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The Tropic of Eternity

(The Amaranthine Spectrum #3)

Tom Toner (Goodreads Author)

4.10 · Rating details · 31 ratings · 10 reviews

It is the 147th century. The mighty era of Homo Sapiens is at an end. In the Westerly Provinces of the Old World, the hunt is on for the young queen Arabis, and the vile creature that holds her captive. In the brutal hominid Investiture, revolution has come. The warlord Cunctus, having seized the Vulgar worlds, invites every Prism to pick a side. In the Firmament, once the ...more

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Hardcover, 432 pages

Published August 7th 2018 by Night Shade

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Jul 25, 2018 Olivia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sci-fi

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful book. I finally found a series where I will be re-reading the previously released books every time a new book releases!

Tom Toner may be the Steven Erikson of Science Fiction, because he drops the reader straight into an unfamiliar world without any explanation.

I'm a fast reader and sometimes tempted to skim more than I should, which works with books set on our world where not every third word is strange and unfamiliar. After reading a third of the first novel, abo ...more

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Jul 14, 2018 Kate rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites-read-in-2018, out-in-2018-and-read

The third novel in the extraordinary, beautiful and original Amaranthine Spectrum series is perhaps the most complex and, for this reader, most difficult of the books, but it is nonetheless a bewitching and enchanting read. There are moments, places and characters here that are described with such gorgeousness, as well as not a little horror, that they more than compensate for the other moments which left me wondering what in the heavens was going on! Review to follow shortly on For Winter Night ...more

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Jul 24, 2018 Nicki rated it really liked it

With the aid of Perception, the liberated AI now masterminding their plans to bring down Aaron the Long-Life, Hugo Maneker, Lycaste, and Huerepo are ready for war. They take to the skies with a mercenary army in the hopes of bringing down the scheming ancient before it can transfer from its decaying Caudipteryx body into something far more effective -- Perception’s own remains. The Amaranthine have almost served their purpose for Aaron, and as he turns his gaze to more distant stars, he accelera With the aid of Perception, the liberated AI now masterminding their plans to bring down Aaron the Long-Life, Hugo Maneker, Lycaste, and Huerepo are ready for war. They take to the skies with a mercenary army in the hopes of bringing down the scheming ancient before it can transfer from its decaying Caudipteryx body into something far more effective -- Perception’s own remains. The Amaranthine have almost served their purpose for Aaron, and as he turns his gaze to more distant stars, he accelerates the slow-motion shattering of the Firmament. Ghaldezuel, the Lacaille knight turned traitor from Aaron’s service, allies with Cunctus and his gang of escaped Thrasm inmates to carve out a new future from the Lacaille-Vulgar conflict now the Vulgar can no longer rely on the patronage of the broken Amaranthine. Maril and his surviving crew, finding themselves on the fringes of the galaxy under the care of creatures with opaque intentions, seek a route back to known lands without raising the ire of their hosts or ending up back in the jaws of the Bult. And lost Sotiris continues to wander, in search of his sister, at the edges of remembrance, in a place beyond death…

So far I am a great fan of the Amaranthine Spectrum books, a demanding space opera series with deep, sprawling world-building. This newest entry is no disappointment. It picks up right where The Weight of the World left off and plunges us straight into high-intensity conflict, the sense of urgency compounded by rapidly switching POVs. I really enjoy seeing through the eyes of Perception, whose dry wit and occasional childlike caprice remind me of Banks’s loveable AI characters. We’re having a resurgence right now of stories about AI, from their perspective, perhaps reflective of our increasingly relevant fears over just what we might create in the next decade or two. I think Tom Toner really nails the voice of this kind of character, the extreme intelligence combined with the awkward attempts at understanding some of humanity’s more inscrutable qualities through deductive reasoning.

Although they are very different series in terms of topic and tone, I think fans of George R. R. Martin’s works will appreciate Toner’s similar ability to draw distinctive and compelling personalities out of such a vast cast. To some extent, the middle of The Tropic of Eternity does sideline Lycaste, Maneker, and Huerepo, who for me were the anchors of the first two books, but I found that unlike a lot of series where I end up resenting lengthy changes in POV, I was happy enough to spend a little while in a different part of the galaxy, a galaxy which is vastly different by the end of the book. After the rather breathless opening, the steadier pace of this middle section is not unappreciated either. Nonetheless, Lycaste and his companions are my favourites, and when we return to them, although it isn’t the last book in the series, several aspects of their story are brought full-circle in a rather touching way.

