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Engines of Light #3
Engine City
"Il dio residente sull'asteroide 10.049 Lora, dove venne installata la stazione mineraria ase Maresciallo Titov, non era unico nel suo genere." La prima frase del prologo manda un chiaro segnale a chiunque sia incline a salire a bordo. Sarà una corsa frenetica, attraverso slalom di audace complessità, irriverente ingenuità e paradosso tanto deciso quanto giocoso. Engine City è il capitolo finale della saga dei Cosmonauti, dopo La fortezza dei cosmonauti (Cosmonaut Keep, "Urania Collezione" n. 189) e Luce nera (Dark Light, n. 191).
Copertina di Franco Brambilla
Copertina di Franco Brambilla
293 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2002
18 people are currently reading
506 people want to read
About the author
Ken MacLeod
114 books755 followersKen MacLeod is an award-winning Scottish science fiction writer.
His novels have won the Prometheus Award and the BSFA award, and been nominated for the Hugo and Nebula Awards. He lives near Edinburgh, Scotland.
MacLeod graduated from Glasgow University with a degree in zoology and has worked as a computer programmer and written a masters thesis on biomechanics.
His novels often explore socialist, communist and anarchist political ideas, most particularly the variants of Trotskyism and anarcho-capitalism or extreme economic libertarianism.
Technical themes encompass singularities, divergent human cultural evolution and post-human cyborg-resurrection.
His novels have won the Prometheus Award and the BSFA award, and been nominated for the Hugo and Nebula Awards. He lives near Edinburgh, Scotland.
MacLeod graduated from Glasgow University with a degree in zoology and has worked as a computer programmer and written a masters thesis on biomechanics.
His novels often explore socialist, communist and anarchist political ideas, most particularly the variants of Trotskyism and anarcho-capitalism or extreme economic libertarianism.
Technical themes encompass singularities, divergent human cultural evolution and post-human cyborg-resurrection.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
May 3, 2023
From my old booklog: A/A+ on 2010 reread, much better than I had (then) recalled.
Currently re-reading 5/1/23. The Introduction is superb: the very model of a hard-SF multi-civ & species universe! The Gods as the ultimate Exremophiles. They inhabit the comets and asteroids, are smart and tough, and it is very, very unwise to mess with them. As Earth's dinosaurs found to their great regret some 66 m.y. ago! Nor was that a one-off event . . .
@p. 144, I've marked a BUNCH of stuff for quotes. I'll go look in a minute to see what GR folks have already added. Re-inventing the wheel, right? But see third note, below. More GR Weirdness?
Anyway, I'm having a great time, and recalling surprisingly little of the book. Well, it has been 13+ years . . .
Well. The ending of the book is seriously *problematic.* One could argue that execution for Theicide is part of the Basic Law of Nova Babylonia, but things have changed, eh? OK, Still a good book, but could have been great. For sure EC did not live up to the 5-star promise of the wonderful Prologue!
Oh, well. Still earns 3.5+ stars and a courtesy round-up. But why end it so stupidly? Bah.
Currently re-reading 5/1/23. The Introduction is superb: the very model of a hard-SF multi-civ & species universe! The Gods as the ultimate Exremophiles. They inhabit the comets and asteroids, are smart and tough, and it is very, very unwise to mess with them. As Earth's dinosaurs found to their great regret some 66 m.y. ago! Nor was that a one-off event . . .
@p. 144, I've marked a BUNCH of stuff for quotes. I'll go look in a minute to see what GR folks have already added. Re-inventing the wheel, right? But see third note, below. More GR Weirdness?
Anyway, I'm having a great time, and recalling surprisingly little of the book. Well, it has been 13+ years . . .
Well. The ending of the book is seriously *problematic.* One could argue that execution for Theicide is part of the Basic Law of Nova Babylonia, but things have changed, eh? OK, Still a good book, but could have been great. For sure EC did not live up to the 5-star promise of the wonderful Prologue!
Oh, well. Still earns 3.5+ stars and a courtesy round-up. But why end it so stupidly? Bah.
