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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I've got a serious love/hate relationship with this book.
On one hand, I loved the world-building and the sinister family dynamics. The ever present feel of mounting tension that constantly threatened to erupt. I loved how, even in this new frontier world, humans will always revert to their baser instincts when it comes to preservation and survival. I especially loved the character who shares my name. Ariel, oh, she was a great character even where others failed and were flat and one-dimensional. It was a very intriguing and engaging story and was from the start and that didn't diminish as the story unfolded.
So, there were things that I loved; but...the one thing I hated is the reason this book gets 3 stars. The abrupt changing of character POV was jarring. I constantly felt as if I'd missed something because I'm suddenly experiencing the story through a new character's eyes without any type of break or segue to signify that this is a different person. Maybe it was written that way, maybe it wasn't edited properly or formatted properly, who knows. It did make the reading less enjoyable as it disrupted the flow of the story.
I didn't hate the prose so much that I'm unwilling to check out the next book in the series, though.
Three stars.
On one hand, I loved the world-building and the sinister family dynamics. The ever present feel of mounting tension that constantly threatened to erupt. I loved how, even in this new frontier world, humans will always revert to their baser instincts when it comes to preservation and survival. I especially loved the character who shares my name. Ariel, oh, she was a great character even where others failed and were flat and one-dimensional. It was a very intriguing and engaging story and was from the start and that didn't diminish as the story unfolded.
So, there were things that I loved; but...the one thing I hated is the reason this book gets 3 stars. The abrupt changing of character POV was jarring. I constantly felt as if I'd missed something because I'm suddenly experiencing the story through a new character's eyes without any type of break or segue to signify that this is a different person. Maybe it was written that way, maybe it wasn't edited properly or formatted properly, who knows. It did make the reading less enjoyable as it disrupted the flow of the story.
I didn't hate the prose so much that I'm unwilling to check out the next book in the series, though.
Three stars.
Me ha entretenido mucho, sobre todo en la parte final. Me ha gustado en especial la distinción entre generaciones lunares. Voy a darle ya al siguiente porque creo que si lo dejo más tiempo perderá.
Read the full review at the Quill to Live - https://thequilltolive.com/2019/06/04/luna-new-moon-its-no-twilight/
Hot off the heels of Gunpowder Moon, I just couldn’t help myself when it came to reading another book about the moon. There is something so fascinating about that big, grey, dusty rock as it hangs in the sky. It captures me whenever I see it, so I will always look for a book to fill me with that same sense of foreboding wonder. I needed something that captures the majesty and terror of a place that is so desolate and barren. A story that highlights the moon’s complete hostility to human life, regardless of whatever technology is developed to colonize it. Luckily, I did not need to look very far– a book I have had on my shelf looked all the brighter. Ian McDonald intricately weaves a tale of intrigue and consequences in Luna: New Moon, focusing on human characters living within a detailed and cruel society of their own making.
Luna: New Moon follows the Cortas, a family that counts itself amongst the five Dragons, the elite corporate families, of the moon. It does not center on a specific character so much as the family itself as they navigate the politics of life on the moon. The Cortas own most of the helium-3 refining business on the moon, controlling the ebb and flow of energy across habitats. Adriana Corta, the ambitious matriarch of the family, fought tooth and nail for the business, taking it away from another of the Dragons, the Mackenzie Metals corporation. As her influence begins to wane, the other Dragons smell an opportunity. All her family has to do is keep their enemies at bay while making sure they don’t destroy themselves from the inside.
McDonald’s characters are vibrant and interesting, if not entirely likable in the beginning. There are also so many that it was hard to keep track of them. I kept having to go back and forth to make sure I was not just continuously adding new characters of my own creation. After a few chapters of learning the intricacies of the family dynamics, though, they began to feel familiar. The Corta family’s choices and actions began to flesh out their personalities and general outlook. Lucas, Adriana’s second son, is manipulative and practical. He always feels the burden of maintaining the family and tries to protect it from what he sees as the messes that his hot-headed older brother Rafa creates. Adriana, the matriarch, is cold, calculating and singularly driven. Lucasinho, Lucas’ son, grew up in a life of luxury and is more carefree than the others. There are plenty more, each with a depth that I have rarely encountered in such a short span of pages. While McDonald wrote characters that were excellent examples of people thriving in a brutally competitive system, he made me care for their existence.
