At first I was disappointed to realize that this wasn't another Elma York narrated book, but those feelings quickly disappeared as I grew to love Nicole Wargin for her own sake. All of the characters in this book are well drawn, and espionage on the moon was a step up as a thriller. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to all science fiction fans and to those looking for strong female characters to enjoy.

A fantastic look at the other side of the story from The Fated Sky. Absolutely in love with this series and would recommend it to anyone!

The Lady Astronaut novels are some of the smartest novels I know. They don’t focus on heavy action like many other science fiction novels, but on the wits of their characters, and damn, are those ladies clever. Elma York has been charming the world for a while, and Nicole Wargin, so far taking a back seat to the original Lady Astronaut, proves in The Relentless Moon that she doesn’t have to hide in her more famous colleague’s shadow.

The Relentless Moon deals with sensitive topics such as eating disorders, racism and grief in nuanced ways, without seeming preachy or letting characters get away with preconceived notions. As I am not an own voices reviewer for any of the above I can only say that I think it is nuanced and confronts the character’s views and naiveté.

These novels are heavily character driven, which I love. There are no one-dimensional people here, everyone has their personality and motives, aims and backstory. Not everything has space to be explored on the page, but it is clear that it is there, and that so much thought has been put into it. And I’m not talking about main characters here, I mean minor characters that only show up in one or two scenes. The level of craft Mary Robinette Kowal exhibits is immense. I can’t wait to read more – the plot is twisty and compelling, and just as good!

If you haven’t given this series a shot yet – whether you usually like science fiction or not – do try it!

If you liked The Calculating Stars, you'll probably like this too. I accidentally skipped The Fated Sky but had no trouble picking up the story or remembering major characters, which is a sign of a memorable book and characters.

The series is hard to categorize it as pure science fiction— really, it's a historical novel that begins with three small changes: an enormous meteor hits Earth and people are slightly less racist and sexist. Similarly, The Relentless Moon, despite primarily being set on the Moon, feels more like a historical novel with some thriller/mystery elements. However, the book deals with what I think is sci-fi's most important element: how humans and our civilization change under fantastical circumstances.

Like the first volume, Kowal continues to present a somewhat rosy view of humanity: there some people who are trying to do bad things, but the good people outnumber them. In this volume, the Earth First group is trying to stop efforts to live on the Moon and colonize Mars through violence and subterfuge. We find out that some members are motivated because so many people won't be able to go to space and because recovery resources are not being effectively channeled toward other areas of the country even 11 years after the meteor strike. I really appreciated Kowal giving her villains relatable motivations.

The book is told from the POV of Nicole Wargin, one of the original "astronettes" and wife to the governor of Kansas. Like Elma, she's a whip-smart astronaut who's constantly underestimated, perhaps even more so now that she's in her 50s. (I adore a good book from the POV of a middle aged woman. Bujold's Paladin of Souls is my favorite.) Like Elma, Nicole has a few secrets that give her extra dimension. Neither secret felt truly necessary, but I appreciated how one of them helped Nicole from becoming a rather Mary Sue character.

The pace was good, and I feel like it moved more quickly than The Calculating Stars. Stakes are quite high and I rushed to finish the last quarter of the book, but for good or ill, it never feels as urgent and visceral as similarly themed books like Seveneves.

Thumbs up, especially if you like thoughtful sci-fi with more nuanced human interactions and fewer explosions.

The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal is the third novel in the Lady Astronaut universe. I have previously read, reviewed and enjoyed the first two books: The Calculating Stars and The Fated Sky. The Relentless Moon takes place chronologically after the first two books, but follows a different character, so it almost stands alone, aside from spoiling a lot of what went before it.

The Earth is coming to the boiling point as the climate disaster of the Meteor strike becomes more and more clear, but the political situation is already overheated. Riots and sabotage plague the space program. The IAC's goal of getting as many people as possible off Earth before it becomes uninhabitable is being threatened.

Elma York is on her way to Mars, but the Moon colony is still being established. Her friend and fellow Lady Astronaut Nicole Wargin is thrilled to be one of those pioneer settlers, using her considerable flight and political skills to keep the program on track. But she is less happy that her husband, the Governor of Kansas, is considering a run for President.

