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joosty's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
jobby's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
cdeane61's review against another edition
5.0
I have been holding off on this series, set in the Polity, because these book are always so complex. The story and the tech are wonderous, but it is like trying to follow a bunch of super intelligent beings playing 4th dimensional chess.
At some point I'm going to have to line up all the Polity books in order and just start at the beginning again.
As far as I am concerned this is total immersion, edge of your seat reading.
At some point I'm going to have to line up all the Polity books in order and just start at the beginning again.
As far as I am concerned this is total immersion, edge of your seat reading.
gabyk_lib's review
3.0
In some ways this reminded me of a depressing version of The Culture novels but ultimately everything was just too convoluted.
david_agranoff's review against another edition
3.0
eal Asher wrote one of my favorite sci-fi novels, that happens to take place in this larger universe. That novel The Skinner is to me an absolute classic. I am not even close to having read all the books by Asher or in this series but when I saw this book had just come out and was the start of a new trilogy I was excited to give it a shot.
While this is a new trilogy it takes place in the larger canon of Asher's work. The Polity, is the far future civilization of humanity, who are controlled by a central AI. Most humans are at least partly enhanced, so this novel is dominated by trans-human cyborgs and AI. In the Polity, this civilization has long been at war with crab creatures known as the Prador. Having read several novels and stories set in the Polity I can't say how this book stands alone.
This is space opera, but it is really intensely weird space opera with not really any characters that look or act like people in a recognizable sense. This is a very different barely human race, machines and crab like creatures.I can say even though I have read books in this universe before I constantly flipping back to the glossary that is REALLY NEEDED for this book. It is not just the characters and cultures, but some of the weird technology I would forget what something was and would flip forward.
This was not a turn-off to me but I could see how some readers would not like to have to do that. I am sure Asher's books could be confusing to some readers. I for one enjoy how bananas alot of it is. I think the Skinner besides being the his best novel is the one that blends in the world building details into the story the best.
As for the Solider this novel was fun for me but not a quick or easy read. It took a little while for Asher to weave the elements together but I liked the effect in the end. the story is mostly pew pew space battles. A bunch of different forces are summoned to this large object in space that appears to be hiding a artifacts that are basically weapons of this long dead advanced civilization The Jain. That old culture was mentioned through the books. So the Jain are like this lost mythical species. The story centers around one of this long dead species being brough back life after centuries and the various forces fight over it.
One of the coolest moments is when I realized that the soldier was able to return basically transmitted by the Splatterjay virus (from The Skinner). A soldier basically resurrected after five million years by the virus. Those are some of the just insane ideas that are commonplace in a Asher book.
One of the coolest things of the book was when the sub-mind of the Jain soldier in the final stages sets up and for shadows the rest of the trilogy.
"You cannot stop The Soldier,"the fading submind told her.
"What weapons can stop it?" She asked.
"You do not have them. It will destroy your defense sphere and detonate the sun."
I think you should read Asher and the polity which is similar to Ian Banks Culture universe in the vast scope of it all. I personally would say Gridlinked or The Skinner are better places to start. If you were thinking you wanted space opera but way weirder space opera Neal Asher is always your guy.
While this is a new trilogy it takes place in the larger canon of Asher's work. The Polity, is the far future civilization of humanity, who are controlled by a central AI. Most humans are at least partly enhanced, so this novel is dominated by trans-human cyborgs and AI. In the Polity, this civilization has long been at war with crab creatures known as the Prador. Having read several novels and stories set in the Polity I can't say how this book stands alone.
This is space opera, but it is really intensely weird space opera with not really any characters that look or act like people in a recognizable sense. This is a very different barely human race, machines and crab like creatures.I can say even though I have read books in this universe before I constantly flipping back to the glossary that is REALLY NEEDED for this book. It is not just the characters and cultures, but some of the weird technology I would forget what something was and would flip forward.
This was not a turn-off to me but I could see how some readers would not like to have to do that. I am sure Asher's books could be confusing to some readers. I for one enjoy how bananas alot of it is. I think the Skinner besides being the his best novel is the one that blends in the world building details into the story the best.
As for the Solider this novel was fun for me but not a quick or easy read. It took a little while for Asher to weave the elements together but I liked the effect in the end. the story is mostly pew pew space battles. A bunch of different forces are summoned to this large object in space that appears to be hiding a artifacts that are basically weapons of this long dead advanced civilization The Jain. That old culture was mentioned through the books. So the Jain are like this lost mythical species. The story centers around one of this long dead species being brough back life after centuries and the various forces fight over it.
