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Spider Wars #2
The Machine Awakes
Adam Christopher's The Machine Awakes is a far future space opera set in the universe of Burning Dark. In the decades since the human race first made contact with the Spiders—a machine race capable of tearing planets apart—the two groups have fought over interstellar territory. But the war has not been going well for humankind, and with the failure of the Fleet Admiral's secret plan in the Shadow system, the commander is overthrown by a group of hardliners determined to get the war back on track.
When the deposed Fleet Admiral is assassinated, Special Agent Von Kodiak suspects the new guard is eliminating the old. But when the Admiral's replacement is likewise murdered, all bets are off as Kodiak discovers the prime suspect is one of the Fleet's own, a psi-marine and decorated hero—a hero killed in action, months ago, at the same time his twin sister vanished from the Fleet Academy, where she was training to join her brother on the front.
As Kodiak investigates, he uncovers a conspiracy that stretches from the slums of Salt City to the floating gas mines of Jupiter. There, deep in the roiling clouds of the planet, the Jovian Mining Corporation is hiding something, a secret that will tear the Fleet apart and that the Morning Star, a group of militarized pilgrims searching for their lost god, is determined to uncover.
But there is something else hiding in Jovian system. Something insidious and intelligent, machine-like and hungry.
The Spiders are near.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
When the deposed Fleet Admiral is assassinated, Special Agent Von Kodiak suspects the new guard is eliminating the old. But when the Admiral's replacement is likewise murdered, all bets are off as Kodiak discovers the prime suspect is one of the Fleet's own, a psi-marine and decorated hero—a hero killed in action, months ago, at the same time his twin sister vanished from the Fleet Academy, where she was training to join her brother on the front.
As Kodiak investigates, he uncovers a conspiracy that stretches from the slums of Salt City to the floating gas mines of Jupiter. There, deep in the roiling clouds of the planet, the Jovian Mining Corporation is hiding something, a secret that will tear the Fleet apart and that the Morning Star, a group of militarized pilgrims searching for their lost god, is determined to uncover.
But there is something else hiding in Jovian system. Something insidious and intelligent, machine-like and hungry.
The Spiders are near.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 21, 2015
9 people are currently reading
539 people want to read
About the author
Adam Christopher
48 books716 followersAdam Christopher is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith and Master of Evil, Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town. He has also written official tie-in novels for the hit CBS television show Elementary and the award-winning Dishonored video game franchise.
Co-creator of the twenty-first-century incarnation of Archie Comics superhero The Shield, Adam has also written for the universes of Doctor Who and World of Warcraft, and is a contributor to the internationally bestselling Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View anniversary anthology series and the all-ages Star Wars Adventures comic.
Adam’s original novels include Made to Kill and The Burning Dark, among many others, and his debut novel Empire State was both a SciFi Now and Financial Times book of the year.
Co-creator of the twenty-first-century incarnation of Archie Comics superhero The Shield, Adam has also written for the universes of Doctor Who and World of Warcraft, and is a contributor to the internationally bestselling Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View anniversary anthology series and the all-ages Star Wars Adventures comic.
Adam’s original novels include Made to Kill and The Burning Dark, among many others, and his debut novel Empire State was both a SciFi Now and Financial Times book of the year.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
March 22, 2016
Rating: 4* of five
The Publisher Says: In the decades since the human race first made contact with the Spiders—a machine race capable of tearing planets apart—the two groups have fought over interstellar territory. But the war has not been going well for humankind, and with the failure of the Fleet Admiral’s secret plan in the Shadow system, the commander is overthrown by a group of hardliners determined to get the war back on track.
When the deposed Fleet Admiral is assassinated, Special Agent Von Kodiak suspects the new guard is eliminating the old. But when the Admiral’s replacement is likewise murdered, all bets are off as Kodiak discovers the prime suspect is one of the Fleet’s own, a psi-marine and decorated hero—a hero killed in action, months ago, at the same time his twin sister vanished from the Fleet Academy, where she was training to join her brother on the front.
As Kodiak investigates, he uncovers a conspiracy that stretches from the slums of Salt City to the floating gas mines of Jupiter. There, deep in the roiling clouds of the planet, the Jovian Mining Corporation is hiding something, a secret that will tear the Fleet apart and that the Morning Star, a group of militarized pilgrims searching for their lost god, is determined to uncover.
But there is something else hiding in Jovian system. Something insidious and intelligent, machine-like and hungry.
The Spiders are near.
My Review: This is book two. I have only one question: WHERE THE HELL IS BOOK THREE?!
Exciting intrigue, insane religious nutballs trying to bring Lucifer "back," twisty and unexpected politico-personal betrayals...IN SPACE! ON JUPITER!! Add in some vile, evil corporate chicanery, some love and some heartbreak...well, what are you waiting for? Go forth and buy from your favorite bookery.
Leave the lights on.
The Publisher Says: In the decades since the human race first made contact with the Spiders—a machine race capable of tearing planets apart—the two groups have fought over interstellar territory. But the war has not been going well for humankind, and with the failure of the Fleet Admiral’s secret plan in the Shadow system, the commander is overthrown by a group of hardliners determined to get the war back on track.
When the deposed Fleet Admiral is assassinated, Special Agent Von Kodiak suspects the new guard is eliminating the old. But when the Admiral’s replacement is likewise murdered, all bets are off as Kodiak discovers the prime suspect is one of the Fleet’s own, a psi-marine and decorated hero—a hero killed in action, months ago, at the same time his twin sister vanished from the Fleet Academy, where she was training to join her brother on the front.
