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Transformation #3
Infinity Engine
In the outskirts of space, and the far corners of the Polity, complex dealings are in play.
Several forces continue to pursue the deadly and enigmatic Penny Royal, none more dangerous than the Brockle, a psychopathic forensics AI and criminal who has escaped the Polity’s confinements and is upgrading itself in anticipation of a deadly showdown, becoming ever more powerful and intelligent.
Aboard Factory Station Room 101, the behemoth war factory that birthed Penny Royal, groups of humans, alien prador, and AI war drones grapple for control. The stability of the ship is complicated by the arrival of a gabbleduck known as the Weaver, the last living member of the ancient and powerful Atheter alien race.
What would an Atheter want with the complicated dealings of Penny Royal? Are the Polity and prador forces playing right into the dark AI’s hand, or is it the other way around? Set pieces align in the final book of Neal Asher’s action-packed Transformation trilogy, pointing to a showdown on the cusp of the Layden’s Sink black hole, inside of which lies a powerful secret, one that could destroy the entire Polity.
Several forces continue to pursue the deadly and enigmatic Penny Royal, none more dangerous than the Brockle, a psychopathic forensics AI and criminal who has escaped the Polity’s confinements and is upgrading itself in anticipation of a deadly showdown, becoming ever more powerful and intelligent.
Aboard Factory Station Room 101, the behemoth war factory that birthed Penny Royal, groups of humans, alien prador, and AI war drones grapple for control. The stability of the ship is complicated by the arrival of a gabbleduck known as the Weaver, the last living member of the ancient and powerful Atheter alien race.
What would an Atheter want with the complicated dealings of Penny Royal? Are the Polity and prador forces playing right into the dark AI’s hand, or is it the other way around? Set pieces align in the final book of Neal Asher’s action-packed Transformation trilogy, pointing to a showdown on the cusp of the Layden’s Sink black hole, inside of which lies a powerful secret, one that could destroy the entire Polity.
488 pages, Hardcover
First published March 21, 2017
68 people are currently reading
1,216 people want to read
About the author
Neal Asher
145books2,966followersI’ve been an engineer, barman, skip lorry driver, coalman, boat window manufacturer, contract grass cutter and builder. Now I write science fiction books, and am slowly getting over the feeling that someone is going to find me out, and can call myself a writer without wincing and ducking my head. As professions go, I prefer this one: I don’t have to clock-in, change my clothes after work, nor scrub sensitive parts of my body with detergent. I think I’ll hang around.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
December 3, 2018
Oh my god. Or, I should say, Penny Royal. :)
I've been steadily raving about Asher's novels more and more because they just keep getting BETTER and BETTER. This Transformation trilogy has got to be my absolute favorite.
Actually, the whole weaving of all these threads from book one to the end was so thoroughly SATISFYING that I may just start raving about it to non-specialized high-tech space-opera fans and just start pulling in normal SF fans to point and say... "Just look at this trilogy, skip the rest, just read this and MARVEL at the juicy characters, epic events, and thoroughly F***ed-up poison chalice wish-granting going on here.
Get your wishes granted! But Penny Royal, the mad AI that almost all of the Polity AIs fear, and rightly so, thinks on a VERY twisted path. The second novel was fantastic for giving us the AI's history, but the third novel gets the Mad AI Factory back online in a big way and EVERYONE is out to put an END to it. And Penny Royal.
And if that wasn't enough, the whole twisted story of Penny Royal creating many teams of creatively uber-powerful peeps of all walks and races JUST to murder the hell out of him because he's JUST TOO POWERFUL and suffers HUGE guilt for the things that broke his mind... well... I can't think of a better or more satisfying end to this trilogy than what we got.
Brilliant! I'm dancing about here in utter glee! :)
I've been steadily raving about Asher's novels more and more because they just keep getting BETTER and BETTER. This Transformation trilogy has got to be my absolute favorite.
Actually, the whole weaving of all these threads from book one to the end was so thoroughly SATISFYING that I may just start raving about it to non-specialized high-tech space-opera fans and just start pulling in normal SF fans to point and say... "Just look at this trilogy, skip the rest, just read this and MARVEL at the juicy characters, epic events, and thoroughly F***ed-up poison chalice wish-granting going on here.
