Orbital Vol. 2: Ruptures

by Sylivain Runberg, Serge Pelle (Illustrator), Jerome Saincatin (Translator)

Overview

Caleb (a human) and Mezoke (a Sandjarr) are paired up as special agents to keep the intergalactic peace. This is a controversial and historic alliance given their races' longstanding enmity. Their first mission is to keep war from breaking out between humans and Javlodes on the planet Senestam. Caleb acts as a mediator between the warring factions while dealing with an attack by Stilvulls (highly destructive insects)-and he also has to contend with his feelings for charming doctor Kim Vandersel. Mezoke is on the planet Upssal, trying to appease the Javlodes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781905460953
Publisher:	Cinebook, Ltd
Publication date:	10/16/2009
Series:	Orbital Series , #2
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	229,541
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

Editorial Reviews

As a 23rd-century boy, Caleb barely escapes with his life when isolationists blow up a conference in support of humans joining the multispecies galactic confederation. But 20 years later, humankind is brought into the organization—with grudging accommodation all around—and now he's a rookie peacekeeping agent in the Interworld Diplomatic Office, partnered with a mysterious gender-indeterminate Sandjarr. With the recent human-Sandjarr conflict and galaxy-wide distrust of humans, the pair is under close scrutiny. Their first assignment: prevent a nasty squabble between the planet Upsall's Jävlod folk and a human squatter colony on Upsall's moon. But unforeseen enemies lurk in high places, and the deadly stilvull vermin don't take orders from anybody on either side. Caleb and Mezoke do succeed in their mission, yet the point is not their heroics but the overwhelming difficulties associated with any intergroup diplomacy. VERDICT The art is excellent, and if you loved Star Wars, you'll love Orbital's creatures, here looking rather frayed around the edges in settings suggesting a blobbier Blade Runner. Good for sociopolitical class discussions, these two volumes finish the story, but the series is continuing. Recommended for teens and up.—M.C.

Library Journal