I didn't realize when I started this book that it was a collection of four shorter works rather than one continuous story. But it features the same crowd and deals with issues following from the previous books, hooking my interest quite easily. I must say that I find this imaginative world to be a bit on the silly side, but the lives and loves of the characters keep me reading.
These four vignettes take us far into the future compared to the last book. It's like each section was an idea that the author needed to write, but none of them required a whole novel to explore. But it does act like stepping stones, transitioning us to a new generation, and giving her new scope for the subsequent books.
Get ready to say goodbye to a couple of longstanding characters while welcoming new children, who grow up to fill their parents' lives with excitement. Young Jaenelle Sadi in particular is going to lead her father Daemon a merry dance. And it's not just the genetic children—there are a number of strays who get folded into the family in these stories and who will feature in the next volume, according to my snooping ahead. After a long hiatus (2011-2020), Bishop has produced three more books centered on these youngsters. Their elders are too settled to provide the necessary drama!
Not to everyone's taste, but fun and fast.
Book number 512 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project
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