McDonald’s uncanny ability to advance the plot through his impressive characterization gripped me. Flashbacks– all to different times in Adriana’s life– were cleverly placed and brought so much depth to the story that they might be some of my favorites ever. The first one felt unfortunately jarring, as the reader must adjust from a third person narrative to a heavily informed third person retrospective following Adriana’s ascent to the moon. I normally do not like to point out specific parts of a book’s plot, but McDonald kind of broke me with Adriana’s flashbacks. Each one is presented as a story to remind the next generation of where the family came from. Rarely have I felt a character’s thoughts about their own past as distinctly as I did with her. The sheer indifference to her own emotions as she relentlessly follows her ambition was as commendable as it was painful. The ease with which she adapted to the harsh life of the moon was astounding, accepting struggle as the defining feature of her life. The second flashback sequence is where I felt for her most prominently, as McDonald details the choices Adriana made to build a monopoly and join the ranks of the elite. She cuts people out of her life to find the success she craves, and it is devastating. Even though she is often cold and calculating, you get the feeling that some of the decisions she makes early are tough, slowly becoming easier with each successive one. I honestly lost my breath at the end of her final recounting, astonished by her comfort with who she was.
While the characters were a strong part of the story, the setting was incredibly compelling. The moon is a neo-feudal state, nearly independent from the Earth. McDonald’s vision in this novel is terrifying, to say the least, but it is not unrealistic. The moon is essentially controlled by the aforementioned Dragons, five families who hold a specific monopoly on a different resource of the moon. This builds an intricate system of familial alliances for purely political ends. On top of that, everything is for sale on the moon. Things we consider necessary, like air and water, are commodities measured in breaths and sips. Everyone who travels there and hopes to stay has an implant on their eye to remind them how close they are to running out. Clothes are shredded and recycled, not washed. Only the richest are able to replace theirs and keep up with the latest trends. People with multiple PhDs can be homeless, out of work, and near death as labor competition is so fierce. Children of high-ranking families perform naked moon runs to showcase their strength and transition to adulthood. In a stunning portrayal of unimpeded capitalism, competition is everything, and there is no room for error.
McDonald’s writing only propels these ideas even further. He gets down to the details with nearly every piece of technology, showing how deeply interwoven it is within the culture. Technology is not just convenience on the moon, it is the one thing keeping everyone alive. Those who control it are considered gods, and if you displease them, they will swat you like a fly. The culture that develops on the moon is a very precisely-tuned machine, and disruptions are not tolerated. People are treated like parts to keep everything running. If someone is not as good as they need to be, they are scrapped for someone better. The Corta family plays a role of duality in this system. They are considered to be an upstart nuisance, even though they played by the same rules as everyone else. While they control the production and distribution of the fuel helium-3, they are an underdog in this starkly brutal system. They do not mean to upset the balance, only to profit from the system themselves. If others are hurt by their rise, it is only the natural ebb and flow of the society they exist in. Thankfully for the reader, the adage “it’s not personal, it’s just business” is never uttered, but it lingers in the air as if it is embedded in every breath.
Luna: New Moon is a stunning first entry in a series I will gobble up. McDonald has created an insanely intricate and monstrous system, filled to the brim with human characters, pushed to the limits by an unrelenting pace. It is a concentrated four hundred pages, but in my opinion worth it if you are at all a fan of space opera. The characters are vibrant, cruel and willing to do whatever it takes for their family. The drama is natural and relies solely on the characters’ ability to make decisions that affect the world around them. The novel is cold, unforgiving, stark, and beautiful, much like the full moon in a clear winter sky.
Rating: Luna: New Moon 9.0/10
-Alex
Hot off the heels of Gunpowder Moon, I just couldn’t help myself when it came to reading another book about the moon. There is something so fascinating about that big, grey, dusty rock as it hangs in the sky. It captures me whenever I see it, so I will always look for a book to fill me with that same sense of foreboding wonder. I needed something that captures the majesty and terror of a place that is so desolate and barren. A story that highlights the moon’s complete hostility to human life, regardless of whatever technology is developed to colonize it. Luckily, I did not need to look very far– a book I have had on my shelf looked all the brighter. Ian McDonald intricately weaves a tale of intrigue and consequences in Luna: New Moon, focusing on human characters living within a detailed and cruel society of their own making.
