Terminal Alliance by Jim C. Hines

Terminal Alliance by Jim C. Hines is the hilariously entertaining first entry in the new military Sci-Fi series, Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse.

A mysterious plague has wiped out much of Earth’s population and left the rest of humanity in a feral state. The alien Krakau have come to earth with a cure and an offer to invite humans into an alliance of sentient species. Humans largely serve as soldiers or, in the case of Marion “Mops” Adamopoulos, as part of the Shipboard Hygiene and Sanitation team. A bioweapon attack reverts most of the crew of the Pufferfish back to a feral state. Mops and her team are spared, but now they must regain control of their ship, avoid hostile aliens and find a cure for their feral crewmates. In the middle of their efforts, they discover that what they know of Earth history may not be entirely correct. And the truth could have serious consequences.

Terminal Alliance is first and foremost an excellent adventure story. It is aided by strong and likeable characters from Mops and her janitorial team, Monroe, Kumar, and Wolf, to the alien Glacidae, Gromgimsidalgak (Grom for short) and others they meet along the way. Mops follows clues that lead her team to different systems around the galaxy, relying on her own intelligence as well her and her team’s very particularized knowledge and skills regarding sanitation systems. Her efforts lead to answers, if not the ones she was expecting.

One of the best things about this book is the way Hines uses skills that these characters would reasonably know to problem solve, rather than having them suddenly becoming soldiers. Brief chapter introductions shine a light on early Krakau/Human relations, including naming conventions and false starts at attempts to translate and communicate that result in gems such as “We come in harmony to defenestrate your dingo”. This and other laugh out loud lines throughout the book keep the mood light. Even with the humor though, the action never slacks and the story moves along quickly to a fast-paced conclusion that nicely wraps up the book while setting the stage for continued adventures in this universe.

Terminal Alliance is fun from page one. I love these characters and I can’t wait to spend more time with them. One of the best new series of the year. Highly recommended.

I was fortunate to receive an advance copy from the publisher.

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