As Kodiak investigates, he uncovers a conspiracy that stretches from the slums of Salt City to the floating gas mines of Jupiter. There, deep in the roiling clouds of the planet, the Jovian Mining Corporation is hiding something, a secret that will tear the Fleet apart and that the Morning Star, a group of militarized pilgrims searching for their lost god, is determined to uncover.
But there is something else hiding in Jovian system. Something insidious and intelligent, machine-like and hungry.
The Spiders are near.
My Review: This is book two. I have only one question: WHERE THE HELL IS BOOK THREE?!
Exciting intrigue, insane religious nutballs trying to bring Lucifer "back," twisty and unexpected politico-personal betrayals...IN SPACE! ON JUPITER!! Add in some vile, evil corporate chicanery, some love and some heartbreak...well, what are you waiting for? Go forth and buy from your favorite bookery.
Leave the lights on.
May 19, 2015
4 Stars
I am giving The Machine Awakes 4 Stars but I could have gone three stars. I am giving it the extra marks because Adam Christopher is a fantastic writer. Unfortunately, this book was a bit of a let down after the amazing book one. They are completely different books. The Machine Awakes comes across as more of a police procedural than it does science fiction. Also, gone are pretty much all of the horror elements found in book one.
This book continues the same great story but tries to keep the alien Spider mechs as a side note. This changed the entire dynamics and feel of the story and the world and not for the better. The plot and the pacing are fine. The ending is no surprise and can be seen coming from the start. At least this book doesn’t hurt the series as it grows and expands.
I wanted to love this book as I did the first one but it came up quite short. Adam Christopher is fantastic and I cannot wait to read more from him.
I am giving The Machine Awakes 4 Stars but I could have gone three stars. I am giving it the extra marks because Adam Christopher is a fantastic writer. Unfortunately, this book was a bit of a let down after the amazing book one. They are completely different books. The Machine Awakes comes across as more of a police procedural than it does science fiction. Also, gone are pretty much all of the horror elements found in book one.
This book continues the same great story but tries to keep the alien Spider mechs as a side note. This changed the entire dynamics and feel of the story and the world and not for the better. The plot and the pacing are fine. The ending is no surprise and can be seen coming from the start. At least this book doesn’t hurt the series as it grows and expands.
I wanted to love this book as I did the first one but it came up quite short. Adam Christopher is fantastic and I cannot wait to read more from him.
June 27, 2015
The Review Can Be Found Here: http://thefictionalhangout.blogspot.c....
"As the Spider Wars intensify and mankind remains trapped in a losing battle against a mechanical race capable of tearing apart entire planets, a group of hardliners overthrow their commander in a desperate bid to get their war back on track.
But when the commander’s replacement is murdered, Special Agent Von Kodiak discovers the prime suspect is one of the Fleet’s own, a psi-marine and decorated hero – a hero killed in action, months ago, at the same time his twin sister vanished from the Fleet Academy where she was training to join her brother on the front.
As Kodiak investigates he uncovers a conspiracy that stretches from the slums of Salt City to the floating gas mines of Jupiter. There, deep in the rolling clouds of the planet, the Jovian Mining Corporation is harbouring a secret that will tear the Fleet apart. But there is something else hiding in the Jovian system. Something insidious and intelligent, machine-like and hungry. The Spiders are near."
I really enjoyed the first novel in Adam Christopher’s Spider Wars series, The Burning Dark, but that wasn’t really a surprise when Christopher is an author who I’ve pretty much enjoyed every book that I’ve read from him, and I’m happy to say that The Machine Awakes is no different, offering up a tense, action packed second outing that should please fans looking for their next science fiction series, and it’s right at home for fans of the likes of Alien and Warhammer. If you like those two franchises and haven’t yet read The Burning Dark then what are you waiting for? Trust me, you won’t regret it. Alternatively, if you don’t want to go back and read the first novel (although it is recommended), you could probably jump in here just fine.
It’s a dark, creepy and entertaining science fiction conspiracy thriller that blends several imaginative ideas into one novel, continuing the themes from the first book yet at the same time remaining a different and fresh experience that continues to excite and entertain. Whilst The Machine Awakes is set in the same universe as The Burning Dark, it’s not exactly a direct sequel, but the actions made in the first book do set the stage for the second, with the Spider Wars playing at the heart of this well plotted, well written novel that just gets more and more captivating over time and by the end I could not put it down.
The Machine Awakes adopts a more plot heavy approach to that of The Burning Dark and it works, with a well paced story keeping readers entertained with a fantastically developed universe which is a joy to return to and learn more about. The horror approach in science fiction is sadly something that isn’t really used as often as I would have liked (how awesome would more Star Wars horror themed stuff be for example? I can think of Death Troopers and the prequel Red Harvest, but that’s about it), and it works to a strong effect here with some definitely scary stuff to be found.
Something that doesn’t quite as work as well as it should have done though is the characters, who weren’t as well created as the first, at least in my opinion, with the attention primarily on the plot, which is good in its own right. One of these characters includes a supervillain so clichéd you’ve seen him a thousand times before, and this is something that your mileage may vary on. We never really get the feeling that the characters are in any kind of danger, but even so, that’s probably the only major problem that I had with this book, because it was good enough in so many other areas for this not to matter as much.