Get your wishes granted! But Penny Royal, the mad AI that almost all of the Polity AIs fear, and rightly so, thinks on a VERY twisted path. The second novel was fantastic for giving us the AI's history, but the third novel gets the Mad AI Factory back online in a big way and EVERYONE is out to put an END to it. And Penny Royal.
And if that wasn't enough, the whole twisted story of Penny Royal creating many teams of creatively uber-powerful peeps of all walks and races JUST to murder the hell out of him because he's JUST TOO POWERFUL and suffers HUGE guilt for the things that broke his mind... well... I can't think of a better or more satisfying end to this trilogy than what we got.
Brilliant! I'm dancing about here in utter glee! :)
June 18, 2023
One of the most satisfying endings to a series I've ever read. Every story line is logically concluded, and the way
characters and ideas from other books are used is nothing short of amazing. To me this is the best stuff Mr. Asher has put out, read it if you are not adverse to having fun.
characters and ideas from other books are used is nothing short of amazing. To me this is the best stuff Mr. Asher has put out, read it if you are not adverse to having fun.
April 26, 2025
4.5 starts for sure. Asher finally brings some closure to the saga of Penny Royal, albeit in his breathtaking way. Very satisfying.
Reread notes-- Nov 2023. The final volume in the trilogy manages to wrap the series up nicely. The series as a whole was something of a new departure for Asher, as it primarily concerned the idea of redemption and the futility of war. While set 100 years or so after the war between the Polity and Prador, many flashbacks take us back to the war, especially as many of the main characters were involved in it, including of course Penny Royal, the rogue (dark) A.I. that began existence as the A.I. of a destroyer.
From the first volume, we know one of Penny Royal's first acts was to sneak behind enemy lines and wipe out around 8000 polity soldiers on a planet being overrun by the Prador. After that, Penny left the Polity and did a range of other bizarre and horrible things to humanity. Now, when the story starts, Penny managed to edit and cause the finding of a soldier, Spear, who was killed in the planetary attack that was Penny's first act. Spear initially hates Penny and vows to wipe her out. Other characters are also introduced who all want a piece of Penny, but Penny is playing some sort of long game. What does it really want?
While character development is not really Asher's forte, he does imbue the main ones here with more than in his previous work. His 'gee wiz' tech is also here in spades, although that does not drive the story, again, something a little new for Asher. Really, the Transformation series is about the human condition and whether or not despicable acts can be forgiven. It is also about people (humans, A.I., aliens, whatever) often face impossible choices, yet decisions still must be made. Is it just to 'sacrifice' soldiers to achieve some objective? Do the ends justify the means? Again, this series is something of a departure for Asher and he clearly has evolved as an author.
Reread notes-- Nov 2023. The final volume in the trilogy manages to wrap the series up nicely. The series as a whole was something of a new departure for Asher, as it primarily concerned the idea of redemption and the futility of war. While set 100 years or so after the war between the Polity and Prador, many flashbacks take us back to the war, especially as many of the main characters were involved in it, including of course Penny Royal, the rogue (dark) A.I. that began existence as the A.I. of a destroyer.
From the first volume, we know one of Penny Royal's first acts was to sneak behind enemy lines and wipe out around 8000 polity soldiers on a planet being overrun by the Prador. After that, Penny left the Polity and did a range of other bizarre and horrible things to humanity. Now, when the story starts, Penny managed to edit and cause the finding of a soldier, Spear, who was killed in the planetary attack that was Penny's first act. Spear initially hates Penny and vows to wipe her out. Other characters are also introduced who all want a piece of Penny, but Penny is playing some sort of long game. What does it really want?
While character development is not really Asher's forte, he does imbue the main ones here with more than in his previous work. His 'gee wiz' tech is also here in spades, although that does not drive the story, again, something a little new for Asher. Really, the Transformation series is about the human condition and whether or not despicable acts can be forgiven. It is also about people (humans, A.I., aliens, whatever) often face impossible choices, yet decisions still must be made. Is it just to 'sacrifice' soldiers to achieve some objective? Do the ends justify the means? Again, this series is something of a departure for Asher and he clearly has evolved as an author.
