The Galaxy Game

October 6, 2014
This subtle, cerebral novel continues to explore the far-flung future introduced in The Best of All Possible Worlds. The myriad manifestations of humanity have settled on a number of worlds, still recovering from the devastation that rendered one of the major planets inhospitable. Enter Rafi, a young man burdened with potent psychic abilities, and his best friend, Ntenman, who feels oddly responsible for Rafi’s wellbeing. As circumstances take the pair from one world to another, always one step ahead of trouble or disaster, they remain united through their love of the popular game known as Wallrunning, where Ntenman excels and Rafi struggles. As Rafi hones his powers, he learns that his ability to draw people together as a nexus may hold the key to restoring an easier, quicker way to travel between worlds, which could revolutionize galactic society. The pacing is slow and the story is understated, not helped by leaps from one perspective to another. Lord’s exploration of alien culture and character development overshadows any real action or sense of progress, making this a dry but intriguing offering. Agent: Sally Harding, Cooke Agency.

December 1, 2014
World Fantasy Award finalist Lord (The Best of All Possible Worlds, 2013, etc.) offers a complex coming-of-age story about negotiating competing loyalties. Although this is presented as a stand-alone novel, it really isn't one; readers unfamiliar with Lord's previous work may have a hard time following its many threads. The action takes place in a galactic system of four planets and their colonies. People from each planet specialize in a particular aspect of humanity: For those from Sadira, it's the mind; from Ntshune, the heart; from Zhinu, the body; and from Terra, the spirit. Rafi Abowen Delarua, of Terran descent, is a student at the Lyceum, a sort of reform school established "to bring together all the rogue and random psi-gifted of Cygnus Beta and teach them ethics, restraint, and community." Threatened with being "capped"-made to wear a mind-control device-he escapes to Punartam, one of the colonies, where he joins a team of Wallrunners. Wallrunning, this galaxy's answer to football or Quidditch, plays an intricate and mysterious role in the galaxy's complicated social, political and perhaps military arrangements. It may also be somehow related to the ability of those with psi gifts to operate the mysterious Sediri mindships, powerful living spacecraft reminiscent of whales. Rafi is allied with a powerful family on his home planet, but on Punartam, he finds himself drawn in many directions and must learn where his loyalties lie. Lord is at her best describing vividly alien bioformed landscapes and exploring subtle differences among uneasily allied cultures. But this novel, with its tentacled narrative structure and many references to previous events, is not the best entry to her world.

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March 15, 2014
Having won multiple awards for her debut, "Redemption in Indigo", Lord leapt from small-press publishing to the big time with "The Best of All Possible Worlds", a Buzzfeed Best Book. In her third book, the nephew of Best's heroine skips about the universe with an intergalactic sports team. Pitched to the Ursula K. Le Guin/China Mieville crowd of literary sf readers; Lord's Afro-Caribbean background adds interest.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2014
Lord's latest, set on several planets in the richly imagined humanoid galaxy introduced in The Best of All Possible Worlds (2013), combines a coming-of-age tale with intergalactic politics and a look at a sport called Wallrunning, which is highly popular in the galaxy. The narrative follows Rafi, a young man trying to understand the depths of his psionic abilities, as he leaves the Lyceum, a school on his home planet, Cygnus Beta, for Punartam, a planet that produces great Wallrunners and boasts influential academies known for rigorous research and philosophical thought. His more savvy and worldly friend Ntenman accompanies Rafi and helps him navigate the alien and matriarchal Punarthai culture. Lord challenges readers with inventive settings, exotic names and locales, and intricate social and economic systems, and her flowing prose adds depth to the story. Because it has new characters and its own story line, the novel is billed as a stand-alone, but those who want the full flavor of Lord's blend of social-science fiction and interplanetary adventure would be better served by starting at the beginning of the saga.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

November 15, 2014

Rafi Delarua needs to get away from Cygnus Beta, where he has been attending a school for those with psionic abilities. His Aunt Grace helps him travel to the planet Punartam, and his school friend Ntenman goes along to help smooth his way through the complex currents of Punarthai society. An aptitude for the game Wallrunning puts Rafi in contact with a wide range of influential people, which might be what saves him when galactic rivalries erupt. VERDICT Fans of Lord's exceptional The Best of All Possible Worlds will enjoy seeing more of the complex universe she established and revisiting some of the characters from that novel, while shifting the focus to a younger generation. Teen protagonists give this work a powerful coming-of-age narrative, although frequent point-of-view switches between Rafi and Ntenman can be disorienting. The complex politics will work better with adults; younger audiences will find the game mechanics of Wallrunning a blast.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.