Outstanding.

I’d originally been disappointed when I read that this latest novel in the Lady Astronaut series wouldn’t focus on Elma Yorke, the central character so far. How wrong I was.

This instalment of the series is a bit different in tone, in some ways feeling a good deal darker, as tensions escalate and characters face life or death consequences. This book a tightly plotted, close quarters espionage thriller on the moon; how can we say know to that?

Nicole Wargin is a fascinating and rounded character whose true depths are slowly revealed over the course of the novel, and the story is thrilling, heart-breaking, and exultant in all the right places.

A word should be said about the author doing her own narration: it’s amazing. Before listening, I had no idea that Mary Robinette Kowal is also a voice actor, now I’d rank her among my favourite audiobook narrators. She does an incredible job bringing the multinational cast of the book to life, and her performance as Nicole moved me to tears once or twice.

I can’t recommend this enough.

5 people found this helpful

5 stars is not enough!

I have waited for this book since I finished The Fated Sky back in 2018. The author is the narrator, and she is awesome! She has the ability to make you feel like you are there, living the story, experiencing the same emotions. While listening, I laughed, cried, gasped and had anger toward characters to the point that I felt like I was part of story. I look forward to more of her stories, both her own stories and those that she narrates.

4 people found this helpful

Good listen

This series is an excellent story-line that I highly recommend. The characters are exciting, and the story has a subtle forceful type of energy that will keep the listener engaged. 😀😀😀😀

3 people found this helpful

Awesome

Another great addition to the series. Really well written. I couldn't stop listening. Only sad that now I have to wait for the next one.

3 people found this helpful

Great continuation of the Lady Astronaut series

This is a great series very well performed by the author. It's an alternative history version of the exploration of space that was caused by the arrival of a meteor that will eventually kill all humans on earth. Very enjoyable characters among them Elma York and Nicole Wargin. This book "The Restless Moon" set in the early 1960's details the problems of going to space at a time when many on earth think they should concentrate efforts on earth alone. Nicole Wargin uses her experience as a spy during World War 2 to stop "Earth First" efforts to turn away from space. There's great tragedy and deceit. I hope very much the story continues in a 4th novel.

2 people found this helpful

Happenings on the moon during the Mars expedition

This covers what is happening on the moon during the Mars expedition. It does not all go smoothly as you could probably guess. I hope there is a book about what is happening on earth during the same time period.

2 people found this helpful

She says that this was written during interesting times

It shows.
I loved calculating stars, this one just is a little disappointing. Curious to see if she writes a fourth

1 person found this helpful

past and present

While the previous books could be read thinking historically and with the thought we were comfortably past certain prejudices and *isms, reading this with the current events and social unrest, prejudices and *isms was no longer comfortable as these things were obviously not in our past.

1 person found this helpful

Amazing narration

This is a great story and amazing narration! I didn't expect the story to be about Nichole instead of Elma, but I really liked it anyway. I liked how we get a new perspective on other characters we've met before, like Nathaniel, Eugene, Helen, and Myrtle. Also the attention to detail with voices for each character, accents, pronunciation of other languages makes for a great listen.

Different yet still great :)

This book happens in parallel to the Fated Sky. It leaves THE Lady Astronaut and is told by her friend Nicole, the pilot/political wife from the Calculating Stars.
This time we get our beloved hard sci-fi in combination with a thriller, and the suspense is very real. In the last part I was looking for things to do that can be combined with listening.
Despite some superficial similarities in the beginning, Nicole is a different person than Elma, interesting in her own right.
Teaser : the epilog is the real sci-fi ;)
Go read and don't skip the acknowledgements & history :)