By Martha Wells, Night Shade Books, $14.99, 278 pages
For most of his life, Moon, a shape-shifter, has been a wanderer, moving from town to town, hoping to find a place where he can belong but being forced to move on when the people find out his true nature. When he meets Stone, the only other of his kind he’s ever seen, Moon agrees to travel with him back to his court, hoping to finally find a home where he doesn’t have to hide who he is. When an attack from a deadly foe threatens the entire court, Moon must decide whether to stay or leave and learns that a home and family may just be worth fighting for.
In The Cloud Roads, Martha Wells has created a world that is inventive and delightful. She provides a very descriptive narrative of the various areas of the world throughout without letting the details cloud the central plot. The main character of Moon is endearing and someone the reader roots for as he changes and develops throughout the story and the supporting characters are equally well written. This novel is a must-read for any sci-fi fan.
Reviewed by Barbara Cothern