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Apotheosis #3
Messiah
In this final volume of the Apotheosis trilogy, the seemingly unstoppable alien AI Adam has cast his nano-cloud of destruction across the known universe. All who stand against him are turned to dust. All who accept him as their god are absorbed into his consciousness. And as solar system after solar system falls under his sway, there are only a few who hold any hope of breaking Adam's stranglehold on all sentient life.
In the heart of the Vatican waits a "man" from the past who might point the way to a future beyond Adam . . .
The fleets surrounding the world of Bakunin will sacrifice what they must in a last-ditch effort to defeat the undefeatable . . .
And on Bakunin itself--amid a planetwide campaign of conquest--humanity's last hope may lie with Nickolai Rajasthan, a Moreau who has believed, all his life, that the human race that created his kind is already damned beyond redemption . . .
In the heart of the Vatican waits a "man" from the past who might point the way to a future beyond Adam . . .
The fleets surrounding the world of Bakunin will sacrifice what they must in a last-ditch effort to defeat the undefeatable . . .
And on Bakunin itself--amid a planetwide campaign of conquest--humanity's last hope may lie with Nickolai Rajasthan, a Moreau who has believed, all his life, that the human race that created his kind is already damned beyond redemption . . .
369 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 2011
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112 people want to read
About the author
S. Andrew Swann
39 books118 followersS. Andrew Swann is the primary pseudonym of Steven Swiniarski, who also writes as S.A. Swiniarski, Steven Krane, and S.A. Swann.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 31, 2011
I started Messiah as soon as I had finished Heretics: Apotheosis: Book Two. I simply had to know what happened next.
The levels of carnage and mayhem in this novel are something else. In that respect, I have to agree with another reviewer – this final instalment in the Apotheosis trilogy does lean towards the Military side of Science Fiction. In the same breath, Messiah is not as accessible as Prophets or Heretics. There is a lot going on, and some of it I found hard to follow, especially where the Proteans were concerned.
One thing I appreciated was that the cliff-hanger ending of Heretics was quickly dealt with. As an action-adventure Space Opera this novel works quite well. Unfortunately the ending didn’t quite work for me. It had such potential and I was really into it up to the final few pages. It’s still a good book though, and, as a whole, I quite enjoyed the trilogy.
The levels of carnage and mayhem in this novel are something else. In that respect, I have to agree with another reviewer – this final instalment in the Apotheosis trilogy does lean towards the Military side of Science Fiction. In the same breath, Messiah is not as accessible as Prophets or Heretics. There is a lot going on, and some of it I found hard to follow, especially where the Proteans were concerned.
One thing I appreciated was that the cliff-hanger ending of Heretics was quickly dealt with. As an action-adventure Space Opera this novel works quite well. Unfortunately the ending didn’t quite work for me. It had such potential and I was really into it up to the final few pages. It’s still a good book though, and, as a whole, I quite enjoyed the trilogy.
July 4, 2012
Mixing semi-hard science fiction with transhumanistic, sociopolitical (and theolgical) ethics is a big gamble, but it pays off in this book. Swann is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, because he's not afraid to take a big risk in telling his tale. And what a tale it is..!
Adam, the self-proclaimed 'God' from the previous two novels, is on the verge of completing his goal.. The total conversion of Human Space to his belief (that all worship 'Him'). But there are a small number fighting against His overpowering force with everything they have (and I do mean EVERYTHING). It seems hopeless, until an enlightening encounter with a surprising twist gives hope.. Yes, I know that's very general. But to say anything about the plot of 'Messiah' would seriously cheapen the experience.
The pacing of this book is great. I couldn't put it down once I got 50 pages in! All of the characters involved were so well fleshed out (Nickolai and the 'Valentines' are two prime examples) that even more life is injected into this universe. What is really enjoyable, though, is Swann's use of continuity. Plot lines from books two series back literally leap back into life, as do characters I thought long gone and forgotten. Some of these characters from his past series (Moreau series and the Hostile Takeover novels) become main characters in this series! This reminds me of the 'Mass Effect' series of games in a big way. His use of historical quotes from past and present (as well as real and imagined) luminaries to frame his work is beautiful as well.
There are a few minuses with this book, and series in general. The biggest 'foible' is that you can't be a lazy reader. What I mean is-Although it's great, Swann's use of hard science makes some of his work not very accessible to the lay-reader. I'm telling you right now, you're gonna have to educate yourself on some of the finer points of tech and particle physics, and that's a good thing. I know I had to, and I was a grad student in astrophysics! Plus, if you're not careful you can get list in the myriad plots and character interactions.
In my opinion, Swann has finished his 'Moreau' universe with flying colors. The ENTIRE series is a must read!
