If you are a heist aficionado, you will find a fair bit to like in this one. Set on Kepler station, it centers around Edie, back from serving time in prison for a botched theft attempt 8 years earlier. The catch is that they are released with the help of their (former?) friend Angel, the one that set them up to fall for the previous heist. And is being very cagey about a new job she wants Edie to join her on.
A lot of the set up reminds me of the Oceans movies, or the TV show Leverage. Angel assembles hitters, hackers, grifters and thieves while she dons the cape of mastermind. And simmering behind everything is the relationship between Angel and Edie. Are they friends? More? Less?
The heist part is excellent and moves as a good pace. It was the relationship between Angel and Edie that I had a hard time latching into. For so much of the story, Angel is set apart and her motivations do not feel clear or solid. The connection between her and Edie also feels abstract until it isn’t. Edie is our guide through the whole thing, and their connections to family and home on Kepler are solid and a good counterpoint to the unfolding heist. The LGBTQIA representation is also a high point for the overall story as well.
scijessreads 
Leave a comment