January 25, 2018
Storyline: 3/5
Characters: 3/5
Writing Style: 3/5
World: 3/5
The Prologue was perhaps the best selection I've seen from MacLeod - having now read both the four-part Fall Revolution series and the Engines of Light trilogy. Unfortunately that is but a small fraction of the overall page count. I am tempted, however, to recommend that curious-but-undecided readers start (and end) with this final, Engine City, volume. It is by far the best book of the three: the ideas are more clear, the socio-political messages are better integrated, and the plot is far more interesting. I don't think, however, that a reader starting with number three will be satisfied with the characters - there's just too much backstory in the first two volumes.
There are some really good ideas. MacLeod has a knack for picking up lesser known science fiction predictions and staples and slipping them into his stories. The problem I find with him generally - and here specifically - is that they're usually embellishments. He manages to avoid info dumps and instead pretty smoothly contextualizes them in his future, but they don't feel significant. There's no weight to them. The exception to that criticism is the use of relativistic space travel. This was the best I've seen it incorporated into a plot since I read Haldeman's Forever War. Just about everything else, however, makes an appearance on page without making significance for the story. This was true for his attempts at economic, cultural, social, and political criticisms as well. They weren't shoved to the forefront in this volume - a good thing - but I felt that this ended with MacLeod thinking he was making substantive points and arguments and me thinking that it all fizzled into something undeveloped and unremarkable.
Characters: 3/5
Writing Style: 3/5
World: 3/5
The Prologue was perhaps the best selection I've seen from MacLeod - having now read both the four-part Fall Revolution series and the Engines of Light trilogy. Unfortunately that is but a small fraction of the overall page count. I am tempted, however, to recommend that curious-but-undecided readers start (and end) with this final, Engine City, volume. It is by far the best book of the three: the ideas are more clear, the socio-political messages are better integrated, and the plot is far more interesting. I don't think, however, that a reader starting with number three will be satisfied with the characters - there's just too much backstory in the first two volumes.
There are some really good ideas. MacLeod has a knack for picking up lesser known science fiction predictions and staples and slipping them into his stories. The problem I find with him generally - and here specifically - is that they're usually embellishments. He manages to avoid info dumps and instead pretty smoothly contextualizes them in his future, but they don't feel significant. There's no weight to them. The exception to that criticism is the use of relativistic space travel. This was the best I've seen it incorporated into a plot since I read Haldeman's Forever War. Just about everything else, however, makes an appearance on page without making significance for the story. This was true for his attempts at economic, cultural, social, and political criticisms as well. They weren't shoved to the forefront in this volume - a good thing - but I felt that this ended with MacLeod thinking he was making substantive points and arguments and me thinking that it all fizzled into something undeveloped and unremarkable.
August 2, 2014
Apart from the ending, I found Engine City to be the best of the three books in the Engines of Light trilogy; the ending, though, was just dreadful; a nonsensical let down. In fact it seems to suggest a fourth book but, since we’re now twelve years on from Engine City, that would seem unlikely.
The bulk of the book was very good indeed. It moved along at a page turning pace with an interesting story that offered some intriguing ideas (his Multipliers were really rather fun if somewhat unlikely). One of my favourite ideas throughout these books has been his approach to interstellar travel. He doesn’t quite break the laws of physics but still manages a true space opera without a faster than light drive. Instead they have a light speed engine; not faster than light but just light speed. A quick check up on the theories of relativity reveals that, with such a drive, if you were making a one hundred light year journey that journey will appear to the crew to be instantaneous whilst to the outside world it will appear to take one hundred years. So these books have traders who will make what appears to them to be a short journey only to return to their origin where, depending on the length of that journey, possibly hundreds of years have passed. I liked this element of realism that is so often dodged in space operas and which MacLeod addresses by having complete extended family communities crewing these ships.
Another aspect I liked was that, for this book, MacLeod has reined in his politics a bit; not completely (I’m not sure MacLeod is capable of writing a completely non-political book!) but it’s not in the reader’s face nearly as much as the second volume in the trilogy – Dark Light. This made for an altogether more relaxed and enjoyable read.
But then he had to give us such a terrible ending. Without going into spoilers, it was just a rushed, untidy and unsatisfactory disappointment, and it didn’t need to be; there are many other possible good endings he could have used. Then he compounded that with an epilogue (okay so he called it a ‘coda’ but it was an epilogue) which served only to open up a complete new can of worms and then left that can hanging and unresolved, suggesting a fourth book which has never been written.
