New Hope was in many ways an anachronism. The settlers of New Hope had left Earth centuries earlier yet as soon as they landed, a schism appeared between the two groups of settlers. In Dart by Dale Renton, we meet Darthanil Black, a Former and previously First Blade to the ruler of New Hope, Analine Wills. Now, framed for a murder he didn’t commit, Dart is on the run and that running takes him straight into the arms of the second group of settlers, those known as the Sylth. The Sylth have rejected the Former’s embrace of Artificial Intelligence and have instead made their lives an integral and symbiotic part of the plant and animal life of the planet. Living close to the core of an active volcano, they are protected from attack by the Formers. When Dart’s life is saved by the beautiful and enticing Sylth maiden, Amarth, Dart knows he is entering a battle for control of their planet. Everything lies in finding the two keys that will give ultimate power to the possessor.

I do like a good science fiction story with a moral message and Dart by Dale Renton is exactly that – a good science fiction tale that embodies a strong moral message for us. I liked the idea that even leaving Earth and settling on a new planet didn’t change the basic philosophical split between the two groups of settlers – one group wanting to use Artificial Intelligence to terraform their new planet into a carbon copy of the world they’d left behind, with the other group innately suspicious of AI and wanting to adapt to the environment of the planet they’d arrived on. The slide back into “middle ages” technology because of the separation of the two keys was what made the story even more interesting. I loved the relaxed, easy style of the writing of the author, plus the constant conflict and struggle between those that want to preserve and those that want to mold their new world with technology.

The concept of AI and the potential it has to go “rogue” is something we are at the point of addressing currently and that’s one of the reasons I found this such an enjoyable read. The hatred between the two groups on Sylas was palpable and it wasn’t hard to draw some corollaries with happenings today. The scintillating wit of Dart was definitely a highlight of the book and I commend the author for his clever use of sarcasm and scorn to get his point across. I thoroughly enjoyed this witty, clever, and action-packed science fiction romance and can highly recommend it.

Dart by Dale Renton is a thrilling sci-fi tale. Everywhere Dart goes, there is someone who wants to kill him. For three hundred years, war has been waged between the Sylth and the Formers. It's up to Dart to find a way to end it all and, while he’s busy doing that, he also has to stop the machines from taking over the entire planet. At the end of the day, Dart is the First Blade of Sylas’s World and he is undefeated but things are never as straightforward as they seem. The woman that Dart loves has been kidnapped by his oldest enemy. He has a new best friend – a symbiotic plant. And to make things even tougher, he’s against the clock – time is running short for all those frozen in the Cryobanks on the Mother Ship. Can Dart succeed? Somebody has to and maybe there isn’t anyone better for the job.

Dart by Dale Renton was a great read, a science fiction tale with a difference. As well as plenty of action and adventure, this book has its fair share of humor, some laugh-out-loud one-liners and is a fun read. There are loads of twists and turns that keep your attention and every chapter ends in a way so that you just have to go on; you have to read more. Dart faces plenty of tough situations, with complications and uncertainty arising at every turn. There are quite a few characters, each developed well, but Dart is exceptionally well-developed, a character that you instantly like and feel an affinity with. Keep your wits about you because the plot does get quite complicated at times but stick with it – it is well worth it. An entertaining and thrilling read.