I have problems with series ending. Either I love the series and don’t want it to end or I get bored with the series and don’t make it to the end (which happens more often). Trilogies simplify the issue a little. There’s only three, so chances are if I enjoyed the first one I won’t have gotten bored yet by the time the third rolls around. On the other hand, there’s only three and I want more time in the world with the characters. The Interdependency falls into the second category. I love it and want more. Maybe a follow-up trilogy. Please.

First off, don’t read The Last Emperox as a stand alone. Read the first and second, in that order. Meet the characters, discover the world, learn the politics, get an idea of the science. (I’m not really sure how scientific the science is, but that’s beside the point. Don’t worry that this is too sciencey, it’s not.)

The Last Emperox picks up where The Consuming Fire left off. The Flow collapsing and the various systems in the Interdependency are going to be cut off from each other, which is a problem because only one has the capability of being self-sustaining. The others are all dependent on each other, hence the name. The Emperox Grayland II is determined to save as many people as she can. The noble houses are determined to get themselves to End, where life can continue, and make as much money as possible in the process, nevermind the millions of people who will die.

That makes it sound all doom and gloom, but there are plenty of moments to laugh along the way. The characters an interesting set, none at all capable of dealing with such a huge issue, but trying their best to reach their goal, whether that be power, money or, you know, saving the world. The plot takes a couple twists and turns and keeps you on your toes. There are also a couple of love stories that are sweet but don’t take attention away from the action.

It’s fun and a good diversion. And I love that the three characters driving the plot are women. There’s Nadashe, the villain, who has a goal and puts everything she has into getting it. There’s Kiva, who is blunt and intelligent and is willing to bulldoze her way through any situation. Then there’s Grayland herself, caring and determined. Each is formidable on her own but when the team up or face off against each other, it’s pretty awesome.

In a way, the ending was perfect and had me in tears. In another way, it was a bit of a cop out – look, surprise, we found a possible solution. The good guys (maybe) win, and the bad guys lose just about everything.

Emperox Grayland II has gotten most of the rebellions under control. Sure Nadashe Nohamapetan is still out there somewhere, but Nadashe's mother and all their conspirators are under lock and key and most of their assets frozen. That is until Nadashe gets herself some new conspirators. It really shows her single-minded ambition that despite all that she has been through, from future Emperox consort to prisoner, that she still has her eyes on the prize; she will be Emperox no matter what. Though why she would want to rule a collapsing empire that is on the verge of complete disintegration is beyond the current Emperox, Grayland II. The current Emperox can think of one thing and one thing only, how to save all her people with only a handful of real allies. Marce has got the science side locked down. He even has some interesting ideas that could in the long run prove to be hugely helpful in saving civilization, but he needs time, something they don't have. While Kiva has got the conspiracy side of things handled, closely watching Nadashe's plots and wondering how she could possibly infiltrate the inner circle in order to help the Emperox more. But one thing is certain, when you have an enemy as tenacious as Nadashe, you can't plan for every single eventuality and someone will pay the ultimate price. Of course does the endgame really lead to the end or to a new beginning?

The Last Emperox suffers from being released when it was, and I'm not talking about the uncanny coincidence of having the same denouement as the Westworld episode "Genre" that aired two days before it was published. I'm talking about being released in the midst of this Covid-19 pandemic. What was a fun series that merged the tropes of space operas with a scattering of prescient politics just cut a little too close to the bone for me at the moment. Instead of light reading it felt like a chore to pick it up every night and some nights I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I know there are those out there who probably loved this installment for the exact reasons I object to it, and I'm sure in time I will appreciate this book for what it is, just not at the moment. There was one passage that brought me to tears because it encapsulated my current frustrations when Grayland was discussing how people will survive the end of life as they know it: "That's going to be up to the people in the individual systems to do. I can give them all the information I have and they need, but once the Interdependency is gone it will be up to them to decide what to do with that information. I don't think everyone is going to make it to End. But a lot of them will." We have SO MUCH information on Covid-19 and yet our individual system of the United States is run by idiots who aren't going to let us get to the end! In reading that passage you see how Scalzi works, completely. He's vehemently anti-Trump and his despondence at the current political climate informs this trilogy, but that's the genius of Scalzi, that in a far flung future you see the now. Only it was a little too painful seeing the now now.

