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hank's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up to 4 becuase I love space opera more than I should. This isn't as good as Judas Unchained but probably better than the Void trilogy. Since I read those first, it didn't feel as fresh or unique and since this was a very early novel in Hamilton's career, the writing wasn't as good. The dizzying caste of characters was too dizzying and I lost insight/connections to several of them. The bad guys are a bit hand wavey, their skills and motivations seem to change depending on the situation. Maybe there is a larger plan to tie it all together but I am not sure I want to wade through the other 2000 pages to find out. Some characters good, plot line decent but nothing awesome.
I am not sure if I will read the next book, right now I am leaning no but I am definitely on the fence.
I am not sure if I will read the next book, right now I am leaning no but I am definitely on the fence.
bkeving_74's review
5.0
Fascinating story and characters
I've read science fiction before but nothing before now this elaborate. The story and characters come to life in this novel. There is very strong character development even for many of the minor characters. At times this story takes the reader on tangents that don't always make sense but give added layers to the universe's he is building. I really enjoyed this and have the next book ready to go!
I've read science fiction before but nothing before now this elaborate. The story and characters come to life in this novel. There is very strong character development even for many of the minor characters. At times this story takes the reader on tangents that don't always make sense but give added layers to the universe's he is building. I really enjoyed this and have the next book ready to go!
elbaso's review against another edition
5.0
I really love Hamilton. This series starts off strong, thought it is a lot more adventurous and swashbuckling than the Commonwealth Saga.
Still, a joy to read. Hamilton is really the best modern SciFi author around!
Still, a joy to read. Hamilton is really the best modern SciFi author around!
mnyberg's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent. A mixture of paranormal and sci fi. Extremely long, but a page turner from the beginning. Great edge of your seat ending. Started the 2nd book in the series as soon as I finished this one. I really liked the authors writing style and character development.
rheren's review against another edition
1.0
This is my book #89 on Goodreads, and this is the first book I've ever given 1 star to. I've been saving 1 star for a book that I couldn't even finish because it was so bad.
As I've been a scifi fan for a long time, I've gotten used to some of the seemingly inevitable aspects of the genre. One of those is that for some reason there's always gotta be a sex scene somewhere in the book. It's refreshing to run across a book that doesn't, but it's rare. It's like Tom Clancy-style thrillers: almost all authors feel this overwhelming need to include a totally unnecessary sex scene, I guess for audience gratification. I can always just ignore it and move on.
I'm giving this as an introduction, because I don't consider myself a prude or to have a weak stomach. However, this book's filth was literally sickening. I can not go on. Every single interpersonal interaction seems to include sex: eyeing someone to see if they're going to be good for sex (they always are, of course), gauging the circumstances to see if they can be raped (usually they can), long, intricate descriptions of sex and rape scenes. The satanist torture and butchery descriptions were extremely graphic, too. It was all starting to affect how I see people and think about people in real life, and it was just too much.
The sci fi aspects of the book were terrific, and I really wish I could get past the smut. Believe me, I tried: several times I was like, "It can't possibly be like this the whole book: surely I'm going to get past this section and it'll be more bearable". But halfway through I'm throwing in the towel. This book is just too nauseating to be worth it.
As I've been a scifi fan for a long time, I've gotten used to some of the seemingly inevitable aspects of the genre. One of those is that for some reason there's always gotta be a sex scene somewhere in the book. It's refreshing to run across a book that doesn't, but it's rare. It's like Tom Clancy-style thrillers: almost all authors feel this overwhelming need to include a totally unnecessary sex scene, I guess for audience gratification. I can always just ignore it and move on.
I'm giving this as an introduction, because I don't consider myself a prude or to have a weak stomach. However, this book's filth was literally sickening. I can not go on. Every single interpersonal interaction seems to include sex: eyeing someone to see if they're going to be good for sex (they always are, of course), gauging the circumstances to see if they can be raped (usually they can), long, intricate descriptions of sex and rape scenes. The satanist torture and butchery descriptions were extremely graphic, too. It was all starting to affect how I see people and think about people in real life, and it was just too much.
