The third book in Hamilton’s Salvation sequence, and it feels like there must be at least one more to come. This is classic Hamilton; a vast millennia- and galaxy-spanning canvas. A multithreaded plot with threads running in the near and far future which he manages to bring together brilliantly. His visions of what far future science and society might be capable of is positively mind expanding. All the components that Hamilton is so skilled at bringing together and here does as better than ever.
As humanity realises just how supremely they have been outmanoeuvred by the religiously fanatical Olyix aliens, there are still those who are determined to continue the fight inspired by the example of the ‘saints’ who are believed to be long dead.
As ever Hamilton has constructed a labyrinthine plot in which he skilfully weaves multiple threads separated by thousands of years. His far future is smoothly constructed around a humanity that has followed several different, social, biological and scientific evolutionary paths including a degree of lift from other alien races also hiding from the Olyix, whilst the near future humanity is all too believable in both their strengths and their stupidity. Within these disparate threads Hamilton develops a very eclectic cast of characters that each fits their own society perfectly and yet must find ways to adapt to those of the other societies. Hamilton achieves this with that finesse and level of detail that I find so characteristic of his writing.
Some find this amount of detail Hamilton builds into his novel too much and would prefer a much-reduced page count but I can’t get enough of it; I become totally immersed in the world he paints so vividly and this book, and indeed this series, has achieved this for me better than ever, keeping the pace and the surprises going throughout so that the typical Hamilton high page count never gets a chance to drag.
5/5 stars
As humanity realises just how supremely they have been outmanoeuvred by the religiously fanatical Olyix aliens, there are still those who are determined to continue the fight inspired by the example of the ‘saints’ who are believed to be long dead.
As ever Hamilton has constructed a labyrinthine plot in which he skilfully weaves multiple threads separated by thousands of years. His far future is smoothly constructed around a humanity that has followed several different, social, biological and scientific evolutionary paths including a degree of lift from other alien races also hiding from the Olyix, whilst the near future humanity is all too believable in both their strengths and their stupidity. Within these disparate threads Hamilton develops a very eclectic cast of characters that each fits their own society perfectly and yet must find ways to adapt to those of the other societies. Hamilton achieves this with that finesse and level of detail that I find so characteristic of his writing.
Some find this amount of detail Hamilton builds into his novel too much and would prefer a much-reduced page count but I can’t get enough of it; I become totally immersed in the world he paints so vividly and this book, and indeed this series, has achieved this for me better than ever, keeping the pace and the surprises going throughout so that the typical Hamilton high page count never gets a chance to drag.
5/5 stars