Unsurprisingly, Scalzi ends his trilogy with significant aplomb and proves to the world once again that this man really knows how to write a story. Extremely prescient and moving, and refreshing to see a dude writer who consistently has well-rounded lady characters.

The Last Emperox is the third and final entry in American author John Scalzi’s Interdependency series and, as evidenced by its debut onto the New York Times bestseller list, ends on a solid high note. Many of the wheels put into motion in the preceding two novels come to a head here, and while enough things are left open and unresolved to make you wish for more books in the series, it definitely resolves the right things the right way to absolutely stick the landing. Accolades well deserved, this book was great!

As a note, while I’ll avoid any explicit spoilers for major elements of this specific book, this is a review of a third book in a series, so just the nature of describing even starting events here will of necessity include spoilers of the first two books, and so if you’ve yet to start this series at all, consider stopping reading now.

I think the most interesting through-line of this trilogy which also has a very strong parallel to modern events, is the degree to which, in spite of extremely clear and present danger, in spite of mountains of data to support the danger, in spite of first-hand proof plain to all that the danger is very real, boy do a lot of people of means, power and authority just not give a shit at all. And I don’t even mean their assumptions that they personally will end up fine no matter what happens, or their willingness to just throw everybody that isn’t their friends and family under the bus, though all of that is also here. It’s the way that their arrogance and pride make them completely blind to the idea that any part of this danger could be real at all.

And granted, you’ve got an Emperox who was never intended for the throne, who has no connections among the elite, no formal training in ruler-ship etc etc who is not only suddenly warning everybody of a major disaster they can’t even comprehend existing, but doing so based on the say-so of scientists that, as far as everybody is concerned are just backwater idiots. And granted, elements of what she’s calling people to do, if the threat is not actually real or serious, would do real harm to their economic situation. But again, that has so blinded all of these otherwise very intelligent and reasonable people to the reality staring them in the face, that they will just condemn billions of people, possibly including themselves, out of a refusal to consider the gravity of the situation.

The other message I’ve taken from this is a really interesting meditation on expertise, leadership, and morality. Emperox Greyland II is basically “some person” who through a coincidence of laws of succession is put in charge of, functionally, the entire universe and human race. She’s had basically no training for this job, no real preparedness, her own expertise in life is as an academic not a businessperson, a politician, a religious figure or even a negotiator, and yet she generally handles all of those issues with aplomb and even a certain degree of deftness and grace.

Likewise, Kiva Lagos. Yes, she’s more of an expert in her particular field which includes business, but even she’s not the direct heir to the family, her job was fairly isolated, representing the family on trading ships and so is, by reasonable expectations also pretty under-qualified for the kinds of things she ends up doing through these books. And she not only kicks ass, she takes names while she’s at it.

The main distinction they have, for me, is that at heart they are good people (Even if it takes Kiva a while to realize she’s actually not just self-interested after all) and that by being good people, having compassion and empathy for everybody, not just themselves, they excel. They have a willingness to find and trust experts, they have the ability to put others before themselves, and these things combine to make them effective. Their competence comes out of goodness, and not the other way around, and that struck me throughout the trilogy as a really interesting and impacting idea.

Recent world events have done an extremely good job of highlighting the problem that comes from people who have expertise in an area thinking this somehow extends to expertise in other unrelated areas, and that tacit assumption that because they are successful at whatever it is they do, they know better than anybody whose qualifications they can call into question, even when those people are using information that comes from actual experts. So this idea that effectiveness comes from essentially humility (yes even Kiva) is actually pretty bold in this day and age.

So having said all of that, most of which has nothing at all to do with the actual physical content of the book so much as the existential questions the book asks, I definitely want to make clear that this was, indeed a great book. The pacing is still bang on, the dialogue is absolute aces, and there managed to be a couple twists and turns that I was not at all expecting, none of which felt arbitrary or out of nowhere. There’s some absolutely fascinating history in prequel land for this world that I’d love to explore, almost as much, if not more than I want to see what’s going to happen further forward.

