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rndecker's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
crimsoncor's review against another edition
4.0
While still very good, this really feels like a middle novel and suffers from an ending that feels flat and abrupt.
belovedsnail's review against another edition
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Didn’t like it quite as much as the first book, but looking forward to the third
colindalaska's review against another edition
4.0
Plods a little in the middle, but the spy craft across multiple timelines is very cleverly executed.
stvmln's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
More of the same (but the same's pretty good), the Merchant Princes series is a little long in the tooth but with an explosive cliffhanger it does give good reason to keep the series going.
spitzig's review against another edition
3.0
I love Stross. I've read all the Family Trade and Empire Games books. My only complaint about them is that too much of the content seems extraneous.
oscarhp's review
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
4.0
This was the second or the eight book in two different series although I didn't know that going into it. But the story hooked me right away anywho. I kept forgetting to finish the audiobook but whenever I did I had a hard time putting it down. Apparently I got the memory of a goldfish that made me taking so long to finish
jmkemp's review against another edition
4.0
Dark State is the middle book in a trilogy, and leaves us on a multi-threaded set of cliffhangers waiting for the final instalment in January 2019.
The story continues from where Empire Games left off, with nary a beat missed. Paranoia is set to eleventy one and everyone is watching everybody else. We have four major threads to follow.
Rita and her official mission with the US Dept of Homeland Security.
Rita's girlfriend and grandfather and the Wolf Orchestra trying to save Rita from DHS.
Major Hulius Hjorth who is engineering Elizabeth Hanover's defection from the old monarchy the Commonwealth.
The remnants of the Clan in the Commonwealth and their plans for the imminent succession crisis when the First Citizen dies.
Through all of these there are links and cross threads. There are unexpected complications and twists. This is good, because it makes this middle taught. Each of the plots is developed very well, and brought almost to boiling point.
The background to the books, this is the second trilogy in the same multiverse, has some of the sketching filled in with detail. We see more of the strange dome in timeline 4, it has its own sub-plot. There's also more in consequences and culture shock on moving people between timelines.
There's a really interesting annex after the story that explains the point of divergence between timeline 2 and timeline 3. This gives a potted history of timeline 3 to explain how, and why, democracy never replaced monarchies until the events between the two trilogies. Timeline 2 isn't quite ours, it diverged around 2001/2.
Overall this is an excellent middle part, it almost stands on its own, but you really ought to read Empire Games first, and you'll definitely want to read part three afterwards.
The story continues from where Empire Games left off, with nary a beat missed. Paranoia is set to eleventy one and everyone is watching everybody else. We have four major threads to follow.
Rita and her official mission with the US Dept of Homeland Security.
Rita's girlfriend and grandfather and the Wolf Orchestra trying to save Rita from DHS.
Major Hulius Hjorth who is engineering Elizabeth Hanover's defection from the old monarchy the Commonwealth.
The remnants of the Clan in the Commonwealth and their plans for the imminent succession crisis when the First Citizen dies.
Through all of these there are links and cross threads. There are unexpected complications and twists. This is good, because it makes this middle taught. Each of the plots is developed very well, and brought almost to boiling point.
The background to the books, this is the second trilogy in the same multiverse, has some of the sketching filled in with detail. We see more of the strange dome in timeline 4, it has its own sub-plot. There's also more in consequences and culture shock on moving people between timelines.
There's a really interesting annex after the story that explains the point of divergence between timeline 2 and timeline 3. This gives a potted history of timeline 3 to explain how, and why, democracy never replaced monarchies until the events between the two trilogies. Timeline 2 isn't quite ours, it diverged around 2001/2.
Overall this is an excellent middle part, it almost stands on its own, but you really ought to read Empire Games first, and you'll definitely want to read part three afterwards.
piefano's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0