August 6, 2019
Mind bending brilliant sci-fi.
A great finish to a superb trilogy. All the strings and plots that have been setup previously by Penny Royal are all brought together. Alien tech, mad AI's, galactic politics, time travel paradoxes and human players all combine for a great climax. Bravo, Neal Asher.
A great finish to a superb trilogy. All the strings and plots that have been setup previously by Penny Royal are all brought together. Alien tech, mad AI's, galactic politics, time travel paradoxes and human players all combine for a great climax. Bravo, Neal Asher.
March 17, 2017
Infinity Engine (Transformation, #3) by Neal Asher
ZOMG! Neal Asher takes us to the very edge of space and time in the conclusion to his Transformation series. Let me tell you what, I think I need a cardiologist after reading this book! It was nonstop, pulled no punches, took no quarter, and held no prisoners!
This is a thick book, but with all of the many subplots involved, it had to be. If you have read the first two books, then you understand why. When you drop a rider into the Polity universe, the reader finds that this is indeed a huge epic, writ large. The characters are each complex and many layered. And yes, they do drive the plot. But they also drive each other (In more ways the one!), and bounce off of each other, and interact with, and annoy, and so on and so forth.
I thought it very well done that in this final epic, Penny Royal (the erstwhile antagonist and protagonist) of the previous books is almost a minor character? Well, as "minor" as she could be? At least until the very satisfying conclusion. I also was pleased that in a space and time where AI's and aliens, and all manner of things can be done, it was a (not so) simple human that had to make a choice. And what a choice he made!
Make no mistake, I right now (in some part of the Polityverse) rolling over and lighting one up! Yes, it was just that good!
ZOMG! Neal Asher takes us to the very edge of space and time in the conclusion to his Transformation series. Let me tell you what, I think I need a cardiologist after reading this book! It was nonstop, pulled no punches, took no quarter, and held no prisoners!
This is a thick book, but with all of the many subplots involved, it had to be. If you have read the first two books, then you understand why. When you drop a rider into the Polity universe, the reader finds that this is indeed a huge epic, writ large. The characters are each complex and many layered. And yes, they do drive the plot. But they also drive each other (In more ways the one!), and bounce off of each other, and interact with, and annoy, and so on and so forth.
I thought it very well done that in this final epic, Penny Royal (the erstwhile antagonist and protagonist) of the previous books is almost a minor character? Well, as "minor" as she could be? At least until the very satisfying conclusion. I also was pleased that in a space and time where AI's and aliens, and all manner of things can be done, it was a (not so) simple human that had to make a choice. And what a choice he made!
Make no mistake, I right now (in some part of the Polityverse) rolling over and lighting one up! Yes, it was just that good!
March 14, 2017
A few inadequate words on the numinous Infinity Engine by the luminous @nealasher
Mr. Asher weaves a complex and intricate tale. He leads us, captivated, to the inevitable and inexorable yet unforeseen conclusion. The gradual unraveling of the past mixed with the fraught action of the present is riveting It is followed by the final revelation of the whole truth which has on me as great an impact as the final revelation in Sophie's Choice. It is in its own way as devastating. The climax of the story takes place at Panarchia, where Penny Royal's tale begins. So here at the end and the beginning, is where stand the dramatis personae.
Trent Sorbel, erstwhile soulless tyro and basic sadistic criminal thug, has like the Tin Man, been in need of a heart. In the end he has grown one through his shepherding of the shell people and his love for three particular shell people. He has redeemed himself, Penny Royal just provided the setting.
cc-by-sa
Weiter, weiter ins verderben. Wir müssen leben bis wir sterben. --RammsteinMy first Neal Asher story was Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck (Asimov's August 2005). Then came The Gabble (Asimov's, March 2006). I was fascinated and intrigued by the wonder and mystery of the Gabbleducks and everything about them. I'd been reading science fiction for forty years; so fascinating and intriguing me was no mean feat. Alien Archaeology (Asimov's June 2007) was the first Penny Royal story I read and it had not only a Gabbleduck, but also a rusty former ECS agent and an incredibly narcissistic and greedy treasure seeker. The fascination only deepened. I gleefully read the subsequent stories with Penny Royal, culminating in The Transformation Trilogy, which ties together the Prador, the Gabbleducks (we all know those are the Atheter, right?) and Penny Royal. There's also the shadow of a connection to Ian Cormac.
