A review by jmercury
The Changeling Plague by Syne Mitchell

4.0

Mitchell has written a solid, engaging, and smart sci-fi thriller. Like the cover blurb says, it reads a lot like "The Andromeda Strain" but is thankfully free of that novel's glaring flaws. "The Changeling Plague" has a tight story with no loose ends or plot holes. The characterization and plot move along at a swift pace;

Spoiler

I liked the transformation of Geoffrey Allen from an insufferable twat to a character who is, if not likable, at least sympathetic.

The scientific jargon is accurate but not intimidating to the casual reader. The dialogue is well-written. I usually prefer novels with more emotional involvement - for some reason I didn't feel very connected to any of the characters - but I'm okay with a thriller which is more detached.

Spoiler

I do have to say that the epilogue is one of the weirdest things I've ever read in scifi, and I've read a lot of weird crap. Just...what. It didn't ruin the book at all, but it was pretty out there.

Props to Mitchell for including a female lead who is a person of color. I like diversity in my scifi! Genetic diversity is an explicit theme of the novel and the characters are refreshingly portrayed in realistic tones - this novel ain't white-washed!