Today I am taking part in the Residuum Social media blast (delayed) from
a week ago. Residuum is the third and final book in Dominic Dulley The
Long Game Trilogy and is provided by the ever wonderful Jo Fletcher
books.

If you haven’t read the other books in this series, do not be alarmed,
that’s okay! This book will give you enough of an overview of the
characters you can understand the situation. Maybe not so much the
history between the characters but nevertheless, it is fine. The story
is fast paced – which makes it an interesting read, if you’re like me
and can devour novels within a couple of days… If not, be prepared to
need a good memory! The story allowed us to see a different side of the
universe, and with Orry in particular is facing a different situation
that what she is used too, this is suited to the fast-paced story line.

Each new situation is explained and then actioned, which I enjoy in
science fiction, there is no lingering on of describing different
scenarios and characters etc. When a video surfaces of Orry blowing up
an Institute, and killing a man she just saved, she becomes hunted. Oh,
how the tables have turned!

This book is for you if you love fast-paced science fiction which
doesn’t linger on unnecessary details!

Enjoy this novel from your local bookstore now.

Thank you so much to the author and publisher for providing an ebook copy of this book.

I went in with hopes of finding a tale that would hook me and unfortunately after a few chapters I found I just couldn’t get into the story. This one sadly wasn’t for me.

After the thrilling adventure of Morhelion, the second book in Dominic Dulley's SF adventure series The Long Game extended the range of the universe and the larger game being played out, Residuum seems to return to the formula of the first book Shattermoon, more or less consolidating ground without developing any new ideas. That doesn't mean that it's at all disappointing however, as there is still plenty of adventure to be found in the world of the Ascendancy for Orry Kent and the crew of the Dainty Jane.

In Shattermoon, we were introduced to Aurelia Kent, 'Orry' and her colleagues, a team of irreverent n'er-do-well space grifters operating outside the normal rules of the Ascendancy, making enemies with the rich and influential, being chased by their enemies and the authorities, having to make rapid escapes off-planet, or break out of captive situations. Whereas that formula was repeated throughout Shattermoon - chase, capture, escape - the uneasy peace holding out between the Ascendancy and Kadiran in the second book Morhelion has altered the dynamic slightly, pointing the series in a new direction.

But much like the last book, it does no harm to set the scene and remind you of the types of characters we are dealing with, as well as providing thrilling chase and opening gambit before getting down to more serious business. On a luxury planet, enjoying the gains of their last success, they soon find the Eton Bullingdon types the Ruuz (with one called Boris) fairly objectionable and put them in their place before they have to get off the planet sharpish. It looks like Orry has been framed for a murder, but will they be able to outrun the arbiters? Will Orry get captured and have an escape plan within 5 minutes of being locked up in a high security prison with her worst enemy? I think you might know the answers to these questions if you've read Shattermoon.

Not that this in any way lessens the fun and excitement in Residuum. Dominic Dulley's intention here in the third (and final?) part of the series is to continue to serve up a thrilling science-fiction space adventure, never letting up for a moment, but racing from one exciting nail-biting event to the next. Although it is set in an alien environment you will recognise familiar types and situations, from class conflict, the espionage situations and threats to the Imperator of the Russian-like Ascendancy, to the reliable character types that you'll find not just in Star Wars, but familiar behaviours that you will recognise in political current affairs.

But obviously with a bit more flair and taste for action and adventure. Residuum's adventure takes off from a conspiracy being played out in the apparent murder of Professor Rasmussen, where someone has set Orry up to be the fall guy. This provides the motivation to set off an intrigue across several new planets that - much like those in Morhelion - each have their own distinct characteristics and problems that provide plenty of imaginative science fiction situations, including here a planet overrun with swarms of tiny bots that eat anything man-made, including people.

As far as the SF aspects go, integuaries are the main technology that permits built-in communication and control links with technology and allows Orry and her skilled crew to conveniently get out of any number of situations. It's a leftover from some technology belonging to the ancients, the Departed (very much like the Sublimed in the Iain M. Banks Culture novels), and it turns out that there is more dangerous technology where that came from. It all sounds a little bit formulaic and to some extent it is, with some of the situations including a conventionally cinematic shootout across carriages of a high-speed train and a shape shifting Terminator-like avatar.

Once it gets those things out of the way however and we discover what Residuum is, we're back on a cosmic scale of science-fiction, and in much more interesting territory. Actually, you could probably say that there is a good balance in Residuum between the popular SF of movies like Guardians of the Galaxy and the more epic space opera adventure material of the superior Banks Culture universe novel Excession. That makes the adventure highly entertaining, occasionally mind boggling, but never dull. It's also great just for the characters and how they interact, all the more for having gone through the previous adventures with them. It would be a shame if the series finished here, but it's certainly been a fun ride.

Residuum is a great way to end The Long Game Trilogy. 

