The Tao books by Wesley Chu are the perfect spy thrillers for a generation where science fiction is mainstream
and dominates pop culture. They are action-packed, full of intrigue, both
political and personal, witty, funny, and wrap it all up in alien possession. And
of course who could be a more perfect choice for a heroic spy than an overweight,
single, gamer in a dead end job?
The Deaths of Tao is the second book of the series, which is in part a trilogy,
though it has expanded with a ‘coda’ novella and now a new series set in the
world. The Lives of Tao began the
series (my review) with a bang and The
Deaths of Tao follows up a typical middle book does. Things go dark, it
gets bad, really bad. Lack of hope bad. And in the end…well a tiny bit of hope
gets thrown in just as a huge and unexpected curveball is thrown in to the mix.
And Chu makes this all work without losing the witty, slightly irreverent voice
that somehow makes a spy-thriller about alien-possessed people who secretly
control the world something that isn’t just believable (in a fiction sense),
but is a lot fun to read.
Go forth and read. And believe. And have fun.
Tao Series
The Deaths of Tao: Amazon
The Rebirths of Tao: Amazon
The Days of Tao: Amazon
Io Series
The Rise of Io: Amazon
