After putting his brother Dominic Magnus out of business - and unsuccessfully trying to kill him, Colonel Klaus Dacham of the TEC initiates the second part of Operation Rasputin: forcibly bringing the anarchic world of Bakunin into the human polity of the Confederacy. But while ending, at the point of a gun, Bakunin's days as a haven for smugglers, tax evaders, and revolutionaries seems like a great idea, it may tear the Confederacy apart.

Swann throws in new - and soon separated - lovers Dominic and Tetsami, alien artifacts new and old, fearsome nantechnology and transhumans, and time travel into the mix of political intrigue, chases, vivid violence, and clever chapter titles.

To be sure, at one point, Swann comes perilously near too convenient coincidence in his plot when a desperate rescue mission is mounted into the wilds of Bakunin to keep Tetsumi out of the grips of a mercenary army. And, while Swann does a credible job with his technology and describing the nanotechnology spookiness of the Proteus Commune - which makes even Bakunites a bit nervous, this isn't primarily a work of new or breathtaking scientific ideas and speculations. However, he continues to create a credible anarchist society with Bakunin. What Swann offers is adventure and intrigue and mysteries from the past and terrors in the future. Unlike the first novel in the series, primarily a heist story, this one has more variety in its plot and scenes.

It is, still, the middle book of a trilogy. And, while definitely worth reading, you should first start with Profiteer (Hostile Takeover). ( )