The Knife and The Serpent by Tim Pratt

Book Review

Stephen Frame

The Knife and The Serpent is a fun read. It’s light-hearted, doesn’t take itself too seriously and has a cast of likeable characters, including the nasty ones. The title might suggest a fantasy novel. Instead, what you get is old-fashioned sci-fi: jaunts into space and inter-dimensional travel without worrying too much (or at all) about the physics behind it. Hi-tech gadgets and gizmos that do exactly what it says on the label, without getting in a knot over how they do it. Evil empires and regimes taking over whole worlds without dwelling too much on the logistics needed for it. In short, you’re here to enjoy yourself, so sit back, buckle up, grab your popcorn and stash your pesky, ‘ah-but’ objections under your seat.

Set in present day Earth, (to begin with), the main characters are Glenn and Tasmin. The story unfolds through shifting first person point of view between the two of them.

Glenn, ordinary in most respects, discovers his girlfriend, Vivy, works as a secret agent for an inter-dimensional organisation dedicated to fighting the good fight against the afore-mentioned evil doers. Vivy, it goes without saying, has a partner, in the form of a sentient spaceship with a neat line in banter. Because a story like this is incomplete without a trusty sidekick.

Tasmin, also ordinary in most respects, discovers her newly murdered granny was a run-away oligarch from a rich and ruthless clan in a neighbouring reality. With granny out of the picture, Tasmin is the only survivor of her family, so, when she is threatened by inter-dimensional assassins, she sets off to reclaim her family’s wealth and station (well, you would, wouldn’t you?).

Glenn and Tasmin’s twin journeys of discovery make up the main thrust of the story. There’s a theme of trust worked through the whole narrative, providing a deft emotive counterpoint to all the dimension-jumping secret agent action. Tasmin’s narrative arc lends a twisted contrast to Glenn’s more straight-forward path of revelation and coming to terms. Their paths inevitably cross, making life even more interesting for both, as the story races towards its climax.  

There is a lot to like in this book. The dialogue is sparky and snarky, the pacing is spot-on, the tone leans towards jokey and light, but there are moments of deeper emotion, especially with Glenn and Vivy dealing with their trust issues. The sidekick spaceship, Eddie, is a delight. There is some excellent villainy in the shape of the duo of Bollard and Chicane, evil henchmen for hire.

Along the way, you just know Glenn will be dragged into Vivy’s world, with accompanying comic and action-related results. And you know what? You won’t be wrong, but it’s still worth it. Reading this is a touch like watching a good ‘buddy’ movie. You know what you’re going to get, but you still want it anyway, because it’s entertainment.

Any let downs in it? At times, it feels there isn’t enough threat or peril stacked up against Glenn and Vivy in their agenting adventures. They don’t have to work too hard to get themselves out of jams and fixes. But it’s a minor-league gripe, against what is a very enjoyable read.