Luna: Wolf Moon

In this powerful sequel to Luna: New Moon, the Dragons, five great industrial families of the lunar colony, fight viciously to increase their power. At the end of the first volume of the series McDonald has referred to as “Dallas in space,” House Corta was brought down by legal skullduggery and violent attacks. This sequel chronicles the fallout from House Corta’s demise as the other Dragons squabble over the remains and hunt the few Cortas still alive. Meanwhile, Earth’s powerful spacefaring nations maneuver in the background. The plot follows a half-dozen surviving Cortas: young Robson, who once survived a three-kilometer fall during a race through the city’s support structure; Lucas, the presumed heir, who must make a near-fatal trip down Earth’s gravity well; and Lucasinho, long deemed a worthless sex addict, who saves a young cousin through an act of great bravery. Although this middle volume in a trilogy does not end so much as pause, it is still compelling throughout. Each of McDonald’s viewpoint characters is made human in fascinating and occasionally disturbing detail, and the solar system of the 22nd century is wonderfully delineated. Fans of the first volume will love this one and eagerly look forward to the next. (Mar.)