Scan barcode
dg_reads's review against another edition
4.0
I read and enjoyed ZERO SUM GAME by S.L. Huang when I read it last year after having the pleasure of meeting the author at an author event. I had passed my copy along to my best friend who also really enjoyed it, so when I pulled a prompt to read a book that I think my best friend would like, the sequel NULL SET seemed an easy choice! It also worked out perfectly that Kylee and I were able to take the book picture in my friend’s back yard!
NULL SET is the second book in a series following Cas Russell, a woman who uses math as her super power in her work as a mercenary. Her quick thinking mind can calculate the right approach to most any problem, but she can’t remember how she came to be this way. As bits of the past come back to her it begins to negatively impact her mind and she fears she’s going to be lost to insanity. As if this isn’t enough, she’s managed to get herself in trouble with just about every bad guy in the region.
I really enjoyed where this book took the story and the protagonist Cas. This book was slightly less action packed than the first book and more cerebral in the focus on Cas’ mental health and the minds of those around her. This incorporates scifi and thriller elements and it really keeps you hooked on the story. I picked up the audio for this one and I thought that was incredibly well done as well!
This is a fun series with a unique protagonist and I am really looking forward to seeing what’s next for Cas in the third installment, CRITICAL POINT!
Reading Challenges:
#PopsugarReadingChallenge – a book you think your best friend would like
NULL SET is the second book in a series following Cas Russell, a woman who uses math as her super power in her work as a mercenary. Her quick thinking mind can calculate the right approach to most any problem, but she can’t remember how she came to be this way. As bits of the past come back to her it begins to negatively impact her mind and she fears she’s going to be lost to insanity. As if this isn’t enough, she’s managed to get herself in trouble with just about every bad guy in the region.
I really enjoyed where this book took the story and the protagonist Cas. This book was slightly less action packed than the first book and more cerebral in the focus on Cas’ mental health and the minds of those around her. This incorporates scifi and thriller elements and it really keeps you hooked on the story. I picked up the audio for this one and I thought that was incredibly well done as well!
This is a fun series with a unique protagonist and I am really looking forward to seeing what’s next for Cas in the third installment, CRITICAL POINT!
Reading Challenges:
#PopsugarReadingChallenge – a book you think your best friend would like
tome15's review against another edition
3.0
Huang, S. L. Null Set: A Cass Russell Novel. Cass Russell No. 2. Tor, 2019.
Such missed opportunities. A novel with a nerd heroine, but the novel is not nearly nerdy enough. We have an adult heroine in an action thriller, but she thinks like a teenager in a bad YA novel. Minor characters fall into clearly recognizable stereotypes. Despite some good action scenes, I kept putting it down for days at a time.
Such missed opportunities. A novel with a nerd heroine, but the novel is not nearly nerdy enough. We have an adult heroine in an action thriller, but she thinks like a teenager in a bad YA novel. Minor characters fall into clearly recognizable stereotypes. Despite some good action scenes, I kept putting it down for days at a time.
carolined314's review against another edition
3.0
Despite the great white male savior looming throughout the book, I had fun with this. The main character has a mental illness, there's psychics, there's lots of swearing, and mistakes are made.
sarah_d's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lizshayne's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
But I wanna know MORE! How dare you leave me cliff hanging here?
Which is, I suppose, what makes a good thriller. And why I'm about to head off to track down the third book.
Which is, I suppose, what makes a good thriller. And why I'm about to head off to track down the third book.
krisawesome's review against another edition
2.5
It’s a bit of a hot mess (just like Cas!) if you think about it too much, but still a good enough popcorn read if you’re into action.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Trafficking
readingunderthecovers's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I liked Null Set but it felt a lot like a middle book (which it is, go figure). We get some answers to Cas’s past but there are still a lot of loose ends. Also I feel like Cas went to a very dark and weird place with her whole solution to crime thing. I’m glad she realized it was a bad idea. The action was definitely a highlight of the book and I really enjoyed seeing Cas form more friendships.