Sequel to The Space Between Worlds, though it’s not really marketed that way. In the first book, a method was developed to send people to alternate worlds, but only worlds that were fairly similar to the baseline world, and only if the person going wasn’t alive in the alternate. The main character was valuable because she had a rough life and was dead in the vast majority of worlds.The main characters of that first book are more minor characters in this one, though the setting is the same.

Mr. Scales is a “Runner," a soldier of sorts serving the emperor of an impoverished desert wasteland, counterpoint to the domed city where the wealthy elite live. She (“Mr” is a term of respect for men and women alike) watches as a friend is broken apart and reduced to meat and bone, even though no one else is there. Other similar bodies are found, and Scales is pulled in to help figure out what’s happening.

Johnson is a master at creating very real, very flawed characters, and Scales is certainly that. There are giant helpings of hurt, anger, torment, love, and desperation throughout this book, yet it’s completely captivating. If you liked the first book, you’ll probably like this one.