RADIATE

A tense drama about a thief and a con man caught up in the end of a world; a conclusion to the trilogy that began with Lightless (2015) and Supernova (2016).

Mattie and Ivan are the two people in the universe closest to the terrorist Constance Harper. But in the aftermath of the devastating attack they launched on the powerful System that ruled the solar system, Constance refuses to go back to try to rescue Ivan, so it’s up to Mattie to save his partner in crime. Meanwhile, the solar system is in chaos, with rebels still fighting remnants of System forces—and each other. Any ship, any person, could be a threat. Loyalties are shifting and hard to define. Betrayal lurks around every corner. And somewhere out in the black, the powerful ship known as the Ananke is searching for another computer she can wake into consciousness, sowing destruction wherever she goes. This novel takes Mattie and Ivan forward from the cataclysmic attack on the System and extends their story backward to see how they ended up making the choices they made. The extensive flashbacks slow the pace at first—they don’t seem to be adding much new information—but eventually their purpose becomes clear. The tension builds as Mattie and Ivan struggle to find safety, and all the while the horror that is the Ananke comes closer and closer.

This conclusion lacks the propulsive power of Lightless, but it opens up into a compelling emotional tale about two people trying to save each other from a disaster of their own making.