The book starts off a bit differently from the others. It starts off quieter but Orry can't stay out of trouble for long. I enjoyed seeing the other side of the universe as it shows the life the rich have, and what the poor have to do to survive. (Shout out to the deadly version of Wipeout.) 

There are elements that connect to the previous books, but if you haven't read them. It's ok, as it doesn't take away from the plot. But reading the other book helps understand the history and drama between the characters. 

Residuum has more drama and action and less con work than previous books. But the con work that is in Residuum is fun and entertaining to read. 

Dominic writing style is detailed fast-paced and easy to read. The plot ends in a direction that I am not surprised about, but I did enjoy the journey. 

I loved all the character but the focus is mainly on Orry. I did miss some of the group and Danity Jane interaction we get in the other books.




The ending left me hoping that we might get another book/ series that focuses on one of the other characters.




Overall Residuum is a fun Sci-Fi opera, that Sci-fi fans should pick up.




My rating for Residuum is 4 out of 5. 

Thank you to Jo Flecther books for gifting me a copy of Residuum for review.

This reviewer is unobservant and didn’t notice this was the third in the Long Game Series and requested it on Netgalley and accepted to be part of the blog blast too.
Best practice always recommend to read the books in a series in order as you will be missing large chunks of the character background and the world building but this isn’t what I did.
I read this book and had a lot of fun as it’s an action packed, fast paced and pure fun story that made me turn pages as fast I could.
I loved the strong female characters, Orry and Jane the sentient ship above all, but I think that all the characters are well rounded and interesting.
The plot is tightly knitted and I loved the storytelling and how to author always kept my attention alive. I think this is a sort of space opera thriller and I wanted to know who did it and why, the twists and turns of the plot kept me guessing and I rooted for the characters as they have to face very dangerous places and enemies. There’s plenty of humor and I loved it as it added to my entertainment.
Even if I missed the details of the world building I found it interesting and want to know more about the The Departed, the Ruuz and the power relationship in this universe.
I bought the previous two installments, Shattermoon and Morhelion, and I’m ready to read this series from the beginning and I’m sure I will enjoyed them as much as I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
It’s strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Jo Fletcher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Residuum is the third part of The Long Game, after Shattermoon and Morhelion. (Note - there are spoilers here for those previous books). SFF being what it is, I suppose that means it may be the final part of a trilogy - or perhaps not, there are some intriguing threads here and I hope there will be more books. What's undeniable is that Orry (Aurelia) Kent, the hero here, definitely deserves a break, after losing her father to space pirate Cordelia Roag, losing her ship, hooking up with morose loner Mender, and helping the Imperator out of several nasty scrapes.

And at the start that's just what she's doing, relaxing with her brother Ethan on the pleasure planet, Halcyon.

However it isn't long before Orry's in trouble again, fomenting revolution and on the run from the Arbiters. Whereas in previous books Orry and Ethan were in control (kind of), running some grift or other largely with personal gain in mind and only reluctantly getting drawn into Galactic politics, here trouble comes looking for them and the book is essentially a series of heists and escapes as they attempt to turn the tables on whoever - whatever - has them in its sights. They'll make some strange friends on the way (perhaps...) and get deeper into the mysteries hinted at in the previous books: the fate of the race known as the Departed and its sought-after tech, the militaristic Kadirans, and the secrets kept by Roag.

It's a fast and furious story, matching Orry and co's talents (we must also include Quondam, the renegade Kadiran, and Dainty Jane, the sentient ship) against increasingly deadly environments, from a planet infested by rogue, human-eating tech to a waterworld run by cephalopod warlords. That means that an aspect I loved before, something I'd tentatively describe as a sense of cosiness, is lacking. What I mean by this is the situation of the small crew on a small ship, isolated and slightly bored on their long journeys but capable, between them, of dealing with pretty much anything that comes along. The more frantic pace here diminishes that, meaning less time spent on the travels and generally interacting and less attention given to the remarkable ship, Dainty Jane. (She does, though, have some excellent scenes of her own).

However that didn't actually diminish my enjoyment of the book. In a sense Orry has grown rather, though these stories, going from having to step up in Shattermoon after the attack by Roag and her father's death to someone who can drop in confidently on Fleet Admirals and demand support. She's also developed something of a moral core, looking rather disdainfully at the Ascendancy and its Ruuz aristocrats (hence the opening scenes on Halcyon). Watching her engage with a series of challenges, leading up to a true Galaxy-menacing threat, was enthralling, making for an addictive book that simply demanded I keep turning its pages. It's all I might have wishes for as a fulfilment for The Long Game (as I said, I hope there is more to come). The writing is also, as in the previous books, smart and on-point and the characters, with whom we're now pretty familiar, engaging and fun to be with.

I'd recommend Residuum, although it really needs to be read in sequence. (But then, if you haven't read the first two books you shouldn't be down here at the end of this review).