Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Stuff !, 17 Oct 2003
This book is actually two separate stories with not much connection other than the background of the revelation space universe. One is the story of a group of people, who go to carefully investigate a mysterious alien structure (The Blood Spire) - around which are the dismembered remains of those who have preceded them...The second is about a female researcher on a pattern juggler world. theres a lot of information about the jugglers and so forth which is new in the novels. which i found to be interesting and a good addition to the universe. Also theres some off worlders with a hidden agenda too, which the plot revolves around. now there is only the faintest hint of a connection between either story but that doesnt matter. basically both are typically well written and both are very engrossing. They are quite outrageous in theyre own way, like the other books only on a smaller scale. I couldnt put them down. i read the whole book - both stories in just two sittings. the only "problem" with the book is that isnt all that long. A third story would have been good. however i cant fault the book, nothing really wrong with it. There arent too many characters to get to grips with either which is a good thing as they arent long enough to support that. if you like the other revelations space novels youll like this one! thoroughly recommend it. very enjoyable. Russ
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Only worth it for the Chasm City Completists, 13 Feb 2003
Older readers, do you remember those turgid "adventure" games from the early '80s home computer boom? The games were essentially linear - while they gave the impression of being a whole universe where you could choose your own actions, you soon discovered there was only one way forward and one way back, and to move forward you had to solve a puzzle, usually involving giving the magic turnip to the wizard while standing on your head, or something like that. Well, that's how "Diamond Dogs", the first story in this pair of novellas, reads. ("Novella" - what a lovely term. Surely only in SF do novellas and novelettes live on as literary forms.) Our motley crew of heroes make their way through the rooms of a Mysterious Alien Tower, forced to solve an IQ-test-style puzzle at each doorway, with vicious consequences if things go wrong. While nominally set in Reynolds' Revelation Space universe, it could be anywhere really. Dull and predictable. "Turquoise Days", on the other hand, fair brims with imagination, and while the ending is contrived, the scenery is nice along the way, and the story adds depth to the Revelation space milieu. So, worth it if you've read Reynolds' other works and would like to know more about the Pattern Jugglers. Otherwise, taken as a package, disappointingly lightweight.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good intelligent space opera, 24 May 2003
This book is not a novel, but rather a pair of novellas set in the same imaginary universe as ARs other works (Revelation Space, Chasm City and Redemption Ark).Diamond Dogs is very reminiscent of Rogue Moon by Algis Budrys in that the premise of the story is the exploration of an alien artifact which contains potentially lethal puzzles. The story is set in the distant future where mankind has expanded to many planets and distant stars. Communication and travel are still bound by relativistic principals so communication and travel are limited and expensive...Medical technology has allowed the rich to extend their lifetimes considerably.
...but I digress.
The characters are a group scientist/adventurers, almost in the Victorian style in that they are rich and bored enough to risk their lives on a trip that offers little in the way of profit, but will satisfy their curiosity. Ultimately the story explores the nature of obsession but in an interesting and engaging way. The story cracks along at a fair pace with moments of tensions and sudden violence and
the interaction between the characters is mature and believable within the context of the story. Turquoise Days is is less well paced and is probably better read than described.
The story is based on an ocean world which is inhabited by humans but also home to a planet wide organism called 'The pattern Jugglers'. The premise of the pattern jugglers is that while not being intelligent itself, it can interact with sentient species and store or even modify the minds of people who swim with them in the ocean.
It sounds a bit odd, but it works quite well. The patter n Jugglers are referenced in ARs earlier works so perhaps that helped.
Anyway, without giving away the story, it concerns the interaction of the main character Naqi, who is part of team that researches the pattern jugglers and the arrival of a starship from elsewhere (it is the first such visit in 100 years). The pace is slower and I did wonder where the story was going for a long time, but the pay-off at the end is worth the wait. All in all, a pretty good read.
Overall I'd recommend this as a good introduction to Alastair Reynolds universe.
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