Book 2 in the Rafael Ward series, this sequel adds two new point-of-view characters to the mix: We finally get MacKenzie as a POV character, and we get the introduction of Samantha (Sam) Vasquez. We also get to see Rafe struggling under the weight of everything that happened in The Spider in the Laurel, especially his actions at the end of that novel. Maybe most intriguingly, we get an even deeper look at the Republic and its struggle to prevent MacKenzie's coming revolution. The Long Oblivion is a thrill ride through an even more detailed dystopia than we saw in the first book. But it's not a "big picture" overview. It's a very personal story for all three main characters, and their adversaries as well. There are four distinct and contradicting desires at play, each of which demands the destruction of the other three. Readers will be shocked by the choices the main characters, especially Rafe, make. They may be more shocked by how much our own world resembles the Republic.