Mr. Asher weaves a complex and intricate tale. He leads us, captivated, to the inevitable and inexorable yet unforeseen conclusion. The gradual unraveling of the past mixed with the fraught action of the present is riveting It is followed by the final revelation of the whole truth which has on me as great an impact as the final revelation in Sophie's Choice. It is in its own way as devastating. The climax of the story takes place at Panarchia, where Penny Royal's tale begins. So here at the end and the beginning, is where stand the dramatis personae.
Meanwhile, over the years, it became apparent that Sverl was changing in some strange way.Sverl started as a contradiction- a Polity-hating, human-loathing Prador possessed of an overweening curiosity. (You! You readers of War Factory. You didn't really think Penny Royal was finished with Sverl, did you?) He ends as a much happier and better suited/fitted individual than he started. And he is something of a trailblazer for the Prador. I suspect more will follow in his foot prints, or rather, claw marks. (Sfolk is also happy with his new position.)
no one had any idea what the Weaver's intentions now were.The Weaver is, as always, sitting in the catbird seat. He proves it is possible to achieve happiness, attain goals, and get what one wants, to the consternation of the Polity AI's, with some collaboration with Penny Royal. This involves a quid pro quo beneficial to all concerned, especially the reader. I wonder though if he isn't a bit lonely. Perhaps some more Atheter memstores will turn up.
"Welcome to the prison hulk the Tyburn. I am the Brockle and I am here to execute sentence on you."The Brockle, oh, the deliciously deranged and arrogant Brockle. Mr Asher had to create a suitable, a plausible antagonist, and so came the Brockle with his Penny Royal like shoaling and his ability to hijack the once again hapless Garotte, and his nearly unlimited ability to expand himself and his abilities. The Brockle is not only nemesis, but also foil to Penny Royal. Playing Hotspur to Penny Royal's young prince Harry, he is all Penny Royal should be, only not in a thousand years.
During the ensuing three periods of waking, Trent thought about his past, wished he could change it but accepted he couldn't.
Trent Sorbel, erstwhile soulless tyro and basic sadistic criminal thug, has like the Tin Man, been in need of a heart. In the end he has grown one through his shepherding of the shell people and his love for three particular shell people. He has redeemed himself, Penny Royal just provided the setting.
Blite and the crew were a strange lot.Speaking of hapless, poor Blite and his crew have been dragged along by Penny Royal through the thickest thickets in the briar patch, the Graveyard, and beyond. In the end he and his crew are no longer a blight on the Polity and well, you'll see.
On Masada, Penny Royal had provided me with intimate evidence of its own guilt, so my role seemed to be that of executioner.Riss and Spear have at last completed their tasks as Penny Royal's chosen instruments. They are in a position to leave The War and Penny Royal in the past and move on into their futures. Through the spine entrusted to Spear, we/they learn the whole story of Room 101, Penny Royal, and events on and around Panarchia. The story speaks volumes about the exigencies of war, decisions made by leaders safely at the rear, the disposability of those at the sharp end, and how we/all societies have treated our veterans. The task chosen by Penny Royal for Spear was to execute him or forgive him for his role at Panarchia and all that followed. As for the rest, well that's our play, and it wouldn't want us to give it away.
cc-by-sa
April 22, 2020
Read full review over at
It has all the hallmarks of what you have come to expect of a Neal Asher novel with a far more intimate look at the characters. A brilliantly woven story with huge implications for the future of the Polity.
It has all the hallmarks of what you have come to expect of a Neal Asher novel with a far more intimate look at the characters. A brilliantly woven story with huge implications for the future of the Polity.
January 5, 2024
An extremely satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, but also a great treat to the faithful fans of Polity in general. Still haven't decided on the rating, but I had a freaking blast. Gobbled the entire trilogy in just a few days (or should I have said "gabbled"? :P)
RTC!
RTC!
