Edge of Darkness

“Hard Sci-fi” has been such a high-traffic lane for so long that it’s developed some nasty potholes. For example, there’s a special flavor of disappointment to stepping into a brand-new hidden realm of adventure only to realize that all its imaginary, cutting-edge technology from the future feels like something you’ve seen before. “Edge of Darkness” handily avoids this pitfall and others endemic to the subgenre, and it does so without wavering from the dead center line of the literary roadway it follows. It’s familiar in all the right ways–it builds upon classic sci-fi fundamentals while remaining satisfyingly original and well-crafted. The characters feel organic, and to the extent that they inhabit archetypes, those archetypes always receive some unexpected, non-traditional treatment that keeps things fresh.

There was no hesitation when it came time to pick up the next book in the series, and I’m happy to say that what I’ve read of it so far is excellent and of increasing subtlety. I’m as excited to follow Romano’s authorial evolution as I am to follow Calder and Sierra’s exploits.