With a better ending this would have been 4 stars, as it is I can’t give it more than three (possibly 3.5) and that is a shame; I really wanted to give it more.
The bulk of the book was very good indeed. It moved along at a page turning pace with an interesting story that offered some intriguing ideas (his Multipliers were really rather fun if somewhat unlikely). One of my favourite ideas throughout these books has been his approach to interstellar travel. He doesn’t quite break the laws of physics but still manages a true space opera without a faster than light drive. Instead they have a light speed engine; not faster than light but just light speed. A quick check up on the theories of relativity reveals that, with such a drive, if you were making a one hundred light year journey that journey will appear to the crew to be instantaneous whilst to the outside world it will appear to take one hundred years. So these books have traders who will make what appears to them to be a short journey only to return to their origin where, depending on the length of that journey, possibly hundreds of years have passed. I liked this element of realism that is so often dodged in space operas and which MacLeod addresses by having complete extended family communities crewing these ships.
Another aspect I liked was that, for this book, MacLeod has reined in his politics a bit; not completely (I’m not sure MacLeod is capable of writing a completely non-political book!) but it’s not in the reader’s face nearly as much as the second volume in the trilogy – Dark Light. This made for an altogether more relaxed and enjoyable read.
But then he had to give us such a terrible ending. Without going into spoilers, it was just a rushed, untidy and unsatisfactory disappointment, and it didn’t need to be; there are many other possible good endings he could have used. Then he compounded that with an epilogue (okay so he called it a ‘coda’ but it was an epilogue) which served only to open up a complete new can of worms and then left that can hanging and unresolved, suggesting a fourth book which has never been written.
With a better ending this would have been 4 stars, as it is I can’t give it more than three (possibly 3.5) and that is a shame; I really wanted to give it more.
December 29, 2016
This is the third book in the Engines of Light trilogy by Ken Macleod. I really enjoyed this book and this trilogy although the first book was slow to gain my interest I kept reading and about half way through I started to enjoy it and then the next two books. As for this book except for the ending, I found Engine City to be the best of the three books in the Engines of Light trilogy. I really didn't like the ending but I have to say I did see it coming because the characters were just too invested it their beliefs for it to end any other way. This book is very complex and is about the interactions, political and otherwise, of several species of intelligent Earth species, including humans, and at least two alien species, one of which is considered to be a race of gods by all the other species. I recommend this series to fans of Space Opera and fans of Ken Macleod.
November 21, 2022
Engine City est le troisième et donc dernier tome de la trilogie de science-fiction Engines of Light de l’écrivain écossais Ken MacLeod. J’avais beaucoup aimé les premiers tomes Cosmonaut Keep et Dark Light qui étaient assez différents l’un de l’autre mais passionnants chacun dans leur style. J’ai donc abordé ce dernier tome avec une certaine impatience, mêlée à une petite appréhension car j’avais lu quelques critiques qui énonçaient une déception relative concernant la fin du récit.
Pour ma part, pour ôter dès maintenant tout suspense, je n’ai pas été déçu. J’ai même beaucoup aimé ce dernier tome et son final, qui peut surprendre mais qui à mon sens répond tout à fait aux promesses et aux amorces des deux premiers romans.
Le récit reprend dans la continuité de la conclusion du tome précédent, et nous retrouvons nos personnages préférés qui, chacun à leur façon, se préparent à l’arrivée d’une nouvelle race alien dans la Seconde Sphère et à la probable guerre d’invasion qui s’ensuivra. La narration est rythmée, alterne des scènes d’action bien menées et des réflexions captivantes. C’est un roman qui sait nous faire réfléchir sans en donner l’impression, c’est toujours agréable ainsi.
Ce que j’admire dans le travail réalisé par Ken MacLeod avec cette trilogie, c’est de nous avoir offert trois livres à la fois très différents et tournant autour du même thème : le voyage à la vitesse de la lumière et ses conséquences, que ce soit pour les voyageurs eux-mêmes et pour les planètes qu’ils visitent. Nous avons vu à la fois des humains évoluer et vieillir, des civilisations grandir, se rencontrer, et décliner. Je crois qu’il ne faut pas sous-estimer le tour de force réalisé par l’auteur.
