In this well-done tale of politics in near-Earth orbit from Rosenblum (The Stone Garden
), Ahni Huang, a class nine empath, cyborg and daughter of the ruler of Taiwan, has been sent up the space elevator to the synchronous platform New York Up to avenge the supposed murder of her brother. There she finds herself enmeshed in a complex web of political intrigue as various factions struggle for control of the platform's future. She also meets Dane Nilson, New York Up's charismatic chief agronomist, who sees himself as the midwife to humanity's next evolutionary step, and Koi, who may well be that next step. The major plot threads—a space colony's attempt to gain freedom from a domineering Earth government, human distrust of the Other, the importance of balancing the environment—aren't particularly new, but the author uses them nicely to create an entertaining tale. Rosenblum, who also writes mysteries as Mary Freeman, provides a fascinating picture of how humanity might develop in zero gravity. (Oct.)
