All In is the prequel, and a gripping one it is, too, a fun yarn involving flawed yet attractive protagonists Quin Black and Jo Nash. Quin's job is to explore unauthorized "Doors," portals to other worlds that the government of Pomegranate City has declared illegal and confiscated. But Quin is compromised by a weakness for illegal gambling, and when he rescues Jo, the daughter of the organized crime boss who runs his favorite gambling den but yearns to study horticulture, they both find themselves in a mess of trouble.
It is a little jarring that the setting of Pomegranate City seems thoroughly American contemporary although it is on a distant planet in (presumably) the far future, as if the series can't decide whether it wants to be straight-up sci-fi or urban fantasy. But that quibble aside, it's been a while since I enjoyed a story this much. Also, I'm dying to know whether the rest of the series reveals what a "fudge lizard" is!
Rating: 5 Phoboses
