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A review by danlemke
The Line of Polity by Neal Asher
3.0
This book might have been 3 1/2 star quality, but I deducted half a star for the plot essentially being the same as Asher's first novel featuring Agent Cormac (Gridlinked).
Basic premise is Agent Cormac is sent to investigate the destruction of a station (same type of investigation which propelled his action in the first book) and is followed/hunted by a vengeful antagonist whose presence is completely unrelated to the central plot (again, just like the first book).
Now, with that established, what this book excels at (and where the series seems to be headed) is creating fantasy-y sci-fi. Asher creates narratives that are as broad in scope and as in depth as Peter Hamilton; however, in my opinion he's not nearly as gifted as a writer.
The book is filled with story lines, following several characters in different locales. Sometimes it feels as if Asher gets a little too grandiose in his story -- less may in fact be more here. The overall premise is great, but often gets lost in the narrative, and despite so many pages devoted to character behaviors, one never really gets to know any of them... even Cormac. And even worse, Asher's ear for dialogue just doesn't seem to be refined. There is some clunky character speech within the pages of this book, although nothing so egregious as anything in the Star Wars prequels.
Overall, the book is entertaining, but at a considerable length. Big sci-fi seems to be in shortage these days, and this certainly fills some of the gaps. Still, with so much obviously within Asher's universe, it's a shame he basically revisits the same story on this second Agent Cormac outing.
Basic premise is Agent Cormac is sent to investigate the destruction of a station (same type of investigation which propelled his action in the first book) and is followed/hunted by a vengeful antagonist whose presence is completely unrelated to the central plot (again, just like the first book).
Now, with that established, what this book excels at (and where the series seems to be headed) is creating fantasy-y sci-fi. Asher creates narratives that are as broad in scope and as in depth as Peter Hamilton; however, in my opinion he's not nearly as gifted as a writer.
The book is filled with story lines, following several characters in different locales. Sometimes it feels as if Asher gets a little too grandiose in his story -- less may in fact be more here. The overall premise is great, but often gets lost in the narrative, and despite so many pages devoted to character behaviors, one never really gets to know any of them... even Cormac. And even worse, Asher's ear for dialogue just doesn't seem to be refined. There is some clunky character speech within the pages of this book, although nothing so egregious as anything in the Star Wars prequels.
Overall, the book is entertaining, but at a considerable length. Big sci-fi seems to be in shortage these days, and this certainly fills some of the gaps. Still, with so much obviously within Asher's universe, it's a shame he basically revisits the same story on this second Agent Cormac outing.