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Those readers wishing to be unspoiled in their reading of this book should be alert, for spoilers may follow.
Bova’s second installment in the Asteroid Wars features a continuation of the characters from volume one, The Precipice, years later though. With these characters, the development of remaining plot threads continues. Martin Humphries still strives for control of the wealth in the Belt, as well as the hand of the one woman that turned him down. The man who is married to this woman, Lars Fuchs (his wife is the beautiful Amanda), and his small company now find it hard to survive out in the Belt, but he soon turns to battling the growing threat of Humphries holdings out in the Belt.
Bova shows us that war in the vacuum of space is somewhat dull, not the excitement that most sci-fi movies has shown us over the years. Point laser, see hole appear, victimized ship, move on. Bova does ratchet our attention in these battles by showing the effects that the space vessels’ crews go through if they properly fight (even showing us what happens when the crew is caught unprepared).
With the growth of conflict in the Belt, some government agencies are trying to step in and bring peace. Bova shows us that the Belt is his Wild West, rampant with lawlessness and vicious savagery (like using a welding tool to scramble someone’s brains).
Rock Rats ends in with some threads unresolved, I assume that we’ll see some of the threads continued in other novels (like the Selene issue raised in Bova’s Moonbase Wars continued in Venus and Precipice). I felt let down by the turn of events and the brevity of the story arc, like Bova wasn’t trying to make this a as stirring continuation of the Asteroid Wars, just a volume filled with some neat descriptions and solid action—a precursor to a third, more satisfying novel.
Overall, while Bova’s style continues to remind me of the classic science fiction feel, this novel itself doesn’t resound well with the first book. It leaves more dangling at its end then at its beginning, the characters don’t develop over the course of the novel, just pick up things to continue the story. With no real ending to the book, I’d say that those wishing to complete the story began in the first book will be more disappointed with this novel than those wanting a good science fiction read.
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