Scan barcode
A review by branch_c
Fractal Prince by Hannu Rajaniemi
3.0
Equally as ambitious as the first in the series, and with the same confident tone. But if anything, this one is even more convoluted, while being somewhat less thematically interesting to me.
Rajaniemi has certainly put a lot of thought into the divergent entities and societies that humanity might evolve into, and I suppose the nature of identity is explored a bit. But the complex setting isn’t conveyed as clearly as it might have been, with unexplained jargon flowing freely, so it comes across as a bit too chaotic, where practically anything can happen. The characters, too, are not quite relatable enough for me, though Tawaddud comes the closest, and I also like Perhonen more than either Jean or Mieli.
The story is certainly slick and polished, but less strikingly original than The Quantum Thief seemed to be. This one reminds me more of Gibson, with a dash of Egan. Worth the read though, and I’ll probably pick up the third volume of I come across it.
Rajaniemi has certainly put a lot of thought into the divergent entities and societies that humanity might evolve into, and I suppose the nature of identity is explored a bit. But the complex setting isn’t conveyed as clearly as it might have been, with unexplained jargon flowing freely, so it comes across as a bit too chaotic, where practically anything can happen. The characters, too, are not quite relatable enough for me, though Tawaddud comes the closest, and I also like Perhonen more than either Jean or Mieli.
The story is certainly slick and polished, but less strikingly original than The Quantum Thief seemed to be. This one reminds me more of Gibson, with a dash of Egan. Worth the read though, and I’ll probably pick up the third volume of I come across it.