THIS BRUTAL MOON

An intricate political space opera comes to an explosive finale in the Kindom Trilogy’s last installment.

After launching a violent coup, First Cloak Seti Kess, head of the Kindom government’s military arm, faces obstacles in stabilizing his regime: Not all of the politically powerful First Families are on his side, rebels are launching attacks, and the interplanetary economy teeters without the Jeveni, the despised minority who are the only ones with the willingness and expertise to process spaceship fuel. As Kess consolidates his alliances, moves against the rebels, and prepares to invade the hidden Jeveni planet of Capamame, his enemies make their own desperate plans. The popular Cleric Chono reluctantly develops her own power base, the Jeveni prepare their last-ditch defenses, and Chono’s beloved former schoolmate Six makes the best of a difficult situation, as their disguise as sociopathic First Family matriarch Esek Nightfoot begins to slip. Jacobs keeps up the excitement she generated in the two previous books; the thrilling climactic conflict takes place across multiple locations, battles, and clever infiltrations of the enemy stronghold, reading like a more complex and considerably more violent version of The Return of the Jedi finale—you can almost see the screen wipes between scenes. However, there are fewer surprises; at least two twists are such classic thriller tropes that the reader will surely see them coming. The focus of the book is on a more emotional level. The author’s note explains that the trilogy explores what happens in the aftermath of a genocide, and of course, it does that. It takes a compassionate and intelligent look at how individuals respond to significant past trauma in their lives, striving either to break or continue the cycle of violence. There’s also the socioeconomic point that if your vast economy depends on an industry operated by an oppressed minority, perhaps it’s a bad idea to treat those people so badly that they’ll do anything to escape you. It seems obvious, but certainly there are contemporary parallels.

A reasonably rewarding and thought-provoking wrap-up.