Inhibitor Phase
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3.9 • 20 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
A stellar new science fiction adventure from the author who redefined space opera, set in his bestselling Revelation Space universe.
For thirty years a tiny band of humans has been sheltering in the caverns of an airless, crater-pocked world called Michaelmas. Beyond their solar system lie the ruins of human interstellar civilization, stalked by a ruthless, infinitely patient cybernetic entity determined to root out the last few bands of survivors. One man has guided the people of Michaelmas through the hardest of times, and given them hope against the wolves: Miguel de Ruyter.
When a lone human ship blunders into their system, and threatens to lead the wolves to Michaelmas, de Ruyter embarks on a desperate, near-suicide mission to prevent catastrophe. But an encounter with a refugee from the ship—the enigmatic woman who calls herself only Glass—leads to de Ruyter's world being turned upside down.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A human ship passing through the Michaelmas system threatens to draw Inhibitors, a ruthless alien threat, to the hidden community of Sun Hollow in this uneven standalone adventure set in Reynolds's Revelation Space universe (last visited in Chasm City). Miguel de Ruyter, Sun Hollow's leader, sets out to destroy the ship before it can draw unwanted attention to the area. Reynolds's precise, poetic prose provides elegant characterization of his desperate hero as Miguel's plan goes awry and one of the ship's passengers, Glass, survives. Glass reveals that she's come to Sun Hollow purposefully to recruit Miguel for a dangerous mission. Threads of well-layered intrigue spiderweb throughout, occasionally linking to events and characters from previous Revelation Space novels in ways that will delight existing fans without being overly confusing to newcomers. However, some of the science presented as fact makes the fiction implausible after Glass coerces Miguel into accompanying her to the ruins of the Yellowstone system in search of an arcane object with the potential to turn the tide in the fight against the Inhibitors. Suspension of disbelief becomes difficult with the introduction of hyperpigs and contrived technological problems on the way to an underwhelming close. This will best be enjoyed by Reynolds's diehard fans.
Customer Reviews
Verbosity meets deus ex machina
After wading through the extra introspective and explanatory narratives, one does find a story.
A story that moves from crisis to crisis, with the protagonist always coming out ahead by the hair of their skinny skin skin.
The underlying plot is engaging. The concepts and questions intriguing - what would humanity do to preserve itself against extinction? How does human kind compare when it comes to our own treatment of colonized peoples.
Unfortunately there are two fatal flaws in this novel. The constant reality show gushes of interpersonal feelings and commentary are overly long, overly sappy, overly done and frankly, not required for the story.
And of course there is the miraculous intervention of outside forces, players or capability that show up and save the day at the last minute. I prefer to have things build up to moments of divine intervention, rather than being pulled out of the hat.
All this to say - it could have been edited down quite a bit on the character monologues and more logical and coherent introductions should be put in place.
Unimpressive and contrived
Whenever there’s a problem, the protagonist’s spaceship solves it in an essentially magical way.