It's also worth noting that the covers of these books, it’s worth noting, are also very cool and do well to establish the mood of the series. It’s just a matter of preference, but I think I prefer the cover for The Machine Awakes to that of The Burning Dark. On the whole though, it’s safe to say that this book is certainly something that can come recommend despite its flaws in the character department, because I loved returning to the world once more. It’s well worth checking out, but even though they’re standalone, like I mentioned above, go to The Burning Dark first to get a feel for the universe so you know what to expect. Also, check out Adam Christopher’s other stuff once you’re done here, he’s written so many awesome books.
VERDICT: 8/10
New Rating Explanation, to be followed on all future reviews:
1-4/10 = 1 Star
4.1-6/10 = 2 Star
6.1-7.9/10 = 3 Star
8.0-9.0/10 = 4 Star
9.1-10/10 = 5 Star
"As the Spider Wars intensify and mankind remains trapped in a losing battle against a mechanical race capable of tearing apart entire planets, a group of hardliners overthrow their commander in a desperate bid to get their war back on track.
But when the commander’s replacement is murdered, Special Agent Von Kodiak discovers the prime suspect is one of the Fleet’s own, a psi-marine and decorated hero – a hero killed in action, months ago, at the same time his twin sister vanished from the Fleet Academy where she was training to join her brother on the front.
As Kodiak investigates he uncovers a conspiracy that stretches from the slums of Salt City to the floating gas mines of Jupiter. There, deep in the rolling clouds of the planet, the Jovian Mining Corporation is harbouring a secret that will tear the Fleet apart. But there is something else hiding in the Jovian system. Something insidious and intelligent, machine-like and hungry. The Spiders are near."
I really enjoyed the first novel in Adam Christopher’s Spider Wars series, The Burning Dark, but that wasn’t really a surprise when Christopher is an author who I’ve pretty much enjoyed every book that I’ve read from him, and I’m happy to say that The Machine Awakes is no different, offering up a tense, action packed second outing that should please fans looking for their next science fiction series, and it’s right at home for fans of the likes of Alien and Warhammer. If you like those two franchises and haven’t yet read The Burning Dark then what are you waiting for? Trust me, you won’t regret it. Alternatively, if you don’t want to go back and read the first novel (although it is recommended), you could probably jump in here just fine.
It’s a dark, creepy and entertaining science fiction conspiracy thriller that blends several imaginative ideas into one novel, continuing the themes from the first book yet at the same time remaining a different and fresh experience that continues to excite and entertain. Whilst The Machine Awakes is set in the same universe as The Burning Dark, it’s not exactly a direct sequel, but the actions made in the first book do set the stage for the second, with the Spider Wars playing at the heart of this well plotted, well written novel that just gets more and more captivating over time and by the end I could not put it down.
The Machine Awakes adopts a more plot heavy approach to that of The Burning Dark and it works, with a well paced story keeping readers entertained with a fantastically developed universe which is a joy to return to and learn more about. The horror approach in science fiction is sadly something that isn’t really used as often as I would have liked (how awesome would more Star Wars horror themed stuff be for example? I can think of Death Troopers and the prequel Red Harvest, but that’s about it), and it works to a strong effect here with some definitely scary stuff to be found.
Something that doesn’t quite as work as well as it should have done though is the characters, who weren’t as well created as the first, at least in my opinion, with the attention primarily on the plot, which is good in its own right. One of these characters includes a supervillain so clichéd you’ve seen him a thousand times before, and this is something that your mileage may vary on. We never really get the feeling that the characters are in any kind of danger, but even so, that’s probably the only major problem that I had with this book, because it was good enough in so many other areas for this not to matter as much.
It's also worth noting that the covers of these books, it’s worth noting, are also very cool and do well to establish the mood of the series. It’s just a matter of preference, but I think I prefer the cover for The Machine Awakes to that of The Burning Dark. On the whole though, it’s safe to say that this book is certainly something that can come recommend despite its flaws in the character department, because I loved returning to the world once more. It’s well worth checking out, but even though they’re standalone, like I mentioned above, go to The Burning Dark first to get a feel for the universe so you know what to expect. Also, check out Adam Christopher’s other stuff once you’re done here, he’s written so many awesome books.
VERDICT: 8/10
New Rating Explanation, to be followed on all future reviews:
1-4/10 = 1 Star
4.1-6/10 = 2 Star
6.1-7.9/10 = 3 Star
8.0-9.0/10 = 4 Star
9.1-10/10 = 5 Star
August 14, 2015
You know how Alien was a horror and Aliens was an SF action flick? Adam Christopher may be taking a leaf out of that book here. This one was also much longer than the first one, but didn't have all the tropey repetitive stuff that the first one had either. Generally speaking I enjoyed this one much more than the first.
In this one we have some of the political aftermath of the first book, so internal military politics with the Fleet Command Council that soon degenerates into coup and assassination attempts. Fairly quickly the main characters center around the investigation of the assassination with the main investigator and a suspect taking most of the POV. This all unearths a plot which goes to corruption within and around the Fleet, more information about the psi-marines that featured prominently and without much explanation in the first book and eventually Spiders, AIs and spaceship battles.
Overall, much more my cup of tea than the first one, but people who enjoyed the first one may find less to enjoy here. There are still some creepy horror bits, but nothing like the first one.
One further note on pacing: the first half of the book is slow. That changes drastically at about 60% where it turns into a page-turner.
In this one we have some of the political aftermath of the first book, so internal military politics with the Fleet Command Council that soon degenerates into coup and assassination attempts. Fairly quickly the main characters center around the investigation of the assassination with the main investigator and a suspect taking most of the POV. This all unearths a plot which goes to corruption within and around the Fleet, more information about the psi-marines that featured prominently and without much explanation in the first book and eventually Spiders, AIs and spaceship battles.
Overall, much more my cup of tea than the first one, but people who enjoyed the first one may find less to enjoy here. There are still some creepy horror bits, but nothing like the first one.
One further note on pacing: the first half of the book is slow. That changes drastically at about 60% where it turns into a page-turner.
January 3, 2018
Entertainingly creepy and dark SF thriller, fed by conspiracy, AIs, strange mining facilities harvesting Jupiter's storms and those terrifying spiders.
January 7, 2020
I’m sorry, but I cannot recommend this book. After reading (and enjoying!) Christopher’s novel The Burning Dark, I launched into The Machine Awakes with anticipation. Unfortunately, this book is not written to the same standards as his other novels.
The plot is fairly conventional sci-fi, focusing on an episode during humanity’s protracted war against a machine intelligence. I liked the intrigue around the assassination of key figures, which was the best part of the book, but that was compromised by flaws in the writing.
For example, in chapter 40 he includes a section labeled “Plausible Deniability” that is out of sequence with the rest of the novel and also unnecessary. Everything in that section is covered in an earlier chapter. A good editor would have caught this; it is usually the result of an author moving a piece of text forward in a novel to establish a framework for an early scene, then forgetting to delete the duplicate text from the latter part of the book.
Another problem that I had with the book was the constant use of Deus Ex Machina. Every time Christopher’s characters get in a jam, some miraculous event occurs to rescue them. The suspension of disbelief lies at the foundation of science fiction, but for that to work, an author must stick to the “rules” that they established when creating their world. This problem cropped up numerous times, even in small and unnecessary places in the text. For example, one of the “spiders” controlled by the machine intelligence is presented as the size of a shuttle craft. Later in the battle, it is magically so large that when it collapses in defeat the impact from its falling only a few meters is enough to punch a hole in the floor of a hanger deck designed to handle space ships. The hole is so large that everything in the hanger, including two shuttles, getssucked into it. But not the heroes, of course.
The space battles were profoundly unrealistic. A moon-sized spider-shaped machine attacking space ships with its legs? In space? While the space ships are firing rockets at it? Why not shoot the rockets from a safe distance, like ten thousand miles away? And for that matter, why would a civilization with gravity control bother using rockets at all? Just drop a black hole into the spider machine and walk away while the singularity eats it.
The last complaints that I have with this story deal with the characters. The heroine Cait is completely unrealistic; she’s supposed to be a trained marine of high intelligence, but when she recognizes a trap, she just decides to walk into it anyway. Even an untrained person would first look around to see if there was a way to avoid the trap, and soldiers are trained to do just that. The other characters are flat, so that there is no difference between any of them, and not one of them shows any form of development, change, or growth as a result of their ordeals.
The plot is fairly conventional sci-fi, focusing on an episode during humanity’s protracted war against a machine intelligence. I liked the intrigue around the assassination of key figures, which was the best part of the book, but that was compromised by flaws in the writing.
For example, in chapter 40 he includes a section labeled “Plausible Deniability” that is out of sequence with the rest of the novel and also unnecessary. Everything in that section is covered in an earlier chapter. A good editor would have caught this; it is usually the result of an author moving a piece of text forward in a novel to establish a framework for an early scene, then forgetting to delete the duplicate text from the latter part of the book.
Another problem that I had with the book was the constant use of Deus Ex Machina. Every time Christopher’s characters get in a jam, some miraculous event occurs to rescue them. The suspension of disbelief lies at the foundation of science fiction, but for that to work, an author must stick to the “rules” that they established when creating their world. This problem cropped up numerous times, even in small and unnecessary places in the text. For example, one of the “spiders” controlled by the machine intelligence is presented as the size of a shuttle craft. Later in the battle, it is magically so large that when it collapses in defeat the impact from its falling only a few meters is enough to punch a hole in the floor of a hanger deck designed to handle space ships. The hole is so large that everything in the hanger, including two shuttles, getssucked into it. But not the heroes, of course.
The space battles were profoundly unrealistic. A moon-sized spider-shaped machine attacking space ships with its legs? In space? While the space ships are firing rockets at it? Why not shoot the rockets from a safe distance, like ten thousand miles away? And for that matter, why would a civilization with gravity control bother using rockets at all? Just drop a black hole into the spider machine and walk away while the singularity eats it.
The last complaints that I have with this story deal with the characters. The heroine Cait is completely unrealistic; she’s supposed to be a trained marine of high intelligence, but when she recognizes a trap, she just decides to walk into it anyway. Even an untrained person would first look around to see if there was a way to avoid the trap, and soldiers are trained to do just that. The other characters are flat, so that there is no difference between any of them, and not one of them shows any form of development, change, or growth as a result of their ordeals.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2018
This story starts off promising but as it progressed I felt like it lost its way.