At the beginning of The Promise of the Child, the world of the Firmament and the Investiture seemed dizzyingly large, but The Tropic of Eternity suggests that the series will begin to draw the zoom out further, and that this now-familiar galaxy might be little more than a backwater to lands yet unknown, but tantalisingly glimpsed. These lands will take us to Aaron’s long game, it seems, and I’m excited by the setup for the next entry in this story.

If there’s one aspect of the book that didn’t land quite as solidly for me as the rest, it’s the story of Arabis’s kidnap and Jatropha, Eranthis and Pentas’s pursuit. I’m really interested in these characters as people, especially Jatropha with his intriguing background, so I was looking for a little more meat on the bone here, but it feels like there was a lot of buildup to something that was resolved in a rather pat way. I expect it was necessary to keep their thread in sync with the rest, but I would have preferred to see them work a little harder to reach the end result even if it had padded out an already meaty book.

If you enjoyed the first two, you’re in for a worthy successor here, and an angsty wait for the next volume. If you have yet to try this series, I strongly encourage you to check it out if you have the patience for sprawling stories with the dramatis personae to match, à la Erikson, Martin, and Hamilton, with the caveat that it will throw you in at the deep end, but richly reward your patience.

Review from Bookette.net ...more

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Jul 27, 2018 Elaine Aldred rated it it was amazing

Far into the future humankind has fractured into different species, each with its place in the hierarchy of the extended social structure; the Amaranthine, the descendants of humanity who have unlocked some of the secrets of immortality, right down to the Prism species at the bottom of this vast social order. Each faction now vies for supremacy. Things are going to get very messy, unless a balance can be found.

Imagine the Jabberwocky running amok within a steampunk world, and one with the most s Far into the future humankind has fractured into different species, each with its place in the hierarchy of the extended social structure; the Amaranthine, the descendants of humanity who have unlocked some of the secrets of immortality, right down to the Prism species at the bottom of this vast social order. Each faction now vies for supremacy. Things are going to get very messy, unless a balance can be found.

Imagine the Jabberwocky running amok within a steampunk world, and one with the most sophisticated of ethereal capabilities, catching and dragging all it passes in its wild thrashings, then hurling itself into Gormenghast where it begins ferociously terraforming. In this way you might begin to get a grasp on all that is the Amaranthine series.

The story barrels along with the most vigour I have ever seen in a thickly plotted book, yet somehow manages to fit in the most incredible worldbuilding along the way with fully-formed characters you simply have to follow on their journey.

But a word of warning. This is not a lazy read. You need to pay attention if you are going to feast on this all-you-can-eat gourmet buffet of science fiction and fantasy. The Tropic of Eternity is highly episodic, with so many worthy characters that the sheer volume and seemingly erratic way one chapter follows another it requires a reader with a serious amount of concentration, accompanied by an alphabetically organised notebook to keep track of everything. I was about half the way in before I really got to grips with the whole story arc. But I was having such a glorious time with the lyrical writing and description I really didn’t care how disjointed or bizarre the world became, because I just wanted to wallow in everything on offer.

The mish-mash of low tech (almost medieval in some places) welded to high tech weaponry and space craft, which at times appear to have the type of jointing you feel the need to get out your adjustable wrench to tighten because you can feel the structure creak with exertion, is just wild.

When I had finished I couldn’t believe the series only came on my radar at this stage and am now working my way through the other two (albeit slowly), before I go back into The Tropic of Eternity again, because it just has so much to give. Along with its fellows, The Tropic of Eternity will be a book I return to repeatedly over the years. Definity a classic, because worldbuilding on this scale and with such panache is rarely achieved.

The Tropic of Eternity was courtesy of Orion Publishing via NetGalley. ...more

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Jul 27, 2018 Vicky rated it really liked it

The final installment in The Amaranthine Spectrum series, this book is just as wild, as wacky and generally as weird as its two predecessors. I must also say before we start: it’s probably a good idea to go back and read the first two before you dip into these. This is not a series for the faint-hearted; it’s a series to savour and enjoy, and it’s all to easy to get lost in its labyrinthine passages.