Luna: New Moon follows the Cortas, a family that counts itself amongst the five Dragons, the elite corporate families, of the moon. It does not center on a specific character so much as the family itself as they navigate the politics of life on the moon. The Cortas own most of the helium-3 refining business on the moon, controlling the ebb and flow of energy across habitats. Adriana Corta, the ambitious matriarch of the family, fought tooth and nail for the business, taking it away from another of the Dragons, the Mackenzie Metals corporation. As her influence begins to wane, the other Dragons smell an opportunity. All her family has to do is keep their enemies at bay while making sure they don’t destroy themselves from the inside.
McDonald’s characters are vibrant and interesting, if not entirely likable in the beginning. There are also so many that it was hard to keep track of them. I kept having to go back and forth to make sure I was not just continuously adding new characters of my own creation. After a few chapters of learning the intricacies of the family dynamics, though, they began to feel familiar. The Corta family’s choices and actions began to flesh out their personalities and general outlook. Lucas, Adriana’s second son, is manipulative and practical. He always feels the burden of maintaining the family and tries to protect it from what he sees as the messes that his hot-headed older brother Rafa creates. Adriana, the matriarch, is cold, calculating and singularly driven. Lucasinho, Lucas’ son, grew up in a life of luxury and is more carefree than the others. There are plenty more, each with a depth that I have rarely encountered in such a short span of pages. While McDonald wrote characters that were excellent examples of people thriving in a brutally competitive system, he made me care for their existence.
McDonald’s uncanny ability to advance the plot through his impressive characterization gripped me. Flashbacks– all to different times in Adriana’s life– were cleverly placed and brought so much depth to the story that they might be some of my favorites ever. The first one felt unfortunately jarring, as the reader must adjust from a third person narrative to a heavily informed third person retrospective following Adriana’s ascent to the moon. I normally do not like to point out specific parts of a book’s plot, but McDonald kind of broke me with Adriana’s flashbacks. Each one is presented as a story to remind the next generation of where the family came from. Rarely have I felt a character’s thoughts about their own past as distinctly as I did with her. The sheer indifference to her own emotions as she relentlessly follows her ambition was as commendable as it was painful. The ease with which she adapted to the harsh life of the moon was astounding, accepting struggle as the defining feature of her life. The second flashback sequence is where I felt for her most prominently, as McDonald details the choices Adriana made to build a monopoly and join the ranks of the elite. She cuts people out of her life to find the success she craves, and it is devastating. Even though she is often cold and calculating, you get the feeling that some of the decisions she makes early are tough, slowly becoming easier with each successive one. I honestly lost my breath at the end of her final recounting, astonished by her comfort with who she was.
While the characters were a strong part of the story, the setting was incredibly compelling. The moon is a neo-feudal state, nearly independent from the Earth. McDonald’s vision in this novel is terrifying, to say the least, but it is not unrealistic. The moon is essentially controlled by the aforementioned Dragons, five families who hold a specific monopoly on a different resource of the moon. This builds an intricate system of familial alliances for purely political ends. On top of that, everything is for sale on the moon. Things we consider necessary, like air and water, are commodities measured in breaths and sips. Everyone who travels there and hopes to stay has an implant on their eye to remind them how close they are to running out. Clothes are shredded and recycled, not washed. Only the richest are able to replace theirs and keep up with the latest trends. People with multiple PhDs can be homeless, out of work, and near death as labor competition is so fierce. Children of high-ranking families perform naked moon runs to showcase their strength and transition to adulthood. In a stunning portrayal of unimpeded capitalism, competition is everything, and there is no room for error.
McDonald’s writing only propels these ideas even further. He gets down to the details with nearly every piece of technology, showing how deeply interwoven it is within the culture. Technology is not just convenience on the moon, it is the one thing keeping everyone alive. Those who control it are considered gods, and if you displease them, they will swat you like a fly. The culture that develops on the moon is a very precisely-tuned machine, and disruptions are not tolerated. People are treated like parts to keep everything running. If someone is not as good as they need to be, they are scrapped for someone better. The Corta family plays a role of duality in this system. They are considered to be an upstart nuisance, even though they played by the same rules as everyone else. While they control the production and distribution of the fuel helium-3, they are an underdog in this starkly brutal system. They do not mean to upset the balance, only to profit from the system themselves. If others are hurt by their rise, it is only the natural ebb and flow of the society they exist in. Thankfully for the reader, the adage “it’s not personal, it’s just business” is never uttered, but it lingers in the air as if it is embedded in every breath.
