Artemis Invaded    by Jane Lindskold Order:  USA  Can Tor, 2015 (2015) Hardcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Jane Lindskold's Artemis Invaded is the sequel to Artemis Awakening. She's an unusual author, one of the few who succeed in both science fiction and fantasy (in the latter, I recommend her urban fantasy series, Breaking the Wall). I hadn't read Artemis Awakening and feel that it would have helped me to enjoy the sequel more to have done so, but was still able to appreciate Artemis Invaded. Artemis was a technologically advanced pleasure planet, its tech concealed and its animals and human workers all bioengineered to enhance the experience of guests. Five centuries after its inception, following a galactic war, the planet was lost to legend. Then young interstellar archeologist Griffin Dane crash landed there, as told in Artemis Awakening. He was rescued by Huntress Adara who is psych-linked to a puma companion, Sand Shadow. Now, as Artemis Invaded opens, Griffin, Adara, Sand Shadow and Terrell (trained to guide the pleasure seeking seegnur who used to visit the planet) seek Maiden's Tear, a forbidden area that just might hold ancient technology. Finding it would allow Griffin to contact his ship in orbit, and hence share all he has discovered here. Complicating matters, both Griffin and Terrell are attracted to Adara, who wants neither as a lover. A villain of the piece, long-lived, ruthless loremaster, the Old One Who Is Young, is working against them, aided by Julyan, once a Hunter. Julyan wants Adara too, but as a captive under his total control. And the planet Artemis herself has come back to life with a personal identity and soul, and is in communication with Adara and Sand Shadow. The good guys do gain entry to Maiden's Tear (whose AI, Leto, is not sure whether or not to trust them). But they are closely followed by the Old One, Julyan and three who have come from off-planet in search of Griffin. The latter do not really have his well-being in mind - they have other goals, of which Griffin greatly disapproves. He worries that perhaps he's found 'what should have been left lost'. A visionary who can see possible futures turns out to be the key to what unfolds. This episode ends with an immediate threat averted, but an even greater one looming. I'm looking forward to what comes next. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more SF books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews