Concept of “The Long Earth” was totally new in fiction, before this series there were books about time travelling and journey to other worlds but nothing like this one. Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter started talking about a new earth in The Long Earth and it is not the world of aliens, same human beings live on that new land too.
The process that gained fame with the name “stepping” changed everything for mankind. Going to different new worlds is not just a dream now and on those new worlds the humans a establishing their cities and states for example Valhalla is actually the new face of America.
Going to different worlds however does not mean that the control of the mother earth that is now called Datum is losing its grip. Datum still holds supreme in all the worlds, everyone and all the worlds are answerable to this single core of humanity.
With growing population and emergence of new thoughts the Long Earth according to some seems slipping now and here Lobsang brings back Joshua once again to the scene to look into the matter with more seriousness. Joshua the lone bachelor in the previous part is now a well settled married man and here this story differs from books like I Shall Wear Midnight because change in personality of the main character is seen.
Another positive change has occurred in the narration of Michael Fenton-Stevens and he has put the paddle on the gas for this part. Speed in narration has not made it unclear so it is correct way to narrate a fantasy and no more experiment is needed after this.
