rucible is a sequel to Nancy Kress' 2003 novel Crossfire, the story of several groups of Terrans, brought together by a man named Jake Holman, who leave Earth to colonize the planet they call Greentrees only to be trapped in a war between two alien species, the warlike Furs and the seemingly passive, vegetative Vines.
As Crucible opens, two of the settlers, Lucy Lasky and Karim Mahjoub, traveling through space with their Fur prisoners, are captured by Vines and taken to one of the Vine worlds. On Greentrees, Alex Cutler, one of the leaders in Mira City, finds herself contending with growing divisions and discontents among the settlers when a ship from Earth, the Crucible, arrives and takes up orbit around the planet.
Julian Martin, leader of the arriving Terrans, at first seems interested only in an exchange of technologies and in getting permission for any of his people who wish to join the settlers to remain on Greentrees. But Julian, who is clearly distrusted by the aged Jake Holman, is soon advising Alex on ways to handle the disputes among the settlers and on how to prepare her people for any future attacks by the Furs; Alex finds herself growing increasingly attracted to him.
In the meantime, Lucy and Karim, wondering if they will ever see Greentrees again, struggle to find ways to communicate with the plantlike Vines, who may offer their only hope of defeating the Furs, a virus the Vines have created that can make the aggressive Furs peaceful and placid. Alex, intelligent and well-meaning but untested as a leader, must soon contend with renewed aggression by the Furs while dealing with the weaknesses and treachery of those closest to her.
A tale crafted with intelligence
Over the years, Nancy Kress has become one of science fiction's most reliably intelligent and entertaining writers. Crucible offers a fine demonstration of her gifts, which include detailed and inventive speculation about alien biology and advanced technology, solid and complex plotting, and characters who live and breathe on the page.
There are some masterful touches in this novel. For example, one character, the actor Duncan Martin, isn't here just to add a dash of color to the cast; he also foreshadows later events with his Shakespearean performances, and his tragic fate reveals just how deadly Alex's unknown antagonist is. Some readers may wonder whether humans could ever truly communicate with creatures as alien as the Vines, but Kress throws enough difficulty and detail into Karim's and Lucy's encounters with these aliens to make such an effort suspenseful and believable.
Even though Crucible is a sequel to an earlier novel, Kress provides just enough background, while avoiding long summaries and lumps of exposition, to make this novel easily accessible to those who haven't read Crossfire. In addition, she possesses the rare talent of being able to write a story readers unfamiliar with science fiction will enjoy that can also satisfy long-term fans.
Crucible builds to a satisfying conclusion that leaves enough room for readers to anticipate a third volume about the world of Greentrees and its settlers. Those familiar with Kress' artistry and craftmanship should rush to add Crucible to their collections; for those who may not be familiar with her writing, this novel and its predecessor are good places to start.