Luna: New Moon is a stunning first entry in a series I will gobble up. McDonald has created an insanely intricate and monstrous system, filled to the brim with human characters, pushed to the limits by an unrelenting pace. It is a concentrated four hundred pages, but in my opinion worth it if you are at all a fan of space opera. The characters are vibrant, cruel and willing to do whatever it takes for their family. The drama is natural and relies solely on the characters’ ability to make decisions that affect the world around them. The novel is cold, unforgiving, stark, and beautiful, much like the full moon in a clear winter sky.
Rating: Luna: New Moon 9.0/10
-Alex
Complex, well-written sci fi with fully developed and detailed society, political history, economic system, and technology. Wonderfully full of ethnic, linguistic, and sexual diversity. The final chapter is stunning - it made my stomach twist and I mourned the beauty Ian McDonald had built until then. (GoT spoiler ahead) Red Wedding on the moon!
Obligatory summary that hopefully sells you on it if you're on the fence:
On the moon there are five dynasties, known as the Five Dragons: the Cortas, the Mackenzies, the Suns, the Asamoahs, and the Vorontsovs. The book follows mostly Corta characters as well as Marina Calzaghe, an engineer fresh from Earth trying to make money to pay her mom's medical bills. Reexperience the Cortas rise to power through the ruthless and driven matriarch's retelling, take a jaunt through the thrilling sexual scene of the moon with young runaway Lucasinho Corta, struggle to adapt to the harsh environment and society of Luna with Marina, practice the uncivilized-compared-to-Earth-yet-more-demanding-of-skill-and-shrewdness contractual law of the moon with Ariel Corta, navigate rocky and often fatal-for-the-unlucky business relationships with Lucas and Rafa Corta, and when the decades old bad blood between the Mackenzies and the Cortas starts to boil over? Just hope you're on the other side of the moon. Do yourself a favor and read the book.
Obligatory summary that hopefully sells you on it if you're on the fence:
On the moon there are five dynasties, known as the Five Dragons: the Cortas, the Mackenzies, the Suns, the Asamoahs, and the Vorontsovs. The book follows mostly Corta characters as well as Marina Calzaghe, an engineer fresh from Earth trying to make money to pay her mom's medical bills. Reexperience the Cortas rise to power through the ruthless and driven matriarch's retelling, take a jaunt through the thrilling sexual scene of the moon with young
Reseña completa en: http://laestanteriadeithil.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/luna-new-moon-ian-mcdonald.html
Opinión personal: Luna: New Moon es el primer libro de una bilogía de ciencia ficción ambientada en la Luna. Con un comienzo algo lento y confuso debido a muchos personajes y un trasfondo muy construido y complejo pasa rápidamente a ser una novela muy dinámica, cargada de intrigas, conspiraciones, traiciones, pactos y política. En una sociedad elitista y con una estética muy cuidada, dominada por cinco grandes empresas el libro se centra en como una de ellas se creó y el camino que le llevó a la cima, plagado de nuevos enemigos. Poco a poco, nos vamos familiarizando con los personajes, sus virtudes y sus defectos y su curiosa forma de vida.
Opinión personal: Luna: New Moon es el primer libro de una bilogía de ciencia ficción ambientada en la Luna. Con un comienzo algo lento y confuso debido a muchos personajes y un trasfondo muy construido y complejo pasa rápidamente a ser una novela muy dinámica, cargada de intrigas, conspiraciones, traiciones, pactos y política. En una sociedad elitista y con una estética muy cuidada, dominada por cinco grandes empresas el libro se centra en como una de ellas se creó y el camino que le llevó a la cima, plagado de nuevos enemigos. Poco a poco, nos vamos familiarizando con los personajes, sus virtudes y sus defectos y su curiosa forma de vida.
