I'm amazed by the rapid succession in which Matthew S. Cox can produce new books in different series and also across genres. Not all of them have been a complete success for me, but I was curious to this book taking place on Mars, since the last series about Mars I read (Red Rising) was a lot of fun.

The weird thing was that Mars doesn't play that big a role in the story. Except for them building stuff underground, it could have taken place just as easily on Earth. The only thing slightly important is the politics. Mars is a colony ruled by two companies out for profit. Risa, a technically augmented assassin with quite literally a guardian angel, is working for the terrorists that try to undermine both parties. But along the way, she starts to doubt.

I wouldn't classify this as an easy read. In the beginning I found the story incredibly slow and I had trouble identifying or feeling any emotions over Risa. I understand that she's closed and defensive as a character trait, but it doesn't make for nice reading. About halfway it was better and I enjoyed reading it a lot more, but still I felt like the story dragged at some points. However, I will probably be reading the sequel some time.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!