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ninj's review against another edition
4.0
Really good continuation of Stealing Light. A lot of great scenes and characters. As per the title, things are escalating in the series here. I'm not super enthused by two tropes that basically continue from the first book but doubled-down: the predicted future elements and the uber-isation of certain characters, but that said, it didn't really detract from the enjoyment in practice.
kodermike's review
2.0
Quick to read, but damned slow to start off, if that makes any sense. I'm hoping the third book makes up for it.
skylar2's review
4.0
Gibson clearly learned a bit since Stealing Light, with less emphasis on the characters' (especially the female protagonist's) physical attributes and more emphasis on substance: where I found Dakota to be no more than Barbarella in the first book, now she is much more serious, competent, and even scary towards the end. That said, the characters spent a large part of the book locked up and caught in political machinery that they had little control or even insight into.
mferrante83's review
5.0
Nova War
Gary Gibson
Tor, 2009
Nova War is the sequel to 2008’s Stealing Light a book that, surprise surprise, has yet to get a release here in the states. Nova War dispenses with some of the mystery of the first novel and trading it instead for some serious action. Indeed things are ratcheted right up to eleven and amongst all the action and excitement I felt that Gibson still managed to do an excellent job in creating unique and memorable characters and wound up with a book that surpassed its predecessor in terms of quality. If you haven’t read the first book be warned there will be some minor spoilers below.
After having escaped an exploding star in an ancient Magi spaceship machine-head Dakota Merrick and her erstwhile lover and sometime rival Lucas Corso find themselves captured by the insect-like Bandati. Tortured and imprisoned for their knowledge of the Magi technology Dakota and Lucas find themselves trapped not only between warring hives of Bandati but square in between the arrogant Shoal and their longtime enemies the Emissaries. As hostilities between the two ancient rivals escalate Dakota, with her special connection to Magi ships, becomes a key figure in a battle that far transcends the scope of human, or even Shoal, knowledge.
In my review of Stealing Light I mentioned Star Wars and while the novel as a whole transcends the more fantasy-based architecture of that series it seems to me that Gibson certainly draws inspiration from some of the more wondrous and adventurous situations that the original trilogy offered. During an early scene in Nova War I was reminded of The Empire Strikes back and the scene where Han and company take refuge in what they think is an asteroid. I still remember the sort of “Wow” moment induced when the truth behind where they were was revealed. In Nova War Gibson plays upon a similar theme in a restaurant inside the mouth of a giant worm. I’ll repeat that: a restaurant in the mouth of giant worm. Gibson does a masterful job of imparting basic knowledge of Bandati culture (where eating is a completely private affair), introducing us to new characters, and providing a thrilling scene of high action. It is certainly one of the best, if not THE best, action scenes I’ve read all year.
Nova War expands the scope of the Shoal sequence introducing us to new aliens; such as the horrific Emissaries. While we don’t get any chapters from an Emissary perspective what we go glimpse reveals a species terrifying in their power and with a mad zealotry towards nigh on inscrutable goals. Hopefully we’ll see more of the Emissaries in future volumes since Gibson dropped just enough hints to wet my curiosity but not enough answers to sate it. The things Dakota learns from the Magi vessel further expands on the universe that Gibson has created and manages to infuse dire events with a certain amount of hope for the futures of the Shoal’s “client species.”
While I didn’t mention it in my review of Stealing Light, Nova War continues Gibson’s penchant for offering entertaining and evocative names for his non-human characters. We have, returning from the previous novel, the Shoal Trader in Faecal Matter of Animals whose name, despite being somewhat humorous still manages to accurately describe his personality. The bandati’s names are more translations of their personal scents so you get the wonderfully evocative “Scent of Honeydew, Distant Rumble of Summer Storms” (Honeydew for short) and the former ambassador to a human colony “Days of Wine and Roses” (a name that is considered odd by his people). The bandati names might be tiresome if their scent based communication weren’t carried through in other aspects of the novel but thankfully it is; one particular scene in which Wine and Roses urges haste because of an alarm causes a character respond along the lines of “I don’t hear an alarm only smell something burning” which Wine and Roses responds “That is the alarm.”
