Book Review: In The Court of the Crimson Kings (by Steve Stirling)

Review By: Dale Cozort

This is the second book in a series updating the old tradition of adventure stories set on inhabitable Mars and Venus. Stirling sidesteps the fact that we know those worlds don't exist by putting the series in an alternate universe where Mars and Venus were terraformed long ago and seeded with earth-based life.  As you may remember, I wasn't too impressed with Sky People, the first book in the series.  It had a wonderful playground but it also had a story much too small for the playground.

In the Courts of the Crimson Kings is much better.  As the title indicates, this one is set on Mars.  Stirling brings his version of Mars to life vividly. The details of Martian ecology and society have a solid feel to them. And this time the story is big enough for the playground--lots of intrigue and characters I cared about.

The Martians have a biologically based technology that in some ways is superior to Earth's mechanical technology.  At times it gets seriously strange, but even then it has somehow a feel of being solid, well-thought out, and it seems to work together.  This is my favorite Stirling book so far.

The only negative thing I have to say about this one is that I think it should have ended a little sooner than it did. The last little bit felt like it belonged to the next book in the series. Other than that, great job. I highly recommend it.