Tom Toner’s incredible imagination takes us back to the world of the Amaranthine and a galaxy bur The final installment in The Amaranthine Spectrum series, this book is just as wild, as wacky and generally as weird as its two predecessors. I must also say before we start: it’s probably a good idea to go back and read the first two before you dip into these. This is not a series for the faint-hearted; it’s a series to savour and enjoy, and it’s all to easy to get lost in its labyrinthine passages.

Tom Toner’s incredible imagination takes us back to the world of the Amaranthine and a galaxy bursting at the seams with life. In the 147th century, humankind have evolved into a dizzying array of different shapes, from the immortal Amaranthine to the Melius, giants who live in the remnants of the Old World. And there’s a fight taking place for supremacy, knowledge and the future of the Empire.

We’re plunged back into the journey of Perception, the machine spirit, with his allies Maneker and Lycaste as they cross the void. They’re in pursuit of the Long-Life, Aaron, as he attempts to wreak his revenge on the world that he believes has wronged him. And things are changing: the Empire is coming to an end, and the warlord Cunctus is becoming ever more of a threat. And, alongside that, a galaxy-wide manhunt is underway for the missing queen Arabis.

The amazing thing about the Tropic of Eternity is its sheer ambition. This is a massive, sprawling epic that crosses timelines, galaxies and viewpoints as easily as crossing the road. Toner’s lyrical prose is massively engaging, sprinkled through as it is with the odd flash of humour, and really creates a universe that feels real (if very, very strange). It’s an almost Terry Pratchett-esque approach to worldbuilding, where you wonder how some things were even thought of, let alone put to paper. It’s engaging, it’s pretty bloody brilliant, and it’s the kind of worldbuilding that will leave you wanting to dive into the world and explore for yourself.

With the return to many familiar places, and the chance to follow a whole host of beloved characters- as well as meet some new ones- there’s a lot to love here, despite the winding and complex nature of the stories that are being told. For people who have loved Toner’s work so far: you won’t be disappointed! Vast, exotic and mind-boggling, this is definitely a book to dive into.

So that was my review, but what did everybody else think? Find out in the rest of the blog tour below! ...more

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Nov 08, 2018 Björn rated it it was amazing

Once upon a time it was the 'sense of wonder' that kindled my love for SciFi and bound me to the genre. The Amaranthine Spectrum-Trilogy by Tom Toner brings back those early sense-of-wonder-y goosebumps. It's a complex, highly ambitious, very differently and originally structured and first and foremost deeply romantic tale of the far future.

I just can't summarize this last book of the trilogy. Summarization is futile. Very far in the future, and very deep in the past, the world(s) is (are) very Once upon a time it was the 'sense of wonder' that kindled my love for SciFi and bound me to the genre. The Amaranthine Spectrum-Trilogy by Tom Toner brings back those early sense-of-wonder-y goosebumps. It's a complex, highly ambitious, very differently and originally structured and first and foremost deeply romantic tale of the far future.

I just can't summarize this last book of the trilogy. Summarization is futile. Very far in the future, and very deep in the past, the world(s) is (are) very, very different to what we perceive nowadays. Humanity has evolved beyond understanding and there are many, many different beings in this full-to-the-brim fictional universe. The Amaranthine Spectrum handles no small themes: (Immortal) Life and Death, Love and Betrayal, Mammalian and Machine Life, the beginning and the end of it all. This final book concludes these struggles of humanity and everything.

The Tropic of Eternity is quite possibly the bravest of the trilogy's three books (and that says a lot after The weight of the world). The story metaphorically and literally transcends the barrier between SciFi and the fantastic realm.
There is so much happening in this impressively realized world that I couldn't pick a favourite character or place easily. Ghaldezuel's rescue of the infamous criminals (living and otherwise) might be one of it. Ghaldezuel and Jathime. Why do I suddenly like cannibals? I can't tell. And what about Cunctus and Scallywag? It's total madness! It's slightly disturbing. I loved it. Or maybe the eon old AI spirit Perception getting an ex-Immortal Body (I sorely missed more of Perception in this book. There was too much Sotiris and too little Perception)?! This list would be almost without end. As I said: there is a lot happening in these books.