Each of the main characters of Nova War are well realized and believable individuals with histories and goals that are unique. Even that characters that are nominally on the same side often have agendas and goals that don’t mesh with their “allies.” As a result Gibson weaves a tangled web of politics and personal relationships that creates not only an emotional connection to his characters but also enhances the tension amongst the various factions vying for control of the Magic vessel. There are no real clear cut mustache-twirling villains here, though the actions some characters take have tragic galaxy spawning consequences their motivations are typically clear and not necessarily evil from their perspective.
Nova War is a thrilling addition to the Shoal sequence and a definite improvement over the already-stellar Stealing Light. Despite the lack of an official US release I highly highly recommend fans of space opera to hit up Book Depository and Amazon.co.uk (according this news post ebooks are available via panmacmillan.com) and give the series a try. Gibson, ends Nova War with rather frustrating hints at what is to come in the next volume, Empire of Light (release date unknown), that leave me wishing I had the book right now. Nova War is definitely on my list of favorite reads of 2009 and I look forward to Mr. Gibson’s future work.
Gary Gibson
Tor, 2009
Nova War is the sequel to 2008’s Stealing Light a book that, surprise surprise, has yet to get a release here in the states. Nova War dispenses with some of the mystery of the first novel and trading it instead for some serious action. Indeed things are ratcheted right up to eleven and amongst all the action and excitement I felt that Gibson still managed to do an excellent job in creating unique and memorable characters and wound up with a book that surpassed its predecessor in terms of quality. If you haven’t read the first book be warned there will be some minor spoilers below.
After having escaped an exploding star in an ancient Magi spaceship machine-head Dakota Merrick and her erstwhile lover and sometime rival Lucas Corso find themselves captured by the insect-like Bandati. Tortured and imprisoned for their knowledge of the Magi technology Dakota and Lucas find themselves trapped not only between warring hives of Bandati but square in between the arrogant Shoal and their longtime enemies the Emissaries. As hostilities between the two ancient rivals escalate Dakota, with her special connection to Magi ships, becomes a key figure in a battle that far transcends the scope of human, or even Shoal, knowledge.
In my review of Stealing Light I mentioned Star Wars and while the novel as a whole transcends the more fantasy-based architecture of that series it seems to me that Gibson certainly draws inspiration from some of the more wondrous and adventurous situations that the original trilogy offered. During an early scene in Nova War I was reminded of The Empire Strikes back and the scene where Han and company take refuge in what they think is an asteroid. I still remember the sort of “Wow” moment induced when the truth behind where they were was revealed. In Nova War Gibson plays upon a similar theme in a restaurant inside the mouth of a giant worm. I’ll repeat that: a restaurant in the mouth of giant worm. Gibson does a masterful job of imparting basic knowledge of Bandati culture (where eating is a completely private affair), introducing us to new characters, and providing a thrilling scene of high action. It is certainly one of the best, if not THE best, action scenes I’ve read all year.
Nova War expands the scope of the Shoal sequence introducing us to new aliens; such as the horrific Emissaries. While we don’t get any chapters from an Emissary perspective what we go glimpse reveals a species terrifying in their power and with a mad zealotry towards nigh on inscrutable goals. Hopefully we’ll see more of the Emissaries in future volumes since Gibson dropped just enough hints to wet my curiosity but not enough answers to sate it. The things Dakota learns from the Magi vessel further expands on the universe that Gibson has created and manages to infuse dire events with a certain amount of hope for the futures of the Shoal’s “client species.”
