The Neutronium Alchemist: Part II - Conflict

This series is more far-reaching than almost any I have read before. The sheer scope is awe inspiring; it's absoluely amazing how complex a world Peter Hamilton has created here.In this, the 4th book, some old characters, like Quinn Dexter, Ione, the Lord of Ruin, Joshua Calvert and many, many more, are revisited, and new characters introduced. New twists are revealed and older plot threads wind tighter as this story progresses. Centering around the mysterious Alchemist, this book continues the fight against the posessed and the struggle to overcome the terrifying revelation about the nature of the Beyond. What is the Alchemist? What can it really do? Is it truly capable of destroying an entire world? I know I was terribly curious. As this book goes on, more and more worlds are falling to the posessers, and Al Capone's empire is growing fast. Several worlds are already lost beyond retrieving, pulled out of our universe entirely. Is there really a way to stop the dead from returning? Especially when all who live in the Confederation will eventually join them? It's facinating to me how Hamilton has shown the different ways people are reacting to this crisis. How different people are dealing with this revelation.I was enthralled yet again by this fantastic story. The way this series is put together is truly beyond belief. The plot is engaging and it really makes you think hard about the nature of our existence.But I'm not saying that this is the kind of book that will make you change your life. No, it's simply a wonderfully imaginative story, bringing the whole galaxy into focus in a masterfully told tale. The places you get to explore, and the people you meet will make you ready for more, I promise.One last thing. Don't be intimidated by this book's size. I actually finished it in one day, it was that hard to put down.I can't wait to read the next.

I'll have to echo a comment that I made when I read the last book and that's read these books as close together as you can, there's so much stuff to remember that even a week break like I had can make you "huh?" at certain points when people refer to things that you only have a vague memory of occuring (heck Laton is mentioned so many times that I wanted to stop and read the first two books so I can remember exactly what that was all about) . . . but that says more about my faulty memory then anything Hamilton is doing wrong. This is a BIG series, probably the biggest and most ambitious SF series of the decade and it demands you entire attention. You don't read this book (or any of the books) so much as consume them in great galloping blocks of pages, the urge for "just one more chapter" is still very strong and over a thousand pages into the series that can only be good. The quality doesn't let up from the first book, I couldn't tell much of a difference, but this one is a tad more satisifying because it completes a major plot line that started in the first book (three guesses what that is) while throwing up hints and more sub-plots that make you want to go out and devour the last book right away. The conflict between the dead and the living heat up and Hamilton starts to get further into what happens when everyone figures out that they're fighting something that they will eventually become, as well as the larger question of: if the Beyond is all we have to look forward to, what's the point of anything? The ways he shows people dealing with that rings very true. Most of the other stuff involves trying to find Mzu and her Alchemist before the dead get her and it . . . and it's definitely a tense race. Hamilton is a master at stringing the reader along from plot to plot, leaving little explosions of suspense and intrigue to keep you hungry for the next development. All in all, a great ending to the second proper book in the series and if he manages to wrap all of this up neatly (I've no idea how he's going to but it's sure going to be fun finding out) he'll probably find this ranked as one of the greatest SF series of all time. Great characterization, dazzling plotting, and daring ideas, this is what SF is supposed to be about, last I checked.

The pace just keeps chugging along nicely. Hamilton picks up the ball and keeps running on from 'the reality dysfunction'.I seem to have got the combined 1273page 'burglarstopper' edition which really makes it hard going as it's difficult at times to put the book down. The Naked God was much the same regarding size @1167 pages. And that was published in a trade paperback. Talk about wrist strain. But it was well worth it. Although I do recommend reading 'A Second Chance at Eden' before continuing with the trilogy - I wish that's how I timed it. 'A Second Chance at Eden' really puts you in the picture regarding the night's dawn universe and could only greaten your appreciation of the trilogy.

Good old Isaac would have been thrilled by this cathedral of imagination:galaxy-spanning cultures,strange aliens challenging human conception of self,arcologies that call to mind the fabled Caves of Steel,a weird answer to the metaphisical story "The Last Answer",high technology,and a superb plot on a theme that,as Dante would say,makes your veins and wrists shiver.And Peter F. Hamilton not only dares treat the Afterlife theme,but does it in an original and profound way.The richness of this trilogy,the imagery,all is absolutely superb.Who could ever forget Joshua,Louise,Ione,Syrinx and the dreadful Quinn Dexter,to name only a few of the marvelous persona in this trilogy?

By comparison to other sci-fi authors, who spend a lot of time working on plot with rapid climax and little resolution, Hamilton's 4 part series has both a good story (well told) and excellent character development. And it's a page turner too! I can't wait for the next (fifth in the series) book, "The Naked God". It's unfortunate that Hamilton can't write the books as fast as I can read them. Hamilton does borrow from previous authors' style, in that there are several plot lines happening at once with a multiplicity of characters. This minor fault is overshadowed by the wonderful way he simply tells a story. It's easy to get sucked into it and just as easy to become sympathetic with "the bad guys" (the possessed.)