Foundation's Edge

Expectations are funny things you know. Working in a secondhand bookshop I see so many copies of this title on my heavily discounted shelves all the time, nobody buying it even at $2; I was under the impression that it must've been a very poor addition to the series because every other Asimov gts bought instantly. How wrong I was.This is quite possibly my favourite of the Foundation novels so far, not including the early robot/Lije Baley books, it would have received 5 stars if it was for the final three parts of the story letting it down with its wishy washy 'communing with nature' nonsense. It's quite a bit longer than the original trilogy but Asimov manages to pack the story with intrigue so you barely notice the length. It's fascinating, exciting stuff, taking the series in a whole new direction with new, interesting characters that you can't help but get behind as they each undertake a personal mission that will inevitably draw them all together for an unexpected ending.The 400+ pages fly past, I missed sleep as I couldn't stop myself from starting another part, desperate to know what was going to happen next. The great news is that you don't need to have read the preceding 13 books in the Foundation universe to enjoy this one, the self-contained storyline works completely for once and can be enjoyed by newcomers to the series and old fans alike.