I read this as part of the Sword and Laser book club. Until it was announced as the month's book I hadn't heard of it, so I really had no particular expectations going in. I was pleasantly surprised.

This is a fast moving book where humanity has managed to colonize parts of the solar system. But they're still very much tethered to Earth. Technology and science are background elements for this book. They serve the plot, not the other way round.

We are presented with two viewpoint characters: Jim Holden, the rather naive and reckless XO of an ice mining ship and Detective Miller a policeman on a space station with a very realpolitik viewpoint. Over the course of the book their two stories merge into one as a larger plot develops. The two characters and their conflicting moral views drive the story forward.

I particularly enjoyed the first half to two thirds of the book as the mystery and political elements played out. The interactions between Earth, Mars and the "Belters" was convincing and the political tensions kept my attention. In some ways this stuff reminded me of Babylon 5.

The final part of the book is a bit more out there. Not bad and it follows on logically from what came before but not as interesting to me personally.

I did like how science was used in the book. They don't ignore the realities of physics (whether it's gravity or radiation) but at the same time it's just accepted that after that much advance in science a lot of problems are solvable. We aren't subjected to page long explanations of how, just that they are.

There is a peculiar absence of robots or any sort of artificial intelligence though. I'm not sure if that's simply because it didn't suit the story being told, or if there's more to it.

One interesting thing the author attempts is to have his viewpoint characters faced with some harsh realizations about themselves and their own actions. On more than one occasion you find your perception of the character twisted by what they discover about themselves. It can be a bit of a wrench, but the hints are there if you look back.

However, this may annoy readers who like their characters to be consistent from beginning to end. These people are changed by events around them and their own emotions. Their decisions and actions are consistent, but not constant.

All in all it's a fun, fast paced read with mystery, politics, action and at the end just a bit of "sense of wonder". Oh and while it's reasonably self contained it does set up a sequel very nicely!