Transition

There is a world that hangs suspended between triumph and catastrophe, between the dismantling of the Wall and the fall of the Twin Towers, frozen in the shadow of suicide terrorism and global financial collapse. Such a world requires a firm hand and a guiding light. But does it need the Concern: an all-powerful organization with a malevolent presiding genius, pervasive influence and numberless invisible operatives in possession of extraordinary powers?

Among those operatives are Temudjin Oh, of mysterious Mongolian origins, an un-killable assassin who journeys between the peaks of Nepal, a version of Victorian London and the dark palaces of Venice under snow; Adrian Cubbish, a restlessly greedy City trader; and a nameless, faceless state-sponsored torturer known only as the Philosopher, who moves between time zones with sinister ease. Then there are those who question the Concern: the bandit queen Mrs. Mulverhill, roaming the worlds recruiting rebels to her side; and Patient 8262, under sedation and feigning madness in a forgotten hospital ward, in hiding from a dirty past.

There is a world that needs help; but whether it needs the Concern is a different matter.

Stunning

Took some time for the story to unfold--as is often the case with Banks' books. But he is one of my top 5 favorite authors and I knew it was worth being patient and allowing the story to unfold. I was not disappointed. This is a great story. The narrator is fantastic.

How I wish there were more Iain Banks novels on Audible.

Good!

I agree with Kurt; Iain Banks has been a long time favorite of mine, and i wish to see more of his books, although personally i want to listen to The Alchemist. I have heard that it was his best book.

How the mighty have fallen

I found this book readable at best. A far cry from the quality of the Culture series. Reading was excellent, but the story feels desperate and missing all the ingredients needed. Story feels wandering in sub plot, yet forced in major plot. I wouldn't recommend purchasing, but if you already have, it is readable/listenable.

This book Not up to 'Culture' Standards.

The story was somewhat muddled,
but Mr. Banks political views were troweled on a bit thick, without the wit and finesse of the "Culture" books.

good, fd up

big fan of rain's stuff and this is. no exception. that said, this book can be extremely fd up at times, to the point it makes me uncomfortable to listen to. I'm sure that's kind of the point of such prose, but it put me off it a bit. if you can get past that and the somewhat labyrinthine plot flow, it's quite enjoyable.