I'm currently reading Queen of Candesce by Karl Schroeder. It's the sequel to Sun of Suns which I had mentioned previously on my old site, and so far I like it. I'm a little disappointed that the main character of the first book, Hayden Griffin, isn't in this one, but I like how the story has shifted to develop the character of Venera Fanning more. She was easily the most interesting of the supporting characters of the first book. Besides, the first novel was about Hayden's quest for revenge for the death of his family, but by the end of the story that was resolved. This book is about Venera's return to power, which is just as interesting.

What really sets these books apart from a lot of other novels I've read is the setting. Karl Schroeder has created a truly vibrant and unique science fiction environment. Everything takes place in an air bubble. Rather than colonize a planet, human beings simply create a giant hollow sphere filled with air, out in the middle of space. At the center of this world is an artificial sun known as Candesce. So the world has heat, light, and breathable air, but no gravity so everyone just floats around. Effectively creating an air world. The best part of the book is that no one knows that it is a colony. It has been around for so long that everyone has forgotten that they came from Earth. The cultures he has imagined that live in this place are fascinating. I recommend reading it.

Ok, that is it for my shameless plug.