J’ai pris beaucoup de plaisir à lire ce dernier tome et cette trilogie en général. Ce fut un voyage terriblement enrichissant, parfois déroutant mais absolument passionnant du début à la fin. C’est assurément une très grande oeuvre de science-fiction, dans laquelle Ken MacLeod a su parfaitement exploiter un thème, en en présentant plusieurs facettes, sans oublier de le mettre en scène dans un récit captivant. Je crois que j’aurai plaisir à relire cette trilogie dans quelques années !
En attendant, je vais faire un court détour vers d’autres livres et d’autres genres, avant de revenir d’ici peu avec un gros morceau de la science-fiction : le cycle de la Culture, de Iain M. Banks.
Pour ma part, pour ôter dès maintenant tout suspense, je n’ai pas été déçu. J’ai même beaucoup aimé ce dernier tome et son final, qui peut surprendre mais qui à mon sens répond tout à fait aux promesses et aux amorces des deux premiers romans.
Le récit reprend dans la continuité de la conclusion du tome précédent, et nous retrouvons nos personnages préférés qui, chacun à leur façon, se préparent à l’arrivée d’une nouvelle race alien dans la Seconde Sphère et à la probable guerre d’invasion qui s’ensuivra. La narration est rythmée, alterne des scènes d’action bien menées et des réflexions captivantes. C’est un roman qui sait nous faire réfléchir sans en donner l’impression, c’est toujours agréable ainsi.
Ce que j’admire dans le travail réalisé par Ken MacLeod avec cette trilogie, c’est de nous avoir offert trois livres à la fois très différents et tournant autour du même thème : le voyage à la vitesse de la lumière et ses conséquences, que ce soit pour les voyageurs eux-mêmes et pour les planètes qu’ils visitent. Nous avons vu à la fois des humains évoluer et vieillir, des civilisations grandir, se rencontrer, et décliner. Je crois qu’il ne faut pas sous-estimer le tour de force réalisé par l’auteur.
J’ai pris beaucoup de plaisir à lire ce dernier tome et cette trilogie en général. Ce fut un voyage terriblement enrichissant, parfois déroutant mais absolument passionnant du début à la fin. C’est assurément une très grande oeuvre de science-fiction, dans laquelle Ken MacLeod a su parfaitement exploiter un thème, en en présentant plusieurs facettes, sans oublier de le mettre en scène dans un récit captivant. Je crois que j’aurai plaisir à relire cette trilogie dans quelques années !
En attendant, je vais faire un court détour vers d’autres livres et d’autres genres, avant de revenir d’ici peu avec un gros morceau de la science-fiction : le cycle de la Culture, de Iain M. Banks.
August 18, 2015
I was pleased by the change in pace and scope from the previous two books in the trilogy - it finally hit a pace that kept me entertained.
It's a fun trilogy with lots of politics, the drama of light speed travel, trade, history and alien invasion. Very cool aliens and MIB ideas wrapped up in it too.
It possibly ends a bit abruptly, but I'm not sure where else the story could have gone instead. Between them they're short enough to make a single fattish volume and that might be a better way to read the series.
It's a fun trilogy with lots of politics, the drama of light speed travel, trade, history and alien invasion. Very cool aliens and MIB ideas wrapped up in it too.
It possibly ends a bit abruptly, but I'm not sure where else the story could have gone instead. Between them they're short enough to make a single fattish volume and that might be a better way to read the series.
June 4, 2008
I cried hard at the end of Engine City, when three characters who all at some point or another opposed each other stand together for one final thing (I won't go into what in case you want to read the books and don't want a major spoiler). The books also touch on other things I really love: the idea of immortality, the idea of space travel being like time travel, the shaping of societies, change within societies, gods being no more or less than aliens...
February 9, 2010
MacLeod seems to be skipping a lot to bring this to a close in the third book. Major parts of the action take place offstage, and the sense of caricature is even stronger than in Dark Light. The conclusion seemed to lack finesse. Satisfying in that the plot wraps up, but not otherwise.
