The fourth in­stall­ment in Traviss’s series about the wess’har, which began with City of Pearl. The plot is too complex to summarize here, and would make little sense if you haven’t read the preceding books.

This is in­tel­li­gent, character-driven SF, written for adults. A small cast of humans interact with four very different alien races, far from home. These aliens are not Americans with green skin; they live by different rules. The humans are flawed people who struggle with complex issues.

Traviss’s themes include ecology, ethics, and re­spon­si­bil­i­ty. She also throws in some action and enough plot twists to keep things un­pre­dictable.

The books take a little getting used to, but pull me along. I look forward to the projected remaining two books in the series.