The blurb mentions the assassination of the head of the Fleet and the 1st half of the story is like a SciFi police procedural following the investigation. Sadly, by the time the story reveals the reason for the assassination I found the explanation to be dumb and the assassination to be unnecessary. By the end of the book I was getting fed up with the badly done reveals, which were unsatisfying when considering the mysterious set up.
I felt like the first half was a 4 star read and the second half was a 2.5 star read so I'll go with an average of 3 stars for the book overall.
The blurb mentions the assassination of the head of the Fleet and the 1st half of the story is like a SciFi police procedural following the investigation. Sadly, by the time the story reveals the reason for the assassination I found the explanation to be dumb and the assassination to be unnecessary. By the end of the book I was getting fed up with the badly done reveals, which were unsatisfying when considering the mysterious set up.
I felt like the first half was a 4 star read and the second half was a 2.5 star read so I'll go with an average of 3 stars for the book overall.
November 11, 2018
A bit weak.
The setting is interesting: alien machines and psi marines.
But the story is a little boring and runs out of steam. The plot is serviceable and the writing is ok, but not attention grabbing.
Distinctly average, but I would be interested in further exploration of this setting, providing a decent plot and better writing. It's not really a horror story at all, whereas the first book is much more so.
The setting is interesting: alien machines and psi marines.
But the story is a little boring and runs out of steam. The plot is serviceable and the writing is ok, but not attention grabbing.
Distinctly average, but I would be interested in further exploration of this setting, providing a decent plot and better writing. It's not really a horror story at all, whereas the first book is much more so.
January 6, 2020
Wanted to get back into some sci-fi to kick off the year, picked this one at random and really enjoyed it. Quick pace and well written, with some great lines such as this one where the heroine (Cait) is strapped to a medical bed by the leader of a cult (Samantha Flood).
“Flood ignored him and walked around the top of the bed to look down at Cait. Cait decided the High Priestess didn’t look any better upside down.”
A perfect summer read and will be back for more from Adam Christopher.
“Flood ignored him and walked around the top of the bed to look down at Cait. Cait decided the High Priestess didn’t look any better upside down.”
A perfect summer read and will be back for more from Adam Christopher.
March 2, 2019
OK do didn't realize this was a series so maybe no fair to review it was ok. self replicating machine driven by AI that taking over the network. super solders the one character I liked the best was the ai that ran the mining platform GLASS . psychic twins and endless war. I dont know if I read the next one or not
May 7, 2017
Wasn't really impressed by this book, I'm afraid to say. I'm a massive fan of the author and as a standalone book this is fine, but it's too far of a departure from the first book. They barely felt related to one another at all.
August 15, 2017
An excellent book. A perfect follow up. Highly recommended.
November 10, 2018
Great SciFi epic not too dissimilar from the mass effect universe
January 16, 2019
Spectacularly underwhelming.
September 3, 2025
A little basic, a little repetitive but enjoyable overall.
August 10, 2015
It is the nature of human beings to make life difficult for themselves. If, as a race, you are fighting a war against a horde of Artificially Intelligent metal spiders, you don’t need the added grief of internal politics. In the world of ‘‘The Spider Wars’’, the political situation has just exploded after a series of high profile assassinations. Where are the bug hunters when you need them? Too busy hunting hired killers instead!
With the death of two leading political powerhouses, the government of Earth is under threat of revolution. The only people able to investigate are the agents of the Fleet Bureau, a body set up to offer a neutral political standpoint. This means that Special Agent Von Kodiak find himself in the heart of government when he would much prefer to be stamping out the Spider menace. However, the two instances may be more closely linked than he can imagine as the Spiders’ AI is working on the espionage front as well as building giant eight legged freaks.
The first outing in the ‘‘Spider Wars’’ was an intense and claustrophobic affair as the Spiders’ AI started to take over a remote space station person by person. For the second book author Adam Christopher has decided to set the book in the same universe, but completely change the style. Gone is the ‘‘Alien’’ feel, in favour of overblown space-operatics. What was once a contained and riveting universe has opened into something that borders on the bland.
‘‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’’ taught us that no matter how much we love a science fiction universe, no one wants to watch/read all about politics in a made up world. Christopher seems to have not heeded this lesson from recent history and creates a book that should be about fighting giant mechanical spider in space and instead makes it a book about space politics. The first third is a rather plodding affair as we learn about the structure of the Fleet that controls future Earth. Rather than building directly on from the events seen in ‘‘Burning Dark’’, ‘‘Machine Awakes’’ instead uses it as a trigger for the political upheaval back on Earth – a footnote in this story.
Readers may be initially upset to realise the investment they had in book one was limited and their despair will only be compounded as the politics is revealed. However, persevere for 70 pages or so and the book begins to open. The good elements of the book all come from the character of Agent Von Kodiak, who is officially dead, making him free to go anywhere and do as he wishes. He is the person that drives the story onwards and it eventually settles in a very interesting place.
The final act of the book has all the elements you would want from a book that is extensively about killer spiders from beyond Mars. There is intrigue, betrayal and space battles galore. It also builds upon the Universe itself as a new corporate threat is revealed. Like in ‘‘Burning Dark’’, it is the idea and universe that the series is set in that is of interest. Christopher appears to be an author with a great Universe, but who is unable to create an intriguing story within it. This happening once may be a mishap, two in a row begins to suggest a pattern. He needs to really develop an exciting narrative that uses the world of ‘‘Spider Wars’’ to its fullest for the series to expand beyond the average into the excellent. Original review on bookbag.co.uk
With the death of two leading political powerhouses, the government of Earth is under threat of revolution. The only people able to investigate are the agents of the Fleet Bureau, a body set up to offer a neutral political standpoint. This means that Special Agent Von Kodiak find himself in the heart of government when he would much prefer to be stamping out the Spider menace. However, the two instances may be more closely linked than he can imagine as the Spiders’ AI is working on the espionage front as well as building giant eight legged freaks.