August 7, 2019
Abych parafrázoval autora, na každou novou knihu Neala Ashera se těším stejně, jako se pradorské druhodítě třese na nový gatlingův kulomet. A stejně jako to druhodítě, i já si to vždycky užiju :-)
Stroj nekonečna je parádní vyvrcholení trilogie Proměna přesně v Asherově stylu - třeskutá, na nic si nehrající space opera, kde najdete záhadné mimozemšťany, šílené umělé inteligence, sympatickéválečné roboty vraždící maniaky a mnoho dalšího.
S čím na nás pan Asher přijde příště?
Stroj nekonečna je parádní vyvrcholení trilogie Proměna přesně v Asherově stylu - třeskutá, na nic si nehrající space opera, kde najdete záhadné mimozemšťany, šílené umělé inteligence, sympatické
S čím na nás pan Asher přijde příště?
January 20, 2018
Well I liked it but I think I mostly liked it because it wrapped up about 80% of the questions I had come up with through the transformation series. The roughly 20% of questions maybe I supposed to be non-answered. I don't know.
This book involved the Weaver and like when he was introduced in The Technician (I tried to do the insert book/author link but it doesn't work for me, maybe it hates the Edge browser. I don't know. Go look it up...that was a fun book) he is super extra duty enigmatic because he is a totally new unknown type of being but I still think his motivations and reasoning should be at least somewhat accessible. But he is written again as a mysterious taciturn Buda being which by the end of the book when it was clear he was more of a device than a character it got pretty old.
The other deliberate writing trick that started to bother me was in the first half of the book. Asher's polity novels most always have a lot of character hopping but in the first half of this book the pace of the hopping was almost frenetic creating a feeling of confusion and aimlessness. I am certain this was deliberately done to mirror the feelings of Thorvald Spear but to me it became frustrating after a while. Fortunately by about page 200 the pace of the hopping began to ease and the scenes stayed with a character long enough to feel like the story was moving somewhere.
OK, my final issue is that the whole Transformation series deals with the dark AI Penny Royal. Penny Royal does appear in the book but he was also marginalized by making him extra taciturn and mysterious. In fact, I never did understand how he could have uh...
My favorite part was his dedication. My heart breaks for him in the loss of his wife. His emotions there clearly run deep and I hope he is finding some peace.
However, my favorite part was the dedication which is why this entry in the Transformation series is only getting three stars. I can recommend the book to anyone that has read the other books in the series and to any fans of the Polity universe but it is not my favorite.
This book involved the Weaver and like when he was introduced in The Technician (I tried to do the insert book/author link but it doesn't work for me, maybe it hates the Edge browser. I don't know. Go look it up...that was a fun book) he is super extra duty enigmatic because he is a totally new unknown type of being but I still think his motivations and reasoning should be at least somewhat accessible. But he is written again as a mysterious taciturn Buda being which by the end of the book when it was clear he was more of a device than a character it got pretty old.
The other deliberate writing trick that started to bother me was in the first half of the book. Asher's polity novels most always have a lot of character hopping but in the first half of this book the pace of the hopping was almost frenetic creating a feeling of confusion and aimlessness. I am certain this was deliberately done to mirror the feelings of Thorvald Spear but to me it became frustrating after a while. Fortunately by about page 200 the pace of the hopping began to ease and the scenes stayed with a character long enough to feel like the story was moving somewhere.
OK, my final issue is that the whole Transformation series deals with the dark AI Penny Royal. Penny Royal does appear in the book but he was also marginalized by making him extra taciturn and mysterious. In fact, I never did understand how he could have uh...
My favorite part was his dedication. My heart breaks for him in the loss of his wife. His emotions there clearly run deep and I hope he is finding some peace.
However, my favorite part was the dedication which is why this entry in the Transformation series is only getting three stars. I can recommend the book to anyone that has read the other books in the series and to any fans of the Polity universe but it is not my favorite.
May 4, 2017
I am a huge fan of Neal Asher. However.............