A fantastic ending to a fantastic trilogy. Bravo.

The Last Emperox is an excellent conclusion to a series full of powerful women, smart men, and a battle for power.

This trilogy is set in a galaxy of a billion people who are spread across about fifty habitats called The Interdependency. This empire is connected through an extraordinary space-highway called The Flow. Gigantic spaceships can travel between planets within months instead of thousands of years using The Flow.

In book three the secret is out and everyone knows The Flow is collapsing. Only one planet is able to sustain human life on its surface. All the other habitats won’t be able to survive on their own.

The Emperox Grayland II, also named Cardenia Wu, is tasked with figuring out a way to save billions of people. The problem is that the nobility wants her dead and they want to save themselves first. Cardinia’s opposition has always been led by Nadashe Nohamapetan. Nadashe is the daughter of the second largest company/house in The Interdependency and she has a long list of motives to remove Cardenia of power.

The jockeying for power continues in book three. I enjoyed the different levels of storylines. The main problem of the collapsing super-space-highway drives the conflict while all the characters argue and fight like children in the backseat of a long drive.

I have been teaching my kids about foreshadowing using the novel, The Wild Robot. So foreshadowing has been on the forefront of my own reading and I tried to pick out bits where Scalzi was setting up the reader. I’m a bit sad I guessed a twist, because it removed some of the emotional punch. There were definitely other twists I didn’t guess and were a joy to read.

I liked so many of the characters from the very first book. I especially enjoyed foul-mouthed Kiva. She is the female version of a bad boy with a heart of gold. Even Nadashe makes a great villain and Cardenia Wu is a worthy opponent. Strong women dominate the novel, but the men aren’t made weak to make the women look stronger. The men in the novel had their own strengths. It’s refreshing to read a novel where each gender seems to be treated equally.

I think the only reason I’m giving this four stars is because of my own reading experience. I read all three novels in a row. Perhaps I would have liked this one better if I had a break in between the novels and I was able to relish my time back in The Interdependency. I was halfway through this novel when I wondered if the book would really wrap up the entire trilogy.

The trilogy does get wrapped up well. I love Science Fiction, but I often have to work to understand abstract technical concepts to get the meat of the story. However, I didn’t have to work hard to understand this world and I got to enjoy a Science Fiction book with really cool characters. This is a readable story I would recommend to anyone who wants to try Science Fiction for the first time.

I would like to thank Tor Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Very satisfying end to the series. Lots of twists and turns and political intrigue and it was fascinating to read about the impending end of civilization as we know it from the point of view of April 2020. I couldn't put it down.

Thank you for allowing me to review The Last Emperox by John Scalzi. What to say... as a Scalzi fan, I can attest that this follows his usual quality of writing and substance. In other words, an entirely enjoyable read and a book (series) I'll certainly recommend to others.

We ran both a feature on the Last Emperox and a Q&A with the author at religionnews.com


https://religionnews.com/2020/04/13/in-the-last-emperox-john-scalzi-delivers-a-satisfying-space-opera-with-a-soul/

https://religionnews.com/2020/04/13/john-scalzi-on-messiahs-the-apocalypse-coronavirus-and-religion-in-science-fiction/

A breakneck space opera adventure from genre fave John Scalzi, THE LAST EMPEROX is a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to the Interdependency series. 'This collapse was foretold through scientific prediction . . . and yet, even as the evidence is obvious and insurmountable, many still try to rationalize, delay and profit from, these final days of one of the greatest empires humanity has ever known.' Well, I've always said the best stories written about our future tell the story of now. By turns funny, suspenseful, and heartbreaking, another absolute triumph from Scalzi.

I enjoyed this immensely. There's a number of satisfying twists, many starring my favorite, the foul-mouthed Kiva Lagos. I find the Flow and its waning fascinating, but for me it is the characters that shine here, each with their own type of integrity. Great conclusion to a great series.

The Last Emperox by John Scalzi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well now!

