Stars and Bones

This novel is a fresh start for Powell, after wrapping up the Embers Of War trilogy. It's set in a new universe, with an excellent and original background, and sees Powell moving towards the darker territory of, say, an Alastair Reynolds. There's a lot of pain and anguish in this book and a focus on violent death and emotional distress that wasn't there before. That's not to say he's suddenly gone all grimdark on us, as a key theme is found families, and relationships strengthening under pressure, and the core of the novel is the kind of rattling space opera fun that has become his trademark, but it is more sombre than some of his previous work. Nevertheless, it's a great read that SF fans will have a lot of fun with. No idea if it's a standalone or the beginning of a larger series - while the story is largely done at the end of the book the setting is strong enough to stand some more novels in this universe, and I'd welcome them