The Ascendant Stars: Book Three of Humanity's Fire
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Product Description
Book Description
A multi-layered, 21st century take on the classic tropes of space opera by a bold new voice in British science fiction.
Product Description
Battle-ready factions converge above Darien, all with the same objective. The goal is control over this newly-discovered planet and access to the powerful weapons at its heart. Despotic Hegemony forces dominate much of known space and they want this world too, but Darien's inhabitants will fight for their future.
However, key players in this conflict aren't fully in control. Hostile AIs have infiltrated key minds and have an agenda, requiring nothing less than the destruction or subversion of all organic life. And they are near to unleashing their cohorts, a host of twisted machine intelligences caged beneath Darien. Fighting to contain them are Darien's hidden guardians, and their ancient ally the Construct, on a millennia-long mission to protect sentient species. As the war reaches its peak, the AI army is roaring to the surface, to freedom and an orgy of destruction.
Darien is first in line in a machine vs. human war - for life or the sterile dusts of space.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Well, book 1 was sort of enjoyable, the writing was a little stilted and the initial opening descriptions of Darien were very clunky and the Scotish angle was presumably in there to appease a "Scotish American heritage" audience or something because it was stupidly over the top. I was surprised to find he hadn't actually had them eating freeze dried space haggis and wearing tartan space suits, but pretty much everything is about them is a stereotype.
That aside, it got better and must have done for me to make it as far as buying book 2. Definitely an improvement here, the story became more complex and was ticking along fine.
Book 3... oh dear, what happened? Suddenly we've got a massive influx of new elements to the story, battering your senses at every turn where nearly every chapter seems to launch at you some major piece of largely irrelevant nonsense.
The "virtual" sections were just full of daft techno babble and I quickly zoned out on these, mashing the button on my Kindle to try to escape them.
In the end the epic showdown comes along, involving the aforementioned mixed bag of alien cultures, some of whom just seem to be introduced for this final clash and then.... well, its all over before you know it.
Overall I have very mixed feelings about the whole experience - in places its good, but not really in this volume.
I find it unlikely that I'd be tempted to read any more of the authors work, but I suppose he did get the price of three books out of me before I gave up.
That aside, it got better and must have done for me to make it as far as buying book 2. Definitely an improvement here, the story became more complex and was ticking along fine.
Book 3... oh dear, what happened? Suddenly we've got a massive influx of new elements to the story, battering your senses at every turn where nearly every chapter seems to launch at you some major piece of largely irrelevant nonsense.
The "virtual" sections were just full of daft techno babble and I quickly zoned out on these, mashing the button on my Kindle to try to escape them.
In the end the epic showdown comes along, involving the aforementioned mixed bag of alien cultures, some of whom just seem to be introduced for this final clash and then.... well, its all over before you know it.
Overall I have very mixed feelings about the whole experience - in places its good, but not really in this volume.
I find it unlikely that I'd be tempted to read any more of the authors work, but I suppose he did get the price of three books out of me before I gave up.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
The first two books set this trilogy up to go out on a high note, the stage had been set for an epic conclusion drawing together several plot lines into a great finale. Unfortunately that didn't happen, rather for the first half of the book characters were developed and new ideas and plot twists were introduced and then in the last few chapters it was almost as if the author had either a rapidly approaching deadline or was getting near his word limit. Plot lines were left hanging, like almost implied endings which didn't work to well, or wrapped up so rapidly that it felt that not much effort went into it. Main characters were killed off for no apparent reason and in passing without any description in cases.
I enjoyed the ideas presented in the book but it could have been much better
I enjoyed the ideas presented in the book but it could have been much better
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm half tempted to write a negative review of this book, simply because the author seems to be engaging with his detractors here on Amazon. To do so would be a great disservive to what is an intelligent, well written and thought provoking series of books.
As much modern science fiction and space opera does, Humanity's Fire takes the form of multiple viewpoints and weaves 4 or 5 different but connected storylines into one tapestry, the book reviewed here being the summation of that. While many of the features of the series read like a tick box checklist of contemporary writing (weapons of unimaginable power, evil aliens etc.), what seperates Mr Cobley's work from those around him is the innovative way he crafts these - the indiginous Uvovo (who I can't help but thinking of looking a bit like Ewoks) use nature as their power, much like early Studio Ghibli films; similarly the concept of dead universes forming the tiers of hyperspace is refreshing.
As the author's mate Dave says in another review, the human stories here are well written and you do genuinely care about the fate of the various protagonists, something that, say, Stephen Baxter is probably guilty of overlooking - this is not a book where the ideas overshadow the characters.
Amazon are currently offering the whole trilogy for less than £20, and if you frequent charity shops in north London you can get the fisrt book pretty easily for less, so put down the cash and buy this series - you won't regret it.
As much modern science fiction and space opera does, Humanity's Fire takes the form of multiple viewpoints and weaves 4 or 5 different but connected storylines into one tapestry, the book reviewed here being the summation of that. While many of the features of the series read like a tick box checklist of contemporary writing (weapons of unimaginable power, evil aliens etc.), what seperates Mr Cobley's work from those around him is the innovative way he crafts these - the indiginous Uvovo (who I can't help but thinking of looking a bit like Ewoks) use nature as their power, much like early Studio Ghibli films; similarly the concept of dead universes forming the tiers of hyperspace is refreshing.
As the author's mate Dave says in another review, the human stories here are well written and you do genuinely care about the fate of the various protagonists, something that, say, Stephen Baxter is probably guilty of overlooking - this is not a book where the ideas overshadow the characters.
Amazon are currently offering the whole trilogy for less than £20, and if you frequent charity shops in north London you can get the fisrt book pretty easily for less, so put down the cash and buy this series - you won't regret it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Very disappointing third book
I was looking forward to this book for months but what a let down. I suspect that the author has starting reading Ian M Banks and decided that the third novel in this series would... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. F. Fitzpatrick
A frustrating read.
I am a huge fan of space opera. I love having my mind blown by concepts and "that's crazy but what if..." moments. Read more
Published 3 months ago by tomalexander
Hmmmmh
Didn't enjoy it as much as the other two, felt like too many things were thrown into the mix with too little time given to them... Read more
Published 3 months ago by NIALL MULLAN
Disappointing
I had high hopes for this book as I really enjoyed the first two books of the trilogy. However, the third book is marred by a convoluted plot which runs out of steam. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Yakker
If you liked the first two books, you should like this
I see a lot of people complaining in their reviews that the book was too complicated and hard to follow, but I didn't feel it was any worse than the others in the series. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mr. MD Folan
Lost in hyperspace
I was completely sold on the first two books in this trilogy, and pre-ordered the third with great anticipation. Read more
Published 6 months ago by NE
Five star entertainment
Being a colleague and good friend of Mike Cobley's these past twenty years, I was fortunate enough to read his Humanity's Fire trilogy first as manuscripts, and then later as the... Read more
Published 6 months ago by oodles
Poor Follow Up
Hi guys, was really looking forward to this book but I think the plots were too many that i wondered what story i was trying to follow in the end.
Shame
Shame
Published 6 months ago by Decendent ExStar
Book 3: Out of the Blue Heroics
I had read Book Two in about 4-5 days and had little problem following the braided plot threads. The day after I finished Book 2 I started Book 3 and finished it in three days. Read more
Published 6 months ago by M-I-K-E 2theD
Better than the previous two
Whilst I haven't been the biggest fan of Michaels Humanity Fire series this one has picked up the pace and overall arc where the others felt a little flat. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Gareth Wilson - Falcata Times Blog
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