This was a delight to read. So much tongue-in-cheek science snark, world-wise politics, and a tale that welcomes, or at least braces-for, the end of the empire. Yes, all these colonies and habitats rely on each other to survive. Yes, the space network is dying, and soon they'll all be cut off from each other. Yes, it's now the time to scrabble and cash out and wait for the inevitable, horrible collapse.

Wait... are we talking about Space-Opera, or just ourselves?

Damn, I love this snark. The tale still manages to be light, somewhat hopeful, full of main-character-is-science, and a cute love story that I could get behind. And the end? Sheesh!

Scalzi is slamming it down for us, showing us his cards. I had so much fun!

An enjoyable read and a satisfactory conclusion. Classic Scalzi!
Grayland II, Emperox of the Interdependency, faces two overwhelming challenges. She must find a way to save humanity from the consequences of the dissolution of the Flow, the conduit that enables the many worlds humanity inhabits to be indeed interdependent. In order to do that, though, she has to stay in control of her empire. And that means she has to stay alive!
If you have read the first two books in this series, let me reassure you that The Last Emperox continues to deliver all the things that made the earlier books so popular, beginning with an attention-grabbing opener: “The funny thing was, Ghreni Nohamapetan, the acting Duke of End, actually saw the surface-to-air missile that slammed into his car the second before it hit.” The action, political intrigue, deceit, and betrayal takes off from there and does not quit until the end. Scalzi has used a great deal of imagination to construct a society full of so many scheming nobles that it sometimes makes the reader wonder if there is anyone left to root for and perhaps question whether humanity, at least the upper ranks of society, is worth saving at all. Needless to say, the plot has lots of twists and turns and surprises. There are other elements to enjoy, too, like Jiyi, the AI network that gives current emperors the ability to consult with all of his or her predecessors. There is even an element of romance, in the relationship between Grayland II and Marce, the scientist who is trying to develop the means to save humanity from the Flow collapse.
One of Scalzi’s most enjoyable talents is his wonderfully irreverent attitude and sassy humor, like when the Emperox muses during a long meeting that if someone had told her “that one of the most valuable skills an emperox could cultivate was the ability to clamp down on their excretory functions…, she might have passed on the gig.” Sometimes, though, I think he goes too far. Use of f--- and s---- is common enough that is not surprising to see them in any book, and Scalzi’s portrayal of Kiva’s potty-mouth fits her character nicely. But the almost-every-page prevalence of such language and the frequent references to sexual activities risk annoying many readers who would otherwise really enjoy the books and might make some parents consider the book inappropriate for young teen readers, who are a major audience for SF.
Scalzi does an excellent job of filling in the background in case you did not read the first two books, but reading this book will spoil some of the fun and the surprises in the earlier ones, so I highly recommend you read the entire trilogy in order.
The Last Emperox is a fitting conclusion to the Interdependency trilogy , and there is no indication that Scalzi plans to continue in this universe, although SPOILER ALERT! the universe is not destroyed in this installment. Given past history, though, I am sure that the author of the Old Man’s War series and the Lock In series has other ideas bubbling in his head and will continue to entertain science fiction fans with future reads.

I have to begin with the admission that I love Scalzi's work - as a Trekkie, Redshirts was a special delight. The Last Emperox is the last in a series that has also provided me with great enjoyment.

The world-building is the love-child of Iain M. Banks' Culture and Asimov's Foundation, featuring an Imperial federation of every kind of space habitat held together by navigable streams in space-time and a commercially-based aristocracy, with behind-the-scenes uploaded intelligences playing an important role.

The characters range from inbred aristocratic dimwits (obviously NOTHING in common with anyone we know) to the sharpest of political strategists (ditto). The dialogue is smart and witty, and the personalities, even the evil ones, compelling.

The main plot-device is powered by the gradual disintegration of the navigation streams binding the habitats together, the fact that there is only one attainable and habitable world to escape to, and the struggle between a well-meaning and intelligent ruler - the Emperox of the title - and the ruthlessly selfish machinations of a plutocratic upper class, most of whom couldn't care less whether their underlings survive or not. Sound familiar?

