Rating: 5 Stars
I am in love with the Lady Astronaut series by Mary Robinette Kowal and have been waiting eagerly for the third installment, The Relentless Moon. It is scheduled to hit the shelves on July 14th and I was very fortunate to get an advanced copy from the publisher. Be sure to get your copy ASAP because the author did not disappoint with this gripping tale of sabotage and intrigue in the first lunar colony.
The focus of this book is on Nicole Wargin, a very minor character in the previous books, instead of Elma York. Though the plot does run in parallel to book two of the series, The Fated Sky. Because Nicole is the wife of a powerful politician, this has enabled her to secure a space on the rocket that will take the first team of civilian colonists to the moon.
The trouble begins before they even land on the moon. It appears that the lunar landing craft has been sabotaged and it is only because of the intense training that no lives are lost. Of course, the trouble does not end there. Mysterious power outages plague the colony among other things. It has everyone on edge waiting for the next disaster to happen. The one that result in lives lost. Nicole puts the skills she learned in WWII as a spy to good use as she works on figuring out who is friend and who is foe before it is too late.
What I loved most about this book is that it is both plot and character driven. Let’s start with the plot. First it was believable. I can easily see how the extremists would stop at nothing to achieve their goals including murder. Secondly, the twists that the plot took are ingenious and the action keeps you on the edge of your seat through most of the book.
I also fell in love with Nicole. She, like Elma, is flawed yet strong in ways that are unforeseen. As in the other two books, the author presents these flaws and shows how the character struggles with them. Nicole is also an ambitious and tenacious person and those traits have served her well. Yet, despite a very successful career and a husband that loves her, she struggles with anorexia. She sometimes feels out of control and food is one thing she can control. The author examines this in depth along with the various relationships Nicole has with coworkers and her spouse. This made for a powerful story and one I know I will read again.
This book is in my top five of the year so far and I doubt that will change as the year progresses. I believe it will appeal to readers of Science Fiction in addition to other readers. For example, if you enjoy Nora Roberts works, this is one you should add to your reading list. It would also make a good book club pick because there is a lot to talk about. Gender, and race issues among other topics are highlighted in the book.
I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.