The Tropic of Eternity

Toner’s bloated follow-up to The Weight of the World returns readers to the widest reaches of the Amaranthine Firmament, an empire in the 147th century, with the book’s massive cast spread out across several plots begun in previous books. In one of the main story lines, the gentle Melius giant Lycaste, first introduced in 2015’s The Promise of the Child, works with several allies in an attempt to thwart series villain Aaron the Long-Life’s attempts at revenge against the world that wronged him. Another important plot involves the search for the infant queen Arabis after she is abducted, with some chapters focusing on her kidnapper while others focus on her family’s quest to find her. Toner helpfully includes lengthy prefatory material, but new readers will still struggle to keep track of the numerous plots, characters, and places, especially as Toner skips around in time and space. Fans of the first two books will find plenty to love in the return to many familiar settings and characters, but those unfamiliar with Toner’s labyrinthine approach to storytelling will find this an inhospitable starting point. (Sept.)