Judas Unchained
by Peter F. Hamilton
827 pp 2006 Ballantine Book
First off I am going to be honest. I had a difficult time getting through this book.
Don't get me wrong here because I know the first thing your going to think is that the book is crap. Ummmmmm nope.
Judas Unchained is incredibly dense in theme and action. However what I failed to notice was that it was part two of a series started with his previous work called Pandora's Star. I started out with a two page “personae dramatis” That's two pages with characters on both sides. I was introduced to so many people in the first couple hundred pages that with the constant flipping back and forth, I was just never able to get any speed up until I was comfortable that I knew everyone. And I mean everyone. There are aliens hell bent on the destruction of the human race. Yes that's aliens plural. One is overt and there seems to be a covert alien pulling strings from a distance. We have a stonewalling government, double dealing politicians, a rebel faction/alliance/religion, several “humans” that seem to be dealing from the bottom of the deck, several “I think humans are funny” aliens that seem to be hanging around for either amusement or more parasitic leanings...a space navy with full blown space battles, ftl ships and mind you worm holes, absolutely the most astounding realized weapons I have ever read about (I clearly remember thinking...”yeah, that's what I'm talking about!”)he trots out weapons like “quantum busters” and does it with a straight face!..., and for some reason gigantic trains....oh and did I mention everyone seems to be semi immortal?
Oh yes, Hamilton has taken it seems every tried and true science fiction element and produced uberspaceopera. And that is very much what Unchained is, a space opera grown larger. With over 800 pages you would think that it would be ponderous and honestly there are some very slow moments in the book (for example, there are numerous times when another completely different way to travel, much like worm holes but different, are talked about, literally one of the main characters walks home following the “paths” which left me confused....to say the least) but the last few hundred pages build to a fever pitch which if your anything like me, you will not be able to put the book down.
My recommendation? Yeah the book is worth picking up and reading...my suggestion is that you read Pandora's Star first . Hamilton hits the floor running in Judas Unchained and if your not up to speed well it will take you several hundred pages to catch up.
by Peter F. Hamilton
827 pp 2006 Ballantine Book
First off I am going to be honest. I had a difficult time getting through this book.
Don't get me wrong here because I know the first thing your going to think is that the book is crap. Ummmmmm nope.
Judas Unchained is incredibly dense in theme and action. However what I failed to notice was that it was part two of a series started with his previous work called Pandora's Star. I started out with a two page “personae dramatis” That's two pages with characters on both sides. I was introduced to so many people in the first couple hundred pages that with the constant flipping back and forth, I was just never able to get any speed up until I was comfortable that I knew everyone. And I mean everyone. There are aliens hell bent on the destruction of the human race. Yes that's aliens plural. One is overt and there seems to be a covert alien pulling strings from a distance. We have a stonewalling government, double dealing politicians, a rebel faction/alliance/religion, several “humans” that seem to be dealing from the bottom of the deck, several “I think humans are funny” aliens that seem to be hanging around for either amusement or more parasitic leanings...a space navy with full blown space battles, ftl ships and mind you worm holes, absolutely the most astounding realized weapons I have ever read about (I clearly remember thinking...”yeah, that's what I'm talking about!”)he trots out weapons like “quantum busters” and does it with a straight face!..., and for some reason gigantic trains....oh and did I mention everyone seems to be semi immortal?
Oh yes, Hamilton has taken it seems every tried and true science fiction element and produced uberspaceopera. And that is very much what Unchained is, a space opera grown larger. With over 800 pages you would think that it would be ponderous and honestly there are some very slow moments in the book (for example, there are numerous times when another completely different way to travel, much like worm holes but different, are talked about, literally one of the main characters walks home following the “paths” which left me confused....to say the least) but the last few hundred pages build to a fever pitch which if your anything like me, you will not be able to put the book down.
My recommendation? Yeah the book is worth picking up and reading...my suggestion is that you read Pandora's Star first . Hamilton hits the floor running in Judas Unchained and if your not up to speed well it will take you several hundred pages to catch up.
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