The novel “Devil’s Gun” by Cat Rambo was published for the first time in 2023. It’s the second book in the Disco Space Opera series and follows “You Sexy Thing“.
Nicolette “Niko” Larsen and her staff want to get as far away as possible from the pirate king Tubal Last. Traveling to another galaxy seems like a good idea, but the nearest portal has stopped working. This is an unprecedented event, and other starships are nearby, with doubts and fears spreading among their crews.
Among the people in the area, there’s Jezli Farren, who claims to be an archaeologist who has studied ancient artifacts such as intergalactic portals. She’s accompanied by Roxana, a paladin who was created from one or more corpses. Farren suggests to Niko a solution: a trip to a site where she might find the Devil’s Gun, a weapon that could stop Tubal Last. The search for that weapon could be more dangerous than the pirate king himself.
“Devil’s Gun” continues the story of the crew of the sentient starship You Sexy Thing, picking up where the first book ended. Cat Rambo wrote an introduction that summarizes the book’s content and the situation of each of the protagonists, but it’s not the same as reading it.
The first part of this sequel focuses on the consequences of the events of the first book. Cat Rambo also uses it to offer new insights into the relationships between the characters and into that fictional universe filled with cutting-edge technology and magic. It’s debatable whether it’s more science fiction or fantasy, because any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, but there seems to be something magical inherent in that universe. In the end, these are useful discussions for readers who want to weigh genre labels at all costs.
In this scenario, the pirate king Tubal Last is a presence that remains in the background throughout the plot. Niko and her crew act in certain ways because of what happened with Tubal Last. Choices and consequences are central to this plot, and this includes ethical and moral ramifications.
The protagonists are mainly Niko and her old comrades, and in this novel, we see even more of their camaraderie and deep mutual understanding in their interactions. Despite this, events have profoundly affected Talon, who has isolated himself from the others and is particularly vulnerable. Atlanta was somehow the alien in that group, having joined them under truly strange circumstances, and she saw her certainties crumble, a situation that forces her to question herself and her future.
In all of this, the culinary art remains central. Gastronomy is used in particular by Niko and some of her partners to maintain their bonds and cope with moments of stress. The encounter with the crews of starships that arrived near the same portal when it stopped working provides the opportunity to open a temporary restaurant.
The gastronomic element lightens the tension and is unique to what is otherwise a space opera, but Cat Rambo clearly chose to offer great developments of the protagonists and their various interpersonal relationships. This also applies to the artificial intelligence of the You Sexy Thing, who was childlike from an emotional point of view at the beginning of the series and gradually learns to manage relationships with other sentient beings.
“Devil’s Gun” has no real ending, leaving a significant portion of the plot open to developments that will arrive in the next book. In my opinion, it confirms the richness of the fictional universe created by Cat Rambo as the setting for a space opera with some rather unique features. If you enjoyed the first book, I absolutely recommend continuing this series. It’s available on Amazon USA, UK, and Canada.