There are, in fact, a fair number of parallels with current events, which, given the length of time needed to plot, plan out, and actually write a book, is probable evidence of prescience on Scalzi's part. I've asked him for his hints on lottery numbers.

The whole series makes for great reading, and also distraction, during the difficult times we live through. Not that those are ignored. Scalzi's afterword exhorts us "not to vote for anyone who is a whirling amoral vortex of chaos." Sound advice for many of us from Australia to Zimbabwe. I agree thoroughly with both the motivations of his admirable and likeable central character, and with that final request.

A fitting and rather sad ending to this action packed space adventure series. Just as fast paced and snarky as the previous two books, this instalment draws the threads of the previous books together even as the interdependancy crumbles and planets are cut off from mankind's greatest empire. This was amazing - funny and poignant.

Through no fault of its own, The Last Emperox couldn’t have arrived at a better time. John Scalzi’s novels are uniformly brief and briskly paced, with rapid fire action and dialogue—in other words, ready-made for binge reading. And with the current coronavirus pandemic forcing people to spend most of their free time at home, that’s what many people are doing. Haven’t read the first two books in Scalzi’s Interdependency trilogy? Each can be gobbled up in a single sitting while you hunker down for the evening, then you can slide right into the freshly printed one by day three. The series is also thematically timely; civilization coming apart at the seams through neglect, short-sightedness and inaction in the face of an unforeseen cataclysm sound familiar? Though completed months prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, alarming echoes of current day events reverberate from the pages of The Last Emperox. It’s a not uncommon trait in science fiction, nor is it surprising coming from this science fiction author, who has managed to keep his finger on today’s pulse for much of his writing career.
For those unfamiliar with the premise of The Interdependency, it is set fifteen centuries into our future in an empire spanning multiple star systems. All these systems, save one, are incapable of supporting human life on their own, so each depends on the whole to survive. The whole is, not unexpectedly, ruled by a small cadre of wealthy elites whose families control all commerce between systems. Intersystem commerce is only made possible by traversing the Flow, naturally occurring streams that cheat the otherwise untenable distances of time and space. Discovery of the impending collapse of the entire system of Flow streams is therefore a civilization-ending disaster.
I found the opening volume of the trilogy (The Collapsing Empire) entertaining, if uneven; too reliant on long passages of exposition, overly plot-centered and heavy on oration. The abrupt ending was also jarring, coming right as the story was picking up steam. This was likely intentional—a feature of its being intended not as a standalone but as the first third of a complete story—but I still found it lacking. I thought the first sequel (The Consuming Fire) was a little more comfortable in its own skin and possessed of a much more satisfying (if only temporary) outcome. The Last Emperox is perhaps the most neatly balanced of the three volumes, a harmonious convergence of well-oiled plot machine, smart-alecky dialogue and fully rounded characters.
The ostensible hero of the story is Cardenia Wu-Patrick, also known as Emperox Grayland II, the reluctant leader of the Interdependency in this time of unfathomable crisis. When The Last Emperox begins, Grayland II has just survived another deposition plot (following a prior assassination plot) only to find myriad others sprouting up hydra-like in their place. None of this bodes well for her and her scientist-lover Marce Claremont’s goal of figuring out how to transport the entirety of Human civilization to a single planet that has neither the room nor the resources to handle a sudden, massive influx of migration. Grayland is also aided by shrewd, potty-mouthed Lady Kiva Lagos, tasked with unraveling the various plots against the Emperox, as well as the artificial construct known as the Memory Room, which houses facsimiles of all the previous Emperox. This is where Scalzi’s grand design engages with current events: questions of having the leadership qualities necessary to mitigate a catastrophe are front and center, of the willingness of few to sacrifice the many for personal gain, of the wisdom (or lack thereof) in concentrating power in the hands of those few to begin with, allow Scalzi to flex his philosophical and political muscles with his customary piquancy.
But if The Last Emperox represents the culmination of the trilogy’s strengths, so too do its faults climax. Taking its cue from Marvel, Star Wars, and most other blockbuster franchises, Scalzi’s Interdependency espouses an axiomatic neoliberal worldview, one in which the predations of the greedy elite class can only be countered by putting our faith in other, more benevolent ruling elites and the martial forces they command. This strategy can acknowledge class struggle while discreetly tip-toeing around it, since (according to this philosophy) the unwashed masses have no other legitimate recourse for bettering their condition than to hope someone rich and powerful will handle it for them. It is even more frustrating that this novel both acknowledges and shrugs at this position in the same breath.
Reservations aside, I still enjoy a good blockbuster as much as the next person. So shelter in place, microwave some popcorn and have a rollicking good time with one of the more appealing sci-fi writers of his generation.

