After the revelations at the end of Book one, more mundane concerns occupy the Children at the beginning of The Fixed Stars; they’re growing up and taking on adult roles.

<pclass=”intro-text”> Rather than merely exploring Alpha 5, they are now exploring those equally mysterious and hazardous territories, the human heart and personal relationships. Marta finds that the path of true love is rather more demanding than she imagined, and is tempted. One of the twins begins to manifest unusual and precocious abilities of her own, and then the Light returns…