This book is kind of political sci fi. The problem with it is that there is no suspense in it. Things like people getting blown up or a mega police bust are described as if they were the most mundane thing. There's no build up before the big reveal. There are some sections at the end where protagonists are killed off left and right, but that doesn't quite make up for it because I never really cared for the characters, (view spoiler)[Also the predictability, when I read the bit about the human nuts plotting to disrupt the fair, and the throne plotting to disrupt the fair, I just knew they were going to join up.Oh and plot holes. The Aan are an intelligent space faring race, could they really do something like destroy and entire base and expect not to be seen by satellite or cameras. And could Plolinwerpat really get hold of explosives and plant them without anyone noticing, didn't they keep that stuff locked up? (hide spoiler)]
Not much time to review this one as it's my fortieth birthday today and my lady wife is taking me out for dinner and a movie but, suffice it to say that I loved this book! This the third part of the story of how Foster's Humanx Commonealth was founded (well, fourth part if you include the prequel novel 'Nor Crystal Tears') and, boy, does it end with a bang!It's been a long time since I read a book this exciting and tense... There are political machinations, terrorism, large scale battles, murder, heroism, sacrifice and twists and turns aplenty! Not everything is resolved in this volume but that's to be expected when there are another twenty-odd books in this series.Anyway, gotta go! See you in the funny papers!
