Book Review: The Albino Knife by Steve Perry

Book Review: The Albino Knife by Steve Perry

The Albino Knife continues the exploits of Emile Antoon Khadaji and the group he founded called The Matadors. Set about 5 years past the end of the Revolution he engineered to overthrow The Confederation Government, Khadaji comes face to face (literally) with his past.

A daughter that he never knew he had comes to him seeking assistance in locating her kidnapped mother, his only love in his life the Albino Exotic Juete. His daughters asks him for his aid in locating her, which he gives of course. His involvement helps to showcase a larger conspiracy that is going on behind the scenes as Khadaji and the inner group of Matadors all work together, around attacks on themselves and others close to them.

The novel is divided into three portions, call them extended chapters, with the intertwining plot elements moving together towards the conclusion.

This book is a straight on sequel in effect to the main trilogy
There are two ways to look at the novels and timelines. There is the what happened when, chronological, and when the books were written and published. This was the 5th book, I believe, written in the setting, while it falls in as the 7th in the chronology of the books I know about.

Having recently re-read Matadora and The Machievellie Interface and reviewing them here, The Albino Knife falls a little flat. It is the longest of Steve Perry's novels page count wise (The Omega Cage might come close would need to verify that) but it does not have the same depth for me as his other works.

The only character that gets developed in the course of the story is of course Veate, the daughter. Little is added to the other main characters besides getting older and slower. A few hints about Sleel are dropped (that will come out in his own standalone novel Black Steel on my list to re-read and review as well), while there are two good scenes with Dirish and Geneva, the set up for the Saval Bork / Veate matchup just feels dropped in.

The ending was so anticlimactic for myself. It could have ended 10 pages sooner, or added on another 15 pages, either way would have worked better for my own enjoyment.

However, as a novel to read, even with the flaws, it fits in so nicely with the overall scheme of the setting. I find the depiction of the technologies, the fighting styles (would like to know the genesis of New Nordic Footfighting though, just enough Tae Kwon Do training to find it interesting the two sentence description of it buried about page 115), and how the entire setting working together, showcases superb world building skills of Steve Perry.

This is one setting I would love to read a lot more about, or fanfic in, or just have adapted to a Role Playing Game and explore it on my own. This opinion has not changed nor wavered since I first read The Mane Who Never Missed almost 20 years now ago I believe.

Note:
Two stories from Steve Perry appear in the Harriers Anthologies, which deal with a military organization called Le Petite Harriers. While not connected to his Confed setting at all, Mr Perry does reuse some of his tech in the stories, which is a nice familiar touch. The Harriers anthologies are excellent Military SF as well.

On his site as of the writing of this review, is a teaser for an upcoming story or novel set in the same setting as The Albino Knife.

Links:
Steve Perry Website resides at
http://themanwhonevermissed.blogspot.com/

Covert art by Royo, image sourced at Amazon