The first outing in the ‘‘Spider Wars’’ was an intense and claustrophobic affair as the Spiders’ AI started to take over a remote space station person by person. For the second book author Adam Christopher has decided to set the book in the same universe, but completely change the style. Gone is the ‘‘Alien’’ feel, in favour of overblown space-operatics. What was once a contained and riveting universe has opened into something that borders on the bland.
‘‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’’ taught us that no matter how much we love a science fiction universe, no one wants to watch/read all about politics in a made up world. Christopher seems to have not heeded this lesson from recent history and creates a book that should be about fighting giant mechanical spider in space and instead makes it a book about space politics. The first third is a rather plodding affair as we learn about the structure of the Fleet that controls future Earth. Rather than building directly on from the events seen in ‘‘Burning Dark’’, ‘‘Machine Awakes’’ instead uses it as a trigger for the political upheaval back on Earth – a footnote in this story.
Readers may be initially upset to realise the investment they had in book one was limited and their despair will only be compounded as the politics is revealed. However, persevere for 70 pages or so and the book begins to open. The good elements of the book all come from the character of Agent Von Kodiak, who is officially dead, making him free to go anywhere and do as he wishes. He is the person that drives the story onwards and it eventually settles in a very interesting place.
The final act of the book has all the elements you would want from a book that is extensively about killer spiders from beyond Mars. There is intrigue, betrayal and space battles galore. It also builds upon the Universe itself as a new corporate threat is revealed. Like in ‘‘Burning Dark’’, it is the idea and universe that the series is set in that is of interest. Christopher appears to be an author with a great Universe, but who is unable to create an intriguing story within it. This happening once may be a mishap, two in a row begins to suggest a pattern. He needs to really develop an exciting narrative that uses the world of ‘‘Spider Wars’’ to its fullest for the series to expand beyond the average into the excellent. Original review on bookbag.co.uk
July 12, 2015
I don't read much military science fiction. The few short stories I've read dwelt way too much on extremely detailed, lovingly pornified descriptions of weapons, and that isn't something I care for. But when I cruised through the "New Arrivals" section at the library a while back, this book's cover drew me, and its plot summary didn't sound too bad, so I decided to give it a try.
I'm glad I did. I've never heard of this author, but I think he's someone to watch.
This is a far-future (900+ years) story of humanity and their war against the Spiders, a gestalt machine intelligence. There is almost no history given of the Spider War, other than the fact that forty years ago, a Mother Spider blew up Earth's moon (!) and pretty much destroyed the Southern Hemisphere before it was defeated. Adam Christopher doesn't dwell much on Earth politics, but the impression I get is that the war has forced humanity into a one-world government, and that government is the military, also called the Fleet.
This book is kind of an odd hybrid; it's definitely military SF, but it's also a murder mystery, a thriller, and a police procedural. Many times, books like these sadly neglect their characters. Christopher doesn't do that; he doesn't have tremendous depths of characterization, but the people here are three-dimensional, not cardboard (although I wish the female lead, Caitlin, didn't need to be rescued so much). The villain is a bit over the top, chewing the scenery quite nicely, but he definitely makes a splash. I don't know if this book has been optioned for film, but I wouldn't be surprised. The final battle, with a humongous Spider formed in the depths of Jupiter that must be roughly the size of a freaking moon, reads like a $200 million CGI-bloated summer smash.
I do wish there was more backstory on the Spiders, however. Maybe they are self-replicating machines, but something had to build the original prototype, and write the alien operating system. There is a book previous to this one, which I think I will check out. In the meantime, this book isn't bad at all.
I'm glad I did. I've never heard of this author, but I think he's someone to watch.
This is a far-future (900+ years) story of humanity and their war against the Spiders, a gestalt machine intelligence. There is almost no history given of the Spider War, other than the fact that forty years ago, a Mother Spider blew up Earth's moon (!) and pretty much destroyed the Southern Hemisphere before it was defeated. Adam Christopher doesn't dwell much on Earth politics, but the impression I get is that the war has forced humanity into a one-world government, and that government is the military, also called the Fleet.
This book is kind of an odd hybrid; it's definitely military SF, but it's also a murder mystery, a thriller, and a police procedural. Many times, books like these sadly neglect their characters. Christopher doesn't do that; he doesn't have tremendous depths of characterization, but the people here are three-dimensional, not cardboard (although I wish the female lead, Caitlin, didn't need to be rescued so much). The villain is a bit over the top, chewing the scenery quite nicely, but he definitely makes a splash. I don't know if this book has been optioned for film, but I wouldn't be surprised. The final battle, with a humongous Spider formed in the depths of Jupiter that must be roughly the size of a freaking moon, reads like a $200 million CGI-bloated summer smash.
I do wish there was more backstory on the Spiders, however. Maybe they are self-replicating machines, but something had to build the original prototype, and write the alien operating system. There is a book previous to this one, which I think I will check out. In the meantime, this book isn't bad at all.
