Supercharged sci fi adventuring, this is pure enjoyment. Once more we pick up with Ren, our central focus who we left being flung into the unknown at the end of The Watch (Clarity, #1), now in a bit of a predicament. Faced with some serious reassessment Ren is forced to look on all she’s been led to believe with fresh eyes. We are right alongside Ren as she struggles to make sense of the quickly moving series of events that will take her to an ice planet full of dangers, both very real and those the result of the speculations her stretched mind present to her.

Thrown in to a frozen world inhabited by those forced to band together as tribespeople, Ren discovers the complex wants and needs of those she must engage with to enable her to fulfill her aim of reaching a treasured companion who she is prepared to risk everything for. Along the way she encounters many difficult choices, the consequences of which cannot always be seen clearly. Her character grows as a result of these challenges and we witness Ren evolve into becoming a more capable character, more able to reconcile her vulnerabilities and handle herself in relation to the strength and commanding nature of those she is surrounded by.

New elements are introduced that tie Ren to characters in unexpected and novel ways, and more is revealed about Ren’s roots and the implications these have for her present and future. By the end I was completely involved in Ren’s plight and caught up in the action, which is energetically described and a joy to read.

This is a no-nonsense, straight-shooting, rollickingly lively sci-fi experience, and it is frantic and fun to tag along on Ren’s exploits. Touches of reflection and self-doubt add depth, and the bonds and dynamics of the cast of characters are expanded upon to great effect. The frozen world backdrop makes for a suitably demanding test, filled with threats and the fantastic. Most importantly, this left me longing to find out what happens next. ( )