I really enjoyed this book. The protagonist is Nicole, who I only vague remember from the earlier books, but that vagueness was not at all a problem in picking up and following this new story. There were also several recurring characters who I had stronger memories of, like Nathaniel (Elma's husband), Eugene and Myrtle, and Helen. We actually got to learn a lot more about the latter three as they became increasingly central to the plot. My absolutely favourite part of the whole book was actually the epilogue, for what it sets up for future books, but of course it is a massive spoiler so I won't say any more about it.

The story follows Nicole, one of the original lady astronauts and now governor's wife as she prepares for and then goes on another mission to the moon. But recently the astronaut programme has been experiencing more failures than usual, even though their various failsafes are keeping people safe. Given reason to believe that sabotage is afoot, Nicole spends a lot of the book investigating, while hampered by a lot of things.

It was a bit sad to see that, still, even 20 years after the first book in the series, a lot of sexist jerks remain, as well as some racist jerks, which are highlighted thanks to the diverse cast in the story. That said, it was also probably fairly realistic, as were the science deniers who don't believe in the future consequences of the meteor from book one. To counteract that, some random little things that I enjoyed about the book: Nicole living anorexia was depicted very sensitively; spies and harking back to the war; a couple of minor background characters called Armstrong and Aldrin; the general scientific/engineering rigour Kowal applies to her worldbuilding.

Overall this was an excellent read and I highly recommend it to fans of the Lady Astronaut books. Especially anyone that was hesitant to pick up a book with a new protagonist, I found Nicole to be just as compelling as Elma. To new readers, I suggest starting with The Calculating Stars to better enjoy the worldbuilding and the deviations from our real-world historical timeline. I am excitedly looking forward to the next book in the series.

5 / 5 stars

First published: July 2020, Tor
Series: Lady Astronaut, book 3 of 3 so far
Format read: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

While I've enjoyed this series up to now, I can't say this did much for me. A lot of the charm of the concept for these books is lost in a paint-by-numbers sci-fi thriller/mystery movie, which is fine for what it is but isn't why anyone is picking these books up.

Hoping the next one is a little more grounded.

This was such a fantastic addition to the lady astronaut series. At first I was a little disappointed to learn we would be following Nicole and the events that were taking place on earth and the moon at the same time as the events of book 2, rather than a continuation of Elma's story.
However I ended up absolutely loving it! The Relentless Moon contains all the aspects that I have loved so much in first two; wonderfully complex characters, exploration of gender and race dynamics, tightly plotted and fantastic writing. It also had a strong mystery espionage aspect to it which worked so well. This is one of my favorite sci-fi series and can't recommend enough.

The Relentless Moon is terrific! It absolutely lives up to the previous books in the series. The novel is gripping, suspenseful, and sometimes wrenching, with moments of levity that never detract from the deadly serious situation in which the characters find themselves.

There is so much I want to say, but I can’t without spoilers. The Relentless Moon takes place on Earth and on the Moon, during the time frame covered by The Fated Sky, and is told from the point of view of astronaut and governor’s wife Nicole Wargin, a secondary character in the first books. Those who have read The Fated Sky will understand the need to change narrators in order to tell this part of the overall “history,” since Dr. Elma York is altogether elsewhere during the events of this book. Readers of the series will also anticipate at least one of the major events that occurs in The Relentless Moon… but believe me, knowing something about what’s coming doesn’t diminish the rising suspense and tension in the least.

Kowal is an excellent writer who really knows her craft.* Her characterization is topnotch. Nicole’s character and voice are distinctly different from those of Elma, the narrator of the first two books. Nicole’s personality is harder, more worldly (or cynical), though she projects a smooth and polished persona befitting a governor’s wife. She is also an occasionally unreliable narrator, at least when it comes to certain aspects of her life or personality… and no, I’m not going to tell you what, only that all becomes clear eventually.

Although the book is written from the point of view of a white woman, the cast is racially diverse. The international astronaut program and colonization program both include individuals from a number of different countries, as well as both white and black Americans. Two of the major secondary characters — good friends of Nicole’s — are black pilots; another is a Taiwanese woman who works as a computer. Since the time frame is the early 1960s (albeit an alternate timeline), race inevitably arises as an issue at times, with several incidents of overt racism and unconscious bias on the part of some secondary characters (most of them minor.)

