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diesmali's review against another edition
2.0
I was moderately entertained by this duology. The second part might have been a bit better than the first, but I find a lot of things I don't like with the story and the characters: boring antagonists, a single-minded plot arc... oh well.
barryhaworth's review
4.0
This book took a while to get my interest. It starts as one of those annoying sorts of sequels where the good guys having defeated the bad guys in the previous book imediately have to face off against the same sort of bad guys all over again. In this case, after releasing the planet of Beinvenido from the Void and overthrown the oppressive government at the end of The Abyss Beyond Dreams, a new oppressive government comes to power. Fast forward a couple of centuries and they are still in power. I found the first couple of hundred pages hard going, but the story picked up about a third of the way through and kept on picking up the further I went. Towards the end things really picked up with almost too many new situations and twists to the story, but in the end all was resolved satisfactorily.
The final postscript in particular was very nicely done, with many cameos from characters from other books in the series. So, although I didn't like the way it started I very much enjoyed where it finished.
The final postscript in particular was very nicely done, with many cameos from characters from other books in the series. So, although I didn't like the way it started I very much enjoyed where it finished.
secre's review against another edition
5.0
Peter Hamilton once more succeeds in astounding and confounding me. He has a unique way of depicting universes and pulling an invisible rabbit out of a bowler hat only to turn it into a bouquet of flowers.
Set so many years after the events of Abyss Beyond Dreams, this almost starts from ground zero. And yet the threats that were present two hundred years previous are still ever present. In fact the Fallers have gone from strength to strength and the advantages that humans had in the Void have disappeared, leaving them in a more perilous position than ever.
Hamilton builds and expands on the world he presented in Abyss, maturing it in ways I could not have foreseen. Throughout this his character portrayals are nothing short of stunning; few of the characters within these pages are left overs from Abyss and yet that makes them no less vibrant and real. He pinpoints the depths, the heights and the abyss’ of human nature and everything in-between and plots them unfailingly, capturing the very essence of humanity both individually and collectively within his pages.
The spectrum of grey that every human life encapsulates is depicted with wondrous and horrifying care.
Managing that at the same time as creating such a rich and detailed tapestry of a world is a feat few can rival I believe. Merging the New with the old, the familiar and the unfamiliar, the unique and the mundane with a characteristically intense writing style, this is an absolutely stunning piece of writing. Hamilton never goes where you are expecting him to go either, meaning this is a journey to be savoured from beginning to end.
Set so many years after the events of Abyss Beyond Dreams, this almost starts from ground zero. And yet the threats that were present two hundred years previous are still ever present. In fact the Fallers have gone from strength to strength and the advantages that humans had in the Void have disappeared, leaving them in a more perilous position than ever.
Hamilton builds and expands on the world he presented in Abyss, maturing it in ways I could not have foreseen. Throughout this his character portrayals are nothing short of stunning; few of the characters within these pages are left overs from Abyss and yet that makes them no less vibrant and real. He pinpoints the depths, the heights and the abyss’ of human nature and everything in-between and plots them unfailingly, capturing the very essence of humanity both individually and collectively within his pages.
The spectrum of grey that every human life encapsulates is depicted with wondrous and horrifying care.
Managing that at the same time as creating such a rich and detailed tapestry of a world is a feat few can rival I believe. Merging the New with the old, the familiar and the unfamiliar, the unique and the mundane with a characteristically intense writing style, this is an absolutely stunning piece of writing. Hamilton never goes where you are expecting him to go either, meaning this is a journey to be savoured from beginning to end.
bradyemmett's review
4.0
I feel like if I only remembered a little bit more from the rest of the Commonwealth books, I might have understood some of the finer plot points better, especially in the prologue and conclusion. It was fine without full memories. A great read.
chukg's review against another edition
3.0
These are pretty fast moving and fun. This one builds on the previous Void etc. books, there's probably enough back story that a new reader wouldn't be *totally* lost but I'd recommend reading the others first. Good action scenes, lots of super-advanced technology and weird aliens, it is a pretty long book though. Not very deep characterization but there's a fair bit of sense of wonder in the books.
kindfulkirby's review
3.0
I'm not one for writing long reviews, so here goes my short review:
I didn't care about any of the characters except one, who then was replaced by someone else halfway through the book. The middle of the book felt a lot like "filler", whereas the ending felt rushed and utterly ridiculous!
Not a bad book, but very disappointing for my favourite author.
5/10: Forgettable.
I didn't care about any of the characters except one, who then was replaced by someone else halfway through the book. The middle of the book felt a lot like "filler", whereas the ending felt rushed and utterly ridiculous!
Not a bad book, but very disappointing for my favourite author.
5/10: Forgettable.
dougalicous's review
3.0
Started great. Really felt like it lost it's edge in the 2nd 1/2. A little too deus ex machina there IMO.
mpigsley's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25