Fast-paced, mysterious, one damn cool heroine, and ooh, that show-down with the Mule...! The only PROBLEM with this book is that you wish Asimov could have continued to write the rest of the series in this calibre, but, unfortunately, while good and well-written, the next four books just aren't the same. In his third book in the excellent Foundation series, Asimov wraps up the lose ends created in "Foundation and Empire." Too many times have I read series where the ending just never lived up to the set-up. Not so, here! Oh, a clever reader should be able to figure out how the Mule can be thwarted and where the Second Foundation is, but it is proof of Asimov's greatness that you are STILL gripped with anticipation and excitement, one the edge of your seat at all times! (And for those who were troubled by how dated the first book was, surprise! Like Bayta from "Empire", our heroine, Arkady, is a spirited, resourceful young woman, and this time there ARE women in key roles on the Second Foundation project.)