trewqh's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
obsessiveviewer's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
3.0
I set this book down for a few months and then picked it back up the other day. To Alastair Reynolds' credit, the hard science and world building is so strong in Chasm City, I really felt like I hadn't skipped a beat.
I've seen this book described as a mix between The Bourne Identity and Blade Runner. I can certainly see that and think it's a good summary of the tone. And the story is pretty strong most of the time. The turns in the latter part of the story threw me for a loop and held my interest.
Having previously read Revelation Space, I noticed the issues I had with that book crop back up here. At times, the dialogue is a bit haphazard. For example, at one point a character asks someone what someone else is planning or doing and the response they receive is, "That's for him to know and you to find out." This does not come at a lighthearted moment and felt really awkward. The book is littered with these kinds of interjections in the dialogue and it took me out of the story a couple of times.
The story is pretty strong and mysterious, however. Being a standalone novel in the Revelation Space universe, Chasm City manages to deliver a good and (mostly) propulsive premise while also tipping its hat to the lore and mythology of the universe. It feels like a fully realized, lived-in universe full of tons of unique visions of the future.
Based on these two books, I still think Alastair Reynolds has work to do in terms of creating engaging characters and writing stronger dialogue. But Chasm City is a slight improvement over Revelation Space for me and knowing he's got a bunch of other books in this universe is keeping me cautiously intrigued and curious to press on with his work.
I've seen this book described as a mix between The Bourne Identity and Blade Runner. I can certainly see that and think it's a good summary of the tone. And the story is pretty strong most of the time. The turns in the latter part of the story threw me for a loop and held my interest.
Having previously read Revelation Space, I noticed the issues I had with that book crop back up here. At times, the dialogue is a bit haphazard. For example, at one point a character asks someone what someone else is planning or doing and the response they receive is, "That's for him to know and you to find out." This does not come at a lighthearted moment and felt really awkward. The book is littered with these kinds of interjections in the dialogue and it took me out of the story a couple of times.
The story is pretty strong and mysterious, however. Being a standalone novel in the Revelation Space universe, Chasm City manages to deliver a good and (mostly) propulsive premise while also tipping its hat to the lore and mythology of the universe. It feels like a fully realized, lived-in universe full of tons of unique visions of the future.
Based on these two books, I still think Alastair Reynolds has work to do in terms of creating engaging characters and writing stronger dialogue. But Chasm City is a slight improvement over Revelation Space for me and knowing he's got a bunch of other books in this universe is keeping me cautiously intrigued and curious to press on with his work.
d_audy's review
5.0
A bit disconcerting at first, at least for someone like me for whom it was a first foray in the Revelation Space universe, it’s a novel that in no time ends up capturing you in its gradually accelerating and inescapable spiral toward its well executed finale. Reynolds weaves together seamlessly the multiple timelines and how they play against one another becomes more and more fascinating as the novel progresses.
The world building is spectacular and vividly evocative, the hard sci-fi elements really ground well the space opera ones (a bit like they do in The Expanse) and Reynolds has a great knack for vulgarizing well some of the more difficult scientific concepts. If Chasm City is particularly well brought to life as location, the world beyond also feels large and alive with other mysteries to explore, which makes it pretty unsurprising that Chasm City is a stand alone novel in an universe that spawned many other novels and novella. This first taste certainly made me very eager to go explore deeper.
On the down side, the character work is perhaps a little uneven, with the main ones being very well realized and fascinating (especially when their layers start piling up) but a few of the secondary ones could have been better fleshed out.
In sum, a very solid space opera in an original, fascinating and well realized world that leaves you wanting to see even more of it.
The world building is spectacular and vividly evocative, the hard sci-fi elements really ground well the space opera ones (a bit like they do in The Expanse) and Reynolds has a great knack for vulgarizing well some of the more difficult scientific concepts. If Chasm City is particularly well brought to life as location, the world beyond also feels large and alive with other mysteries to explore, which makes it pretty unsurprising that Chasm City is a stand alone novel in an universe that spawned many other novels and novella. This first taste certainly made me very eager to go explore deeper.
On the down side, the character work is perhaps a little uneven, with the main ones being very well realized and fascinating (especially when their layers start piling up) but a few of the secondary ones could have been better fleshed out.
In sum, a very solid space opera in an original, fascinating and well realized world that leaves you wanting to see even more of it.
lowercaselettersnumbesand's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5 stars
Took a long time to get interesting, like 2/3 of the book. Not that the first two thirds were boring, far from it, it just felt as if it was going nowhere, Tanner was just stumbling from one situation too. the next.
Could/Should have been shorter.
Took a long time to get interesting, like 2/3 of the book. Not that the first two thirds were boring, far from it, it just felt as if it was going nowhere, Tanner was just stumbling from one situation too. the next.
Could/Should have been shorter.
hallucigenia's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
jupiterjens666's review
3.0
P good. Great sprawling hard scifi story wrapped around a so-so noir. I was lukewarm on Revelation Space but this had good stuff, enough good stuff that I think I'll read the next one. I don't have enough 700-page books in my life apparently.
drusca78's review against another edition
5.0
Foarte buna continuare. Aproape toate problemele primului volum au fost rezolvate, imbunatatite. Abia astept sa citesc volumul trei. Recomand cu caldura pentru orice pasionat de S.F.
Very good continuation. Almost all the problems of the first volume have been solved, improved. I can't wait to read volume three. I warmly recommend for any S.F.
Very good continuation. Almost all the problems of the first volume have been solved, improved. I can't wait to read volume three. I warmly recommend for any S.F.
spinnerroweok's review
4.0
So far my favorite of the Revelation Space books.
Update 10 Apr 2021: Still a great book. Most of the mystery is gone with the second read, but in some ways that makes it like reading a different book as I saw the characters through a different lens.
Update 10 Apr 2021: Still a great book. Most of the mystery is gone with the second read, but in some ways that makes it like reading a different book as I saw the characters through a different lens.