Nicole’s perceptions of other characters are important throughout the novel, for reasons I can’t specify, but that will be obvious as you read it. The book reads like a mystery, or perhaps a thriller. Kowal expertly builds a feeling of tension and impending danger throughout, racheting up the stakes for Nicole and the rest of the lunar colony’s astronauts and colonists. I could hardly put the the book down! At the same time, I found it too intense for middle-of-the-night insomnia reading; instead of falling back asleep, I would have read straight through the night.

Kowal’s worldbuilding is equally strong. She really does her research, both through reading and by corresponding with experts, and it shows. Everything feels and sounds realistic, from piloting a small plane on Earth to the design and function of the lunar colony modules. You have only to read the Afterword to see how much care and thought Kowal puts into making sure every aspect of the book makes sense and is scientifically feasible.

As wonderful as The Relentless Moon is, I recommend reading The Calculating Stars and The Fated Sky first. The first book sets up the premise on which the entire series rests, and the second covers events which greatly impact what happens in TRM. While I think I could have followed everything that happens in TRM without having read TCS and TFS, my background knowledge gained through the first two books gave context, depth, and urgency to the characters and situations in TRM.

If you enjoy audiobooks, it’s a fantastic way to experience this series. Mary Robinette Kowal is a professional audiobook reader as well as a writer, and she did a fantastic job on the first two books. I didn’t have the opportunity to listen to The Relentless Moon, but I’m sure her narration is just as good. And of course, one of the joys of listening to an author read her own work (well!) is that all the voices, emphasis, and interpretation are as close as possible to what she had in mind while writing the book.


*Ms. Kowal co-hosts the Writing Excuses podcast with Brandon Sanderson, Howard Tayler, and Dan Wells. It’s always interesting and informative to listen to her and her colleagues discuss the craft and techniques of writing.

Loved this! It was a great continuation of the story with it being the same old thing. The Moon detectives are now my favorite!

To start, I’m the biggest Mary Robinette Kowal fan. The Lady Astronaut series is arguably my favorite series since I started this review blog, and Relentless Moon continues its brilliance in every way. With Dr. Elma York long gone on the mission to Mars, we get a new protagonist in the form of Natalie Wargin, a character from the first two books who was a part of the original program. Wargin’s growth is remarkable, with a character arc that should be studied for its brilliant pacing and revelations. The plot is constantly evolving to support that character growth, pulling in mysteries, trials, and tribulations to present a complete picture of this expertly drawn world. From start to finish, I loved every minute of this book and sincerely hope I’ll be able to continue reading the history of the Lady Astronauts until the end of time.

Writing Lessons I Learned

-The Lady Astronaut series is a great lesson in how to create a complex story across multiple formats. Kowal has been able to produce a novella, three novels, and multiple short stories to keep the story of this compelling series going. It’s no small feat given the constantly evolving story elements. From Earth to the Moon to Mars to a spaceship to an asteroid, we see settings and characters evolve as they face new challenges. The series is definitely unique in how masterfully all of these writing forms fit together.

-How to shift to a new protagonist in an impactful way. As I state in my character analysis below, it seems impossible to replace such a powerful character as Dr. York. Not only does Kowal succeed, but she somehow makes a supporting player from the earlier novels into just as compelling of a character. For me, the book is a study in how to elevate a character into the spotlight while forging a unique path beyond the previous protagonist. There are similarities between the two, but the differences are what makes for a memorable story.

-Incorporating an alternate history into every part of a story. The first book starts with the shocking alternate history of a meteor taking out half of the East coast. The world is understandably thrust into complete chaos, and nobody knows what to do. This third novel is set year’s after the first and the issues are as dire as ever. Relentless Moon can be a study in how to incorporate these environmental details alongside narrative and character insight. In addition to the news story excerpts starting each chapter, we see what’s happening behind the scenes with the addition of Natalie’s husband. That was a brilliant choice, giving politics a larger role in the story.

-How to create a compelling character arc that shows growth in a subtle, yet impactful, way. It often seems that strong character growth comes at the expense of a protagonist who is either hot-headed or is extremely young with limited life experience. We often see these characters learn and grow over one to three books, eventually becoming seasoned in the ways of the world. Kowal’s protagonist is already at that point in her life, making the growth all the more impactful. We see issues that have always plagued her alongside unimaginable hardships she is forced to overcome. She emerges stronger than ever and it’s fascinating to track how she got there.

