Hamilton, Peter F.

This hefty tome is the first of two novels set in the world of the Exodus video game, for which Hamilton (The Saints of Salvation) is a creative consultant. As a result, it’s easy to imagine this epic space opera as an immersive gaming experience, and many of the author’s strengths shine through. It’s full of heroics and fast-paced action, interplanetary intrigue, and the innovative exploration of futuristic technologies and their societal impacts.

This new series launch bridges the gap between the "Commonwealth Saga" and the "Void Trilogy" (The Dreaming Void; The Temporal Void; The Evolutionary Void) and shows that Hamilton still has a gift for huge-scale sf. The novel drags a bit in parts, as the conflict focuses on the political maneuvering of the underclasses to overthrow Bienvenido's despotic rulers, however, Nigel is a terrific character, egotistical and conniving (but still hugely appealing), and the action picks up again when he starts pulling strings.

Hamilton excels at telling "big" stories, and his latest novel proves no exception. A stand-alone thriller with potential for multivolume expansions set in an all-too-believable future, this should appeal to a wide audience and have crossover potential for mainstream thriller fans.

The author's mastery of the art of the "big story" earns him a place among the leading authors of dynastic sf. A strong addition to any sf collection.