July 9, 2015
Previously Published at TheQwillery.com
The Machine Awakes is a dark space opera by Adam Christopher and the second book in the Spider Wars series. This book takes an interesting turn as it doesn't really have anything to do with the events and characters from the first book. They're mentioned, but a reader would do fine jumping on board with this second book without missing a beat. I like this in a world building standpoint. It gives the universe a bigger feel. It helps that this book covers more locations than the first book. I also like this because I sometimes get bored with one main hero that seems to have so many amazing adventures, it's just so unrealistic. It's refreshing to meet new people and see new places.
For the most part, Christopher does a better job with his characters in this book than the first. They are more interesting and feel more developed. However, he could have made better use out of Caitlin, a capable character who doesn't need to be a constant victim. The psi-marines are very cool and I look forward to learning more about them. I also have to give him credit for making a very cool villain that he hasn't overused throughout the series.
One aspect of the first book that I missed in this one is the fear factor. I felt Christopher did such a great job with that and in the second book there is more of a sci-fi cop/conspiracy tone that I was fine with but didn't love as much as the horror in the first book. I also didn't care for the weird religious aspect of the story, but I rarely enjoy that part of books as I feel most authors make religious people sound crazy.
The Machine Awakes is a world-builder's dream. Christopher's universe keeps getting bigger, and I'm interested to see where he goes in book three. I would only recommend this book to adults because of its strong language, violence and adult situations. This series is perfect for those of us who like to see a whole universe come alive with an interesting villain who wants to destroy it all.
The Machine Awakes is a dark space opera by Adam Christopher and the second book in the Spider Wars series. This book takes an interesting turn as it doesn't really have anything to do with the events and characters from the first book. They're mentioned, but a reader would do fine jumping on board with this second book without missing a beat. I like this in a world building standpoint. It gives the universe a bigger feel. It helps that this book covers more locations than the first book. I also like this because I sometimes get bored with one main hero that seems to have so many amazing adventures, it's just so unrealistic. It's refreshing to meet new people and see new places.
For the most part, Christopher does a better job with his characters in this book than the first. They are more interesting and feel more developed. However, he could have made better use out of Caitlin, a capable character who doesn't need to be a constant victim. The psi-marines are very cool and I look forward to learning more about them. I also have to give him credit for making a very cool villain that he hasn't overused throughout the series.
One aspect of the first book that I missed in this one is the fear factor. I felt Christopher did such a great job with that and in the second book there is more of a sci-fi cop/conspiracy tone that I was fine with but didn't love as much as the horror in the first book. I also didn't care for the weird religious aspect of the story, but I rarely enjoy that part of books as I feel most authors make religious people sound crazy.
The Machine Awakes is a world-builder's dream. Christopher's universe keeps getting bigger, and I'm interested to see where he goes in book three. I would only recommend this book to adults because of its strong language, violence and adult situations. This series is perfect for those of us who like to see a whole universe come alive with an interesting villain who wants to destroy it all.
June 23, 2015
I feel like this book might have really been closer to 3.5 stars for me, but I'm going to round up because I'm totally going to read the third book when it gets written (at least I assume it will get written; if it doesn't, then back down to three stars for you, Machine Awakes!).
So, for the most part this is sort of a space detective book almost. The Fleet has experienced some super high-level assassinations and obviously wants to find out who would do such a thing and why. Kodiak is called in from a super secret undercover assignment to investigate, and since he's officially dead (for some reason? I don't really remember), it works out nicely since he can sneak around and his tracker says he's someone else entirely.
The other part of the story focuses on Caitlin, a psi-marine who disappeared from the Fleet before finishing her training, after hearing that her twin brother has been killed in action on a far away War World.
And then the Spiders and their creepy AI that's taking over everything in the universe!!! Ahhhhhhh!!!
All that stuff is connected. Not necessarily neatly, and towards the end things get a little messy and there's a lot of dumb action movie-type dialogue and a villain who is...ugh, kind of the stereotypical evil-for-the-sake-of-being-evil-type guy.
Even so, I mostly enjoyed this. It's an interesting world, and I really enjoy my time spent there. Although sometimes I feel like it's more the ideas that carry me through than the actual writing. If that makes sense.
But anyway, write book 3 and I'll read it, Adam Christopher!
So, for the most part this is sort of a space detective book almost. The Fleet has experienced some super high-level assassinations and obviously wants to find out who would do such a thing and why. Kodiak is called in from a super secret undercover assignment to investigate, and since he's officially dead (for some reason? I don't really remember), it works out nicely since he can sneak around and his tracker says he's someone else entirely.
The other part of the story focuses on Caitlin, a psi-marine who disappeared from the Fleet before finishing her training, after hearing that her twin brother has been killed in action on a far away War World.
And then the Spiders and their creepy AI that's taking over everything in the universe!!! Ahhhhhhh!!!
All that stuff is connected. Not necessarily neatly, and towards the end things get a little messy and there's a lot of dumb action movie-type dialogue and a villain who is...ugh, kind of the stereotypical evil-for-the-sake-of-being-evil-type guy.
Even so, I mostly enjoyed this. It's an interesting world, and I really enjoy my time spent there. Although sometimes I feel like it's more the ideas that carry me through than the actual writing. If that makes sense.
But anyway, write book 3 and I'll read it, Adam Christopher!