-Honestly, Kowal is a great study in how to write science fiction in general. As you can see from perusing my blog, Kowal was one of the first science fiction authors who really inspired me to love the genre. She has a special way of writing that’s both approachable and complex. I’m always drawn to complete characters and she’s able to present dozens of fully realized characters, no matter how short the screen time. It’s been two years since I read the first novel and I still feel like I know these characters. Each time somebody enters the picture, I get excited, like a favorite celebrity suddenly made a cameo. That’s not an easy thing to achieve, and it’s a testament to how memorable the writing is.

Plot Analysis
To start, the well-established alternate history is key to how well the Lady Astronaut world flows into a compelling narrative. By creating this changed history, Kowal is able to bend world events to fit the story while recognizing the prevailing public opinions and rights battles of the time. The history is essential to the story that flows between all three novels of the series, and makes it feel all the more real when reading. As a reader, you most likely have a visualization of the 1960s, so it’s easy to fully get into the setting of the book.

I loved how many different types of stories were at play here. First, we have the story of a woman who was made to shine in politics. She knows exactly what needs to be done and said at every moment, and she’s able to use that ability in her duties as a First Lady and, more importantly, in her role with the IAC. Through this lens, we see the many layers of BS a woman is forced to face as she tries to compete in an industry such as rocket science.

Second, we have a mystery filled with assassination attempts, poisonings, and sinister plots to take down any attempts at saving humanity. We see the terrors of being stuck on the Moon without help from Earth, and the terror of people who choose to perpetuate conspiracy theories that ignore facts in favor of sabotaging the people and agencies trying to save them. It’s terrifyingly relevant to the current political climate.

Finally, we have a science fiction tale that masters the technical specifications of space travel, moon colonization, communications, life support systems, etc. Kowal writes every detail in an easy-to-read way without sacrificing the hard science-aspect of living and working in space. It feels infinitely real and adds a surprising element to the mysteries of the latter half.

Character Analysis
The shift in protagonist from Dr. Elma York to Natalie Wargin was the most surprising element of Relentless Moon. Typically, I have trouble with series that shift their protagonist, especially when it’s a badass like Dr. York. After two books dedicated to her story, she had become this shining beacon in my mind of the ideal astronaut origin character. She’s determined to succeed against the odds, brilliant, complex – the list goes on and on. To be honest, I didn’t remember Natalie Wargin from the first books. I had to go back and re-familiarize myself with her story. As an original Lady Astronaut, I had no doubt she’d be a fantastic character, but it’s hard to move beyond someone like Dr. York. Thanks to Kowal’s fantastic writing skills, it only took a few pages before I was enthralled with Wargin and her unique place in this compelling world.

Natalie Wargin faces many different dynamics, all fighting against each other and threatening to backlash. As a First Lady, she’s expected to be prim and proper by the standard of 1960s society. It’s a role in which she excels, both in her daily duties and in how she deals with the infuriating sexism and double standards of the time. As an original member of the Lady Astronaut program, she’s a beacon of space exploration and a brilliant pilot. She had all of the technical know-how of the best pilots but was forced to take more of a sidelines approach due to her husband’s career. As a confidante in the plot against the space program, she has to walk a fine line with every interaction. Wargin emerges as a strong character who can navigate her competing roles with ease. Her complexity is what makes the book so brilliant.

Dr. York is the star of the series, but Natalie Wargin is what comes next – an astronaut who must balance the complexities of a future amidst the stars alongside the many pains of a dying home world. There are tragedies to overcome, one specifically that was shocking, but her ending will leave you ecstatic. To see this character become the best person she could be, to finally discover her true potential and position in the world, was more thrilling than any action sequence. Kowal has a knack for capturing the human condition on paper, and her true mastery of that ability shines with Natalie Wargin.

One of the most impressive aspects of the Lady Astronaut series is the character work done outside of the protagonist. Kowal is able to masterfully create a full roster of characters who are easy to remember, have fully developed personalities and histories, and are integral to the advancement of the story. I cared about all of these characters, no matter how small their roles were, and I was impressed by how effortlessly they were added to the narrative. That kind of connection requires an author who knows each of her characters deep down, who respects them and their part in the story.