While I didn’t mention it in my review of Stealing Light, Nova War continues Gibson’s penchant for offering entertaining and evocative names for his non-human characters. We have, returning from the previous novel, the Shoal Trader in Faecal Matter of Animals whose name, despite being somewhat humorous still manages to accurately describe his personality. The bandati’s names are more translations of their personal scents so you get the wonderfully evocative “Scent of Honeydew, Distant Rumble of Summer Storms” (Honeydew for short) and the former ambassador to a human colony “Days of Wine and Roses” (a name that is considered odd by his people). The bandati names might be tiresome if their scent based communication weren’t carried through in other aspects of the novel but thankfully it is; one particular scene in which Wine and Roses urges haste because of an alarm causes a character respond along the lines of “I don’t hear an alarm only smell something burning” which Wine and Roses responds “That is the alarm.”
Each of the main characters of Nova War are well realized and believable individuals with histories and goals that are unique. Even that characters that are nominally on the same side often have agendas and goals that don’t mesh with their “allies.” As a result Gibson weaves a tangled web of politics and personal relationships that creates not only an emotional connection to his characters but also enhances the tension amongst the various factions vying for control of the Magic vessel. There are no real clear cut mustache-twirling villains here, though the actions some characters take have tragic galaxy spawning consequences their motivations are typically clear and not necessarily evil from their perspective.
Nova War is a thrilling addition to the Shoal sequence and a definite improvement over the already-stellar Stealing Light. Despite the lack of an official US release I highly highly recommend fans of space opera to hit up Book Depository and Amazon.co.uk (according this news post ebooks are available via panmacmillan.com) and give the series a try. Gibson, ends Nova War with rather frustrating hints at what is to come in the next volume, Empire of Light (release date unknown), that leave me wishing I had the book right now. Nova War is definitely on my list of favorite reads of 2009 and I look forward to Mr. Gibson’s future work.
gavreads's review against another edition
The cover says it all, ‘Continuing from Stealing Light’ (well it does on the final cover copy), so I’m going to have be careful what I say. About the first book I said,
I have a feeling that Gibson is going to be a quick rising star in sci-fi. He has the level of knowledge and skill to construct a story, he can twists these ideas around a cast of well conceptualised and constructed characters – human and non-human. And anyone who makes me want to find out what happens next is always going to get my vote.
I know what you’re thinking, does he manage it?
We start from almost exactly where the last book finished and Gibson notches up the pressure on Dakota and Corso straight away and in the process we get to meet a new race, the Bandati, who I can only think of as humanoid flies.
As the ending of Stealing Light opens up the possibilities and expands the Universe it’s good to see that Gibson has plan in mind and the two warring factions that make up two Bandati Hives have a vital role in how Nova War plays out. He keeps up the tension by keeping Dakota and Corso apart and in some ways opposing each other when they each end up working with the opposite Hives.
What I did find amazing was the Emissaries, the race that are equal to the Shoal in terms of advancement though they challenging them for control of the Universe.
And it’s this control that the Nova War hinges on and Dakota’s abilities that are central to how events could unfold. But for all this big picture stuff humanity again shows that it is only interested in guarding its own small pieces of power. Though that comes later and in a surprising way.
In fact the whole book is packed with surprises. Take the Trader and the measures which he will take in order to follow the Dreamers, what he does for self-preservation and how far his influence extends is almost religious devotion.
I did have a slight niggle with humanities involvement and their connection to events but this is a continuation of the ideas that came from Stealing Light and that was something that didn’t fit right for me then either. That though could be to do with my own thoughts about what they would or wouldn’t do rather than any real problems with the events themselves.
Dakota has the biggest journey of all, and it’s fascinating how she changes and how Gibson is able to keep it in realms that are understandable and also daring in scope.
If you haven’t read Stealing Light and enjoy science fiction your missing out big time. And Nova War only cements the fact that Gibson has a devious imagination, a sense of bigger picture and a more twists than a corkscrew.
I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do to Dakota next and what he’s going to make her suffer next.
