With the Ascendency at war with the Kardiran, Orry and her crew want nothing more than to keep out of the way and turn a few cons. When they try and con a corrupt banker over a land deal, the local kingpin takes offence that a con is going down without him having a cut. He kidnaps Orry and she meets the Ascendency agent, Irina, who informs her that there is a plot to kill the Imperator…

Morhelion (2019. 436 pages) is the second book in The Long Game series of novels and follows directly on from Shattermoon. The series is written by Dominic Dulley.

Dulley has continued with the same formula which he used in the first book. The story is part heist and part unapologetic space opera.

Having established his universe, Dulley takes the opportunity to expand upon Shattermoon by adding new planets and habitats for Orry, her brother Nathen and their gruff companion, Mender, to visit. Likewise, he has started to fill in some of the information missing from the first novel, like how did humanity reach the stars and how did the Ascendency come into being. We also discover much more about the origins of the Imperator.

Dulley has a very easy writing style and packs in a lot of action, it’s the sort of storytelling which hooks in the reader from the first chapter. The style and content are very reminiscent of Heinlein and Blish, in that, against an operatic background the author concentrates on developing character interactions as the main driving force of the story. There is much to enjoy in the witty banter between Orry and Mender, Well, Orry and pretty much everyone else.

As a character, Orry is often driven to do what she feels is right, even if the results are not always what she expected. Dulley has written her as a natural strong character with a solid moral centre, however she remains a reluctant hero.

The story is not particularly profound, but it is entertaining. If anything, this is better than the first novel.

7

Charles Packer