Review: Recommended Read! Best Book!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 18, 2012
Sita knew the Martian TransPolar Expedition would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It isn't every day one has the opportunity to explore places that no human being has ever visited before. What she couldn't predict, though, was how dangerous it would become or how quickly she'd be pushed to her limits.This is science fiction at its best. Peel away the technology, otherworldly setting and burgeoning mystery and the reader is left with a close-knit band of resourceful humans charting an unforgiving land. In order to achieve their goals and keep the group safe they'll muster strength they never knew dwelt within them.I was pleasantly surprised to see an all-female crew on this expedition. Hard science fiction in particular tends to be dominated by men. It was even nicer to quickly realize that the gender identities of these characters have nothing to do with their story arcs. Sita, Nan, Yukiko and Maria were simply the finest professionals in their respective fields available at the time.One subplots wasn't resolved in the manner I had assumed it would be when I first started reading. Ultimately it didn't detract from the ending but if the author ever revisits these characters I would be interested in a sequel that revisits the difference between how the protagonist experiences these events and what actually took place.A Cartographic Analysis of the Dream State kept me guessing until the final sentence. This is the perfect book for anyone who has ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what adventures await the next person to fly up there.Originally posted at LAS Sci-Fi/Fantasy Reviews