Publishing information: Paperback; 398pgs
Publisher: Tor Books; 22 Sept 2015
ISBN: 9780765375513
Series: Luna #1
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson
Synopsis: "The Moon wants to kill you.
Maybe it will kill you when the per diem for your allotted food, water, and air runs out, just before you hit paydirt. Maybe it will kill you when you are trapped between the reigning corporations-the Five Dragons-in a foolish gamble against a futuristic feudal society. On the Moon, you must fight for every inch you want to gain. And that is just what Adriana Corta did.
As the leader of the Moon's newest "dragon," Adriana has wrested control of the Moon's Helium-3 industry from the Mackenzie Metal corporation and fought to earn her family's new status. Now, in the twilight of her life, Adriana finds her corporation-Corta Helio-confronted by the many enemies she made during her meteoric rise. If the Corta family is to survive, Adriana's five children must defend their mother's empire from her many enemies... and each other."
The moon wants to kill you. A phrase you will hear many times as you read this first book in the Luna series. I became interested in the book when I heard it was similar to George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series only on the moon. While there are similarities with the various houses vying for control of the moon and its citizens, it is an original story with its unique characters and motivations.
One of the things I truly enjoyed with the series is that the main characters are originally from Brasil before making a name for themselves on the moon. We get a lot of vocabulary that is unique and fresh. The nice thing is that it many of the terminology used is close to English so it quickly becomes familiar and not a novelty or distraction.
The story follows a few individuals but mainly the Corta family as they wrestle control of the Helium-3 production on the moon, which has made them enemies as they rise to the top. We quickly learn that the matriarch of the family is dying and doing her best to set up her family to continue their dominance on the moon. Her sons and daughters all have their own agendas, some which coincide with her own and others that clash. All of this is happening while they do battle behind the scenes with the various families, or dragons, who control the moon and its inhabitants.
While I enjoyed the premise of the book, I didn't like it. It took a very long time, roughly 1/3 of the book, before we actually get to the overall plot and by that time I had lost my interest in the story and the people involved. I know a lot of other reviewers have enjoyed the book and the series but by the time I reached the actual story, I didn't care anymore. The concepts and world building were outstanding but because of how McDonald started the book and then dragged it out before revealing the motivations and plot of the story my excitement waned.
Other readers may enjoy the book if they hang in there until things start to cook but I was already looking for my next read and looking forward to finishing this book up and moving on.
Overall 4/10
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