Zero Sum Game

Cas Russell Series, Book 1

By: S. L. Huang

Narrated by: Lauren Fortgang

A blockbuster, near-future science fiction thriller, S.L. Huang's Zero Sum Game introduces a math-genius mercenary who finds herself being manipulated by someone possessing unimaginable power....

Cas Russell is good at math. Scary good. The vector calculus blazing through her head lets her smash through armed men twice her size and dodge every bullet in a gunfight, and she'll take any job for the right price.

As far as Cas knows, she’s the only person around with a superpower...until she discovers someone with a power even more dangerous than her own. Someone who can reach directly into people’s minds and twist their brains into Moebius strips. Someone intent on becoming the world’s puppet master.

Cas should run, like she usually does, but for once she's involved. There’s only one problem...

She doesn’t know which of her thoughts are her own anymore.

©2018 S. L. Huang (P)2018 Macmillan Audio

I was promised more math, but still a good story

I picked it up because I was promised a superheroine who used math to do incredible things, but the math is mostly just references to concepts. it is entirely possible to read this book with no math knowledge at all and still catch nearly everything. Still a fun listen though.

This book is spectacular! A true must-listen.

This story is driven by realistic characters (with powers) with an originality that's refreshing and thoroughly engaging, all wrapped up in a plot that won't quit. I read the self-published version and was still rapt by this fresh release. When listening to took me about 20 seconds to get over the characters having been different in my head, which hasn't happened in some quite famous books read by narrators who are excellent in other works, so I give a hearty recommendation both to new listeners and those who have read any edition of Zero Sum Game. It's thrilling, suspenseful, and great whether you want a cool near-future story to help get through your commute or a gritty, reality-based tale to stimulate your neurons. I don't know how the author manages that! But here it is. This is absolutely in my top 5 favorites of all time; I can't recommend it highly enough and can't wait to hear the next books in the series.

Complex, Intelligent Heroine

Great first entry in a fast paced series featuring a complex heroine who is at once unpredictable and very human (a rare combo in action/sci-fi).

Good start, slow middle, ending is a letdown

The start was intense and action packed. The narration took the story to the next level. But around the middle, the pacing slowed. Apparently facing off against an antagonist you can’t actually fight is pretty boring. By the end, the narrator became wholly unreliable, so rather than an action-packed conclusion, we got the stream of consciousness ramble of a character who had no idea what was going on, and no clue how she escaped this life or death face off. Even the amazing narrator could not save this ending. I’m on the fence about whether to try another Cas adventure, but I’ll be looking for the narrator again.

There's a title im lazy lol (this does not reflect the book)

Super creative, amazing characters, and a despicable antagonist who I want to hit with a frying pan? Def good elements in any book.