The Mirrored Heavens

Damn. David J. Williams can write. This is one of the few books that I've read that live up to the all the author endorsed blurbs on the cover. I haven't read much cyperpunk, but I enjoyed this book. The twisted political intrigues, the unflinching action sequences, and the vision of a world in detente on the verge of breakpoint is simply masterful. This book however, does NOT sanitize war, and if realistic violence disturbs you, this book might not be for you. But damn what an ending! I'm definitely looking forward to the next book!

n 2105 the Treaty of Zurich is co-signed by the representatives of the leaders of the United States and the Eurasian Coalition. The two contracting powers agree to reduce the tensions of the protracted second cold war with some cooperation although neither side trusts the other as the environment has failed "Quickening" the potential end of the planet. The prime symbol of their cooperation is the construction of the Phoenix Space Elevator which will near full operations by 2110 in Belem-Macapa to enable humanity to expedite journeys off world. Central Intelligence Command counter cyber terrorism agent Claire Haskell is tracking the elevator networks as regional freedom fighters Jaguar's Swords have reportedly hacked inside. However, a series of explosions soon rock the elevator and devastates much of the city. The enigmatic Operator sends "mechanic" Jason Marlowe to rescue Claire as he has plans for the pair in a complex counter operation against Autumn Rain who has taken credit for the destruction; while the superpowers blame each other as the cold war turns close to heating up on earth and on the moon. The Operator counts on his subordinate razor Claire and her mechanic Jason remembering fondly their love for one another a decade ago; however, as the pair works together to prevent another Rain tsunami, each wonders if their love is real or an imprint by their razor the Operator. THE MIRRORED HEAVENS is an exhilarating action-packed futuristic counter intelligence espionage science fiction thriller with Brave New World twists and spins that will have the lead field agents and the audience wonders what revelation is next and just who road kill is. Reality is blurred by constructs to expedite a mechanic's assignment so Claire and Jason only know that she is his razor and he is her mechanic on the stop the Rain project. Readers will appreciate this fast-paced grim look at earth twenty-second century. Harriet Klausner

I picked up Mirrored Heavens and almost fifty pages later I realized I'd lost an hour and was staring at my book with my jaw a little open. I felt like someone had stomped an accelerator pedal connected to a part of my brain that hadn't fired up in years. It's almost dizzying. It's amazingly fast-paced, engrossing, too plausible, scary, thrilling, and a little bit joyous as it runs as fast as it can. This book is for you if: - You long for a good cyberpunk tone, like Burning Chrome, or Glass Hammer, if you know what I'm talking about - You like a good techno thriller - You want to read a distinctive new scifi voice - You like the tangled political landscapes of a La Carre novel It may not be for you if: - You prefer the tone and pace of a Foundation novel over Neuromancer - you're not going to get clear, broken-out exposition, for instance - You need chapter breaks - You don't like present tense I wanted to be able to buy the next one immediately after finishing this book -- I liked it that much.

It's the 22nd century, and mankind's about to complete its first elevator to the stars. Those in power think they're about to usher in a new golden age. They couldn't be more wrong. If you like fast-paced action and a plot that twists and turns so fast you can just barely hang on, this is the book for you. If you prefer characters that make you want to root for the good guys and a richly-developed universe that makes you want to know about its every detail (and believe the author can provide), this is the book for you. Williams' novel is as ambitious as it is moving, as thoroughly-researched as it is complex. Fast, furious, edgy and terrifying, I couldn't put this book down. Highly recommended.

David J. Williams' The Mirrored Heavens is 21st century, next-gen cyberpunk, a grim imagining of a possible future our current international climate could easily produce. Four separate but inter-reliant plotlines fire like lasers, closing and eventually colliding in a breathtaking finale. Twists and turns are matched with breakneck pacing as Williams catapults the reader ever forward, ever onward with the tale of US counter-intelligence agents Jason Marlowe and Claire Haskell, who are stuck in the middle of the most monumental events since the end of the second Cold War. The Phoenix Space Elevator is humanity's greatest technological achievement, a display of unified American and Eurasian power. It also goes down in flames before the end of Act One, setting the whole novel (and the series) into motion as various special forces try to hunt down Autumn Rain, the mysterious terrorist cell which executed the seemingly impossible strike. Williams' Razors are the 22nd century descendants of the original cyberpunk hackers and netrunners, who operate in a completely realized second world, the Zone. Their counterparts and teammates are Mechs, cyberware-enhanced soldiers who use awesome battlesuits to play out explosive choreographies that would have Michael Bay and John Woo exchanging high-fives. The first novel ends at a turning point that positions the reader ready to plummet headlong into the next chapter of the story, satisfied but yearning for more. The Mirrored Heavens shows how the cyberpunk genre is a still-valid mode of speculation about our future, a potent warning against global proliferation of arms and consolidation of control. Most of all, it shows the disastrous possibilities which could spin out of a 21st-century Cold War, with the US set against superpowers in both Europe and Asia.