Ian McDonald

An eccentric and adventurous love story mixed with a rich and picturesque family saga. The popping action sequences reinforce McDonald’s (The Menace from Farside) swift and distinctive writing style. Perfect for fans of Stephen Baxter.

McDonald's (Luna: Wolf Moon) elegant and delightedly romantic time travel story brings readers deep into a mystery that interweaves alternating narrators and time lines and leads to an exciting, timeless finish.

This novel should probably not be attempted without reading the first book, as McDonald has established a complex political climate. The power blocks—the Aussie Mackenzies, Brazilian Cortas, or Chinese Suns—have kept certain aspects of their Earth roots, and readers will encounter a variety of foreign language slang, which is aided by the included glossary.

McDonald (The Dervish House; "Everness" trilogy) specializes in big cast sf with exotic settings, and this volume excels on those points. The time the author spent getting to know the Brazilian culture for his novel Brasyl comes in handy for his portrayal of the Cortas, still viewed as rough-edged thugs from the favela (slum) by the other families. The idea of a lunar society in which profit and contract law have replaced more prosaic notions of order produces a volatile setting that McDonald will visit again, as this is apparently the first book of a duology.

Blind players certainly don't always win—but you will be rooting for them! For all audiences.