Book Review: The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu (Tao, #1)

As I read The Lives of Tao, I started to get that sinking feeling that comes when you arrive at the party late. Most of the food and drink is gone, the entertainment is almost over, and people are starting to move on to the next thing…and you can tell it was a good time.

Why did I come late?

On the other hand, reading The Lives of Tao could also be compared to the first of a multicourse meal. Sure, you arrived late, and you had to scarf down the first course as quickly as you could because the second and third courses were already at the table, but it was delicious, and the others only look better, so who are you to complain? Sure, t would have been nice to have arrived on time, but you’re at the table now, and the other courses look fantastic and smell great, so, why complain? You get to have your cake and eat it!

Okay, so the metaphor is a stretch, but here’s the point (and the blurb, if I had found The Lives of Tao way back in 2013 when it was published):

“The Lives of Tao is an exciting origins story, one part alien invasion, one part international espionage, and all parts awesome.”

Indeed. The Lives of Tao is a blast to read. Wesley Chu hits all the beats at the right points to craft an exciting story with few ebbs and lots of flows. While his characters don’t over burden you with too much “feel,” Chu develops them sufficiently to feel something, and it’s easy to cheer for the heroes and howl at the villains.

Chu is up for the Campbell this year, his second year of eligibility, and while I’ve not read the sequels to The Lives of Tao, I’m looking forward to pulling them out soon. He writes well and has a fertile imagination, and I look forward to what happens next in the shadow war between Genjix and Prophus and their impact on humanity.

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Title: The Lives of Tao
Series: Tao
Author: Wesley Chu
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Angry Robot
Release Date: April 30, 2013
Format: Paperback
Pages: 464

When out-of-shape IT technician Roen woke up and started hearing voices in his head, he naturally assumed he was losing it.

He wasn't.

He now has a passenger in his brain - an ancient alien life-form called Tao, whose race crash-landed on Earth before the first fish crawled out of the oceans. Now split into two opposing factions - the peace-loving, but under-represented Prophus, and the savage, powerful Genjix - the aliens have been in a state of civil war for centuries. Both sides are searching for a way off-planet, and the Genjix will sacrifice the entire human race, if that's what it takes.

Meanwhile, Roen is having to train to be the ultimate secret agent. Like that's going to end up well...