- Hardcover: 999 pages
- Publisher: Tor Books (10 Oct 1997)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0333669355
- ISBN-13: 978-0333669358
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16.2 x 6.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 981,166 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Neutronium Alchemist (Night's Dawn Trilogy)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Peter Hamilton's space-opera saga, which began with The Reality Dysfunction, continues in The Neutronium Alchemist. Now the battle lines are clearly drawn, and more than half a dozen plot lines are charging ahead as humanity's galaxy-spanning culture faces a terrifying revelation: souls of the dead are returning from the beyond to possess the living. The living, though competent and brave in the best sci-fi tradition, must contend with history's greatest generals and leaders, as well as some unexpected champions. Al Capone, it seems, makes an excellent interstellar emperor. How do you fight an enemy whose every soldier is also a hostage and who, if killed, will simply return to possess someone else? The dilemmas are not just technical, but moral, as people face the first real proof of life after death.
This conflict is far broader, though, than a simple apocalyptic battle of good versus evil. Among the possessors are some good souls who fight the risen dead even though it's against their best interest. Conversely, plenty of the living see siding with the dead as an opportunity to further their own interests. Action, wonders, and mystery continue to characterize this high-quality series. --Brooks Peck --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
The second volume in the "Night's Dawn" trilogy. An ancient menace has escaped from Lalonde, shattering the Confederation's existence. In such times the last thing the galaxy needs is a new, powerful weapon. Yet Dr Mzu is determined to retrieve the Alchemist, so that she can complete a vendetta.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the sequel to "The Reality Dysfunction" and now I've read it I can say its just as good. The story jumps straight into the midst of the action, and grips you by the throat right from the first page. Best of all is the way the author builds on the personality of the characters, making them more real, with their own lives and backgrounds. You can see each of them develop and change throughout the story, giving it an extra dimension, making you really care about the characters themselves. There are new elements introduced into the storyline as well, none of which I'm going to discuss here - you'll have to find out about these yourself. All I can say is that together they make this book an excellent sequel to the first, adding to the story not "cashing in" on the success of the first as so many sequels do. My advice is Buy it!!
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Nutronium Alchemist follows directly on from The Reality Dysfunction and up’s the pace, introducing more characters and sub-plots that keep you glued to each page.
Joshua Calvert comes into his own, his jolly British witticisms are a breath of fresh air – no more American SF speak here at all - especially when he swears! It sounds like being in my local!
Joshua Calvert comes into his own, his jolly British witticisms are a breath of fresh air – no more American SF speak here at all - especially when he swears! It sounds like being in my local!
I found this instalment somewhat overlong. The whole story could have worked well at half the length. Though I suppose Hamilton wanted to keep the bulk of the novel in keeping with the blockbuster idea he started with TRD. The was no need for this to be so fat a novel and although well written it went on and on and…
The ideas behind TNA are sound and the science bits are intriguing to say the least. The characters run around and do their thing with zest and inventiveness that keeps the novel afloat, but why so long?
A good bit of editing is needed here…
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Part two of the saga and the tension continues to mount. There is a sense of helpless inevitability as the Possessed continue to breach the gap between the dead and the living. How can any society withstand such an overwhelming attack on the preconception that death is final, let alone deal with a physical assault by the dead?
Peter Hamilton is a consummate writer. His skill lies in his ability to develop and maintain all his characters throughout a constantly twisting and ever more convoluted plot. Having said that, he does not succumb to the temptation of sacrificing the plot to further his characters development, thereby allowing the story to run its course without too many miracles or last minute rescues. On a number of occassions I found myself putting the book down because I did not want to find out what was going to happen - but not for long, I always had to return to the story.
He has also, in my opinion, created a very believable universal order. He has produced societies and technologies that are conceivably the product of our current society. The split between Adamists and Edenists echoes the sentiments of our current growing dilemma with genetics. He also bows to the inevitability of the super-corporation and the probable reality that, ultimately, money will motivate our colonization of the stars. He has kept away from the utopias or lawless free-for-alls of other galaxy-colonizing authors and has written about a culture that has left Earth from a variety of motivations and using different technologies. This diversity makes his universe that much more believable as it mirrors our own historic development.
He also steers clear of blinding the reader with too much futuristic mumbo-jumbo science. Where an explanation is clearly required the description is short and simple, using the minimum of jargon and leaving the reader with a belief that his inventions could be real. This is a useful skill for any science fiction author to develop as it leaves the reader with a sense of superiority accompanied by the thought that, "hey, I understand what he's talking about!".
It is difficult to talk about specifics without giving too much of the plot away, but we get to follow the continuing stories of those who survived The Reality Dysfunction, along with the introduction of some intriguing new characters and some really nasty surprises.
If you devoured the first book, you will have no trouble with the second. My only plea is that Peter Hamilton and his publishers don't leave us in suspense for too long and produce Book 3 as soon as possible.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Waste of money
I bought this book in the hope that I would get closure on some of the missing plot pieces from the first book and continuation of Joshua's adventures, as the scenario with him... Read more
Published 22 days ago by Benjamin Bruce
Fantastic. Brilliant. Genius.
I loved this trilogy. Its long, complex, addictive. I loved it, and I wish I could read it again.
Its long, some people don't like that. Read more
Its long, some people don't like that. Read more
Published 1 month ago by John
Very disapointing
My introduction to Peter F Hamilton was his novel 'Pandora's Star' which was excellent, long (which I like) fast paced and with a very well drawn and interesting enemy alien... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Dr. W. E. Allen
stunning
the best SI-FI trilogy i have read, from the first book to the last i could not put it down...starting it again..
Published 6 months ago by JB
It could have gotten better, but didn't
I got into Hamilton in a slightly odd order - I first read Pandora's Star/Judas Unchained, and found them to be entertaining books. Read more
Published 10 months ago by NTRabbit
Night's Dawn Trilogy
If you like fast-paced, almost detective-type hard science fiction, this series is for you. The plot jumps from one disaster to the next, with our trusty hero finding some way out... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Logos
Awesome!!
An amazing set of books. Super intelligent, many strands interwoven bringing the overall and the human, character centric stuff together. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Gazod
A horror of a book
If this is science fiction then I'm lost for words! I bought this book after reading The Reality Dysfunction which I thought was OK without being brilliant. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Badge
The Neutronium Alchemist
A well written fast paced story with plently of action. The author specialises in a number of concurrent storylines which he manages effectively and brings together from time to... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Discerning viewer
Slight improvement on the previous installment
This improves a little on the previous instalment "The Reality Dysfunction", but still suffers from many of the same problems. Read more
Published 16 months ago by gcogger
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