I received this ARC from Netgalley:
Like her previous works, we follow the story of a lady Astronaut of the IAC as she navigates the ever changing growth of space colonization, as well as her life and relationships. We follow Nicole Wargin, a longtime friend of Elma, and boy is she interesting. One wouldnt think the wife of a politician would lead such an extraordinary life, and that's saying a lot considering all the training ALL astronauts go through. We get sabotage, mystery, explosions, and action layered over a tale of human survival and ingenuity.
I appreciate that this book touches on many modern concepts while reflecting on the seriousness of the times passed. I loved the thorough look at what life is like on the Moon, and seeing it from the perspective of the very observant Nicole is a real treat. I am very satisfied with how this book played out. I cried and laughed and laughed and cried. This book leaves you content with how things turn out and yet itching for the following tale in The Lady Astronaut series.

I found this to be slow to start but going a mile a minute once it did get going. Set at the same time as the book about the mission to Mars this is totally about the Moon. Some do not want the space program and they have resorted to violence. The story follows Nicole Wargin as she tells in the first person about who, what, when and where the danger is coming from. There is danger, tension and lost as once again one of the Lady Astronaut's does what needs to be done even when it is hard.

While I missed having the "Lady Astronaut" as the narrator, shifting the perspective to another strong female character from the novels to keep them focused on what's going on back on Earth vs. the Mars mission, was a great way to do things.

The battle between folks who want to put "Earth First" and stop the funding for the Moon and Mars colonization to focus on repairing the Earth vs. the folks who are seeking to find a new home for Earth's population is what really drives this book. It's eerily mirroring what's happening in the US today, with parts of the population wanting to focus just on America to the detriment of our interests globally.

In the book, the self-focus of Earth First has hit a boiling point, where the debate and the protest and the conversations halt and action -- violent action -- is taken up as the modus operandi. Sabotage, an infectious virus, and assassination are two major players.

The folks on the Moon bear the brunt of most of this. With the hundreds of ways that just one small element being mucked about with could compromise the entire settlement, every thing that could go wrong, pretty much does at one point or another.

I forget sometimes that this is set in the 1960s, until the inevitable sexism or racism piece raises it's ugly head, but it was how the times were, even if it is extremely frustrating to read about.

Overall, this was another wonderful installment in a wonderful series, and I can't wait until the next one comes out!

Ever since I finished The Fated Sky last year, I have been dying for another book in The Lady Astronaut series. And Mary Robinette has delivered beyond anything I could have possibly hoped for.

In The Relentless Moon, while Elma York is traveling to Mars, one of the other original six Lady Astronauts, Nicole Wargin, is back on Earth doing what she can to help her husband, the Governor of Kansas.

Nicole returns to the moon and discovers a possible sabatoge plot and sabateur of the space program could be on the moon. Using her political skills as First Lady of Kansas, and her background as a Swiss Finishing School attendee, Nicole enlists the aid of computer Helen, and fellow astronauts Myrtle and Eugene Lindholm to help her sleuth it out.

The science of the space program and the moon’s challenges of gravity and vacuum on the moon was exceptional in this book, as it is in the author’s previous books. And as usual, most went way over my head and I loved it!!

The possibilities of colonizing the moon as per this story made it all so feasible, I forgot that this wasn’t reality. I couldn’t get enough of this story and this world and can’t wait for book 4 to release!

I should note that I didn’t know that this book wasn’t from Elma’s POV until a few chapters in. I thought Elma was going to show up eventually. When I made that realization, I was a little disappointed but sat back and let myself enjoy the ride. I’m so glad I did because this book was every bit as good as the first two books. I adored Nicole Wargin just as much as I enjoyed Elma.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Books for the advance copy!*

I have to admit right up front that Mary Robinette Kowal is one author whose books I will buy practically sight-unseen. This goes double for books in this series, which are already tickling my desires for hard science fiction, retro settings, alternate history and realistic space flight action. This book did not disappoint.

