A Cassandra Kresnov novel, 23 Years On Fire advances the clock a bit and brings some intriguing new ideas into the series. Although they are coming a little bit out of left field and strain plausibility somewhat, such small sins are easily forgiven in support of a good story and the philosophical questions that comes along with it.
The novel opens with Sandy leading a military raid on a Federation planet suspected of using mind-control implant technology on the population of an entire planet – accidentally. That theme continues with the rest of the book, as the artificial intelligences on all sides learn exactly how capable they can be once fully grown up.
The plot is less centered on Sandy than usual, which leads to a couple of disjointed timeline and viewpoint shifts that can eave the reader briefly disoriented. As a result the book feels rougher and less polished than previous entries in the series. It is nonetheless a good read, with some revelations at the end that hint at an interesting new direction for the next book.
Readers who have been following the series will not be disappointed. Others should start with the first book, Crossover.
