sweko
8/16/2021
This was exceptional. While still firmly in the Lady Astronaut Universe, it's quite different from The Calculating Stars or from The Fated Sky.
The personal touches that characterizes Kowal's writing is still there, and the deeper dive into Nicole, Helen and Eugene was very masterfully done. Not to spoil anything, but there are plenty of hits right in the feels.
But, unlike the first two volumes, this is a pure gem plot-wise. It's a very hard-science mystery novel set on the Moon, with real good guys, real bad guys, and stakes that could not be higher. In the other novels, you could kinda expect that everyone had the same larger goal, at least regarding humanity. There were personal clashes and agenda, but, in essence, everyone was extremely invested in the success of the project. In even felt idealistic at places, even with all the misogyny and racism.
Not so here. Here we're hit with the actual reality, and it's not a soft hit.