I have a feeling that Gibson is going to be a quick rising star in sci-fi. He has the level of knowledge and skill to construct a story, he can twists these ideas around a cast of well conceptualised and constructed characters – human and non-human. And anyone who makes me want to find out what happens next is always going to get my vote.
I know what you’re thinking, does he manage it?
We start from almost exactly where the last book finished and Gibson notches up the pressure on Dakota and Corso straight away and in the process we get to meet a new race, the Bandati, who I can only think of as humanoid flies.
As the ending of Stealing Light opens up the possibilities and expands the Universe it’s good to see that Gibson has plan in mind and the two warring factions that make up two Bandati Hives have a vital role in how Nova War plays out. He keeps up the tension by keeping Dakota and Corso apart and in some ways opposing each other when they each end up working with the opposite Hives.
What I did find amazing was the Emissaries, the race that are equal to the Shoal in terms of advancement though they challenging them for control of the Universe.
And it’s this control that the Nova War hinges on and Dakota’s abilities that are central to how events could unfold. But for all this big picture stuff humanity again shows that it is only interested in guarding its own small pieces of power. Though that comes later and in a surprising way.
In fact the whole book is packed with surprises. Take the Trader and the measures which he will take in order to follow the Dreamers, what he does for self-preservation and how far his influence extends is almost religious devotion.
I did have a slight niggle with humanities involvement and their connection to events but this is a continuation of the ideas that came from Stealing Light and that was something that didn’t fit right for me then either. That though could be to do with my own thoughts about what they would or wouldn’t do rather than any real problems with the events themselves.
Dakota has the biggest journey of all, and it’s fascinating how she changes and how Gibson is able to keep it in realms that are understandable and also daring in scope.
If you haven’t read Stealing Light and enjoy science fiction your missing out big time. And Nova War only cements the fact that Gibson has a devious imagination, a sense of bigger picture and a more twists than a corkscrew.
I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do to Dakota next and what he’s going to make her suffer next.
thedauthi's review against another edition
3.0
A definite improvement over the previous book. Better pacing, better storytelling, better writing. Somewhere near the end, it actually made me interesting in the overarching story again, which I wasn't really expecting.
thestarman's review against another edition
2.0
VERDICT: 2 stars. This is a pretty interesting universe, but I didn't like this story as much as Book #1. It took a long time to get rolling, and put me to sleep twice.
Cue Book #3, which I currently have no plans to read.
Spoiler
The main character gets tortured a lot, there's much telling and not enough description... and the plot advances incrementally. More magic "ghost" skull tech (can apparently interface with anything, even if it's alien) and other various technologies with no attempts at even hand-wave science.Cue Book #3, which I currently have no plans to read.
coris's review against another edition
DNF - Maybe if I'd read this directly following book 1, I'd've been okay. I just didn't get at all involved in the next part of the story and couldn't push through.
tagra's review against another edition
1.0
I wrote about my distaste for the first book in the series, which had SO MUCH potential but was completely overpowered by sloppy writing and self-indulgent gratuitous eroticism. Dakota Merrick has all the parts in play to be a strong, intriguing character with a lot of depth... but she wastes it by spending the first book fucking everyone (including her ship). Other reviews suggest the series gets stronger as it goes, so I popped open the second one to see how the writing evolves.
It opens with the same problem the first one had: huge exposition dumps from characters I haven't really been given much of a chance to give a single shit about. The underlying plot points really have some power to them, but it feels like such a slog to care about any of the characters.
We finally get back to Dakota, who finds herself in prison. She's naked, of course, with plenty of mentions about her breasts, and she immediately notes how her pubic hair has been shaved. This does not look like a promising indication that the writing will be any less indulgent. Sure enough, when she is finally reunited with her boy toy (who, I noted, is also naked but he's such a flat character that he isn't even graced with a physical description) the first thing they do is fuck. Even though she's been starving herself and is so weak she's barely coherent. Priorities!
