ISBN: 0-765-30433-3 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com
A mystery in the near future, with some nefarious plots, unfortunately told with so many point of view that the narrative becomes disjointed, and engages little sympathy.
Reviewed by David on November 30, 2002
Genre: Science Fiction (Music, Near Future, Intrigue, Mystery)
Synopsis: Some time in the foreseeable future, the environmental damage and influx of displaced people put severe stress on the social fabric. The US has been reshaped, and a local capital in what used to be Denver is the scene of intense political and social struggle. Crime and terrorism, as well as covert warfare are still plaguing the humanities, now spanning the Solar system.
Not everything is bad—advanced nanotechnology improves health and safety, and people still enjoy music.
Alas, every advance can be abused, and a series of strange deaths lead a police detective to investigate whether someone is cleverly sabotaging modern technology to conceal murders.
Full Review: The mileau is somewhat similar to Modesitt's Tangible Ghosts series (Ghost of the Revelator, etc.). However, this world appears to be our own future, rather than an alternate one. The social fabric is strained, with the rich more powerful, but also more bitterly resented.
The major problem with this generally predictable mystery is the view-hopping. The author tries to portray a complex picture by using many viewpoints: a politician, a music teacher, an investigative reporter, and so on. Some of the viewpoints are rather interesting: there is depth and ambuguity invloved in some of the characters.
The problem is the rapidity of view-switching. There are so many threads that there is no time to engage the reader's sympathy, or to truly build any complexity into the protagonists.
As a result, this becomes the book's fatal flaw. There is little sympathy for the characters, and thus little intensity in the book's built-up or resolution.
Overall: 4.5; Plot: 4; Characters: 4.5; Style: 4.5; World-building: 5.5; Originality: 5;
Copyright date 2002, Tor, July 2002, Cloth, 330 pages
ISBN: 0-765-30433-3 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com