The Maximus Black Files – Dyson’s Drop

The Maximus Black Files – Dyson’s Drop by Paul Collins (Ford Street Publishing)

PB RRP $19.95

ISBN 978-1-921665-66-0

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

Dyson’s Drop is the second book in The Maximus Black Files trilogy. Fran Atkinson of the Sunday Age warned readers of the first book, The Mole Hunt: “Don’t bother trying to acclimatise. There’s no meandering here, just a full throttle shove…” The second book is no meek and mild sibling, if anything it is a harder and faster journey that takes the readers on a thrilling, action-packed ride.

Maximus Black, the intriguingly dark and menacing character also known as Nathaniel Brown, is on a mission to conquer the galaxy. He will stop at nothing. With the mysterious alien, Envoy, by his side Maximus has set out to solve the riddles and uncover the locations of the three lost coordinates that will give him all the power he needs to rein over the entire galaxy. The only true thing standing in his way is Anneke Longshadow, one of RIM’s best agents back from the dead, whose sole agenda is to find the coordinates first and save the galaxy from the destructive ways of Maximus Black.

A whirlwind succession of events, including the dismantling of RIM as the galaxies law enforcement spy agency and the positioning of Black’s Majoris Corporata as the highest power, sees Anneke and Maximus tailgating one another through the galaxy in a battle between good and bad. With nail-biting encounters, near deaths, explosions, high-tech gadgetry, cleverly weaved problem solving and a chase that leaves you on the edge of your seat, Dyson’s Drop serves as a mesmerizing read.

The thrills are not the only things that make this book so rich. Collins has created a captivating and highly thought out world that is powered by a tapestry of themes not unlike those of our own earthly world. There is corruption, dictatorships and power struggles woven through the story. Then there are the strong characters that bind the story. It’s not just Anneke and Maximus that intrigue readers. The supporting cast of characters that surround and support both Anneke and Maximus are just as well carved with human struggles and psychology that piques the reader’s engagement and curiosity and the two themes of humanity that grasp us most are those of identity and belonging.

Dyson’s Drop is a brilliant read and not one not for the faint-hearted. It keeps you gasping for more with every turn of the page and leaves you hanging at the most crucial point at the end of the book – the perfect clincher to have you spurring Collins on to swiftly write the last book!