Let me be clear: I'm not prudish, and I will happily read explicit content in books, as long as there is a REASON for it. There is no reason for all of the gratuitous sexuality in these books. It's self-indulgent and distracting, and the worst part is (as I said in my review of the first book) it could fairly easily have been modulated to actually have a point. Dakota Merrick could be a really interesting female protagonist, because she's been ostracized and traumatized and has difficulty connecting to people. Building a trust relationship with Corso could be a REALLY powerful sequence. But, instead, she prances around naked and fucks everything with a cock at every opportunity (real cocks or artificial ones, it doesn't matter to her!). It's pretty clearly biased, too. We become intimately familiar with Dakota's naked body, breasts, pubic region, anus... but there is barely any time wasted describing Lucas Corso. Who wants to read about him anyway, right? It's all about the boobies and pubic hair! And, naturally, the males she fucks think it's the best sex they've ever had. Even the main enemy is like "You know what, I kind of like her, despite trying to kill her." I wonder how long it will take before she fucks him too, despite the fact that he's a fish in a floating bubble. (He does have tentacles that extend outside of it! Hmmmmm...)
I skimmed through roughly 30% of the book and found the characters were still acting inconsistently (one moment they're badass, the next they're weeping and cowering) and just gave up before getting out of the prison sequences. It's really a shame because the plot is interesting and the action is fast paced, but the characters ruin it for me. As I said with the first book, though: give it to an editor who will slash all the bullshit out of it and an effects team who will bring the action to life and we'll have a decent (possibly cheesy) movie that I will happily watch.
It opens with the same problem the first one had: huge exposition dumps from characters I haven't really been given much of a chance to give a single shit about. The underlying plot points really have some power to them, but it feels like such a slog to care about any of the characters.
We finally get back to Dakota, who finds herself in prison. She's naked, of course, with plenty of mentions about her breasts, and she immediately notes how her pubic hair has been shaved. This does not look like a promising indication that the writing will be any less indulgent. Sure enough, when she is finally reunited with her boy toy (who, I noted, is also naked but he's such a flat character that he isn't even graced with a physical description) the first thing they do is fuck. Even though she's been starving herself and is so weak she's barely coherent. Priorities!
Let me be clear: I'm not prudish, and I will happily read explicit content in books, as long as there is a REASON for it. There is no reason for all of the gratuitous sexuality in these books. It's self-indulgent and distracting, and the worst part is (as I said in my review of the first book) it could fairly easily have been modulated to actually have a point. Dakota Merrick could be a really interesting female protagonist, because she's been ostracized and traumatized and has difficulty connecting to people. Building a trust relationship with Corso could be a REALLY powerful sequence. But, instead, she prances around naked and fucks everything with a cock at every opportunity (real cocks or artificial ones, it doesn't matter to her!). It's pretty clearly biased, too. We become intimately familiar with Dakota's naked body, breasts, pubic region, anus... but there is barely any time wasted describing Lucas Corso. Who wants to read about him anyway, right? It's all about the boobies and pubic hair! And, naturally, the males she fucks think it's the best sex they've ever had. Even the main enemy is like "You know what, I kind of like her, despite trying to kill her." I wonder how long it will take before she fucks him too, despite the fact that he's a fish in a floating bubble. (He does have tentacles that extend outside of it! Hmmmmm...)
I skimmed through roughly 30% of the book and found the characters were still acting inconsistently (one moment they're badass, the next they're weeping and cowering) and just gave up before getting out of the prison sequences. It's really a shame because the plot is interesting and the action is fast paced, but the characters ruin it for me. As I said with the first book, though: give it to an editor who will slash all the bullshit out of it and an effects team who will bring the action to life and we'll have a decent (possibly cheesy) movie that I will happily watch.
gwentolios's review against another edition
1.0
Dnf, 22%
Tried to give it my best, but i found I only enjoyed one of the many povs and couldn't make myself read the others just for them
Tried to give it my best, but i found I only enjoyed one of the many povs and couldn't make myself read the others just for them