One of the coolest moments is when I realized that the soldier was able to return basically transmitted by the Splatterjay virus (from The Skinner). A soldier basically resurrected after five million years by the virus. Those are some of the just insane ideas that are commonplace in a Asher book.
One of the coolest things of the book was when the sub-mind of the Jain soldier in the final stages sets up and for shadows the rest of the trilogy.
"You cannot stop The Soldier,"the fading submind told her.
"What weapons can stop it?" She asked.
"You do not have them. It will destroy your defense sphere and detonate the sun."
I think you should read Asher and the polity which is similar to Ian Banks Culture universe in the vast scope of it all. I personally would say Gridlinked or The Skinner are better places to start. If you were thinking you wanted space opera but way weirder space opera Neal Asher is always your guy.
cybergoths's review
5.0
A return to Neal Asher and the universe of the Polity. The book opens with a nicely balanced situation on the borders of both the Polity and the Prador Kingdom. The Haiman Orlandine has been commissioned by both governments to control the defence of a stellar accretion disc which is heavily seeded with Jain technology. She has a side project where she is considering throwing a small black hole at the disc to destroy the technology there once and for all.
Jain tech has been a recurring menace throughout the Polity books; initially, it will usually appear benign, granting the user access to technology better than that seen in known space. All the while, it is learning about the user, and eventually, it will sequester and subsume them. It is believed that the technology consumed the Jain civilisation and that outbreaks destroyed several other civilisations. It is the kind of technology that will cause governments to destroy worlds with planet-busters to prevent its spread, and trade in artefacts is heavily controlled lest something escape. The disk is also a link to Jain AIs, sitting somewhere in U-Space, believed to have escaped the collapse of their culture.
Orlandine is aided by the Dragon, an enigmatic and massive bio-mech probe deployed by one of the lost civilisations. Dragon has also been a recurring theme in the series, and presently seems focused on trying to understand what is going on in the accretion disk.
Adding to the mix are survivors from the renegade AI Erebus' rebellion and attack on the Polity, and Earth Central Agents acting to investigate.
After all this setup, Asher lights the touchpaper and the story takes us to a place where some Jain tech is released, causing carnage and initiating an event that could change the future of the Polity and the Prador. It's fast-paced, energetic and fun, twisting and turning as it moves along relentlessly towards the reemergence of the Jain after millions of years of dormancy.
Jain tech has been a recurring menace throughout the Polity books; initially, it will usually appear benign, granting the user access to technology better than that seen in known space. All the while, it is learning about the user, and eventually, it will sequester and subsume them. It is believed that the technology consumed the Jain civilisation and that outbreaks destroyed several other civilisations. It is the kind of technology that will cause governments to destroy worlds with planet-busters to prevent its spread, and trade in artefacts is heavily controlled lest something escape. The disk is also a link to Jain AIs, sitting somewhere in U-Space, believed to have escaped the collapse of their culture.
Orlandine is aided by the Dragon, an enigmatic and massive bio-mech probe deployed by one of the lost civilisations. Dragon has also been a recurring theme in the series, and presently seems focused on trying to understand what is going on in the accretion disk.
Adding to the mix are survivors from the renegade AI Erebus' rebellion and attack on the Polity, and Earth Central Agents acting to investigate.
After all this setup, Asher lights the touchpaper and the story takes us to a place where some Jain tech is released, causing carnage and initiating an event that could change the future of the Polity and the Prador. It's fast-paced, energetic and fun, twisting and turning as it moves along relentlessly towards the reemergence of the Jain after millions of years of dormancy.
quiraang's review
3.0
I'd give it a 3.5. Lots happening in this book. Set around the middle of the Polity time line after Line War. Cyborgs, Golems, AIs, Hoopers , Dragon, Haimens , and most of the the big hitters from the other Polity stories racing around the galaxy shooting stuff. Loads of action, but a frequently changing point of view between a multitude of characters spoils the flow of the action somewhat. Overall, I enjoyed it - a good scene setter for the rest of the trilogy.
timpharris's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
tarsel's review
3.0
Asher has amazing imagination and that is what holds this together. The prose is not up to his usual standard and the climax is anticlimactic as this is clearly written to be a series.