by M.J. Locke

Tor Forge, $25.99, 414 pages

This book gives the reader a peek into the minds and hearts of some fascinating characters as they deal with unusual circumstances in their lives. Even though it is science fiction, it’s more about the lives of the people who just happen to live in a future city out in space. An explosive disaster puts the entire city in terrible danger and they all have to face the possibility of death. As different groups play their parts in trying to save their home, they discover crime and betrayal is behind the event.

The book quickly becomes hard to put down, as the tension develops on a number of different fronts. Each chapter builds suspense about the situation of one person or group, then the next chapter skips to the tense scene of another group leaving the reader anxious to discover the outcomes. The denizens of the city are a diverse collection of good and bad, young and old, and even genetically altered into beautiful and fascinating forms. The futuristic setting is well described and easy to visualize. The only disappointment was when the story came to an end because the reader is left feeling hungry for more of the wonderful experience this book provides.

Reviewed by Fran Byram