December 2, 2014
What the hell just happened? This book is about half the length of the previous two installments, and reads as if major sections of plot were totally excised from the final product. Hugely important stuff happens entirely off-stage:
It's totally baffling. This short book is simply character reactions to these sketchily referred-to events, and the final ... climax, I guess, is completely underwhelming. The main characters get arrested. To absolutely no purpose. Meanwhile, we never get any further progress or closure on the whole war of the gods thing. And there are no kraken in this book.
Ranty review from an airport after 24 hours of travel, but I still think it's accurate.
It's totally baffling. This short book is simply character reactions to these sketchily referred-to events, and the final ... climax, I guess, is completely underwhelming. The main characters get arrested. To absolutely no purpose. Meanwhile, we never get any further progress or closure on the whole war of the gods thing. And there are no kraken in this book.
Ranty review from an airport after 24 hours of travel, but I still think it's accurate.
May 6, 2013
The Engines of Light is comprised of 3 books.
I must admit that it didn't sound too much fun at the beginning and it's a little confusing when you start reading the first book, but it quickly becomes interesting. In every book there's a clash between different social ideas, individualistic vs colectivistic societies.
The story is well told and and the plot isn't easy to predict. I liked the way it simulates societies that have lived centuries with a particular thought on life and the way they develop.
In short: It's a nice sci-fi book with aliens, spaceships and war, but told in a non exhausting way.
I must admit that it didn't sound too much fun at the beginning and it's a little confusing when you start reading the first book, but it quickly becomes interesting. In every book there's a clash between different social ideas, individualistic vs colectivistic societies.
The story is well told and and the plot isn't easy to predict. I liked the way it simulates societies that have lived centuries with a particular thought on life and the way they develop.
In short: It's a nice sci-fi book with aliens, spaceships and war, but told in a non exhausting way.
January 21, 2015
Didn't like it. Didn't finish it. Wasn't impressed with the writing -- the descriptions, the plots, etc. Seemed forced. Maybe if I had read the first two books in the trilogy first, that might have changed, but books in series need to be able to stand on their own and I don't think this one does. Not recommended.
April 26, 2014
This in some respects turns in on itself, somewhat despairing of the bulk of humanity and seeing the others as struggling futily. I think the question is whether there would have been the connection in the epilogue had MacLeod continued in the setting.
January 11, 2008
Lovely , well developed ,vision of galactic conquest by economic means .Fun story , thoughtfully written !
August 1, 2012
Excellent conclusion to the trilogy!
November 7, 2013
Great conclusion to the series.
December 19, 2018
An underwhelming finish to an underwhelming trilogy. Somewhat of an improvement in terms of general interest over the second book in the trilogy, with somewhat more of a concentration on the bigger sf elements of the overall story, but the book, and the series, plods along to its disinteresting ending, leaving me wondering why I thought it would be a good idea to read the trilogy in the first place.
I actually held out some hope that the series would be wrapped up with some big reveals, and the tantalizing title 'Engine City' promised something along those lines (at least to my mind), but I'm struggling to fit the title to the book, to be honest.
With a couple of days to reflect (as much as memory serves) on the overall trilogy, it felt like the narrative changed focus on different characters that worked well for, say the Mars Trilogy (Robinson) with its grand scope, but failed to hold for the Engines of Light trilogy. The two central characters that held this third installment together were not introduced until well into the story, and characters that were introduced early on were largely written out. All fine and well in a story where the idea and the scope stand up, but the 'revolution' of the third book was more of the same from the revolution in the second book and didn't seem to deliver a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.
The 'moral of the story', if such a thing is to be taken from this trilogy, seems to be 'don't politically meddle in people's lives', which, while admirable, seems to be something of a story perhaps better suited to a more contemporary or recent historical story than a sci-fi story with potentially epic storytelling elements and scope that read instead like a communist manifesto that collided head on with a rejected Arthur C Clarke idea scrap.
As stated in previous reviews of earlier books in this series, I have read two stand alone Ken MacLeod sci fi books that I recall enjoying at the time, without being particularly blown away, so I was somewhat keen to read this trilogy on the strength of that. Alas. I have the Fall Revolution books sitting on my shelves waiting to be read, but on the strength of this trilogy, I will likely let their priority slip drastically unless I hear compelling evidence otherwise.
