Pratchett and Baxter's second venture into the Long Earth may not quite live up to the epic cerebral spectacle of the first, but nevertheless the word-smithing duo have forged a pleasing-enough story that expands on the fundamentally interesting concept of the series. It's now twenty years since 'Step Day' when humanity at large were given effortless access to an infinite number of parallel Earths, similar to our own but notably absent of other human life. As large numbers of people abandon our Earth, 'Datum Earth', to enjoy the fruits of unlimited resources and boundless frontiers, tensions rise between the pioneers and the established authorities back on 'Datum'. The novel is well-stocked with astute social-political philosophy, but the characters and narrative seem somewhat diluted in relation to the The Long Earth, and at times deviates into uncharacteristic silliness. Nevertheless, another interesting book for those already initiated into the series.