Booklist Reviews The Softwire: Betrayal on Orbis 2

Booklist Review
In the second volume in The Softwire series Virus on Orbis 1 (2006), JT Turnbull learned that he would be forced to work off his late parents' debt from their passage on the ship that brought them to the Rings of Orbis. In this sequel, JT is released from his alien Guarantor's service and transferred to Orbis 2, along with his sister, Ketheria, and a crew of fellow child laborers, or knudniks. Forced to work for a repugnant and spiteful alien, JT and the knudniks are charged with caring for enormous aquatic creatures, called Samirans, that manage the crystals necessary to the health and wealth of the Rings. As a softwire, JT alone is able to communicate with the Samirans, and he finds himself caught between the machinations of his new Guarantor and Samiran interests. A fast-moving plot filled with kids fighting against the odds; bizarre creatures both devious and noble; real messages about civilization, barbarity, ethics, and freedom; and a healthy dose of alien gore make this a strong science-fiction read for the younger teen set. Koelling, Holly.