Quality slips a little, but still a fantastic read

The bad point first, just to get it out of the way; the quality of the translation has slipped a little in this book. In my review of the last one, I said I hadn't realised it was a translation until I'd finished reading. That's not true in this one, where everyone seems to have become quite formal suddenly, and some of the descriptions are strange.

But! Apart from that, this is a fabulous book. Tension remains high, characters are recognisable while still being allowed to grow, learn and change, and a few more characters are added to the roster. The technology all seems plausible to my sci-fi-fan mind, and I'm really looking forward to seeing where Victor takes our hapless contestants next. Roll on book three!