I actually held out some hope that the series would be wrapped up with some big reveals, and the tantalizing title 'Engine City' promised something along those lines (at least to my mind), but I'm struggling to fit the title to the book, to be honest.
With a couple of days to reflect (as much as memory serves) on the overall trilogy, it felt like the narrative changed focus on different characters that worked well for, say the Mars Trilogy (Robinson) with its grand scope, but failed to hold for the Engines of Light trilogy. The two central characters that held this third installment together were not introduced until well into the story, and characters that were introduced early on were largely written out. All fine and well in a story where the idea and the scope stand up, but the 'revolution' of the third book was more of the same from the revolution in the second book and didn't seem to deliver a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.
The 'moral of the story', if such a thing is to be taken from this trilogy, seems to be 'don't politically meddle in people's lives', which, while admirable, seems to be something of a story perhaps better suited to a more contemporary or recent historical story than a sci-fi story with potentially epic storytelling elements and scope that read instead like a communist manifesto that collided head on with a rejected Arthur C Clarke idea scrap.
As stated in previous reviews of earlier books in this series, I have read two stand alone Ken MacLeod sci fi books that I recall enjoying at the time, without being particularly blown away, so I was somewhat keen to read this trilogy on the strength of that. Alas. I have the Fall Revolution books sitting on my shelves waiting to be read, but on the strength of this trilogy, I will likely let their priority slip drastically unless I hear compelling evidence otherwise.
December 8, 2024
12 May 2007 - **. This is the conclusion of a trilogy, that begins with Cosmonaut Keep and Dark Light. Unfortunately, it has been 4 or 5 years since I read those earlier books, and I'd forgotten too many details. There is a nice introduction that recaps the universe in which these stories take place, but nothing regarding the characters.
It is a complex universe Macleod has created here, with a "Second Sphere" of stellar space occupied by the diverse species kidnapped from Earth, and in some cases further evolved afterwards. In this sphere, under their own power for the first time, have come a few individuals from an Earth nearly contemporary with our own. The events of this story then relate to the rise of a bootstrap human culture, combined with an alien species known as the multipliers, that spreads through the Second Sphere in a merely lightspeed wavefront. A fascinating universe. Unfortunately, however, the characters are not much more than placeholders, and indistinguishable from one other.
I hope some day to be able to read the three books in immediate succession, and then be able to see some continuity in the characters' lives. As it is, however, while this is a conclusion to the series, it seems to be the weakest in my interest.
It is a complex universe Macleod has created here, with a "Second Sphere" of stellar space occupied by the diverse species kidnapped from Earth, and in some cases further evolved afterwards. In this sphere, under their own power for the first time, have come a few individuals from an Earth nearly contemporary with our own. The events of this story then relate to the rise of a bootstrap human culture, combined with an alien species known as the multipliers, that spreads through the Second Sphere in a merely lightspeed wavefront. A fascinating universe. Unfortunately, however, the characters are not much more than placeholders, and indistinguishable from one other.
I hope some day to be able to read the three books in immediate succession, and then be able to see some continuity in the characters' lives. As it is, however, while this is a conclusion to the series, it seems to be the weakest in my interest.
September 18, 2023
I started reading Cosmonaut Keep on paperback, way back when I was a teen. The other books weren't out yet, so I kind of forgot about it until I came across the book again just recently in my storage boxes. I'm glad I finally finished the trilogy. This review is about the trilogy overall, not just this book.
Overall, it's a pretty nice read, but not really riveting. I picked it up when I had spare time, but had no problems putting it down. Aside from a few things that made me intensely curious, especially with the way the book teases them, the book tends to meander, on things that don't really matter in the end. A lot of the "mysteries" that I looked forward to fell flat when they finally get described in detail.
Overall, it's a pretty nice read, but not really riveting. I picked it up when I had spare time, but had no problems putting it down. Aside from a few things that made me intensely curious, especially with the way the book teases them, the book tends to meander, on things that don't really matter in the end. A lot of the "mysteries" that I looked forward to fell flat when they finally get described in detail.