This is the conclusion of his recent trilogy, and it certainly delivers in most areas. But there elements in this book that do not do it for me. It is no spoiler to say that most, if not all of this trilogy is all controlled by one, or two very powerful, intelligent entities, and that everything you read IS part of some huge, massive, intricate plan. Because of this it took me out of the story. When you know that every decision that someone takes, every action, plot detail, twist and turn is all part of some plan and not based on their own reasoning, logic, thinking etc, it lessens their importance, their value and they become pawns, not people, and even their emotional responses you cannot connect too because it is part of something else's plan. When this becomes clear, even a 'random' plot thread you start to view as something not happening because this character decided it is going to do it, but 'how is this part of the plan?' 'Who started this?' and so on.
That is not to say that there isn't anything awesome in this book. The action is intense and well described. The space battles are very good, some of the best in literature today. Asher doesn't focus too much on how things relate to other things in space, but he just gets into the action with missiles, massive beam weapons, with explosions and such like. It is thrilling stuff and one reason why he is my favourite author.
Also there is some brilliantly well realised and described body horror. Weird adaptations of humans that are described is some detail, but the rest is left for you fill in the blanks, so your imagination leaves you feeling sick. It is never over the top and all the time, so when it does happen there is impact and weight to it, you do not become complacent with it all.
The technology as well is fantastic. It gets technical, yes, but it never becomes too much so you become bored and start skim reading. The parts where there is some explanation to science things, sounds like it could be true. Asher has done research and sounds plausible. When he goes into far off technology it gets really interesting and mind bendingly good.
On one hand I can not ignore the opening criticism, it is a big factor in his writing, and it is becoming repetitive and clichéd, and nothing seems to happen because of reaction or pro-action, but because something, somewhere decided it was going to set events on motion.
There is resolution to all of the plot threads, some are very good, others you feel like they went on too long, and too much page time was spent with one or two things when at the end of it all it was something relatively simple, and you got the point ages ago. But the other plot resolutions are fantastic, and a couple have lasting ramifications.....
It is almost a return to form, but the length of the trilogy compared to the actual story is disproportionate lets it down.
This is the conclusion of his recent trilogy, and it certainly delivers in most areas. But there elements in this book that do not do it for me. It is no spoiler to say that most, if not all of this trilogy is all controlled by one, or two very powerful, intelligent entities, and that everything you read IS part of some huge, massive, intricate plan. Because of this it took me out of the story. When you know that every decision that someone takes, every action, plot detail, twist and turn is all part of some plan and not based on their own reasoning, logic, thinking etc, it lessens their importance, their value and they become pawns, not people, and even their emotional responses you cannot connect too because it is part of something else's plan. When this becomes clear, even a 'random' plot thread you start to view as something not happening because this character decided it is going to do it, but 'how is this part of the plan?' 'Who started this?' and so on.
That is not to say that there isn't anything awesome in this book. The action is intense and well described. The space battles are very good, some of the best in literature today. Asher doesn't focus too much on how things relate to other things in space, but he just gets into the action with missiles, massive beam weapons, with explosions and such like. It is thrilling stuff and one reason why he is my favourite author.
Also there is some brilliantly well realised and described body horror. Weird adaptations of humans that are described is some detail, but the rest is left for you fill in the blanks, so your imagination leaves you feeling sick. It is never over the top and all the time, so when it does happen there is impact and weight to it, you do not become complacent with it all.
The technology as well is fantastic. It gets technical, yes, but it never becomes too much so you become bored and start skim reading. The parts where there is some explanation to science things, sounds like it could be true. Asher has done research and sounds plausible. When he goes into far off technology it gets really interesting and mind bendingly good.
On one hand I can not ignore the opening criticism, it is a big factor in his writing, and it is becoming repetitive and clichéd, and nothing seems to happen because of reaction or pro-action, but because something, somewhere decided it was going to set events on motion.
There is resolution to all of the plot threads, some are very good, others you feel like they went on too long, and too much page time was spent with one or two things when at the end of it all it was something relatively simple, and you got the point ages ago. But the other plot resolutions are fantastic, and a couple have lasting ramifications.....
It is almost a return to form, but the length of the trilogy compared to the actual story is disproportionate lets it down.
August 2, 2019
Four stars, bumped to five for the sheer ambition and audacity of the plot.
This book caps the Transformation series, but also rewards readers of ALL the other books. It's even got Old Captains and an Atheter, and passing references to things we first read decades ago.