May 7, 2015
Humanity is at war with a machine intelligence. Their main weapon are the psi-marines who can mentally disrupt the connection between the spiders and their fighting drones. Caitlin’s twin brother was reported dead, but her psionic connection to him is still broken. Then he contacts her telepathically to assassinate the fleet admiral, but someone else shoots the admiral before she can. Special Agent Von Kodiak is pulled off a case against a crime syndicate after the first assassination, and the case gets complicated when the Admiral’s replacement is also murdered. Humanoid robots, things not seen before, seem part of a complicated plot. Adam Christopher takes his exciting plot to the mining machine of Jupiter where someone is building a spider machine they hope to control. If The Machine Awakes (hard from Tor) it could be a disaster for humanity. Very exciting. Review printed by Philadelphia Weekly Press
February 21, 2016
Prologue has two parts, both set in the far future, in space somewhere, with robots. The first part shows that there are super giant space robots with AIs that are acting strangely, and shenanigans are going on with people who find out. The second shows that there are evil alien psychic robots fighting humans. Things aren’t looking good for humans! This book is progressing way too slowly… an entire chapter of a guy slowly hacking a computer? An entire chapter of a lady dithering about whether or not she should meet with some people?
Wait, this was the second in a series? What the hell, author and or publisher? Would it kill you to put a big #2 on the front so we'd know? Not that the book is any better for knowing that...
Wait, this was the second in a series? What the hell, author and or publisher? Would it kill you to put a big #2 on the front so we'd know? Not that the book is any better for knowing that...
June 1, 2015
I really had fun with this and am glad I stuck around with this trilogy. It would seem that Mr. Christopher's natural state is deftly plotted adventure where he can really just lean into classic inspirations. There's nothing wrong with that; in fact, it should be considered laudable. We need a little more fun, frothy adventure these days and our literature should be shouldering its share of the burden. If you like sci-fi and you like adventure and you want to just have a fun, if not too serious, time... The Spider Wars are a good place to look.
More at RB: http://ragingbiblioholism.com/2015/06...
More at RB: http://ragingbiblioholism.com/2015/06...
September 26, 2015
The first half of the novel could not be more different than The Burning Dark, the previous book in the series. Instead of deep-space survival horror, we have a detective story with no supernatural or scary elements. However, as the story progresses, the same feeling of claustrophobic dread will creep in, and the ending is similarly rewarding.
Looking forward for the next book. Unfortunately, it seems this is only a trilogy, and the third book will be the last. It should have been a longer series (there is a lot to explore in this universe).
Looking forward for the next book. Unfortunately, it seems this is only a trilogy, and the third book will be the last. It should have been a longer series (there is a lot to explore in this universe).
May 23, 2015
Solid take on the well trodden path of the futuristic investigation of a crime that turns out to be part of a wider conspiracy with galactic consequences. Though set in the same universe, other than the occasional reference to past events hasn't got a lot to do with it's predecessor. I like that it's more plot focused than I remember the previous instalment which spent a lot of time on internal monologuing. The prose does ramble a little at times but it doesn't feel overly dense. I definitely wouldn't averse to exploring this universe further.
January 10, 2016
This was a sequel to Adam Christopher's "The Burning Dark." The story is a techno-murder mystery involving psychics, alien AI, and an evil, misguided cyborg, all set against the backdrop of humanities war with the alien "spiders." I would have enjoyed a lot more about the war itself and perhaps something about the war from the spider perspective. This was a fairly good story and had its gripping moments but overall not one of the best things I have read. I doubt I will read anymore works by this author.
August 3, 2016
Now this, is more like it! While it still wasn't exactly what I expected from this series (which is lots and lots of Spider combat), it still was a lot better than the horrible attempt of horror that was the first book. And I'm so glad we get a new cast of characters that are actually likable and have personalities, wants and needs and that feel like actual people! There's a lot of action, mystery, still a bit of paranormal-thriller type of feel but at least we're not dealing with vengeful ghosts anymore.
May 6, 2015
I'm not sure how to begin. I read the first one, "The burning dark" and I incorrectly assumed that this is a continuation of the first. However, it is loosely connected to the first. The actions in the first book create a situation for the second. But it still revolves around the spider war.
However, the writing is better than the first. It is better connected and flows more smoothly. There is action and more prominent characters.
However, the writing is better than the first. It is better connected and flows more smoothly. There is action and more prominent characters.
April 10, 2016
A pacy and intriguing first half sets up a good mystery against the backdrop of interstellar war. Unfortunately the second part squanders all this promise in a mess of cliché and terrible plotting, where vital elements are hastily introduced by infodump just a page or two before they need to appear. This was potentially a good SF adventure, but it could have done with another draft and a good editor first.
June 26, 2015
If you read THE BURNING DARK and are expecting more of the same in Book 2, don't. THE MACHINE AWAKES doesn't skimp on the scary, but is more a mystery/detective story/political thriller (in space) than the first book was.
Christopher's writing continues to be excellent, and he has become one of my "always buy" authors.
Christopher's writing continues to be excellent, and he has become one of my "always buy" authors.
July 15, 2015
Entertaining space opera, with cool aliens and lots of explosions. But like a lot of space opera, the characters are flat, the writing is occasionally lax, and the premises don't bear a lot of scrutiny. This is one of those books that, the more you think about it, the worse it gets. Read it for what it is- highly entertaining space opera. And just leave it at that.
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