Exodus: The Archimedes Engine

Peter F Hamilton is back with another mind-blowing hard sci-fi. This time the worlds are 40000 years apart.

Set 42,000 years in the future when humanity has spread across the stars and is presumably not human anymore, it is a story of humans' place in the universe where they are relics of the past. Through genetics, humanity has splintered into multiple species and is ruled by the powerful crown dominion. Tension starts to build up when another one of the old arkship arrives and provides Finn, our protagonist, a chance to leave his elite but mundane lifestyle and explore the stars. It is also the story of Ellie, a human of the old arkship for whom this world is unknown, Fletcher, an excellent character with high morals, Helena-chione, now and forever queen of Wynid, and a lot more characters.

The first one-third of the book is slightly slow-paced where we explore the world of crown dominion, and celestials and are introduced to a plethora of characters. Like always, PFH world-building is beautiful. But considering the number of worlds and characters involved it becomes difficult to follow the plot. If you wade through the same, then the plot starts to make sense, characters become relatable, action starts to build up and anticipation is exciting. The ending is amazing though it leaves us wanting for more.

I would be eagerly waiting for the second part of the duology and the Finn story to conclude.

Thanks Netgalley and Pan Mcmillan for the ARC.

"Exodus: The Archimedes Engine" by Peter F. Hamilton is a thrilling addition to the science fiction genre, combining intricate world-building with high-stakes adventure. The story follows a diverse group of characters as they navigate the challenges of a massive space exodus, driven by the innovative and powerful Archimedes Engine. Hamilton’s narrative is fast-paced and engaging, filled with vivid descriptions and complex, relatable characters. The blend of advanced technology and human drama creates a compelling tale that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. "Exodus: The Archimedes Engine" is a must-read for fans of epic, space-faring sagas.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest opinion.

I am a big Peter F. Hamilton fan and this totally lived up to my expectations. It was epic in scope, story and imagination! It's a slow burn and it took me a while to get to grips with the world-building and the politics but the battle scenes were intense and the ending was edge of the seat stuff. I can't wait until book 2.

Another great story from Peter F. Hamilton. I did save it for the summer holidays as I knew I would need to be able to concentrate on it. There are numerous characters, worlds, inventions, plot lines and at nearing a thousand pages, it isn’t a light read.

As usual, the world building is detailed and epic in scope. Initially starting with just a few storylines, new characters and their stories are gradually introduced. There is a lot of detail about the futuristic societies and the science they have developed. At times it can be hard to follow details of the technology but it doesn’t impede enjoyment of the story, there is plenty of action and intrigue happening throughout. There were a couple of places that the story started to lose my interest, both during side quests of Finn, one of the main characters. It soon picked up again though. There is a sequel and the story is left after a pivotal event happens, leaving it set up for the concluding volume.

Massively exhilirating. Few authors write 1000-page books that reel me in so effectively, and increase my pulse so much. The story has all the major components of what makes the author's previous sci fi sagas so amazing - exceptionally intricate and multi-layered world building (including politics, economy, etc), vivid and empathetic protagonists, political intrigue, ground-breaking ideas on what the future might hold, and, of course, attention grabbing writing and plot evolution.

It's equal to The Night's Dawn Trilogy and the Salvation sequence. Many ideas and concepts are shared, but enough is new. I think I would have found this book more groundbreaking if I'd read this first, but even as it is - it still comes across as among the best hard sci-fi books I've ever read.

I particularly liked the more sophisticated critique of class and privilege that is more visible in this book vs its predecessors. While the latter were often more action oriented, I do see a lot more nuanced meta social commentary here, and it's exhilarating - making the book so much better.

Highly recommended to any hard sci fi fan. If you loved any of the author's work, or frankly any other space opera at this scale of inventinevess (e.g., Culture, Expanse, or even the Foundation, for that matter), you'd love this book. I can't wait for the next part.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.