This book sucked me right in, in the best way. The story is a written account by Lamat Paed, an experienced mountain-climber who lives on the side of a mountain so tall that space-suits are needed before an explorer can even see the summit. Lamat has already tried to reach that height once. The journey ended her marriage, killed her lover, and froze much of the skin and muscle from her face. Now she works in a tiny mountain village, running her ex-husbands bar and guiding tourists up to the monastery and the observatory. Until, that is, Mother Disaine shows up. Disaine is an outcast, a priest, scientist, and inventor. She wants to reach the top of the mountain and met God. Lamat has made a living out of lying low, but she is unable to resist the gravitational pull of Disaine's ambitions. So the pair set out upwards, Lamat rolling the dice a second time to see what, this time, the mountain will take from her. This story is queer, political, philosophical and deeply satisfying. I recommend it.