Review by Booklist Review
Reynolds finally returns to Revelation Space (after The Prefect, 2008) for an exploration of current events seen through the prism of the planet Yellowstone. In the Demarchist (democratic-anarchist) civilization, each citizen votes on issues large and small via neural networks. The prefects who oversee this society, operatives of a police-like organization called Panoply, are stymied by a string of deaths, and Tom Dreyfus leads a frantic investigation. There is no clear motive, but each incident is marked by the same awful malfunction of those neural implants. As the number of cases increases, so does public panic, and a Brexit-like campaign seizes on the covert investigation to maximize its attempt to break up the myriad city-states that make up the Glittering Band. Interwoven through this high-tech police procedural is the story of fraternal twins, scions of the architect of the network that connects 100 million citizens. Much like Charles Stross, Reynolds combines depth in characterization and dazzling hard-science applications to keep the reader turning pages.--Vicha, Don Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Reynolds has been building his Revelation Space universe for decades in a series of stories and novels; this one is a direct sequel to 2007's The Prefect, reprinted in 2017 as Aurora Rising, and it's even fresher and smarter than its predecessors. Chasm City's 10,000 habitats have existed in relative harmony for years, but an accelerating series of brain-frying deaths cast doubt on the ability of Panoply, the city's law enforcement agency, to keep citizens safe. Panoply prefect Tom Dreyfus; his protégé, Thalia Ng; and a sardonic hyperpig, Sparver Bancal, attempt to stop the murders while shutting down a rabble-rousing provocateur. This novel's ideas are mind-stretching, including a limbo where copies of the dead can be kept and interrogated, and a chillingly mischievous AI that tempts and mocks Dreyfus. Familiarity with the earlier novel might help readers sort out the multiple plot threads. The big concepts and complex story effectively pull readers into intriguing speculation about human identity and potential. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
British Science Fiction Award winner Reynolds sets his latest space opera in the Glitter Band, a ring of thousands of worlds in a planetary orbit. Each world has its own culture and society, but all participate in a real-time democracy in which every citizen votes several times a day on legislation that impacts them all. Panoply is the organization tasked with ensuring through its prefects that the democracy runs smoothly and without corruption. But something is killing citizens at an increasingly frequent rate, and Prefect Tom Dreyfuss must figure out what's happening before an uncontrollable panic breaks out. Dreyfuss and the Panoply must also deal with a demagog seeking to undermine the organization's authority, encouraging worlds to break away to self-rule. Verdict In this follow-up to The Prefect, Reynolds has created a vivid universe with beautiful settings and engaging, dynamic characters. There are instances of violence but nothing too graphic, making this appropriate for young adults. Fans of sf will definitely want to pick up this title, especially if they also enjoy mysteries or police procedurals.-Matt Schirano, Univ. of Bridgeport Lib., CT © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
