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mikewhiteman 's review for:
Poseidon's Wake
by Alastair Reynolds
This is the final entry in a trilogy and, although they can stand alone, I think you get more from them by reading in order. That said, they don't follow directly on from one another and only a few characters recur (and then usually only being referred to, not a main part of the action).
It is full of ideas, some of which I would have liked to see explored more, but ultimately the sheer number of developments shown and implied kept me invested and interested in their reactions and combinations all the way through. This is a big part of what I enjoy in reading Reynolds, the large-scale speculation and imagination. He has a way with huge, striking set pieces that stick with you.
I had a few issues with the story, mostly around characters' motivations and reactions to events (Kanu repeatedly being so easily persuaded by Swift's explanations/apologies stands out in particular), but they never detracted from my enjoyment. The only aspect that really hurt it for me was the philosophical discussion towards the end. Debating nihilism isn't really a satisfying concept to build a conclusion around, regardless of the apparent stakes, which leaves the rest feeling a bit "look at this cool stuff". There is a lot of cool stuff though.
However, I have been a big fan of Reynolds for years and with very few exceptions have enjoyed all his writing. This book (and the series as a whole) are maybe not on the level of some of his earlier work, but I enjoyed them both very much.
It is full of ideas, some of which I would have liked to see explored more, but ultimately the sheer number of developments shown and implied kept me invested and interested in their reactions and combinations all the way through. This is a big part of what I enjoy in reading Reynolds, the large-scale speculation and imagination. He has a way with huge, striking set pieces that stick with you.
I had a few issues with the story, mostly around characters' motivations and reactions to events (Kanu repeatedly being so easily persuaded by Swift's explanations/apologies stands out in particular), but they never detracted from my enjoyment. The only aspect that really hurt it for me was the philosophical discussion towards the end. Debating nihilism isn't really a satisfying concept to build a conclusion around, regardless of the apparent stakes, which leaves the rest feeling a bit "look at this cool stuff". There is a lot of cool stuff though.
However, I have been a big fan of Reynolds for years and with very few exceptions have enjoyed all his writing. This book (and the series as a whole) are maybe not on the level of some of his earlier work, but I enjoyed them both very much.