https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2969560.html

The book itself is a decent enough tale of elite family politics and slightly steampunk technology in a world which resemble, but is not quite the same as, a heavily Hispanic Southern California. All very richly imagined. ( )

I enjoyed this first volume of a new trilogy from Leslie Ann Moore. The story is beautifully imagined and thoroughly engrossing. Be forewarned: this first book leaves you not exactly on a cliff-hanger, but at a point in the story arc where the tension is high. I felt I had paused mid-breath, hungry for more. This work is nominally sci-fi, being set in the future on a colony world, but has something of a steam-punk feel, as well para-normal elements. Civilization has struggled back after a devastating war to a level of steam-powered vehicles and wired telephones. Electric power depends on scavenged fuel cells, and of course that's the least of what the archeological expeditions are hoping to find in the ruined cities of their ancestors – ancestors who had weapons capable of laying waste a planet. There's a marvelous menagerie of indigenous creatures, such as a floating life form that's harnessed and used as dirigibles, all described in an impressive glossary. The human culture appears to have been Hispanic in origin, which gives the story an unusual flavor. There's also a second race of humanoids, the diminutive and endearing Tiqui, who also arrived on the colony ship and who have a culture of their own that includes special healing powers and the ability to foretell the future. The protagonist, Deanna, is a strong and engaging heroine who moves through this creative mix, her path intertwining with those an impressive cast of well-drawn characters. Once past the opening section that has rather a lot of convoluted sentences, the writing becomes clear and clean, the story-telling smooth and effortless. I can't wait for volume 2. ( )