If we removed all references to hardfields and printer-bots, this book might be 50 pages shorter, but that's the pseudo-science game, and gosh, Asher is a complete master of it. Things that start out as remotely plausible under what we know of science are stretched JUST short of ludicrously far. Recent discoveries are acknowledged.
You have to be willing to accept that we're in a Reynolds-Banks universe of infinite resources. Ten-mile long ships carry thousands of anti-matter missiles and unlimited fuel (to be fair, Asher does have ONE ship recharge). U-space allows instantaneous transmission of data and things, probably a concept we should not look at too closely because there would probably be some very serious plot issues.
Oh, and several of the characters are capable of vast rebuilding of themselves. I liked the way the Brockle built itself up like Rocky, never considering that its target might be doing the same only with a massive head start and better tools.
All this hard-SF pseudo-science, and there's room for a theme on ethics, forgiveness, and what might happen if we give AIs emotions.
There's a Cast of Characters at the front. It lists maybe a quarter of the characters. There are umpteen settings, and umpty-three converging plotlines. Yet to his credit, Asher pulls it off; they DO converge, and very tidily.
This is not a quick or easy read, but it's an amazing capstone on a good series.
This book caps the Transformation series, but also rewards readers of ALL the other books. It's even got Old Captains and an Atheter, and passing references to things we first read decades ago.
If we removed all references to hardfields and printer-bots, this book might be 50 pages shorter, but that's the pseudo-science game, and gosh, Asher is a complete master of it. Things that start out as remotely plausible under what we know of science are stretched JUST short of ludicrously far. Recent discoveries are acknowledged.
You have to be willing to accept that we're in a Reynolds-Banks universe of infinite resources. Ten-mile long ships carry thousands of anti-matter missiles and unlimited fuel (to be fair, Asher does have ONE ship recharge). U-space allows instantaneous transmission of data and things, probably a concept we should not look at too closely because there would probably be some very serious plot issues.
Oh, and several of the characters are capable of vast rebuilding of themselves. I liked the way the Brockle built itself up like Rocky, never considering that its target might be doing the same only with a massive head start and better tools.
All this hard-SF pseudo-science, and there's room for a theme on ethics, forgiveness, and what might happen if we give AIs emotions.
There's a Cast of Characters at the front. It lists maybe a quarter of the characters. There are umpteen settings, and umpty-three converging plotlines. Yet to his credit, Asher pulls it off; they DO converge, and very tidily.
This is not a quick or easy read, but it's an amazing capstone on a good series.
February 8, 2019
Science: great. Aliens: fantastic. World building and back story: terrific. Protagonist: hrm...donno.
The hidden puppet is behind everything: Penny Royal, the black AI that dominates the story from the back. It is a hidden force that moves everything into action on its chess board. The problem for me with that (albeit incredibly origional and intriguing) that I could not identify to someone or something that gives stuff purpose and to root for as Asher chose to not have reader- Penny Royal interaction to learn about motives. Actions happen because, well, Penny Royal wanted them to happen? And pieces of the puzzle are given to you because the protagonists experience something Penny Royal wanted them to experience. Of course, in this final novel in the series, many loose ends are tight up and the Penny Royal story comes to a conclusion with many explanations. Still, I found myself drifting away during reading and looking for the purpose. Still, this series is top notch sci-fi; I would rate it somewhere around a 4.5. But the feeling remained that I will not pick up the book soon for a reread, which puts it into the 4 star category for me.
The hidden puppet is behind everything: Penny Royal, the black AI that dominates the story from the back. It is a hidden force that moves everything into action on its chess board. The problem for me with that (albeit incredibly origional and intriguing) that I could not identify to someone or something that gives stuff purpose and to root for as Asher chose to not have reader- Penny Royal interaction to learn about motives. Actions happen because, well, Penny Royal wanted them to happen? And pieces of the puzzle are given to you because the protagonists experience something Penny Royal wanted them to experience. Of course, in this final novel in the series, many loose ends are tight up and the Penny Royal story comes to a conclusion with many explanations. Still, I found myself drifting away during reading and looking for the purpose. Still, this series is top notch sci-fi; I would rate it somewhere around a 4.5. But the feeling remained that I will not pick up the book soon for a reread, which puts it into the 4 star category for me.
