. Readers who like military sci-fi with galactic empires and powerful female leads will most appreciate this story.
