Machine Vendetta

By: Alastair Reynolds

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 14 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

From the king of modern space opera comes a new adventure in the Prefect Dreyfus series—Machine Vendetta is a thrilling tale of deadly conspiracies and old enemies that refuse to die.

Panoply is a small efficient police force, dedicated to maintaining the rule of democracy among the ten thousand disparate city-states orbiting the planet Yellowstone.

Ingvar Tench was one of Panoply's most experienced operatives. So why did she walk alone and unarmed into a habitat with a vicious grudge against her organization?

As his colleagues pick up the pieces following her death, Prefect Tom Dreyfus must face his conscience. Four years ago, when an investigation linked to one of his most dangerous adversaries got a little too personal, Dreyfus arranged for Tench to continue the inquiry by proxy. In using her, did Dreyfus also put her in the line of fire? And what does Tench's attack tell him about an enemy he had hoped was dormant?

The Prefect Dreyfus Emergencies
Aurora Rising
Elysium Fire
Machine Vendetta

©2023 Alastair Reynolds (P)2023 Orbit

Critic reviews

"A touching and spectacularly intricate sequel that also functions well as a standalone ... Every chapter reveals another layer to the far-reaching mystery, all the while building to a stunning crescendo in which characters old and new band together to face a long-dreaded scenario. Fans of hard science fiction, noir, and space opera alike will be sucked in."—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

Great space detective series

You can never go wrong with Perfect Dreyfus and crew. There's always a crazy emergency and in this case the end of the series was fantastic.

Like a Breath of Fresh Air

While we all have our favorite authors and narrators, there is just something about the synergy of Alastair Reynolds  and John Lee that make these stories magical. After finishing “Machine Vendetta”,I feel like it has been an eternity since I last took a breath. I wish I had listened to the previous books again before listening to this one - so much to keep track of, and in my case, so little recall. It truly is a masterpiece of a Space Opera. I have missed you Alastair Reynolds,  Thank you for another wonderful story 

Fantastic story

Great story, brings a great close to the Prefect trilogy. Voice narration was excellent as always.

Outstanding as always!

The character development of the main protagonist and supporting characters was second to none! Tom Dreyfus is easily the best fictional protagonist in all space opera! The story of Aurora as rogue AI kept me interested and excited. There was a time I believed main and supporting characters would die during the emotional arcs. Death has meaning and I was touched whenever it happened. Characters I have grown fond of and loved.

To fully understand and appreciate AR’s depths of storytelling reading the first 2 novels in the trilogy is a must! On another note I will be rereading all RS books.

Think Full Circle Glitter Band with P-p-p-poker Face playing in the background

Really liked the finish to this arc. I am biased toward liking this series and this author, but particularly appreciated the deployment of feigning weakness and gaslighting in the mental and physical arsenal of the story's characters, causing them to really shine as well constructed people who immersed me into their halo of existence. There is a realism embedded into this story that is both aggravatingly honest and deceptively simple. That is the limits imposed by love and fear when combined with power and power vacuum.

Great storytelling and prose by the author. I hope he writes another soon. I can't wait.

This was another excellent continuation of the series. Very clever twists and turns. Brilliant and talented narrator.

Brilliant!

Reynold's writings just keep getting better and better. Eversion was so creative, mysterious, and suspenseful. Now with Machine Vendetta, Reynolds has written one of the best in the Revelation Space universe. Had just the right amount of tension, character development, action, tie-in's to prior novels, etc... I think Reynolds is by far one of the best sci fi authors, and John Lee's narration was fantastic as always.

Great!

Reynolds is one of my favorites. Depending on the day he might be my favorite author.
Machine Vendetta does not disappoint. It's gritty, dirty, cold, with little sugar shots of human compassion. A great book. I'm sorry that I'm done with it.

Space opera at its finest

An intriguing trilogy of far future space and technology, wrapped in an enigma left making you try to out-guess the finale. Another fantastic book in the Revelation Space universe!

Wonderful change of accents / voices. Overall very interesting.

The solution was a bit too easy. In the grand scheme of things, it didn't seem likely.