Adam, the self-proclaimed 'God' from the previous two novels, is on the verge of completing his goal.. The total conversion of Human Space to his belief (that all worship 'Him'). But there are a small number fighting against His overpowering force with everything they have (and I do mean EVERYTHING). It seems hopeless, until an enlightening encounter with a surprising twist gives hope.. Yes, I know that's very general. But to say anything about the plot of 'Messiah' would seriously cheapen the experience.
The pacing of this book is great. I couldn't put it down once I got 50 pages in! All of the characters involved were so well fleshed out (Nickolai and the 'Valentines' are two prime examples) that even more life is injected into this universe. What is really enjoyable, though, is Swann's use of continuity. Plot lines from books two series back literally leap back into life, as do characters I thought long gone and forgotten. Some of these characters from his past series (Moreau series and the Hostile Takeover novels) become main characters in this series! This reminds me of the 'Mass Effect' series of games in a big way. His use of historical quotes from past and present (as well as real and imagined) luminaries to frame his work is beautiful as well.
There are a few minuses with this book, and series in general. The biggest 'foible' is that you can't be a lazy reader. What I mean is-Although it's great, Swann's use of hard science makes some of his work not very accessible to the lay-reader. I'm telling you right now, you're gonna have to educate yourself on some of the finer points of tech and particle physics, and that's a good thing. I know I had to, and I was a grad student in astrophysics! Plus, if you're not careful you can get list in the myriad plots and character interactions.
In my opinion, Swann has finished his 'Moreau' universe with flying colors. The ENTIRE series is a must read!
February 16, 2011
58/366 - I want to like it. As usual, reading a trilogy as it's published is rough on the memory. At least there's a Dog-Man.
(audio) part 2, 6h35m left - ok, I think the Swann fun is kicking in
-5h32m: the Tiger wags the Dog
Hmmm. Some fun stuff. The end is kind of deus ex machina, and yet the story has some religious overtones, so maybe that's appropriate? The tiger-man Nickolai sounds like Batman in the audiobook. I still like the 2nd book the best. I miss the Proteus guy.
(audio) part 2, 6h35m left - ok, I think the Swann fun is kicking in
-5h32m: the Tiger wags the Dog
Hmmm. Some fun stuff. The end is kind of deus ex machina, and yet the story has some religious overtones, so maybe that's appropriate? The tiger-man Nickolai sounds like Batman in the audiobook. I still like the 2nd book the best. I miss the Proteus guy.
April 7, 2023
When I really sit back and think about the Swann books I've read I've got be honest.
I've been a little disappointed with his last two series, Hostile Takeover and Apotheosis. The same problem runs throughout all six books, but for me was absent in the Moreau Quartet. the characters are barely two-dimensional, and that makes them uninteresting. This includes the ones that Swann sneaks in from Hostile Takeover and Moreau books.
Sneaks in is my term. Swann has uses for these characters which is why they appear, and it can be argued that Apotheosis is the final culmination of all of his science fiction work. He discusses, in depth, his universe's heretical technologies. What David Brin called uplift, the genetic engineering of animals into sentient creatures and used and abused, AI, and human genetic engineering.
There are also discussions about God and faith, and those two are not necessarily the same. Adam sees himself as a god, but is he? What determines a person's beliefs, and is there good and evil?
Swann lets his characters, and the various larger groups, reach their own decisions.
Regardless of how much I do not want to say this, because I really liked the Moreau books that began this universe, it was a slog to the finish. Not as much as a slog as Hostile Takeover, but it was starting to become a, "I'm going to finish the damn book" read.
I've been a little disappointed with his last two series, Hostile Takeover and Apotheosis. The same problem runs throughout all six books, but for me was absent in the Moreau Quartet. the characters are barely two-dimensional, and that makes them uninteresting. This includes the ones that Swann sneaks in from Hostile Takeover and Moreau books.
Sneaks in is my term. Swann has uses for these characters which is why they appear, and it can be argued that Apotheosis is the final culmination of all of his science fiction work. He discusses, in depth, his universe's heretical technologies. What David Brin called uplift, the genetic engineering of animals into sentient creatures and used and abused, AI, and human genetic engineering.
There are also discussions about God and faith, and those two are not necessarily the same. Adam sees himself as a god, but is he? What determines a person's beliefs, and is there good and evil?
Swann lets his characters, and the various larger groups, reach their own decisions.
Regardless of how much I do not want to say this, because I really liked the Moreau books that began this universe, it was a slog to the finish. Not as much as a slog as Hostile Takeover, but it was starting to become a, "I'm going to finish the damn book" read.
August 10, 2021
(Using my best Stefon Myers voice) -
This third installment of The Apotheosis Trilogy has it all! Mystical Tigers, an ethereal and eternal Rabbit, Philautia, a sprawling space opera, and much much more!
