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imitira's review against another edition
Prequels are the last resort of a failing plot arc, but this reads nicely, In a Young Legionary kind of way. The hinting at the Gridlinked mentality plays falsely with the emotional development story, and pulling in a character from a separate arc is also a bit strained, but neither blows my retcon fuses.
ajam's review against another edition
3.0
3★
This was an okay-ish thriller set on a planet and serves as an introduction to Cormac, so no massive ship battles here or intellectually melting confrontation between god like AIs either.
This was an okay-ish thriller set on a planet and serves as an introduction to Cormac, so no massive ship battles here or intellectually melting confrontation between god like AIs either.
tuftymctavish's review against another edition
4.0
Fair enjoyed this origin story for Agent Cormac. It flits between time periods and follows on nicely from what I learned in Prador Moon. However this does touch upon Spatterjay, which I have not read yet, so I'm wondering how that will adjust those upcoming books.
This one however romps along with its two parallel stories that gradually converge at a pace that ratchets up through the book. I preferred the action elements of the current timeline, elements which were very robust - painful, surprising, and brutal.
Looking forward to the next one in the series.
This one however romps along with its two parallel stories that gradually converge at a pace that ratchets up through the book. I preferred the action elements of the current timeline, elements which were very robust - painful, surprising, and brutal.
Looking forward to the next one in the series.
polarcubby's review against another edition
I enjoyed this. A nice ending to the Cormac story. Close with a prequel. Nice!
tome15's review
4.0
Asher, Neal. Shadow of the Scorpion. Polity Universe No. 2 (Chronological). Tor, 2008.
Here’s how I think it must have gone down. Neal Asher is reading Ian M. Banks’s Culture series in the 1990s and thinks, “That’s cool. I bet I could one-up that.” And maybe he did. In Asher’s Polity Universe there are more AIs in more kinds of machines, more humans, posthumans and aliens, more strange locales, badass beasts, selfish-gene viruses, and more biotech of all kinds. As of April 2020, the series has grown to 17 novels in several different subseries. By 2008, Asher concluded that the Agent Cormac series needed a prequel—Shadow of the Scorpion—that delves into the childhood of Earth Central Security’s super soldier, Agent Ian Cormac (the name has to be an homage). He finds that, because he was traumatized by war as a child, his memories were selectively deleted. It is a neat treatment for post-traumatic stress if you can make it work. But is it a good idea? If you want the trauma back, can the memories be retrieved? How should you feel about the people who did the editing? Which way has more survival value? Eventually, Cormac will have to find out.
Here’s how I think it must have gone down. Neal Asher is reading Ian M. Banks’s Culture series in the 1990s and thinks, “That’s cool. I bet I could one-up that.” And maybe he did. In Asher’s Polity Universe there are more AIs in more kinds of machines, more humans, posthumans and aliens, more strange locales, badass beasts, selfish-gene viruses, and more biotech of all kinds. As of April 2020, the series has grown to 17 novels in several different subseries. By 2008, Asher concluded that the Agent Cormac series needed a prequel—Shadow of the Scorpion—that delves into the childhood of Earth Central Security’s super soldier, Agent Ian Cormac (the name has to be an homage). He finds that, because he was traumatized by war as a child, his memories were selectively deleted. It is a neat treatment for post-traumatic stress if you can make it work. But is it a good idea? If you want the trauma back, can the memories be retrieved? How should you feel about the people who did the editing? Which way has more survival value? Eventually, Cormac will have to find out.
kathodus's review
4.0
Part two of my re-reading of Asher's Polity universe in chronological order within said universe. I highly recommend not doing this if you are a first time Asher reader.
Taking place a decade or two after the events in Prador Moon, Shadow of the Scorpion is basically Cormac's origin story. The action takes place during Cormac's childhood (around age 8) and his entry into the military and eventually ECS (age 20? 22?). When I first read it, the ending had a big emotional impact for a book so thoroughly capital-A Action-filled. It's a good story, and worth a re-read for some of the setup it provides for Asher's future.
Taking place a decade or two after the events in Prador Moon, Shadow of the Scorpion is basically Cormac's origin story. The action takes place during Cormac's childhood (around age 8) and his entry into the military and eventually ECS (age 20? 22?). When I first read it, the ending had a big emotional impact for a book so thoroughly capital-A Action-filled. It's a good story, and worth a re-read for some of the setup it provides for Asher's future.
vitaly's review
3.0
NEal Asher continues to write perfectly average books, and I'm still enjoying them.
jrydenbark's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
macindog's review
4.0
The story centers round Ian Cormac, showing his beginnings as a soldier, promoted to the Sparkind and later as an ECS agent. Interspersed with this are flashbacks to his childhood, relating the details of his mother and brother's tales during the Prador war and how he has no memories of his father or how he died in that war.
Another installment in Asher's Polity Universe, this tale gives us some of the background to Ian Cormac's early life, his joining ECS and how he acquires that lethal Tenkian weapon of his. It also introduces the war drone Amistad, who we meet later in The Technician. Yes, I read them in the wrong order but it doesn't really matter as this is really about Ian Cormac.
Not a blockbuster of a novel but a decent read for fans of the Polity and Ian Cormac.
Another installment in Asher's Polity Universe, this tale gives us some of the background to Ian Cormac's early life, his joining ECS and how he acquires that lethal Tenkian weapon of his. It also introduces the war drone Amistad, who we meet later in The Technician. Yes, I read them in the wrong order but it doesn't really matter as this is really about Ian Cormac.
Not a blockbuster of a novel but a decent read for fans of the Polity and Ian Cormac.
theatlantean's review
4.0
A good revelatory read, with characters you care about. I want more Prador though!