Jupiter War (The Owner)

Part man, part machine, Alan Saul has scuttled all attempts to destroy him and return the Argus Station to Earth. As Earth’s ruler Serene Galahad accelerates her plans to remove Alan from the playing field, he undertakes a one-man suicide mission to rescue his sister from the surface of Mars. What role does Var in Alan’s plan? Can he remain one step of ahead of Galahad’s murderous scheming? And what will happen when he finally goes toe-to-toe with Earth’s might?

Jupiter War is the final installment in Asher’s The Owner trilogy, and it plays out as one big chess match between Alan and everyone else, major players strategizing amidst ethical dilemmas and the Big Questions. But when the payoff does arrive, it doesn’t disappoint. On the other hand, in the first two books, Var’s storyline never quite meshed with Alan’s, and sadly, this remains the case here. While she plays a role in many of the trilogy’s key events, she always feels like an outcast from a different sci-fi novel.

In my review for Zero Point, I implied that this book would decide whether the series earned the word “masterpiece.” Time will tell on that, but for now, it remains a true storytelling tour-de-force.