The Devil and Deep Space (Roc Science Fiction) [Paperback]

You'll reencounter characters from before and meet a few new ones as well (among them Andrej's wife), but newcomers to the series would be advised to read them in the order they're written. Matthews doesn't bother to back up much, which helps keep the book to reasonable length.

This time out Inquisitor Andrej Koscuisko gets a chance to go home to his family, and hopes to leave his position as Inquisitor. In his assignment as ship's surgeon aboard the space ship Ragnarok, he's also required to torture suspects, but now at last he's offered a way out.

Things of course go wrong almost immediately and we see in a series of cynical (and psychological) portraits how nearly every facet of Matthews' universe involves corruption. (It's so widespread the corrupt are described as "reasonable people.")

Things proceed eerily but stately, impressionistically. Nothing is quite what it seems; nothing is fully revealed. There are ancient hostilities between cultures not fully explained, or perhaps not yet. Clearly there are more novels to come in the series, and if the existing five are a guide, in each one another layer of Matthews' onion-verse will be pulled back.

Great concept, great execution.

The homeworld of the prodigal Andrej Koscuisko is a realm with which people in our frequently self-indulgent times are hard-pressed to understand - a world where the wealthy are benevolent overseers who are responsible for those under their protection. Koscuisko has always been conflicted over his duties at home and his duties in Fleet, finding them completely at odds with each other and driving him further and further over the edge of sanity. Is it any surprise that eventually, something's got to give? Responsibility and love are what drive Koscuisko to take surprising, radical actions in this book, to the point where nothing under Jurisdiction - or in the life of the Ragnarok crew - will ever be the same again.

That said, the primary reason that I enjoyed this novel so much is how much fun I had reading it! Matthews' eye for detail is impeccable, from yes, the materials of clothing (critical information in a society whose livelihood and religion are based on textiles) to the digestive issues of sentient bat-like creatures, to the warm rekindling of dormant relationships. Characters that we've never before encountered are brought brilliantly to life, and we feel as though we're beside them as they struggle through difficult decisions that will alter the fabric of their reality forever. The author also has an appealingly dark sense of humor that meshes with the profound challenges her characters face. The plot twists and turns enough to keep you reading into the wee hours of the morning, right down to the last few pages. When it's over, you realize that Matthews has subtly led you to the edge of a revolution.

If you're a fan of the series, the book brings you a fuller understanding of Koscuisko's struggle and what he has had to sacrifice for his duty thus far - and what he will be giving up in the future, as the further destabilization of life under Jurisdiction continues. If you've never read any of the other books, then this might be a good opportunity to get to know Koscuisko the man before getting to know his demons, although some of the story's more shocking plot twists will not have quite the same impact for you. Even so, this book is complex, and thought-provoking, and I was eagerly awaiting the next installment from the moment I read the final sentence.