Particle Horizon [Kindle Edition]

I had never heard of the author before but went with the reviews already posted. If I hadn't known better I would have sworn it was written by Peter F Hamilton. It reminded me a lot of 'Reality Dysfunction' but that is in no way a suggestion of plagiarism. The story is fresh, the characters developed enough to care when they dont quite make it through and the science is sufficient without requiring a science degree. I couldnt put this book down, I just had to find out what happened next and the author didn't disappoint. By the end I was almost disappointed it wasn't the first in a series. This book should be right up there with the likes of Alastair Reynolds, Asimov and the like.I read sci-fi exclusively and have done for years, this is the first book since owning a Kindle that I have felt worthy of a review, it deserves to be talked about.

I'm always a bit dubious about buying self published ebooks and I know I certainly shouldn't be literally judging books by their covers, but in this instance I did. The book cover looks very well designed and I was surprised to find this was just an ebook and not a fully published novel that I could find in Waterstones!

The price of self-published novels is always attractive though and certainly helps break down the mental barrier... so I bought it. I read it. I found it was good. More than good. I wouldn't go as far as some to say it's great, but it is very good. The universe Xisto has created is believable (in sci-fi terms at least), the characters are engaging and flawed in their own ways, the dialogue between them is well written (a common flaw in most self-published works, if not in a lot of mainstream sci-fi as well - looking at you David Weber!) and the story is well thought out and rounded.

As another reviewer says, it reminds you a bit of the premise of Peter F Hamilton's Reality Dysfunction... it certainly shares elements of that... or a bit like Fifth Element, with a higher power manipulating lesser mortals to achieve their goals. So the story isn't massively original, but it certainly keeps you interested in seeing where it's all going.

I'm not sure enough of the world was fleshed out for any follow-ups, but I certainly wouldn't mind reading some more of Xisto's work based on this debut... and if it's based in the Angelhaven world, all the better.

I am what you might call a "lapsed sci-fi" fan. In high school, my shelves were full of Asimov and David Brin, Nancy Kress and Frederik Pohl, Stanislaw Lem and every issue of Science Fiction Age ever published. But something happened along the line - it might have been a function of sci fi in the mid-90s but one I suppose I suddenly felt as if I were reading the same book over and over. The novels were lagging behind the more exciting things I was reading in New Scientist and Scientific American, and instead of feeling fresh they felt... "genre-y". And so I stopped reading them.

But, as the first sci fi book I've read in quite a few years, I have to say that my interest in science fiction is renewed. The tone is cleaner and more exciting than from the books I remember, the science fresh and interesting, and I do wonder what I have been missing all of these years!

There are a lot of things to like about this book, but I'll enumerate them for brevity's sake:

* the tight but elegant prose, which somehow avoids most cliches and still provides some near-perfect metaphors that paint the picture without being overly precious

* the continuity - a lot of care has obviously been taken to address any potential plotholes, which is a testament to good worldbuilding

* the characters - yes, there are a lot of them. And yes, it is slightly disorienting at the beginning to get used to them all. But it
is worth it, because most are very well developed and real, and each
had a voice that is distinct, and is sympathetic in their own way, even those that err more on the side of villainry.

* the technology/science - for me one of the greatest strengths. I really loved the science in this.... Every device, every technology, every theory was well imagined, plotted,and believable. Scorpion tanks, gel suits, gliders, anti-matter drives, realistically described computer
minds, anti-gravity flight control, alien beings made of energy and how
they live on gas giants -- everything.

* the plotting - it's cohesive, interesting, exciting, and inspiring... and there are plenty of surprises, although all of them seem organic. The last few chapters on Prometheus were my favourites and I would love to see this whole book as a film, it's so visual. I also appreciated that the entire gamut of emotions were represented here - this was not a book that was all on one "tone level", something which also often irritates me. There are funny moments where I laughed out loud, really sad and tragic moments, ugly ones, beautiful ones, scary ones, triumphant ones, and finally...

* the ending - particularly wonderful in that it very successfully weaves science and philosophy into something which not only seems true, but seems probable even. The book's complete vision of the universe, from the subatomic to the macro-dimensional, kicked up the world building
satisfaction and gave the entire book not just an atmosphere, but real a
cosmology. (view spoiler) There is just enough bittersweet and just enough hope, and just enough mystery, to make the reader feel both satisfied and also wanting more.

My only turnoff, perhaps as a funtion of being female, was perhaps the character of Una (although I loved Eve and the other female characters!), but this was minor compared to the overall experience which was (both literally and figuratively) fantastic.

Well worth a read for sci fi fans, potential sci fi fans, and lapsed sci fi fans alike! Read more ›

This book was very entertaining, with the author describing well a very unusual world and the people living there. The scenes of conflict are graphic in detail and the methods of warfare described are obviously from someone with an excellent imagination.

This is a great debut, blending the gritty realities of war with a sci-fi adventure on an intergalactic scale. The world is well constructed and vividly described, and I really liked the cast of unusual characters. The book spans quite a long period, making the pacing a bit uneven, but it held my attention and I all-too-quickly reached the end.

Excitement was mounting while I waited for this book as it makes a nice change to read science fiction, and from the description it actually looked as though it could be along the lines of some of my favourite sci/fi author's (Neal Asher, Alistair Reynolds, and Peter F Hamilton). This excitement was tempered with caution as a lot has been promised in the past by similar first time novelists and unfortunately not delivered.
My first of many good signs was that the book was of good length. The start was intriguing bringing into play an intriguing scenario of galactic watchers, and then straight into a separate well-paced scene with interesting characters and a storyline that caught the imagination (good writing). No overly long build up but straight into the meat of the story, definitely grabbed the attention. How could these two things be related? All signs did indeed look good.
The story stays at a good pace and invites you to stay reading no matter what. The characters are very well thought out and fully rounded even characters that do not play a full part though I won't tell you which, I was surprised constantly. The technology was well described though thankfully not too much very inventive and there were a few things that I had not come across before. It plays a major part in the storyline as it should but it is not the sole reason for the story. The plot is familiar but it becomes more expansive and unique as we go along, with twists and turns along the way.
Overall very good, but the added bonus was the writing. The author ticks all of the boxes in that respect, research he has done; concept excellent; characters engaging; technology believable and well described & writing style impressive. I'm finding it difficult but excited none the less that this is his first novel....
As normal I've only provided a general overview but hopefully enough to make readers of science fiction to give this a go as it will be well worth it. In my opinion mainstream science fiction publishers should read this as for me it is as good as most of the mainstream authors out there and I would happily add him to my list of must purchase, so if you enjoy the authors that I mentioned above then you should enjoy this. I just hope that this is the first of many. Read more ›