Challenges of the Deep – Ryk E. Spoor

This series stopped being enjoyable. The first book in the series was fun: The first star flight lands its crew in an interstellar Grand-Central-Station construct evocative of Chalker’s Well World - lots of species, lots of intrigue, lots of challenges (in multiple senses). The second book in the series was clearly a setup-for-as-many-sequels-as-readers-will-read, but it was pleasant space opera. Towards the end of the second book, we note that the major characters are exhibiting super powers.

Book three is not honest writing. No threat or challenge is meaningful, because the author can and does invoke whatever super powers are needed for the good guys to win. This robs the book of plot integrity. It doesn’t matter how good the good guys are and it doesn’t matter what they do: At the end, if the author wants them to triumph, he can invoke whatever plot device is needed, especially since three of the characters have deus-ex-machina powers - more or less literally.