Ruins of the Prime Ones by James D. Victor - REVIEW

If you’re gonna save the galaxy, you might as well get paid for doing it.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD: YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

INTRODUCTION

The Ruins of the Prime Ones is precisely that, a short novel that follows the daily lives of a group of Sentinels, whose role is to protect the universe from all would-be threats. They are introduced to us taking on a regular job that requires them to destroy a rogue leviathan as it threatens nearby colonies. Still, things quickly take a turn, as once they report back to Waystation, their boss Thandriel tasks the crew with responding to an SOS call from a former mining colony that has since been out of contact. Melias leads his crew to the surface and what he finds in its ramshackle remains is akin to the Horizon mission. Anyone who's played Mass Effect can already guess what will be found here. While there is no Harbinger here, there are the Octopoids and with their corrupting legacy, the Lightbringers now loom over the galaxy at large. What started as a simple rescue mission soon turns into an eldritch nightmare as ancient forces begin to awaken. I imagine it’s no coincidence that the Octopoids seem almost reminiscent of the Mindflayers from Dungeon and Dragons or their more Lovecraftian counterpart - Cthulhu. 

PLOT

The plot is by the book and is more so about the gradual threat while teasing a bigger mystery underneath the surface, such as who are the Octopoids, and just what are the Lightbringers. They are also connected to Red, a literal ghost in the shell that has a particularly visceral reaction to anything involving the Prime Ones' ruins. As stories go, this book is fast-paced and delivers on the action that these kinds of stories bring to the table. It's the type of story that if you get immersed in it, you can probably be finished in a day if you have the time to kill. While a lot of stories become plodding, this one’s pace doesn’t allow you to get easily bored.  

CHARACTER

The characters are largely static in terms of development, but they each possess their own unique personality and quirks that make them stand out. We also learn about the numerous alien races that occupy the galaxy, since humanity isn’t the only one. There is a larger mystery surrounding, Red, her origins and connection to the Primes Ones that is touched on in places. It doesn’t hesitate to show how much she despises whatever they once were and becomes fearful when the Ruins begin showing more and more signs of the ancient custodians returning. The crew of the Goose are numerous and despite there being many and the story being short, they all manage to be very distinct in character and in their origins.

WORLD BUILDING

There’s a lot told to us and much is also shown. It’s clearly a universe full of secrets and this first book teases many future reveals and revelations. It also touches on the complex role undertaken by the Sentinels and much like with Mass Effect as I mentioned above, we get a brief insight into the equally complex alien relationships that I imagine will only become more strained as the series progresses, especially as more people face being potentially infected by the Lightbringers or mind controlled by the Octopoids themselves. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, a fun, short read for those who like the heavy emphasis on action and fast-paced stories. That being said, it being open-ended means there are plenty of mysteries to keep a reader wanting to read onward and there’s plenty of room here to also expand the crew of the Goose’s characterisation. I would recommend this book for those who may feel burned out on long-winded sci-fi. This being a more plot-driven story, gives it a nice cinematic aesthetic. 

The book series can be found here.