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Pages : 598
Overall Mark : 8/10
Nine thousand centuries ago, something wiped out the Amarantin. For the human colonists now settling their homeworld, Resurgam, it’s of little more than academic interest, even after the discovery of a long-hidden, almost perfect Amarantin city. For brilliant scientist Dan Sylveste, it’s more than idle curiosity. He will stop at nothing to get at the truth – even if it costs him everything. For the Amarantin were wiped out for a reason, and that danger is closer and greater than even Sylveste imagines...
ALASTAIR REYNOLDS (1966-)
Alastair Reynolds was born in Barry, South Wales, in 1966. He studied at Newcastle and St Andrews Universities and has a Ph.D. in astronomy. He spent 12 years working as an astrophysicist for the European Space Agency, but has now returned to Wales, where he lives with his wife.
VERDICT
Reynolds manages to make everything so visual in this overly long but nevertheless intriguing novel. The characters are interesting, though at times I confused them with each other, and the concept is an ambitious one that, with a near 600 page count, can at times feel a little slow. However, fans of huge and explorative sci-fi such as the works of James Blish will thoroughly enjoy this look at the universe that makes you wonder if there is something out there causing humanity to be the only sentient beings in the universe.
