Williams’ sequel to The Mirrored Heavens returns to his dark space opera set in the 22nd century. Asteroids have become the focus of a high stakes power struggle between the Eurasian Coalition and the North American Empire. Both factions rely upon the enhanced capabilities of cyber warriors called razors. The best razor of them all is Claire Haskell but lately she has been troubled with memory problems, specifically, she can’t tell what memories are genuine and which might have been implanted, perhaps by Autumn Rain.
As the two superpowers engage in open and covert hostilities, surviving members of the supposedly destroyed Autumn Rain have begun implementing their own agenda. Claire seeks to warn and protect the President even as she becomes aware that things are not what they might seem. Betrayal and her lover’s death are just a small part of the big picture as Claire continues to evolve and grow into her untapped potential.
Rife with political intrigue, this confusing second volume of the Autumn Rain trilogy becomes so entangled with backstabbing counterplots that it is easy to lose interest. Williams does not expand on his world building or character development, choosing instead to deliver lots of action and betrayal in a taut thriller that may not appeal to readers looking for neatly tied storylines.
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