The Last Emperox concludes the trilogy begun in The Collapsing Empire, bringing the saga to a thrilling if sad end. Favorite characters like Kiva Lagos and Grayland II work frantically to save as many citizens of the Interdependency as they can, while the villainous Nadashe schemes for the throne. In a no-win situation, who can survive?

I have really enjoyed this series and this final instalment, while probably my least favourite, was a really good conclusion. We follow the characters we have grown to love as they prepare for the uncertain future.

The Positives: Once again, I loved the tone. Scalzi writes with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, which I really appreciate. I particularly enjoy Kiva and loved her character arc, both through the series, and in this concluding chapter. Indeed, I thought all of the character arcs were well done and had satisfying endings here, which is a great achievement. There were some great little plot twists along the way too, which made things incredibly compelling.

The Negatives: I felt like the pacing was a bit off in this book. We had an awful lot to tie up here, but the first half of the book seemed to have a lot of repetition of previous machinations and intrigues, which left the latter half feeling a bit rushed and under-cooked for me.

Overall, this has been a really fun and compelling series and I would definitely recommend it to anyone in the mood for some lighthearted space opera.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

It is no surprise that I enjoyed this book. I am a big fan of Scalzi’s writing. His sense of humour really appeals to me and the ease at which it lures you into the story is just fantastic. This is particularly true of The Last Emperox where the humour and chatty conversational tone of Scalzi’s work managed to set the scene of the previous two books without it feeling like a "Previously On" rehash of old scenes.

The Last Emperox is the final book in the Interdependency trilogy and it really is the ending this series deserves. This book keeps you on your toes! Compared to Consuming Fire I felt this one really paired down the number of perspectives, focusing on the ploting, scheming and other machinations of our three strong female protagonists; the trepidatious Emperox Garyland, the doesn’t give a flying-f**k unless you piss her off Lady Kiva and the doesn’t mind leaving everyone dead in her wake Nadashe. I love the individual voices these women have, how they hold their power and how they play their political games is unique to them. They lovingly play with and bend typical troupes of the foul-mouthed woman, the power hungry bitch and the timid and quiet mousy one. They are fun to read about, to route for and to route against. They are great in both the action packed romps and the quiet reflective moments, solid characters you can really just have fun reading about.

The plot is essentially that the political interplay between these characters in their goals for the Interdependecy and the fate laid out in the previous books. All of this keeps the reader on their toes. There are so many twists and turns. The lighter humour filled moments are studied with great moments considering the multitude of human response to crisis, the struggle and sacrifice required and what being human means (a common theme in most of his books). Scalzi’s own political views clearly make their way in to some of the narration but as I align with his thinking this didn’t bother me and I found those criticisms and parallels enjoyable to read. And DAMN do we get one hell of a twist at the end! It was such a satisfying ending to both the book and the series. I just couldn’t see where it was going and it delighted me, the resolution was perfect. It drew a nice (slightly open ended) line in the sand for the characters while leaving the Universe open to possibility. I just really enjoyed it.

I don’t read Scalzi for hard hitting science accurate Sci-fi, I read it for the joy of reading a jam-packed romp of a Space Opera that has me laughing out loud, gasping in shock and eventually leaving me with that satisfied smile of having enjoyed myself when I close the back cover. The Last Emperox and the Interdependecy series as a whole does this, which makes them great reads. This is a series I will re-read time and time again.