I listened to all three books which were narrated by Kevin Pariseau who did a fine job.
Lots of details in all three books added to the entertainment and thought provoking aspect of the writing. I enjoy books which cause me to seek the genesis of the story and this series did just that!
This third installment of The Apotheosis Trilogy has it all! Mystical Tigers, an ethereal and eternal Rabbit, Philautia, a sprawling space opera, and much much more!
I listened to all three books which were narrated by Kevin Pariseau who did a fine job.
Lots of details in all three books added to the entertainment and thought provoking aspect of the writing. I enjoy books which cause me to seek the genesis of the story and this series did just that!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 28, 2022I really ejnjoyed this trilogy. Not too much war and some good philisophical thoughts in it. I also got into the characters, and at the end, I knew I would miss them. Especially the tiger. I loved the quotes from the beggining of each chapter. The definition of evil was pretty good. Also, it was free on Audible. Not to long.
June 16, 2018
Excellent conclusion to the trilogy. I wondered is Swann could sustain the momentum from the first two and he did. A lot of fascinating ideas. All three books were great, and it never felt like it was being needlessly drawn out to fit in another book like some series do.
October 30, 2021
Very enjoyable trilogy.
March 30, 2022
So all along I've been comparing this to LotR. I think this is the first one that doesn't quite live up. Though I think that says how good return of the king is moreso than how bad this is, because its not.
The plot/conclusion just seems a little more drawn out and then a bit too deus ex machina. Not to say I didn't like it but it just seems like it could have been more alignment, more added to it to fit the plot to the solution better.
The plot/conclusion just seems a little more drawn out and then a bit too deus ex machina. Not to say I didn't like it but it just seems like it could have been more alignment, more added to it to fit the plot to the solution better.
September 21, 2012
This final installment was a very fine finish to an equally fine space opera trilogy. Messiah had a lot more combat action than the previous two books. But what great action!
Again I'm reminded of Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy...a final apocalyptic and epic battle with one of the main characters finding a "way through" to score the ultimate victory. That's more than okay because the climax just seemed to fit so well with the story that had led up to it.
I liked how the author weaved the question of God and faith into the story. Quite well done and those who think about such things will enjoy this aspect. I certainly did.
I particularly enjoyed learning who the Dolbrians were/are. Very satisfying and leaving a few unanswered questions there too. I regret that I haven't read any of the preceding books (Moreau/Hostile Takeover) because I felt that I'd missed some prior background to the story, but this is only a minor frustration. In saying that, I enjoyed this series immensely. I want the story to continue so I can see where the characters go next! It'd be nice to think that there could be future stories in the pipeline...(please).
My hat is off to Mr Swiniarski, what a great job. Not too heavy and not too light - just right! If you like good sci-fi then read this series. Right now I'm on the lookout for the Hostile Takeover books...
Again I'm reminded of Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy...a final apocalyptic and epic battle with one of the main characters finding a "way through" to score the ultimate victory. That's more than okay because the climax just seemed to fit so well with the story that had led up to it.
I liked how the author weaved the question of God and faith into the story. Quite well done and those who think about such things will enjoy this aspect. I certainly did.
I particularly enjoyed learning who the Dolbrians were/are. Very satisfying and leaving a few unanswered questions there too. I regret that I haven't read any of the preceding books (Moreau/Hostile Takeover) because I felt that I'd missed some prior background to the story, but this is only a minor frustration. In saying that, I enjoyed this series immensely. I want the story to continue so I can see where the characters go next! It'd be nice to think that there could be future stories in the pipeline...(please).
My hat is off to Mr Swiniarski, what a great job. Not too heavy and not too light - just right! If you like good sci-fi then read this series. Right now I'm on the lookout for the Hostile Takeover books...
February 10, 2011
Somewhat heavy-handed with the message, but as it's entwined with a good adventure story I'm inclined to forgive. I like most of the ways that he wove in the previous books and series, but the last twist was too much, despite the cuteness. And I'm not really there with him about the path the lovers too. Or the Valentines, way too much male fantasy there. Nevertheless, to me the best books attempt to deal with questions of morality and humanity while still being entertaining, and this qualifies.
February 21, 2011
I abandoned this about half way through. I enjoyed the first two books of the series but this just didn't engage me at all. It basically moves from the theology-oriented themes of the first two books into a fairly routine military-SF with wooden characters and by the numbers plot
September 13, 2015
I wish this book was a little longer, I feel that I was left empty and wanting more
April 11, 2011
Review forthcoming.
February 19, 2018
Just finished S. Andrew Swann's "Apotheosis trilogy of books. It was so good un till the very end. The ending was like "good guys won" book over. It is almost like the author just gave up :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2016
Didn't quite stick the landing, but overall I enjoyed the series.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews