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marsican's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jdiannedotson's review against another edition
5.0
LIGHT CHASER is one of the more fascinating books I’ve read in recent memory. It’s science fiction, but also rather metaphysical, and even romantic.
This is a novella written by two science fiction greats, Gareth L. Powell and Peter F. Hamilton. They both add unique aspects to characters and settings.
The heroine, Amahle, is essentially ageless, a Light Chaser visiting colonized worlds that each have their own intriguing cultures. She lives vicariously through the recordings of people she encounters, and also unearths a mystery.
I won’t spoil what happens. This is a deep dive into implications for the ethics of extended life, the protections AI might give, and the questions we ask ourselves about life and love.
This is a novella written by two science fiction greats, Gareth L. Powell and Peter F. Hamilton. They both add unique aspects to characters and settings.
The heroine, Amahle, is essentially ageless, a Light Chaser visiting colonized worlds that each have their own intriguing cultures. She lives vicariously through the recordings of people she encounters, and also unearths a mystery.
I won’t spoil what happens. This is a deep dive into implications for the ethics of extended life, the protections AI might give, and the questions we ask ourselves about life and love.
tangiblereads's review against another edition
4.0
Light Chaser is a quick last minute read that I picked up from the library on a whim. It was good. Lots of sci-fi technology. That first chapter will make your head explode if you are not an avid tech person. I'm a casual lover of it, so I found myself skipping through a lot of it to get to the plot. The Book was creative, with diverse intricate worlds, a smart main character (loved the female lead), and the books moves quickly. The idea of reincarnation is spoken about creatively and leaves you intrigued. This little book packs a lot in its pages.
toniherrero's review against another edition
5.0
5/5
A favor: buf, tot plegat! Per fi una novel·la sci-fi que m'ha volat el cap, plena de sentit de la meravella i amb una estructura narrativa que et fa cridar WTF! al final de quasi cada capítol. Fins i tot la història romàntica m'agrada, ja que li dona coherència i sentit a tot plegat. Els personatges de l'Amahle i el Carloman estan molt ben construïts, i la seva relació a través del temps i l'espai és excepcional.
En contra: el primer capítol de hard sci-fi et vola literalment el cervell, però és cert que pot costar una mica entrar-hi; cap al final torna a haver-hi aquesta especulació científica d'alt nivell, però ja te l'esperes i no sobta tant. Potser el punt més fluix és que et deixa amb ganes de més pel que fa a tots els mons que l'Amahle visita, ja que voldries amarar-te de records dels penjolls i tenir-ne més detalls, però tampoc aportaria res a la trama de la novel·la i seria omplir pàgines per omplir.
En definitiva: una novel·la rodona i molt recomanable que el 2023 podreu gaudir en català. Un llibre de ciència-ficció d'alta volada dels que genera adeptes i fa xalar de valent els amants del gènere, sens dubte una lectura obligada per tots els lectors de #cificat.
A favor: buf, tot plegat! Per fi una novel·la sci-fi que m'ha volat el cap, plena de sentit de la meravella i amb una estructura narrativa que et fa cridar WTF! al final de quasi cada capítol. Fins i tot la història romàntica m'agrada, ja que li dona coherència i sentit a tot plegat. Els personatges de l'Amahle i el Carloman estan molt ben construïts, i la seva relació a través del temps i l'espai és excepcional.
En contra: el primer capítol de hard sci-fi et vola literalment el cervell, però és cert que pot costar una mica entrar-hi; cap al final torna a haver-hi aquesta especulació científica d'alt nivell, però ja te l'esperes i no sobta tant. Potser el punt més fluix és que et deixa amb ganes de més pel que fa a tots els mons que l'Amahle visita, ja que voldries amarar-te de records dels penjolls i tenir-ne més detalls, però tampoc aportaria res a la trama de la novel·la i seria omplir pàgines per omplir.
En definitiva: una novel·la rodona i molt recomanable que el 2023 podreu gaudir en català. Un llibre de ciència-ficció d'alta volada dels que genera adeptes i fa xalar de valent els amants del gènere, sens dubte una lectura obligada per tots els lectors de #cificat.
thomcat's review against another edition
3.0
Short, basically novella. Hides some cool worldbuilding in the cracks - and maybe I missed some more.
I like the main character and the seriously generational concept. The book starts in media res, then flashes back for the rest of story. I like these short Tor publications also - and both authors are apparently well known to others, but not yet to me.
That said, there is some time travel - but does the main character do so? If not, where do the memories come from? This part was confusing to me, though maybe I missed the explanation. This meant the ending chapter was doubly confusing, unfortunately.
I like the main character and the seriously generational concept. The book starts in media res, then flashes back for the rest of story. I like these short Tor publications also - and both authors are apparently well known to others, but not yet to me.
That said, there is some time travel - but does the main character do so? If not, where do the memories come from? This part was confusing to me, though maybe I missed the explanation. This meant the ending chapter was doubly confusing, unfortunately.
momwithareadingproblem's review against another edition
4.0
I received an ARC of this book via the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
This little novella had everything I enjoy about space operas in one tiny package. Light Chaser by Peter F. Hamilton & Gareth L. Powell follows the story of Amahle, one of a number of explorers who travel the universe alone, visiting distant planets and collecting memory collars for the inhabitants of Glisten. These collars record everything a person is thinking and experiencing while wearing them. Because Amahle’s circuit has her visiting these planets once a millenia, several generations are stored on the collars and viewed by Amahle to pass her time on the ship while traveling. When one name keeps recurring in the memories she watches, Amahle begins to question the people she works for and her long existence as a Light Chaser.
