Judas Unchained

By: Peter F. Hamilton

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 40 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

Peter F. Hamilton's superbly imagined, cunningly plotted interstellar adventures are conceived on a staggeringly epic scale and filled with fully realized human and alien characters as complex as they are engaging. No mere world builder, Hamilton creates entire universes - and he does so with irresistible flair and intelligence.

His previous novel, the acclaimed Pandora's Star, introduced the Intersolar Commonwealth, a star-spanning civilization of the 24th century. Robust, peaceful, and confident, the Commonwealth dispatched a ship to investigate the mystery of a disappearing star, only to inadvertently unleash a predatory alien species that turned on its liberators, striking hard, fast, and utterly without mercy.

Coexistence is impossible with the technologically advanced aliens, who are genetically hardwired to exterminate all other forms of life. Twenty-three planets have already fallen to the invaders, with casualties in the hundreds of millions. And no one knows when or where the genocidal Prime will strike next.

Nor are the Prime the only threat. For more than 100 years, a shadowy cult, the Guardians of Selfhood, has warned that an alien with mind-control abilities impossible to detect or resist - the Starflyer - has secretly infiltrated the Commonwealth. Branded as terrorists, the Guardians and their leader, Bradley Johansson, have been hunted by relentless investigator Paula Myo. But now evidence suggests that the Guardians were right all along and that the Starflyer has placed agents in vital posts throughout the Commonwealth - agents who are now sabotaging the war effort. Is the Starflyer an ally of the Prime, or has it orchestrated a fight to the death between the two species for its own advantage?

Caught between two deadly enemies, one a brutal invader striking from without, the other a remorseless cancer killing from within, the fractious Commonwealth must unite as never before. This will be humanity's finest hour - or its last gasp.

©2006 Peter F. Hamilton (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"For flat-out huge widescreen all-engines-at-full I-dare-you-not-to-believe-it space opera, there is no one quite like Peter F. Hamilton." (Richard K. Morgan, author of Market Forces)
"Richly satisfying.... In more ways than one, this...work is monumental." ( Publishers Weekly)

Interesting but very hard to follow.

The only reason I kept listening to this book is I wanted to find out how it ended.

Awesome Space Saga

If you could sum up Judas Unchained in three words, what would they be?

Awesome Space Saga

What was one of the most memorable moments of Judas Unchained?

Of course this is the second of the two books so it brings together all the detailed elements Peter F. Hamilton has setup for the series into a fast paced and energetic climax.

What does John Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The voices he brings to each character are phenomenal. My mind would not be able to get the tones and inflections he has to bring the true feeling to the words written.

If you liked Pandora's Star, you need to read this

This book concludes the story from Pandora's Star. So read that one first. The assumption of Judas Unchained is that you know what happened, especially since the first book leaves some of the protagonists at cliffhangers.

The Void Trilogy from the same author is set in the same universe, and has some of the same characters, but this book with Pandora's Star is its own space opera. I mention this because I have criticized other series that, while set in the same universe, do not need to be read in chronological order.

If you like books that describe the technology and science of the fictional universe, as I do, then you will enjoy this book. It has spaceships, cool sci-fi technology and interesting alien races. Best of all it stays away from science fantasy conventions.

The characters are not your typical sci-fi heroes, no space marines, super secret spies, or genetically created killing machines. Just very relatable people who attempt to solve their problems in logically consistent ways.

Awesome but...

Dood! We get it, the concrete is enzyme bonded.

Great story. Good performance. Mix is a bit inconsistent if that kind of thing bothers you.

Finally terrific

This was a rough series to get into but finally after hours and hours the story fully developed, took off and ended up as one of the best series I've read in awhile. Highly recommend to those who are patient, stubborn, or dedicated enough to get deep and enjoy it.

One of my favorite series!

I loved loved loved this series. Great science fiction. Great characters. I could not wait to listen to this book each day.

INSTA CLASSIC!!!!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, this is one of the most enthralling stories i have ever read, yes i read the book first and liked it so much i had to get the audio version as well, every time i listen to the book now i rediscover this world that the Peter F. Hamilton has spun over and over again!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ozzy, read the book and you will know why.

What about John Lee’s performance did you like?

good

Epic space saga

These two large volumes keep you going once you get wrapped up into the lives and circumstances of the characters. Lots of interesting concepts and a few twists. Sad and anxious to come to the end.

Long long long long, but good

This series is a TOTAL of 77 hours. War and Peace is 61 hours.

Its a credit to the author and narrator that the book can hold your interest that long. The characters are good, and is a good listen. The book has a multiple viewpoints over the course of the book, some more interesting than others. Overall the threads come together in this book to a satisfying conclusion.

For all the length, the characters are just a little 2D. Good, but they need a little more depth and history. Ozzie seems to be the most interesting character, and I wish that they put more story time into his thread.

The listen is not too intense, so that you can do other things while listening and still keep up.

One of my favorites!!!

I've listened to this books three times now. It is excellent for escaping into. I will definitely be listening to it again.