Absolution Gap

De: Alastair Reynolds

Narrado por: John Lee

The Inhibitors were designed to eliminate any life-form reaching a certain level of intelligence - and they've targeted humanity. War veteran Clavain and a ragtag group of refugees have fled into hiding. Their leadership is faltering, and their situation is growing more desperate.

But their little colony has just received an unexpected visitor: an avenging angel with the power to lead mankind to safety - or draw down its darkest enemy. And as she leads them to an apparently insignificant moon light-years away, it begins to dawn on Clavain and his companions that to beat one enemy, it may be necessary to forge an alliance with something much worse.

©2008 Alastair Reynolds (P)2009 Tantor

Outstanding SCIFI

It has been over 4 years since I first read Absolution Gap, and its predecessors Chasm City and my favorite of the trilogy - Revelation Space. I wanted to read Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days and simply did not remember enough about the world Alastair Reynolds had created, beyond that I really enjoyed the series.

The universe that Alastair Reynolds created in this trilogy ending in Absolution Gap is complex and interesting. First, any reader considering this series should read them sequentially and without break. This series is set far in the future and spans many years and many worlds. These books are hard-core detailed and complex SCIFI set in a fractious universe. Humanity has diverged into many varied cultures and faces aliens bent on destroying all life. If you have not read Alastair Reynolds before, you are in for a treat, it is hard-core SCIFI filled with science, math, engineering, and wonderful characters, heroes, and evil villains.

The story of Absolution Gap switches back and forth across three different time frames in the distant future, with the characters, timelines, and action converging in the third, with a fourth culminating period captured in an epilogue. My favorite sections of the book involved Clavain and Scorpio, but I always enjoy good books when the author surprises me and Alastair Reynolds does that in this book. I listened to the audio version for the second time, and the storyline is so complex, I think I actually enjoyed listening to this book more the second time. John Lee is one of my favorite narrators and his performance in Absolution Gap was simply outstanding. Absolution Gap is a great SCIFI novel. Not as good as Revelation Space but still excellent. With a narration at a solid 5 stars., this book is probably about 4.6 stars rounded up.

World beyond our minds eye

Fascinating work. It's details sometime get boring but, later they help the mind's picture what and where you are and how it should feel. Each of this group gets you to a point of frustration then in just phrase or chapter change ......BANG you hooked and can't wait for the next word or sentence or chapter.... you must not stop it won't let you go.

Solid narration and engaging story

I found this the be the best work by this narrator in the series so far.

The story structure feels very formulaic by this point in the series, but I nonetheless found it to be an engaging and enjoyable listen.

gripping

Love the complexity of cultures explored, the difficulty of the decisions, the variety of characters. Some long plot lines are advanced in this one, some stories wrapped up. I felt a little too overtly manipulated by the late addition of a new player, both deus ex machina and motivation for more books. Still, I find these hugely immersive, and Im sure to push ahead!

Really good follow up

It would have been better if Clavin was there to the end and the pattern jugglers more explored.