4.5
Malditas novelas épicas que te tienen con los pelos de punta con estas tramas desesperantes.
Lo quise leer solo por la luna. Que lo vendiera como el juego de tronos en la luna me causaba un poco de desconfianza, pero vamos a aceptar la comparación, no está muy errada que digamos.
Empieza como si todos viviéramos en la luna y diéramos por hecho todo, como que en ese sentido falla en introducirnos, pero se vale de lista de personajes y glosario para ubicarnos, así que eso nos guiará durante la primer parte en la que estaremos mareados. Pero una vez nos acostumbremos a los personajes, la cultura y nos vayamos metiendo en la trama no hay vuelta atrás :O Ya cuando ocurre la primer muerte no lo podía creer y tenía que ver cómo seguían las cosas.
La narratividad está pensada supongo para dar pantallazos, mostrarnos diferentes escenas de los protagonistas principales para conocerlos y avanzar en la historia de esa forma. Creo que esto puede tener algo que ver con es o será una serie si no entendí mal.
Los personajes... una variedad tremenda, no solo en personalidad sino cultural. La luna no solo tiene yankis, es más los yankis ni figuran acá. Las dos familias protagonistas son brasileras y australianas. Pero le siguen muy de cerca una rusa, una china y otra ghanesa. Mucha diversidad cultural en varios sentidos y una libertad sexual sorpresiva, para todos los gustos.
Pero me encantó que una novela escrita por un hombre cuente con tantos personajes femeninos tan importantes e imponentes. Las mujeres de la Luna fueron sin duda mis favoritas lejos, los hombres resultan básicos a su lado. Adriana es la matriarca brasilera, su historia es genial y nos la cuenta como en una charla de amigos. Ariel es su única hija, una abogada afilada y astuta, llena de recursos y sorpresas. Marina, la única terrestre con protagonismo. Marina es nuestros ojos, conocemos muchas cosas de la Luna gracias a ella y con ella. Pero también demuestra sus capacidades continuamente. Y Luna, no tiene gran protagonismo por ser la Corta de menor edad pero es una nena adorable y avispada.
De los muchachos me quedo con Carlinhos que conocemos bastante gracias a Marina y lo adoré más cuando descubrí que era un pícaro (perdonen la jerga gamer). Wagner es un lobo y el exiliado de la familia, es misterioso y analítico, no veo las horas de conocer más de él y del resto de los lobos en la secuela. Y Lucas en un principio parece el típico trepador sediento de poder, pero me gusta reconocer que me sorprendió más de una vez y resultó ser más complejo de lo que parecía.
La trama va escalando y tomándose su tiempo de a ratos, pero pasada la mitad los hechos se ponen cada vez más jodidos y los últimos capítulos me tuvieron con los pelos de punta. Acá hay gente más chota que en Poniente y lo peor de todo es que no solo la gente es chota sino que viven en un ambiente peligroso.
Me sorprendió un montón este libro y rebasó mis expectativas, eso me fascina siempre. Es una novela de ciencia ficción épica, si se me permite decirlo. Y ya quiero Luna de lobos.
Malditas novelas épicas que te tienen con los pelos de punta con estas tramas desesperantes.
Lo quise leer solo por la luna. Que lo vendiera como el juego de tronos en la luna me causaba un poco de desconfianza, pero vamos a aceptar la comparación, no está muy errada que digamos.
Empieza como si todos viviéramos en la luna y diéramos por hecho todo, como que en ese sentido falla en introducirnos, pero se vale de lista de personajes y glosario para ubicarnos, así que eso nos guiará durante la primer parte en la que estaremos mareados. Pero una vez nos acostumbremos a los personajes, la cultura y nos vayamos metiendo en la trama no hay vuelta atrás :O Ya cuando ocurre la primer muerte no lo podía creer y tenía que ver cómo seguían las cosas.
La narratividad está pensada supongo para dar pantallazos, mostrarnos diferentes escenas de los protagonistas principales para conocerlos y avanzar en la historia de esa forma. Creo que esto puede tener algo que ver con es o será una serie si no entendí mal.
