Review: The Ex-Pacifist

The Ex-Pacifist by Sarah K.L. Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyable young adult science-fiction. The Matusmotos are the ruling family of the Blackwatch Empire. All lesser Matusmutos are pledged to serve their emperor as ambassadors from the time they are born. Each one is genetically engineered, tech-enhanced, and well-trained. Matsumotos are trusted and allowed into situations because everyone knows they are pacifists and will not respond with violence even at the threat of death.

Our protagonist, Vera, is a Matsumoto. When the story starts she is at a function on her fledgling mission under the watchful eye of a more experienced ambassador. Her objective is to negotiate a trade deal that will have repercussions in the Empire for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, things do not go as planned, and Vera ends up killing a man in self-defense. Under a different Empire, her actions might have been lauded instead she is bundled back to her homeworld in disgrace with the certainty of execution hanging over her head. Vera manages to talk Emperor Nigel into allowing her on one final mission as a chance to redeem herself. She must find a missing cousin ambassador or die trying. She has two weeks and if she fails she faces certain death.

It should be noted that Vera is only sixteen years old and has very little worldly experience. The Matsumoto family is very conservative. All marriages must be sanctioned by the Emperor, most marriages are arranged well in advance, and premarital sex is a punishable offense. Why is this important? Because during the mission to save her cousin, Vera is faced with something that very few teenaged girls can handle with aplomb - a pretty face. When she arrives at her destination her escort is a very handsome and personable teenaged boy. Vera feels an instant attraction and her actions in the second half of the book reflect that attraction. Her IQ drops, and she has trouble focusing on her mission. In the end, she overcomes and succeeds, or does she?

I liked Vera's character and that of her guardian bodyguard, Roman. Even when she is being stupid, and Roman is trying to talk some sense into her. I thought the characters and their motivations were realistic. The story itself is pretty fast paced. How could it not be when there is a time limit of a fortnight or the main character dies? As an ambassador and a member of the ruling family, Vera is powerful, yet because of the restrictions placed on her as a member of the ruling family, in many ways, she is powerless. I think that's a situation with which most people can relate. I'm looking forward to finding out how Vera handles things in the next book.




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