[1] Seven years ago, Terra Viridian was convicted of mass murder for the senseless massacre of 1500 people, and sentenced to the orbiting prison colony known as the Underworld.

Those affected include Sydney the space musicologist, a scientist with a device capable of displaying her mental images, patroler Aaron Fisher, whose wife died in the massacre and who is still hunting Terra's twin sister Michele, Magic Man the Bach master, and his protege, the mysterious golden-masked musician called the Queen of Hearts.

Sybil Steinberg in Publishers Weekly calls the novel "[a] disappointing book from a talented author of children's SF," while observing that "[t]he denouement, like the body of this impressionistic novel, combines cliches, romantic gestures and the occasional clever gambit, such as a pianist reprogramming security codes so they'll only respond to Bach played on a harpsichord.

"[2] Jackie Cassada in Library Journal views it more favorably, writing "[f]antasy author McKillip switches gears smoothly in this high-tech sf adventure for adult and YA collections.

"[4] Rosemary Smith in School Library Journal, noting that "YA—Master of fantasy McKillip has turned her considerable talents to science fiction," calls the book "a riveting tale of romance and mystery."