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masterofdoom's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely astonishing ending of a mind-blowing series that is for me the greatest and the most beautiful science-fiction trilogy of all time.
charles__'s review against another edition
2.0
This is the third and last of the author's Jean le Flambeur series. I liked the first book (The Quantum Thief) and from there the series faded for me.
Rajaniemi's strength is in his world building. He writes space opera for physicists. Although despite giving copious credit to Newton, he does play fast and loose with solar distances. I also liked his 'Matrix-esque' use of cyber-technlogy. Wrapping my head around his virtual worlds within worlds left my head spinning.
Where the author lost me was with his plots within plots, I lost track of 'Who was on 1st.' My confusion was compounded by half-explained ideological movements with incomprehensible names. I also never really liked the characters. Jean le Flambeur's penchant for planetary carnage never endeared him to me. Mieli did not develop until this last book, but by then I didn't care. Oddly, with this last book, it was the evil Pellegrini who I liked the most.
In summary, I found the series to be technically credible, although over-complicated space opera/cyberpunk cross-over. Having started it, I felt I had to finish, but I'm not recommending it to others.
Rajaniemi's strength is in his world building. He writes space opera for physicists. Although despite giving copious credit to Newton, he does play fast and loose with solar distances. I also liked his 'Matrix-esque' use of cyber-technlogy. Wrapping my head around his virtual worlds within worlds left my head spinning.
Where the author lost me was with his plots within plots, I lost track of 'Who was on 1st.' My confusion was compounded by half-explained ideological movements with incomprehensible names. I also never really liked the characters. Jean le Flambeur's penchant for planetary carnage never endeared him to me. Mieli did not develop until this last book, but by then I didn't care. Oddly, with this last book, it was the evil Pellegrini who I liked the most.
In summary, I found the series to be technically credible, although over-complicated space opera/cyberpunk cross-over. Having started it, I felt I had to finish, but I'm not recommending it to others.
malforus's review against another edition
5.0
A trilogy you are barely gripping onto until the end. But as the pieces fall into place more and more makes sense to the point that you are able to understand the rampant confusion of the first book. From quantum thief to the end of Angel the haunting feeling of soon over far future is apparent throughout.
mburnamfink's review against another edition
4.0
"We have received a communication from Jean le Flambeur. He claims that in precisely 57 minutes, he is going to steal a ring of Saturn."
It's all true, of course. The system's greatest gentleman thief *almost* always gives fair warning when he's about to commit a crime. The Causal Angel takes us into the white hot cultural heart of the system, the intricate games of the quantum Zoku posthumans, who have embraced quantum narrativism as a weapon against the cold computational simulational hyperpolitics of the Sobornost Founders. At stake is the Kaminari Gem, an ancient artifact with the power to unmake and remake universes, which might be the only thing that can protect post-humanity from the hegemonic ursine embrace of the All-Defector strategic parasite.
Okay, wow. I've got almost no idea what's going in this book, but it is GLORIOUS. The Saturnian Zoku don't quite hold together as well Mars and Earth from the previous books, but the sheer awesome of the cosmological war over the very nature of existence makes up for a story that seems to be blowing itself apart at the pieces, like a combat thoughtwisp shedding its outer armor against slowgun viral parasites. What Rahaniemi says is that we *can* imagine the other side of The Singularity, and even there a few people can make all the difference.
****
Rajaniemi has been teasing about his cosmology and its relation to the story since book one, and he lays it all out here. There is something deeply spooky at the interface of quantum mechanics and computation, certain answers that come out of nanoscale blackholes that indicated that the secrets to the universe are encrypted, and whoever holds that password will be the next best thing to gods. The key is the macguffin of the series, the Kaminari Jewel. Crafted by the Zoku, a clade of posthumans descended from gamers who use quantum effects to optimize their society, the Jewel has been presumed lost. Le Flambeur's quest is to steal it, and to make himself someone who can use it. On a reread, this is more pessimistic than I remember. Both the Zoku and Sobornost are thoroughly monstrous, the jargon does not fully conceal the more or less arbitrary nature of the Kaminari as the object, and the Zoku society feels incredibly dated in an an internet culture circa 2014 kind of way, rather than hitting some eternal truth. It's a solid conclusion, but not a stunning one.
It's all true, of course. The system's greatest gentleman thief *almost* always gives fair warning when he's about to commit a crime. The Causal Angel takes us into the white hot cultural heart of the system, the intricate games of the quantum Zoku posthumans, who have embraced quantum narrativism as a weapon against the cold computational simulational hyperpolitics of the Sobornost Founders. At stake is the Kaminari Gem, an ancient artifact with the power to unmake and remake universes, which might be the only thing that can protect post-humanity from the hegemonic ursine embrace of the All-Defector strategic parasite.
Okay, wow. I've got almost no idea what's going in this book, but it is GLORIOUS. The Saturnian Zoku don't quite hold together as well Mars and Earth from the previous books, but the sheer awesome of the cosmological war over the very nature of existence makes up for a story that seems to be blowing itself apart at the pieces, like a combat thoughtwisp shedding its outer armor against slowgun viral parasites. What Rahaniemi says is that we *can* imagine the other side of The Singularity, and even there a few people can make all the difference.
****
Rajaniemi has been teasing about his cosmology and its relation to the story since book one, and he lays it all out here. There is something deeply spooky at the interface of quantum mechanics and computation, certain answers that come out of nanoscale blackholes that indicated that the secrets to the universe are encrypted, and whoever holds that password will be the next best thing to gods. The key is the macguffin of the series, the Kaminari Jewel. Crafted by the Zoku, a clade of posthumans descended from gamers who use quantum effects to optimize their society, the Jewel has been presumed lost. Le Flambeur's quest is to steal it, and to make himself someone who can use it. On a reread, this is more pessimistic than I remember. Both the Zoku and Sobornost are thoroughly monstrous, the jargon does not fully conceal the more or less arbitrary nature of the Kaminari as the object, and the Zoku society feels incredibly dated in an an internet culture circa 2014 kind of way, rather than hitting some eternal truth. It's a solid conclusion, but not a stunning one.
brokensandals's review against another edition
4.0
A pretty satisfying conclusion. I enjoyed the deeper look at the zoku, and loved the confrontation between Jean and I keep finding myself wanting to talk about the ideas in this series with others, and having to restrain myself to avoid spoilers...
Spoiler
the All-Defector.agawilmot's review against another edition
2.0
I desperately wanted to love all three of these books, but following an intriguing first entry I found the series to be one of diminishing returns. This is due, chiefly, to the fact that beneath the staggering intellect on display and an absolute glut of ideas—all fascinating—Rajaniemi forgot to include characters with some, or for that matter any degree of depth (and the only character I did find interesting, the ship Perhonen, is killed off in the second book). Additionally, so much of the narrative takes place in the abstract, so as to remove all sense of weight and scope to the proceedings. I mean, Jupiter and Mars are destroyed, earth is overrun by wildcode, yet none of it hits—none of it has any impact beyond the conceptual. The same goes for character deaths, which again feel like ideas sketched out on paper and not like events that have actually taken place within the confines of the narrative.
By the end of the third book, I felt as if I'd read an academic dissertation on a science fiction trilogy, and not the books themselves. This is cold, clinical work, and I was thoroughly disappointed by it.
By the end of the third book, I felt as if I'd read an academic dissertation on a science fiction trilogy, and not the books themselves. This is cold, clinical work, and I was thoroughly disappointed by it.
justine_ao's review against another edition
5.0
Totally amazing book. I can't say enough about the series except that it is some of the best SF I have read.
tresat's review against another edition
3.0
Rajaniemi is in a one-upping contest with himself where every novel has to be both 1) more exciting and emotionally resonate while also being 2) more absolutely bewilderingly inscrutable than the last.
What exactly happened around Saturn? I know I cared about the Thief, Matjek and Mieli - I just can't follow exactly what they were trying to do. Simple things like the details of where each character is located, and if each character is currently trustworthy or infected/suborned in some fanciful way to the will of another escaped me. What was the state of the Solar System at the end of the book? I'm just not sure.
Each book in the trilogy was unfortunately shorter than the last, where the opposite was needed as the cast of characters and scope (and complexity) of the action broadened. In particular, the Sobornost - zoku war was just screaming for more focus. Also, basically everyone in this universe seems rather blithe about the various Apocali currently unfolding - wouldn't the lost of a couple of planets be kind of a wake up call?
It was good fun, and I appreciated the speed, I just wished there was a little more detail and exposition regarding the big moments and key plots. Also - we never really got the story of the founding of the Sobornost (though the Collapse was satisfyingly weaved into the plot), which was a shame.
Even though I liked it the least of the trilogy, it was still quite a ride. I'll sign up for another Rajaniemi novel whenever one comes out. A high 3.
What exactly happened around Saturn? I know I cared about the Thief, Matjek and Mieli - I just can't follow exactly what they were trying to do. Simple things like the details of where each character is located, and if each character is currently trustworthy or infected/suborned in some fanciful way to the will of another escaped me. What was the state of the Solar System at the end of the book? I'm just not sure.
Each book in the trilogy was unfortunately shorter than the last, where the opposite was needed as the cast of characters and scope (and complexity) of the action broadened. In particular, the Sobornost - zoku war was just screaming for more focus. Also, basically everyone in this universe seems rather blithe about the various Apocali currently unfolding - wouldn't the lost of a couple of planets be kind of a wake up call?
It was good fun, and I appreciated the speed, I just wished there was a little more detail and exposition regarding the big moments and key plots. Also - we never really got the story of the founding of the Sobornost (though the Collapse was satisfyingly weaved into the plot), which was a shame.
Even though I liked it the least of the trilogy, it was still quite a ride. I'll sign up for another Rajaniemi novel whenever one comes out. A high 3.
nevarrum's review against another edition
5.0
Last in the trilogy and in many ways the most straight forward if the 3 books. I will definitely need to do a re-read as a complete trilogy at some point in time as I think the story arc would definitely benefit from that.
The author does a very good job in concluding the story with no significant loose ends and a nice finish that leaves potential to return to the characters in future but in many ways you hope they don't too many authors only have that one good character and it gets boring after a while!
I will definitely pick up future books by the author as these have been the best Space Opera written that weren't Iain M Banks! Many people aspire to Banks standard Hannu succeeds!
The author does a very good job in concluding the story with no significant loose ends and a nice finish that leaves potential to return to the characters in future but in many ways you hope they don't too many authors only have that one good character and it gets boring after a while!
I will definitely pick up future books by the author as these have been the best Space Opera written that weren't Iain M Banks! Many people aspire to Banks standard Hannu succeeds!
hpatnaik's review against another edition
5.0
what an absolutely fascinating and complicated trilogy. I loved it :)