This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress & Blogspot by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Title: Judgment at Proteus
Series: Quadrail #5
Authors: Timothy Zahn
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: SF
Pages: 415
Words: 163K
Let’s get the important issues out of the way first. For this re-read I have been complaining about the covers and how Frank Compton and Bayta look like some 2D design from a spastic 10 year old. So of course the final cover doesn’t have them and it bugs the ever living daylights out of me. I want consistency in my covers, even if the odds are against that. While I HATE the new covers for this series (they have all the artistic merit of a 2year old in the middle of a bout of diarrhea) they at least follow the same formula for every cover. I just can’t win.
And speaking of not winning, Zahn doesn’t really win here either. It is a satisfactory wrap up to the series but it’s so monotone. I feel like Frank Compton’s voice is coming from a drivethrough for a fastfood franchise and he’s a bored teenager who doesn’t want to be at work or helping you. The supposed acceptance of a relationship between Frank and Bayta had all the warmth and humanity of a cold, dead space slug. A GIANT cold, dead space slug in fact. It is the kind of relationship I would want to see between my grandparents (may they rest in peace).
This re-read has solidified in my mind that I am done with Zahn, old or new. I will probably re-read Cobra next year just to see if it holds up or fails like some of the Old Guard did for me in November (Galactic Odyssey, Sentenced to Prism) but other than that, it is time for me to accept that I need to move on.
Getting older sucks, you know that? All of these books and authors that were the foundations of my literary world are suddenly becoming completely irrelevant to me now. It is like if I was a Red Sox fan in 1920, when Babe Ruth moved to the Evil Empire, the Yankees. Babe Ruth who? Timothy Zahn who? Exactly. These changes are new enough to me that I’m not inured to them yet. That will happen, thank goodness, but until it does, it’s just low level misery. It’s like getting a flu shot and suffering for the weekend.
Overall, a decent story and a decent series. Just not for me any more.
★★★☆☆
Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road 
2-year-olds with diarrhea, fast food drive-thrus, giant cold space slugs . . . you were inspired.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sometimes the poetry of my soul gets out despite my best efforts 😀
LikeLike
I prefer his brother Steve…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Poor Steve. Having to go the “actor” route. I’m sure the family tries not to talk about it at family gatherings 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
1Corinthians 13:11 Booky your reading is growing up!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ohhhh, look at you being so clever!
You get some imaginary reward 😀
It is true though. It’s just taking me longer to realize it than most people. Maybe by the time I’m 75 I’ll finally be a “real adult”, hahahahahaa
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s the only one I remember! Never had chance to use it before 🤣
LikeLiked by 2 people
Glad you could put it to use today then! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Getting older means that your tastes gets more refined, and what could have been acceptable before is now examined under the lens of wisdom and acquired experience. Hence, your disappointment with these less sophisticated works… 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ughhh, you’re so right!
Gotta admit, I kind of almost wish my tastes hadn’t matured. Now I have to be even more aware of what I’m going to pick up.
Oh well, the responsibilities of a book reviewer are never ending 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep, the downside of rereads, huh. I imagine it makes room for new authors/series/books to love, in some way hahah
LikeLiked by 1 person
I used to wonder how I was going to manage re-reading all of these wonderful authors and series and still read new stuff. Well, this answers that question. As I get older and change, my desire to re-read certain “staples” changes and new favorites take their place. Nero Wolfe is one such. But since I have over 30 novels about him still to go before I even think of a re-read, well, maybe I”ll have changed again by then, hahahahaa 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Actually it wasn’t only Babe Ruth that went to the Empire from the Nation, at least half or more of the Red Sox dynasty of the previous 6-7 years went to the Yankees by the early 20s. Basically those players won a lot of championships together in two different cities.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not familiar enough with the history of either team to know more than the Big Names 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I learned that in “The Glory of Their Times” last month.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always nice when you can put a recent read to good use 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep.
LikeLiked by 1 person