Convicted of a crime he did not commit, Jonathan Renn is sentenced to life in the Swamp, a prison planet death row in a distant galaxy. Renn only has two choices, escape the Swamp or die in the process. Defending himself from attacks by deadly, native monster and his fellow convicts, Renn is obsessed with escaping the planet and getting his revenge on the people who set him up. Marla Marie Mendez is even more down on her luck. Trapped inside a cybernetic dog and dropped defenseless into the Swamp, Marla can only rely on Renn and her claws to save her from the unfriendly elements. They must find a way out of the Swamp and quick before their life sentence is cut short.
Reviews with the most likes.
What a fun read this was! Fast, action packed and straight to the point. What more can I ask for? I may be overlooking some development issues like the character's backstory, an abrupt and predictable plot change in the last chapter, but, in the end, it delivers.
I find the idea of prison planets (or moons, thank you RAH) very thought-provoking. Dietz made it very compelling with a self-sustainable economy build around each prison planet, and Swamp's economy was centered on monster hunting. These monsters can be hunted for their skins and then sold to the empire although these monsters are a tough nut to crack, especially for their ability to blend in with the background. We also have human monsters that disguise as something good and friendly, like a philanthropist.
And there are ruins! Yes, it seems that there are ruins scattered on many planets created by a race known as the Builders; they're believed to have been extinct eons ago. Of course, the plot didn't develop in that direction. That could have been good... and now it's starting to feel like a déjà vu, this is not the first time this year I find myself saying the same thing about ruins (I'm not thanking RHA this time for not developing the ruins-on-the-moon plot in Rocket Ship Galileo)
