Read Jonny5's full review

In the third book of this Eastern based cyberpunk trilogy sees the central character Marid Audran finding his feet as the right hand man of criminal lord Friedlander Bey. But being raised out of the gutter to this high profile makes him a target along with Bey for a 'fatally intended' banishment. After surviving this ordeal, Marid plans his revenge...

The Budayeen trilogy has a much more intelligent than the usual neon lit cyberpunk clones. It has an insightful exploration of a Muslim culture. The cyber-technology is low profile and insidious; people wear fake personalites to make sex better; a taxi driver replaces a lung with an artificial organ which secretes a dangerous narcotic into his bloodstream.

Along with a well realised world Effinger's characters are believable. Told in the first person narrative deftly reveals Marid's own self-blindness to his addictions and self-compromises. Even the tertiary characters are handled with suitable humour or pathos.

The downside is that this may be a book too far. The ending is built up, well constructed, but leads to an anti climax. But compare this to the usual high octane endings and it reflects a realistic, human conclusion.

The first two books ('When Gravity Fails' & 'A Fire in the Sun') were good too, and the first book can be read stand alone. They are recommended to people who enjoy cyberpunk in all it's guises, even this mature one.