The sci fi aspects of the book were terrific, and I really wish I could get past the smut. Believe me, I tried: several times I was like, "It can't possibly be like this the whole book: surely I'm going to get past this section and it'll be more bearable". But halfway through I'm throwing in the towel. This book is just too nauseating to be worth it.
cshawver's review against another edition
1.0
When picking out books to read, especially science fiction I always look for cool titles and cool covers, so when I came across The Reality Dysfunction, an arguably cool title, I was sold and immediately picked it up. That was my first mistake.
For a non-spoiler review, this book is a mess and a half, and reads like five separate books were blended together and out came this book. While the book is a little under a thousand pages long, it takes a good third of the book before the “plot” starts to develop, and a story actually starts to form. Besides the horrendously long time for anything interesting to happen, Peter F. Hamilton writes in characters and places in such excruciating details that when they are introduced the next ten pages are dedicated to their entire history only for them to never be brought up in the book again. But besides being utterly exhausted trying to read this book, my biggest problem comes from the casual racism, the pedophilia and grooming, the blatant Christian propaganda, and random comments about how characters wish incest was legal. The author should be put on a watch list and not let within a hundred yards of a school. If I could give a book zero stars I would.
For a non-spoiler review, this book is a mess and a half, and reads like five separate books were blended together and out came this book. While the book is a little under a thousand pages long, it takes a good third of the book before the “plot” starts to develop, and a story actually starts to form. Besides the horrendously long time for anything interesting to happen, Peter F. Hamilton writes in characters and places in such excruciating details that when they are introduced the next ten pages are dedicated to their entire history only for them to never be brought up in the book again. But besides being utterly exhausted trying to read this book, my biggest problem comes from the casual racism, the pedophilia and grooming, the blatant Christian propaganda, and random comments about how characters wish incest was legal. The author should be put on a watch list and not let within a hundred yards of a school. If I could give a book zero stars I would.
harabeck's review against another edition
1.0
Utterly confused as to why people like this series or even this author at all. Hamilton loves worldbuilding so much that the plot is left to wallow untouched for chapters at a time. That is not an exaggeration. Massive swathes of text are devoted to describing worlds, cultures and people that do not interact with the plot. Once the evil is unleashed (which involves an act of extreme sexual violence... somehow), there are about 3 events in the entire book that are plot relevant.
The ideas in that world building are interesting in a highly speculative sort of way, but they're also just kind of stupid. The hard divide between Adamists and Edenists is completely arbitrary. No Adamist in centuries can reproduce any of the biotech at all? Really? The living starships are more *precise* than the computerized ones?
Characters are mostly unlikeable. One of the main POV characters spends a good chunk of the book seducing and then sleeping with a teenager. He lies to her so that she'll think their relationship will be long term while knowing he's going to leave. And then he leaves, and it didn't really tie in with the main plot. It honestly felt like the author just wants to describe the character's sex life.
The ideas in that world building are interesting in a highly speculative sort of way, but they're also just kind of stupid. The hard divide between Adamists and Edenists is completely arbitrary. No Adamist in centuries can reproduce any of the biotech at all? Really? The living starships are more *precise* than the computerized ones?
Characters are mostly unlikeable. One of the main POV characters spends a good chunk of the book seducing and then sleeping with a teenager. He lies to her so that she'll think their relationship will be long term while knowing he's going to leave. And then he leaves, and it didn't really tie in with the main plot. It honestly felt like the author just wants to describe the character's sex life.
scottwcoleman's review against another edition
4.0
Engaging, as most Hamilton books are. Also expertly narrated by John Lee. However, it was a bit tough to the get through the middle parts. Finished off with a bang, leaving plenty of questions unanswered for the next book in the series.
ebokhyllami's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic good read! What a magic plot! What an imagination! And what a great author, who can make me - not overly enthusiastic about hard core sci/fi - just love this book! It is a brick for sure, but now I'm more than eager to start book 2 in the trilogy. A more proper review will follow under here. I just had to share my first impression :-)
hneite's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0