But it did surprise. Since I obtained the book without learning too much about it, I didn't realize that the first-person narrative had shifted to a different astronaut in the IAC, International Aerospace Coalition. The scene switches from Elma York, The Lady Astronaut, currently on her way to Mars, to Nicole Wargin, who is not only a veteran astronaut, but the wife of the governor of Kansas, who may also be considering a run for President. Nicole is just as capable as Elma, but she comes with a different set of strengths and weaknesses that the author uses to great affect throughout the story.

One of this books unique charms is that it becomes essentially a locked-room mystery. After plenty of politicking and setup on Earth and an almost routine flight to the Moon, the action is firmly set at Artemis Base, a growing and thriving outpost of mankind. The first step of our escape from a soon to be uninhabitable Earth. Soon, what seem to be a set of unrelated accidents start developing into a pattern of sabotage and attempted murder that is probably the work of an outlaw group known as Earth First. But who among the highly trained astronauts and specially picked colonists is or are the saboteurs? The clues come slowly, but compellingly. This is a great story with almost everyone acting rationally.

Recommended for fans of early space flight, NASA and good writing.

The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal (A Lady Astronaut Novel) 5 stars

This book is part of the Lady Astronaut world that was first introduced in a short story "The Lady Astronaut of Mars". The first two novels in this world chronicles the adventures of "The Lady Astronaut" Elma York. The Relentless Moon takes place at the same time as the second book "The Fated Sky". The main character is Nicole Wargin, one of the original six Lady Astronaut candidates. She is not only an astronaut/pilot, she is also married to Kenneth Wargin, the Governor of Kansas. This book is not only about the long-term work of colonizing the Moon, but it also illustrates the politics behind the scenes. Earth is going through an accelerated climate change scenario due to a meteor strike on the east coast of the United States. Because of this, humanity's only hope to get to the stars and start colonizing the Moon and Mars. The economic and psychological impact of this fact drives dissent on a grand scale with homegrown terrorists demanding that more resources be spent on Earth. This book is part science fiction, part thriller and all terrific. Nicole Wargin was a side character in the first two book, but she shines in this one. I look forward to next book in this series.

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan/Tor-Forge for this ARC.

The third book in Kowal's Lady Astronaut series takes a break from Dr Elma York, the protagonist of the two prior novels, to show the perspective of Nichole Wargin, political wife and astronaut. Wargin loves piloting rockets and living on the moon. Her husband and his constituents, however, and feeling increasing pressure as the popularity of the space program decreases. Political pressure soon becomes outright sabotage, trapping Wargin and fellow astronauts on the moon while a plague ravages the base. Wargin's political sense and ambition conflict with the expectations of a political wife and bring in some tension and create a portrait of a complex woman with as much spirit as Elma. A must-read if you enjoy alternative histories and sci-fi greats.

I had some reservations going in, knowing this wouldn't be about Elma, but turned out I liked Nicole even more. She was a more insightful and alert narrator, so the reader was right there with her as the story unfolded. With Elma, things were often explained after the fact, as she wasn't paying attention.

A lot happened in this book from the start and there wasn't a slow moment. Someone is sabotaging the space program and Nicole throws herself into investigating, so the book reads much like a mystery. She has personal problems too. She's aging faster than the women are being given opportunities to advance as astronauts and she fears she'll miss her last chance to pilot large space rockets, which causes her to make some damaging choices. On top of that, her husband is running for a president, which demands her attention too. Despite all this, or maybe because of it, the book felt a bit slow. I also kept expecting a big event to take place that was revealed already in the previous book.

Like with the previous books, the historical facts are excellently woven into the alt-history world. Issues about gender and race are in focus, and interesting real world details, like the polio outbreak, are utilised well. And the myriad details concerning space travel make the reader feel like they're in the rocket with the characters. In the end, this turned out to be my favourite book in the series.

I was so thrilled when I learned that there was another book in the Lady Astronaut series coming out. The Relentless Moon was definitely one of my most anticipated books of 2020 and I couldn't wait to read it. It is definitely one of those books that you want to read straight through but are sad when you finished it so fast.

I loved Elma as the narrator of The Calculating Stars (book 1) and The Fated Sky (book 2), though sometimes her naivete wore on my nerves. So I wasn't sure how I would like a book narrated by a different lady astronaut (or astronauettes as they are called). I think I loved Nicole even more.