I already compared this trilogy with other great works. The Tropic of Eternity grants interesting parallels to Philipp Pullman's famous His Dark Materials-Trilogy. You can simply compare the sheer richness of these fictional universes, and the final books of both trilogies share some world transcending ideas. (That's one of those oooooh Moments I talked about)

Quite some time ago I read an advertorial about a new book coming out, a new masterpiece not to be missed. I read the ad, I looked at the cover and I was hooked. I am happy that I did not miss this book, The promise of the Child, or the trilogy.

So what's next?! I'll be there for sure. (Hint: I hope it'll be something radically different). ...more

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Jan 31, 2019 Pedro L. Fragoso rated it really liked it

“Honeysuckle and warm evenings, the perfume of jasmine on the breeze.” And Tom Toner is still unrelenting, and no-holds-barred uncompromising, on the multigalactic scope of this million years epic-to-end-all-epics saga and on its continuing demands of the readers.

“When I was younger, Jatropha had said as they made their way down, we all thought the world was going to end, sooner or later. But it never did; the new just piled on top of the old, as it always had, and the world carried on.” Exactly “Honeysuckle and warm evenings, the perfume of jasmine on the breeze.” And Tom Toner is still unrelenting, and no-holds-barred uncompromising, on the multigalactic scope of this million years epic-to-end-all-epics saga and on its continuing demands of the readers.

“When I was younger, Jatropha had said as they made their way down, we all thought the world was going to end, sooner or later. But it never did; the new just piled on top of the old, as it always had, and the world carried on.” Exactly how this trilogy unfolds, with all its complexities, scope and rewards.

Improving on Rutger Hauer: “He saw the Colossus battleship Yustafan and its sister the Gorgonn as they moved in stately orbit over Drolgins, searching in vain for any trace of the Lacaille flagship the Grand-Tile, missing now for some months and strongly rumoured to be in Cunctus’s hands. He saw fizzbombs exploding over Shantylands, whipshells cutting through battalions, public executions (by searching for the gathered crowds) and individual acts of extraordinary heroism. He watched a Vulgar mercenary clear a fortification single-handedly before catching a bolt in the eye, spooling back a little more each time to watch the mercenary’s charge, slowing the light to follow the course of the bullet. When he was Satrap of the galaxy, he would go and collect that bolt, lodged in a wall, and wear it on a chain around his neck.”

Doing a GRRM: “May I present Arabis the First, Queen of the Fifteen Provinces, Empress of Sligos and Mansour, Custodian of the Isles of Storn and Ion, Protector of the West and Friend to the East,” Jotroffe said grandly, clearly delighted by all her titles, as if he’d made them up himself.

And, why not, let’s imagine a warm and rural Mediterranean family of human descendants (and more!) under the sun, near the sea, thousands of years into the future, and let’s make them awkwardly British: “Pentas wanted to reach out, to hold him in some way, but could see that their closeness was too fragile to ruin with a touch.”

Never mind. This is (again) an extraordinary tour-de-force, and the trilogy is a miracle of genre literature at its very best. ...more

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Sep 25, 2018 Adamk959 rated it it was amazing

I saw someone refer to Tom Toner as being the Steven Erikson of science fiction, and I think that is fair when referring to the scope and ambition of these books, but I think the spirit of the books, their strangeness and creativity owes something to Iain M Banks as well, who I’m sure would have loved this series as much as I do.

The tension is ratcheted up in this volume and builds and builds to an epic climax, and while the first book was challenging and surreal, the setting and characters hav ...more

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Aug 25, 2018 Paul Trembling rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fiction, sci-fi

Tropic of Eternity (Volume Three of this trilogy) has a very useful little summary of past events included at the front. This would have been good to have had at the beginning of volume 2, but was probably essential at this stage. With so many characters, so many places and so many interwoven plotlines I found it impressive that the author managed to keep track of them all, let alone the readers!

And, even though this is the third and final book, Toner doesn't stop introducing new characters, sce ...more

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Aug 28, 2018 Alexander rated it it was amazing

(Advance copy supplied by Netgalley) Bloody hell, this was brilliant! Tom Toner is absolutely the natural heir to Iain M Banks. Stop wasting your time reading my review, go and read the books!

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About Tom Toner

Tom Toner

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Tom Toner was born in Somerset, England, in 1986. After graduating with a degree in Fine Art from Loughborough University and the FHSH in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany, he spent some time in Australia teaching life drawing. Upon returning to England he completed his debut novel, The Promise of the Child. He lives in London.