Meanwhile, a group of itinerant traders arrive in Xiosphant, and among them is Mouth, one of the last survivors of a nomadic group. Saved by one of the alien “crocodiles,” she manages to make it back to the city, where she hides out, fearful of being found by the police. Instead of a night in jail, she’s made an example of, forced to climb a nearby mountain into the frozen darkness with little hope of survival. When Bianca steals a few “food dollars” from the Gymnasium and the police raid the student group looking for them, Sophie takes the rap. She’s secretly in love with her roommate, the wealthier and somewhat spoiled Bianca - who in turn is involved in what the government views as a radical student group. In harshly regulated Xiosphant, Sophie has earned a scholarship to the prestigious Gymnasium, where she feels isolated because of her working-class background. She deftly contraststhe cities of Xiosphant and Argelo, which have adapted in different ways to the punishing environment. While this sounds like the setting for a harrowing tale of survival - and at times it is, such as in a sequence featuring a treacherous journey across the planet’s Sea of Murder - Anders focuses largely on the alliances, loves and perceived betrayals of her main characters.
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