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detrimental's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
timinbc's review against another edition
2.0
What a disappointment! This last book alone adds 662 pages to the series. It continues the brilliant weaving of complex and advanced ideas, but even early in the book I started thinking, "This is getting a little silly now". It built to what promised to be a stunning conclusion, then ends with a great big "PFFFFBBBLLLLLT". What a load of bollocks!
The ending is so bad that it bursts the suspension of disbelief that carried us so far. It makes us look back and see how flimsy some of the plotlines were, how implausible some of the characters and actions.
Key characters and storylines are just dropped or killed off in a sentence. The so-called ending/epilogue waves a magic wand, brings new players unexpectedly on stage, and just crashes and burns.
So much work, so much complexity, wasted.
A great example of "it's not the destination, it's the journey." We crossed America, visiting all the national parks, and we ended up in a ruined cement warehouse in Hackensack, New Jersey. In the rain. With wet socks.
Pfui.
The ending is so bad that it bursts the suspension of disbelief that carried us so far. It makes us look back and see how flimsy some of the plotlines were, how implausible some of the characters and actions.
Key characters and storylines are just dropped or killed off in a sentence. The so-called ending/epilogue waves a magic wand, brings new players unexpectedly on stage, and just crashes and burns.
So much work, so much complexity, wasted.
A great example of "it's not the destination, it's the journey." We crossed America, visiting all the national parks, and we ended up in a ruined cement warehouse in Hackensack, New Jersey. In the rain. With wet socks.
Pfui.
rileedawg's review against another edition
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? No
4.0
outcolder's review against another edition
4.0
Despite being forced through most of the second half to identify with an actual pig who is a callous, even cruel, manager, I dug this book a lot. Every once in a while we spend a few pages with some grumbling workers so there is at least some balance. A couple of moments where the pig has to deal with people who don't like pigs or just aren't used to them also softens the ugliness of finding yourself rooting for a pretty crap boss.
Reynolds manages to introduce new, truly alien aliens in each volume of the series. The settings are wonderful too, but my favorite is the "Nostalgia for Infinity" which is a space ship appearing throughout the series that is slowly turning more and more Gothic and organic. In this final volume there are actually things like ribs sticking out of the walls and something like the ghost of the original captain haunting the lower levels and rubbing the other characters' noses (or snout) in his centuries-long backstory.
Darker even than the previous books in the series, this is really humanity's last stand with lots of refugees and the difficulties in moving tens or hundreds of thousands of people through some kind of immigration processing. All that makes it particularly topical, at least at the time that I read it which is 13 years after it was written.
Reynolds manages to introduce new, truly alien aliens in each volume of the series. The settings are wonderful too, but my favorite is the "Nostalgia for Infinity" which is a space ship appearing throughout the series that is slowly turning more and more Gothic and organic. In this final volume there are actually things like ribs sticking out of the walls and something like the ghost of the original captain haunting the lower levels and rubbing the other characters' noses (or snout) in his centuries-long backstory.
Darker even than the previous books in the series, this is really humanity's last stand with lots of refugees and the difficulties in moving tens or hundreds of thousands of people through some kind of immigration processing. All that makes it particularly topical, at least at the time that I read it which is 13 years after it was written.
lotak's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
etste's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
yvarg's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
aerofinity's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Definitely the weakest in the trilogy. Don't get me started on the ending.
If you like your sci fi on the dark gothic side with a helping of bilge pumps, walking cathedrals and religious fanatics, this is for you.
If you like your sci fi on the dark gothic side with a helping of bilge pumps, walking cathedrals and religious fanatics, this is for you.