Los personajes... una variedad tremenda, no solo en personalidad sino cultural. La luna no solo tiene yankis, es más los yankis ni figuran acá. Las dos familias protagonistas son brasileras y australianas. Pero le siguen muy de cerca una rusa, una china y otra ghanesa. Mucha diversidad cultural en varios sentidos y una libertad sexual sorpresiva, para todos los gustos.
Pero me encantó que una novela escrita por un hombre cuente con tantos personajes femeninos tan importantes e imponentes. Las mujeres de la Luna fueron sin duda mis favoritas lejos, los hombres resultan básicos a su lado. Adriana es la matriarca brasilera, su historia es genial y nos la cuenta como en una charla de amigos. Ariel es su única hija, una abogada afilada y astuta, llena de recursos y sorpresas. Marina, la única terrestre con protagonismo. Marina es nuestros ojos, conocemos muchas cosas de la Luna gracias a ella y con ella. Pero también demuestra sus capacidades continuamente. Y Luna, no tiene gran protagonismo por ser la Corta de menor edad pero es una nena adorable y avispada.
De los muchachos me quedo con Carlinhos que conocemos bastante gracias a Marina y lo adoré más cuando descubrí que era un pícaro (perdonen la jerga gamer). Wagner es un lobo y el exiliado de la familia, es misterioso y analítico, no veo las horas de conocer más de él y del resto de los lobos en la secuela. Y Lucas en un principio parece el típico trepador sediento de poder, pero me gusta reconocer que me sorprendió más de una vez y resultó ser más complejo de lo que parecía.
La trama va escalando y tomándose su tiempo de a ratos, pero pasada la mitad los hechos se ponen cada vez más jodidos y los últimos capítulos me tuvieron con los pelos de punta. Acá hay gente más chota que en Poniente y lo peor de todo es que no solo la gente es chota sino que viven en un ambiente peligroso.
Me sorprendió un montón este libro y rebasó mis expectativas, eso me fascina siempre. Es una novela de ciencia ficción épica, si se me permite decirlo. Y ya quiero Luna de lobos.
The Godfather in space! New Moon is very different from standard novels; it jumps not only point of view but also verb tense. The political world on the moon is vast, and every couple of paragraphs the narrative jumps to a different character's perspective. Think like ASOIAF but more frequent. It was interesting to read but I liked it a lot. It reminded me of watching a television series, where each jump was a scene in the show. I think it could easily be adapted given the structure, it would lend itself well to tv.
The actual story is more political drama than sci-fi but there is a ton of that too, though it's more of a backdrop. The world itself felt like a combination of two settings I've seen before, but never together so it felt comfortable but novel. I loved reading the plot and the ending especially was a ride; there is a lot of mystery and intrigue. And Adriana Corta, of course, is such a badass. I do think some of the characters could have been better developed and there was too much gratuitous sex for me. Overall, I recommend this if you're the sort of person who likes the Godfather, sci-fi, and HBO shows. The combo totally works.
The actual story is more political drama than sci-fi but there is a ton of that too, though it's more of a backdrop. The world itself felt like a combination of two settings I've seen before, but never together so it felt comfortable but novel. I loved reading the plot and the ending especially was a ride; there is a lot of mystery and intrigue. And Adriana Corta, of course, is such a badass. I do think some of the characters could have been better developed and there was too much gratuitous sex for me. Overall, I recommend this if you're the sort of person who likes the Godfather, sci-fi, and HBO shows. The combo totally works.
Game of Thrones on the Moon, The Godfather on the Moon, more like Dallas or Dynasty on the Moon.
I think the thing that annoyed me most about this book is, that the author felt the need to ramp up the action at the end of the book and leave the reader with a kind of cliffhanger.
It's clearly the first book in a series intended to hook you not with a great story but with where it ends. I'm predicting that the next book will start with "x amount of time later".
It's somewhat entertaining but nothing I would outright recommend. I won't read the next book in the series.
If you want to read great science fiction involving different families struggling for power pick up "Dune".
I think the thing that annoyed me most about this book is, that the author felt the need to ramp up the action at the end of the book and leave the reader with a kind of cliffhanger.
It's clearly the first book in a series intended to hook you not with a great story but with where it ends. I'm predicting that the next book will start with "x amount of time later".
It's somewhat entertaining but nothing I would outright recommend. I won't read the next book in the series.
If you want to read great science fiction involving different families struggling for power pick up "Dune".