Ben Archer’s third adventure finds him and his mother, Laura, arriving in Toronto, weary from their trek across Canada fleeing Bordock while searching for Mesmo. Following her late father’s advice, she seeks out the one person she knows, Robert Manfield, but even Ryan Archer’s counsel can’t shield them from Bordock’s limitless surveillance. His relentless pursuit wreaks havoc along its path, although Ben’s special abilities and unexpected allies provide some protection.

The extent of Bordock’s cruelty is amplified in Moon Paradox, as well as its origin and how it drives the shapeshifter. In turn, various individuals, both old and new, reveal their inner character through their reactions to him, as well as to Ben & Laura, which induces readers to turn pages even more compulsively as the tension grows and consequences mount.

Rae Knightley has crafted a superb third volume of the Cosmic Fall, packed with emotional heft delivered by a young hero far more intuitive than his youth would predict.