While you can probably read The Relentless Moon without reading the first two books, but I'm not sure you will enjoy it quite as much. You won't have the history that the lady astronauts went through to even be allowed in the program. And while this book is narrated by a different character, she and other characters appeared in the previous books. It's such a great series, you will want to read them anyway (just ask my book club who read The Calculating Stars last fall).

The series is an alternate history story set in the late 1950s, early 1960s. A meteor hits earth and sets the U.S. (and the rest of the world) on an accelerated course. They land on the moon a decade before we did in our own history. The roles open to women and people of color (POC) are also on an accelerated trajectory. It is important to set up a lunar colony as well as a colony on Mars as eventually, Earth will be inhabitable. In book 2, we get the story of the Mars expedition which Elma is part of. She is on that trip when the events in The Relentless Moon takes place.

In the first two books, I felt that the commentary on the role of women and POC was much more prominent. While we still see women and POC having to work harder, the struggle is much more subtle. The theme of privilege, though, does remain a major theme. Not everyone will be able to go to the moon or Mars, and there are people who think too many resources are being allocated to the space program, to the determinant of those that will be left behind. This issue results in conspiracy and sabotage and is the focus of The Relentless Moon.

Nicole is the wife of the governor of Kansas and is one of the original members of the space program. At 50, she is feeling her years but isn't ready to say goodbye to space. She also served as a WASP during WWII (her ability to fly is what helped to get her into the space program along with her looks and political ties). Her experience as an astronaut as well as the wife of a career politician makes her the perfect character for this story to unfold with. As the story is told in first person, it is important she has the history of the space program so that she can fill in gaps for the reader. But it is her experience that makes her competent to play the role she has in the story. Space is dangerous, but it isn't the natural dangers that one has to navigate. One must also be on the lookout for the interpersonal and political dangers.

I think I was kind of ambivalent about Nicole going into this novel. But hearing of her inner struggles and desires endeared her to me. She really shined as the main character and her transition from secondary character to protagonist was seamless. Just as I wanted more of Elma, now I want more Nicole. I know there are several novellas with events that occur before, between, and after these 3 novels. I haven't read any of them (yet), but I hope Nicole is featured in at least one.

According to Goodreads, a fourth book The Derivative Base is set to be released in 2022. It will be back with Elma. I hope there will be many more books in this series and I think it would be great if Mrytle or Helen had a turn as the protagonist. Elma and Nicole are both white Americans and while they face difficulties because they are women, I think getting Mrytle's (she a black American) and Helen's (she is Taiwanese) perspectives would be interesting and provide opportunities for commentary on issues we are dealing with today.

While reading The Relentless Moon I experienced so many emotions - I laughed out loud (literally) at some of the dialogue, my stomach clenched with tension as the saboteur goes to greater lengths to discredit and harm the space program, and my heart broke the losses the characters had to endure. I simultaneously couldn't wait to find out how it ended and didn't want it to end. It definitely left me with a bit of a book hangover.

The review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Monday, July 13 - http://www.girl-who-reads.com/2020/07/the-rentless-moon-by-mary-robinette.html

The Relentless Moon tunes in to the story while Elma, the Lady Astronaut, is still en-route to Mars. So in a way, we already know what happens on Earth – but you could say The Relentless Moon is a deeper dive into the story of the Astronaut Corps waging a fight with the Earth Firsters, the dangerous organization who wants nobody to be going to space.

Since Elma is still on her way to Mars, this time we are following Nicole Wargin, the senator’s wife and Elma’s colleague who was a side character in the first two books. Nicole is on her way to the Moon colony. As tensions rise over new spacefaring accidents, riots and the financial situation of the world, Nicole has to help get to the bottom of a conspiracy that may put the entire Lunar colony at risk.

The Relentless Moon Is Kind Of A Slow-Burn Thriller

The Relentless Moon seems very different from the other books in the series – The Calculating Stars and The Fated Sky. Both of those were about the ambition of spaceflight – getting Man up above in the skies, as well as getting Woman up there along with him. It had a very far-reaching goal and it made the themes very heroic, which appealed to the general way I understand space travel in real-life media.

However, The Relentless Moon is less about space travel or even space ambition – it’s more like a mystery set in the same universe. I admit I didn’t see that coming. The IAC (the space agency) is being sabotaged by the Earth First organization, and Nicole, the main character, is trying to get to the bottom of who it is that got on their Moon team who could be in league with the bad guys.

So it’s constant suspects, clues and agendas. It was tense and it was interesting, but not in the same way as the books before. The goal is the same – to establish colonies in space. The characters are largely the same too. But the vibe and mood of the story feels entirely different.

So despite enjoying the book, I found I enjoyed it in a very different way from the previous ones. The Calculating Stars and The Fated Sky sparked my interest because it was all geared towards reaching for the stars, all space travel or at least the ambition for it. And not only that – there was the ambition of equality – both for women, as well as racial equality. The Relentless Moon didn’t have really have so much of that, so it didn’t tug at my heart in the same way.

The Mystery Was Good

What I have to admit though, was that the mystery was very good. Up to the very end I had unresolved questons and still didn’t know quite who the culprit was and what the whole conspiracy revolved around. It WILL keep you guessing for the entire time, and in a way, it’s sufficiently complicated that I still am not sure I understood everything all the way even despite finishing the book.

What makes this a tense read is that having read The Fated Sky beforehard – and The Relentless Moon is a return to the same timeline, but a different place. You already know what’s going to happen on the Earth, although you might not know how that will affect the Moon base exactly. But that makes you worry about what will happen with their already pretty messy situation when the big event takes place. I worried throughout the whole book! (And rightly so.)

The Relentless Moon Focuses On A Few Big Social Problems

One of the bigger themes in this book was the way people who are in the spotlight hide their problems from public view, and how those problems tend to be put on the back-burner. Nicole Wargin has a seemingly perfect life throughout the first books, in which she is only a side character – a senator’s wife, a beauty with perfect manners and style, an astronaut. One could easily imagine her life is amazing, just as we do when we see any random Instagram influencer.

But in reality, Nicole couldn’t have children due to health issues, and she’s been hospitalized twice because of eating disorders. So much for a perfect life. This points to how we idealize a life that looks perfect – the celebrity cult, the beauty cult, the social media bubbles we live in. You can probably think of at least one person on your Instagram feed who you’re thinking of in this way. Do you want to bet their life really IS that perfect?

Nicole is a typical A-type personality who just does too much all the time, and tries to hide it and appear as if she’s got everything under control. Completely disregarding her health, her age and her own physical, as well as emotional needs. The book is largely about living like that and how harmful it is – and I admit, it’s an important topic, but it was not an easy topic to read.

It’s A Dark And Quite Heavy Story

Continuing the theme of hard to read, this book was no walk in the park. It’s seriously dark. The Calculating Stars was not such a dark story, although it had its tragedies for sure, but the story got darker with The Fated Sky. While that book ripped my heart apart, it had enough brightness in it to still make the story rewarding and the ending uplifting.

However, I’m not so sure that’s how I feel about The Relentless Moon. This book seriously brought me down. I am still reeling from what happened in the middle of it, and it was all just so heavy. The things that happen in the story are quite serious, and some of them – potentially very triggering to some people (I will be listing the triggers at the end of the post.) While the book was really good, I do hope the next story is a little brighter than this one.

Then there’s another thing… Considering that books take time to write… And that this one couldn’t have possibly been written WHILE the pandemic and the riots were happening this year (because they’re basically happening NOW, and books take years, at least months to produce), I’m incredibly surprised at how the themes of the book match what’s going on with the world now, in 2020. [spoilers removed from NetGalley post] In a way, it’s kind of odd to read, even. Maybe that’s part of why the book hit so painfully.

The Detail

Despite being a very different story to the first books, it still retains the brilliant level of detail just like the ones before. There are a lot of technical tidbits about the Lunar base, and I enjoyed those. The book seems very well researched, just like the previous ones! But I marked down one thing I wanted to share specifically.

What I really liked was how Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins were mentioned in passing throughout the story. They’re not characters at all, but they ARE on the Moon base. Their names have been used several times in the story and I greatly enjoyed this nod to our reality and space history. What a great Easter egg!

Overall...

While The Relentless Moon was a very different story to the two previous ones, I still enjoyed it and will definitely be waiting for the next book to come out! If you want to know the full story of what happens in this series’ universe, The Relentless Moon is a must-read.

Triggers are listed in the original review on the website in spoiler tags.

I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my opinion.