Solid final installment to the trilogy that seemed strangely relevant to current times, even though it was finished in November 2019. It was nice to read about a world in which government cared about people. The afterward is also a real kick in the gut (2019 sucked, but 2020 is even worse).

I received a free e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Last Emperox is the final part of John Scalzi’s The Interdependency trilogy. The previous entries were both full of big ideas, and entertaining stories, which meshed those ideas with convincing characterisation, and a sense of fun that kept the pages turning.

This entry, I am delighted to say, is at least as much fun to read as the preceding entries. That same blend of big sci-fi ideas and characters you can laugh with, love, or hate, remains compelling, with an underpinning of a universe that feels richly woven and believable as a convincing background.

Speaking of which, that universe is, well, ending. An interstellar empire that spans multiple systems is set to collapse into fire and madness, as the space lanes between them shift out of alignment. Each system, populated by artificial habitats, and hamstrung by corporate patents on crops and other necessities, is, well, dependent on the others. As the links between them collapse, the question isn’t going to be who survives, but how long it will take for them all to fail. For all that, the institutions and people of the story - the noble houses, the merchants guilds, the politicians and fixers, the guardsmen and artisans, react much as people seem to. They ignore the end of their world, and settle down to putting another basket of bread on the table, assuming (or hoping) that someone else will fix the problem. The scintillating orbital habitats are wonderfully described, their inhabitants - crotchety, scheming loving, wonderful people, all sharply observed. This is a universe which feels lived in, and as it begins to fall apart at the edges, as the seams unpick themselves, as markets start to panic, and as the rich quietly start looking for lifeboats for themselves, as all of this occurs, its lived in reality gives the slow disintegration of society an emotional kick, a weight, and a tension which you can feel simmering with each turn of the page. Whether anything of this glorious string of worlds can be saved is something the narrative proposes as an open question - and invites the reader to join in finding out the answer.

In this, they’re joined by the characters. I need to take a minute and say how much I appreciate the antagonists. In the main, they’re smart, driven people, doing what they think is best. Admittedly, they tend to be more selfish than our heroes, but they’re not idiots. Callous, perhaps, ruthless, occasionally murderous - but still working with an agenda which makes sense. Yes, you want, say, the Nohamapetan family’s plot to seize control of the Empire to fail, but you have to respect their drive and commitment to the goal; the moments you see things from a Nohamapetan point of view are rather revealing.

Then there’s our protagonists. I have a lot of time for Kiva, the fast-talking, expletive-laden adjutant to the Emperox. She’s quick on her feet, sharp-tongued, and entirely unapologetic about who she is and what she wants. Kiva is, by many lights, exactly as selfish as the villainous Nohamapetan’s. But she’s also self-aware enough to realise that in order to get what she wants, she needs a society to do it in - and she does have a genuine friendship with a few people, and a genuine relationship to fall back on. Speaking of which, Kiva’s romance with one of the Nohamapetan lawyers is unbearably cute; their banter flows wonderfully and makes for a highly entertaining read, and Kiva’s love interest is no shrinking violet herself. There’s an emotional honesty, a fear and a longing and a love under their words, which makes them a fabulous pair.

Then there’s the Emperox, trying to hold everything together, with her own relationship to build, with the physicist modelling the collapse of the Flow. Greyland II, as she now is, is still impressively clever, aware of the stakes, and treading the line between being ruthless enough to rule and kind enough to remain herself. Greyland’s fire is unleashed here, trying to do the right things, the last things, the things which need to be done. That she is making an effort to save the Empire, save the people, without losing a sense of what’s right, makes her a top-draw heroine. You can see the genuine young woman underneath the ceremony as well, struggling to bear up under the responsibility, whose determination is as much a triumph as the political successes of the Emperox who she acts as on a daily basis.

In the end, this is a fantastic conclusion to the trilogy, The story weaves from crisis to crisis, our heroes (and their antagonists) struggling to get the upper hand, to shape the world and to save the universe. The story is snappily paced, and it’ll keep you wanting to know what happens next, turning those pages again, well into the night. So yes, this is a fantastic novel, and a great conclusion to a wonderful sci-fi series. Read it!