I Read Books: Gardens of the Sun
The Quiet War heated up at the end of the last book, with the Outer Habitats of Jupiter and Saturn occupied by Earth Forces of the Three Powers Alliance. Even more scattered than the last book (the Free Outers find themselves in exile in the even-more-outer solar system, and flee to new homes several times) and over an even longer period. Mostly we follow the same characters, even Cash Baker, killed at the climax of The Quiet War, who is brought back to life, returned to Earth as a war hero, then falls from grace when his patron is destroyed.
There are some good bits, especially some of the Outer political theories (radical non-violence believers demanding to be shot after some punitive executions), and the great underclass of Greater Brazil, part of the backdrop of the first novel, finally makes its voice heard. Sri Hong-Owen partially recovers from her obsession with the gene wizard Avernus, only to become obsessed with yet stranger ideas.
Read This: If you found The Quiet War compelling
Don’t Read This: If you don’t find the intersection of politics and science at all interesting
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