March 3, 2008
In the tradition of grand-scale SF sagas that explore the potential of human evolution, this densely plotted and intensely thought-provoking opener for Hamilton's Void trilogy takes place roughly 1,000 years after the events of 2006's Judas Unchained. Humankind in the 34th century has effectively conquered mortality, but many humans are still searching for existential transcendence, and a growing number believe the answer can be found inside the Void at the galactic center. Once thought to be an enormous black hole, the Void, which supposedly contains an entire micro-universe inside an impenetrable event horizon, slowly devours stars to sustain itself. If left unchecked, it will eventually consume the entire galaxy. When the technologically augmented telepath Inigo begins experiencing revelatory dreams, his shared visions ignite a mass pilgrimage to the Void, which some believe will trigger the apocalypse. Readers can expect big ideas and big story lines as well as big cliffhangers at the novel's conclusion.
Starred review from December 15, 2007
In the middle of the 36th century, the research facility Centurion Station sits atop the ruins of previously unknown civilizations. Here, scientists monitor the dark area of space known as the Void, thought once to be a seeding ground for new life but now no longer activeuntil the dreams begin, depicting a strange new reality. The author of the "Night's Dawn" trilogy as well as "Pandora's Star" and other far-future novels begins a new trilogy set in his alternate universe. A trioincluding a woman whose planet may soon be destroyed, a telepathic young man, and a genetically engineered detectivefinds themselves as the focal point of events. Hamilton's stories are always broad in scope and panoramic in detail. Fans of the author and of sf epics will enjoy this series opener. For most libraries.
Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
November 15, 2007
A thousand years after the Starflyer War of Pandoras Star (2004) and Judas Unchained (2006), humanity still spreads across the galaxy, and politics between its various factions are as complex as ever. On the galaxys edge, the Raiel watch a mysterious void that has destroyed whole civilizations in periodic devourments, and prophet Inigo dreams of humans living inside the void. Inigos followers, the Living Dream, believe humanity is destined for a greater existence within the void. As Araminta fights to make her fortune on a planet soon to be the goal of a Living Dream exodus, and Edeard is an apprentice in the Egg-Shapers Guild, training people to use mental powers to mold creatures in the egg on a world in which telekinesis and the like are normal, factions of human governance seek solutions, some more vicious than others, to the problem that Living Dream presents of triggering a devourment with their exodus. This volume launching another plethoric Hamilton space opera promises truly epic adventure to come.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)
Starred review from September 29, 2008
The first of a trilogy, the far-future plot of this audiobook concerns various factions battling to help or prevent a religious movement from undertaking a pilgrimage to a world hidden within a mysterious void, a journey with the potential to significantly advance the human race—or destroy the galaxy. Listeners to Hamilton's complex SF epic must devote a fairly significant amount of time, patience and attention to the task. A single chapter lasts for hours; within each chapter, the perspective and story line shift multiple times, with no audibly perceptible break. It's comparable to being lost in a strange, dark and, above all, vast room, and takes a while to adjust. Gradually, though, plot lines begin to take shape, and the compelling story and relentless pace drives listeners forward through a highly enjoyable trip. John Lee enunciates a daunting amount of exposition with precision and provides his share of creditable accents and voice pitches. A Del Rey hardcover (Reviews, Feb. 4).