Review by Booklist Review
The Moon, as ever, is a harsh mistress; she has a hundred different ways to kill you. Not the least of those is the politics between the leading families of Luna, where formal trial by combat is preferred to trial by law for those cases when assassination doesn't quite suit their needs. The third book in Ian McDonald's Luna series picks up where Wolf Moon (2017) left off, with the desperate evacuation of comatose Lucasinho Corta from Boa Vista, fleeing mercenaries hired by Mackenzie Helium. The Cortas and Mackenzies are two of the five families controlling industry on the Moon; all five are involved in intricate plots to control various aspects of the Moon and beyond, while maintaining their independence from Earth. Alliances are made and broken throughout this adventure, as the Corta family determines what role to play in Earth's latest attempt to recapture control of the Moon. Backgrounds of the five families tie traditions back to various Earth cultures, with clear evolution to a unique Lunar environment. New readers can jump straight in without reading the previous books in the series.--Frances Moritz Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
McDonald concludes his Luna space opera trilogy in triumphant style, following Luna: Wolf Moon. In this near future, the Earth's moon is controlled by five family corporations known as the Dragons. The central conflict between two members of the Cortas family, whose wealth comes from helium mining, plays out in a court case that takes an unexpected turn. Opposing forces advance very different futures for the Moon, including massive terraforming and creating a post-labor society whose citizens receive guaranteed incomes. The political intrigue never feels too abstract or removed from 21st-century Earth. Readers will appreciate the care McDonald takes with both worldbuilding and characterization, and will enjoy little touches such as giving an assassin the job title of Corporate Conflict Resolution Officer. Newcomers will have difficulty mastering the intricacies of the setting and story, as McDonald doesn't provide even a short recap or cast of characters; however, fans of the prior books will find this wrap-up rewarding. Agent: Martha Millard, Martha Millard Agency. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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