cover image How the Multiverse Got Its Revenge

How the Multiverse Got Its Revenge

K. Eason. DAW, $27 (416p) ISBN 978-0-7564-1531-0

Eason expands on the fairy tale–infused, galactic setting of How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse in this rip-roaring but chaotic sequel. Two years after accidentally becoming the figurehead of a revolution and sparking a civil war, heroine Rory has turned her back on life as a princess to become a salvager and privateer, along with several of her former bodyguards. But she’s drawn back into multiverse politics when she stumbles across a derelict ship containing deadly cargo: a bioengineered weapon capable of eradicating entire planets, but possessing just enough sentience to rebel against its programming. As ships representing both human and alien species arrive on the scene hoping to lay claim to the weapon, Rory and her allies are separated, make tenuous alliances, and navigate complicated political dynamics in an effort to prevent war. As this adventure develops into an armed standoff between no less than five factions, with many of the alien species resembling classic fantasy novel creatures, the frenetic pacing proves something of a hindrance, as more nuanced threads are lost in the confusion. Still, this fantasy-space-opera hybrid provides no shortage of action, interstellar hijinks, and fuel for future installments. Series readers will be pleased. [em]Agent: Lisa Rodgers, JABberwocky Literary. (Oct.) [/em]