I really liked Amahle. She’s lived for millenia, forgetting her older memories to make room for the new and current ones. Somewhat content with her life aboard her ship with just the AI for comfort, Amahle still feels as if something is missing, if only she could remember what. Her interactions with people from various planets play out through both the memory collars and her current stops. The back and forth between present and memories can often be confusing, but rewarding if you persevere through it.
I was surprised at the amount of world-building the authors were able to pack into such a short novella. It’s immersive, told entirely through Amahle and the memory collars. The universe is fascinating, and Amahle’s job even more so. I was curious to find out more about the people she worked for, how she was able to live such a long life, and the different planets colonized by humans. The plot increased my curiosity with the introduction of Carloman. He gives Amahle a number that to her makes no sense and continues to pop up on different worlds as different people. Who is he and what does he want with Amahle? These questions play out throughout the climax of the book, adding suspense and a touch of thrill to the story.
Overall, I really enjoyed Light Chaser. For such a short novella (clocks in at just under 170 pages), the authors tell a lot of story. Amahle and Carloman will stick with me for a while. If you are looking for a quick sci-fi read, I highly recommend it.
Final Thought: Light Chaser packs a lot of story into a small package with a well thought-out universe and an interesting leading character sure to please any sci-fi fan.
This little novella had everything I enjoy about space operas in one tiny package. Light Chaser by Peter F. Hamilton & Gareth L. Powell follows the story of Amahle, one of a number of explorers who travel the universe alone, visiting distant planets and collecting memory collars for the inhabitants of Glisten. These collars record everything a person is thinking and experiencing while wearing them. Because Amahle’s circuit has her visiting these planets once a millenia, several generations are stored on the collars and viewed by Amahle to pass her time on the ship while traveling. When one name keeps recurring in the memories she watches, Amahle begins to question the people she works for and her long existence as a Light Chaser.
I really liked Amahle. She’s lived for millenia, forgetting her older memories to make room for the new and current ones. Somewhat content with her life aboard her ship with just the AI for comfort, Amahle still feels as if something is missing, if only she could remember what. Her interactions with people from various planets play out through both the memory collars and her current stops. The back and forth between present and memories can often be confusing, but rewarding if you persevere through it.
I was surprised at the amount of world-building the authors were able to pack into such a short novella. It’s immersive, told entirely through Amahle and the memory collars. The universe is fascinating, and Amahle’s job even more so. I was curious to find out more about the people she worked for, how she was able to live such a long life, and the different planets colonized by humans. The plot increased my curiosity with the introduction of Carloman. He gives Amahle a number that to her makes no sense and continues to pop up on different worlds as different people. Who is he and what does he want with Amahle? These questions play out throughout the climax of the book, adding suspense and a touch of thrill to the story.
Overall, I really enjoyed Light Chaser. For such a short novella (clocks in at just under 170 pages), the authors tell a lot of story. Amahle and Carloman will stick with me for a while. If you are looking for a quick sci-fi read, I highly recommend it.
Final Thought: Light Chaser packs a lot of story into a small package with a well thought-out universe and an interesting leading character sure to please any sci-fi fan.
quiraang's review against another edition
A great little novella - interesting universe and characters.
valmox's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ishouldreadthat's review against another edition
3.0
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I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I don't read many dual-authored novellas, and was incredibly curious about this one. I'd never read anything by Peter F. Hamilton, but really enjoy Gareth Powell's writing. While I enjoyed the majority of Light Chaser, I think that the story it was trying to tell felt a little larger than the novella format could contain.
I loved the concept of this book and really liked Amahle as a character, but something about this book felt just a little off. There are some spoilers ahead because I simply can't explain without revealing a little!
Amahle is told that The Bad Thing is happening, and she blindly trusts her information without any real reason. On a superficial level I understand, however if one is going to take the huge steps she does in order to stop This Thing from happening I feel like there would need to be a lot more than blind trust on her part. This is the point that makes me feel like this story was too big for a novella -- Amahle simply doesn't think about what she's told in any critical way. The entire story hinges on this intense sense of trust and it just didn't feel wise on her part -- to the point of actually making some events of the book really uncomfortable.
Again, I really enjoyed bits of this book, but with a large part of the story feeling unbelievable, it was a good read for me that could have been a brilliant one!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I don't read many dual-authored novellas, and was incredibly curious about this one. I'd never read anything by Peter F. Hamilton, but really enjoy Gareth Powell's writing. While I enjoyed the majority of Light Chaser, I think that the story it was trying to tell felt a little larger than the novella format could contain.
I loved the concept of this book and really liked Amahle as a character, but something about this book felt just a little off. There are some spoilers ahead because I simply can't explain without revealing a little!
Amahle is told that The Bad Thing is happening, and she blindly trusts her information without any real reason. On a superficial level I understand, however if one is going to take the huge steps she does in order to stop This Thing from happening I feel like there would need to be a lot more than blind trust on her part. This is the point that makes me feel like this story was too big for a novella -- Amahle simply doesn't think about what she's told in any critical way. The entire story hinges on this intense sense of trust and it just didn't feel wise on her part -- to the point of actually making some events of the book really uncomfortable.
Again, I really enjoyed bits of this book, but with a large part of the story feeling unbelievable, it was a good read for me that could have been a brilliant one!