April 28, 2022
The writing is so easy to read, rich and enjoyable, the pulpy hard sf setting so diverse and fun; they carried me through the persistent frustrations of shifting character motivations and un resolving plot lines. A tree that flowers and flowers and flowers but never quite produces the promised fruit.
April 18, 2023
An exceptional novel
This is, for me, the culmination of a marathon Ken MacLeod reading session, every book except the light speed trilogy. His sense of history is astounding, especially socialist history. I would recommend these books to all students of politics and to politicians themselves.
This is, for me, the culmination of a marathon Ken MacLeod reading session, every book except the light speed trilogy. His sense of history is astounding, especially socialist history. I would recommend these books to all students of politics and to politicians themselves.
November 19, 2017
Very enjoyable. I loved the Multipliers, they were such intriguing and weird aliens.
October 9, 2019
Still not over thrilled by this series.
October 4, 2023
Enjoyed the trilogy overall.
Lots of great characters, believable tech and superb world building.
Well paced even if a lot of stuff was beyond my comprehension.
Lots of great characters, believable tech and superb world building.
Well paced even if a lot of stuff was beyond my comprehension.
February 24, 2025
This one really disappointed me. The build-up in Dark Light seems wasted in this conclusion which left me wanting. I didn't think there was sufficient payoff and did not connect with the characters. He did a better job winding up The Fall Revolution with The Cassini Division than with this one.
November 3, 2016
I wanted to like this series more than I did. I just could not bring myself to care about the competing communist/socialist/anarchist/democratic etc ideologies (really, Volkov, *must* you cause a revolution in every society you encounter, even happy, functional ones?), and the author's tendency to hint at an explanation for something, end the scene, and never bring it up again was pretty irritating.
Overall I liked this one better than the first two, but the end was out of left field--it's explained why killing a god is a crime, i guess, but why did they even do that, did they accomplish anything by it? And why *this* one, besides convenience? I mean, the one they encounter first in book 2 didn't seem to have a problem with humans and it was a tragedy that it died, but then they go out and kill some random one just because some gods, maybe not including this one, might attack, and somehow this helps? And then it's unreasonable that this is a crime. What?
Overall I liked this one better than the first two, but the end was out of left field--it's explained why killing a god is a crime, i guess, but why did they even do that, did they accomplish anything by it? And why *this* one, besides convenience? I mean, the one they encounter first in book 2 didn't seem to have a problem with humans and it was a tragedy that it died, but then they go out and kill some random one just because some gods, maybe not including this one, might attack, and somehow this helps? And then it's unreasonable that this is a crime. What?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2017
Trama confusa, situaciones poco creíbles, en general no aprovecha nada las posibilidades del argumento. Alguna cosa se salva pero en conjunto flojo.
December 3, 2011
The prologue clarifies the role of the gods, and spells out the reason that they seeded the Second Sphere with earth flora and fauna, which I was very happy about as I had been wondering about it since reading the first book of the trilogy. From there we follow Grigori Volkov and the Tenebre trading ship to Nova Babylonia, and Gregor and Elizabeth back on Mingulay, where they discover evidence that the spider-monkey aliens may have returned. And from then onwards, events unroll in extremely unexpected ways.
August 6, 2014
After an extremely focused book 2, MacLeod pulls back for the final book, covering a much bigger stage. For the most part, the book is a step up from *Dark Light* as well. If anything, things early in the book go too smoothly, but this is an acceptable price to pay for telling a big story in a small book. The ending is a double whammy though - one blow isn't going to make you happy and the other just isn't going to make sense.
January 9, 2013
In what seems to be typical of MacLeod, this series (and this book especially) has had a weak, but engaging start, a solid middle and a confusing abrupt end.
Towards the end of the book I had no idea what was going on at all, with characters we have gone along with for the past 2 books seemingly dragged from random place to place.
Towards the end of the book I had no idea what was going on at all, with characters we have gone along with for the past 2 books seemingly dragged from random place to place.
April 30, 2013
I read the three books in the Engines of Light trilogy back to back. The first book was the best, I think, as I enjoyed the switching between time periods telling two parallel stories. The last two got a little political and I did not like the ending. All in all, it was ok space opera with decent ideas. I will give MacLeod credit for not using FTL. (Although as-fast-as-light is probably as bad.)
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