Gardens of the Sun

Starred review from January 25, 2010
In the outstanding second half of 2009’s The Quiet War
, McAuley shows humans forced past their limitations. Armies from feudalistic, eco-fanatic Earth have overwhelmed freethinking settlements on the moons of Saturn and Jupiter, forcing refugees to flee to the outskirts of the solar system. Vistas of wonderful, desolate new worlds are populated by familiar, driven characters: Sri Hong-Owen, the brilliant but cold-blooded researcher obsessed with Outer genetic manipulation; a cloned, nameless spy seeking identity and love; hotshot space pilot Cash Baker, brainwashed and betrayed by his commanding officers; unscrupulous diplomat Loc Ifrahim, who will exploit any situation for personal profit; and renegade Earth ecologist Macy Minnot, who joins the Free Outers’ pilgrimage. Their interactions, struggles, and choices sketch a grand and sometimes appalling picture of human possibility. Together, these two books tell a magnificent story.

February 15, 2010
In the aftermath of the Quiet War, the Three Powers Alliance of Greater Brazil, the European Union, and the Pacific Community have conquered the city-states on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, whose citizens are known as the Outers. With most Outers forced into prison and labor camps, their lands plundered by victorious Earth, only a few refugees attempt to preserve the old ideals. Earth's fractious politics lead to divisions among the conquerors, and one powerful family hires a genetic expert to search for the missing Avernus, the Outers' greatest mind. Complexities and intrigue abound in this sequel to "The Quiet War". VERDICT The award-winning author's storytelling talent and future vision brings an intense realism to his speculative tales of inner and outer space. Fans of hard science as well as dynastic fiction should enjoy his newest saga.

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2010
After The Quiet War (2009), the Outers flee to the farthest reaches of the solar system, to find someone else already there. The Ghosts have been planning for the future they believe is preordained and will make no compromise that might harm it. The governing families back on earth, while scrambling to deal with fallout from the war, bicker among themselves until a long-brewing revolution finally erupts. Sri Hong-Owen is still looking for Avernus, following in her footsteps, trying to unravel the riddles of Avernus gardens. Loc Ifrahim, still trying to gain some recognition, struggles not to get caught by the backlash against his patrons. Macy Minnot, exiled with the Outers, fights for her new communitys survival. A successful and convincing wrap-up of the repercussions of a war fought over the direction of human evolution, Gardens of the Sun is as gripping as its predecessor, with a long, complex buildup culminating in a spectacular vision of the future.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)