October 18, 2018
Things Neal asher does well: hard core sci fi and great technology extrapolations. Intense action scenes, fast pacing
Things he doesn't do well: character development. I didn't really care about, or feel a connection to any of the characters. They tend to be 1 dimensional. Sverl was my favorite character in the series because he had some interesting conflicts of loyalty but the main character, spear, I never felt his motivations were compelling. At the end of the book, it would have made little difference to me if they perished in the final battle or retired to sci fi palm beach
Things he doesn't do well: character development. I didn't really care about, or feel a connection to any of the characters. They tend to be 1 dimensional. Sverl was my favorite character in the series because he had some interesting conflicts of loyalty but the main character, spear, I never felt his motivations were compelling. At the end of the book, it would have made little difference to me if they perished in the final battle or retired to sci fi palm beach
August 22, 2019
The conniving Black AI Penny Royal continues its manipulations of the diverse cast across the Polity and the Prador Kingdom. However, the forensic AI, the Brockle, driven by a belief that Penny Royal must be stopped at all costs goes rogue, breaks out of its confinement and goes on a rampage on its own-since any casualties are acceptable coolateral as long as Penny Royal's plans are thwarted.
Tossed in between this is the familiar cast- Thorvald Spear, the assassin drone Riss, Trent Sobel, Captain Blite, a whole bunch of Prador, and the only surviving Atheter, The Weaver. Asher spins a complex space opera plot with some epic space combat in the hyper-distant future of the Polity universe and it delivers a solid conclusion to a very interesting trilogy.
The main thing is, of course, the plot. Skipping all over the Polity, Asher slowly unfolds the machinations of the demented, yet brilliant AI, as it sets itself up for the greatest transformation of all, while struggling to atone for past transgressions. As multiple characters end up parts f its plans, Asher continues to pose questions about morality and human nature. Introducing the Atheter, a race formerly thought to be extinct, but brought back in Asher's prior novels, gives the whole story an extra dimension, as it pushes the story of Polity as a whole forward.
Then there are the various characters, all undergoing their all transformations, somethign about them being fundamentally changed through contact with Penny Royal. None of them commit any obvious blunders, and their motivations are both believable and understandable, adding to the strength of the story.
And then there's Asher's jargon and the way with which he can write complex science, informational warfare and space battles using high-tech, nigh-incomprehensible weaponry, and make it not only make sense, but seem almost mundane. This allows him to create additional immersion, making the whole experience feel so much more cohesive.
Overall, the book offers a very satisfying conclusion to an incredibly interesting series.
Tossed in between this is the familiar cast- Thorvald Spear, the assassin drone Riss, Trent Sobel, Captain Blite, a whole bunch of Prador, and the only surviving Atheter, The Weaver. Asher spins a complex space opera plot with some epic space combat in the hyper-distant future of the Polity universe and it delivers a solid conclusion to a very interesting trilogy.
The main thing is, of course, the plot. Skipping all over the Polity, Asher slowly unfolds the machinations of the demented, yet brilliant AI, as it sets itself up for the greatest transformation of all, while struggling to atone for past transgressions. As multiple characters end up parts f its plans, Asher continues to pose questions about morality and human nature. Introducing the Atheter, a race formerly thought to be extinct, but brought back in Asher's prior novels, gives the whole story an extra dimension, as it pushes the story of Polity as a whole forward.
Then there are the various characters, all undergoing their all transformations, somethign about them being fundamentally changed through contact with Penny Royal. None of them commit any obvious blunders, and their motivations are both believable and understandable, adding to the strength of the story.
And then there's Asher's jargon and the way with which he can write complex science, informational warfare and space battles using high-tech, nigh-incomprehensible weaponry, and make it not only make sense, but seem almost mundane. This allows him to create additional immersion, making the whole experience feel so much more cohesive.
Overall, the book offers a very satisfying conclusion to an incredibly interesting series.
February 23, 2020
Been reading Neal Asher for a long time and enjoying the ride. I'm rather fond of the kind of straight up Sci-Fi that is his forte. He's completely convincing in the way he populates his inter-galactic sagas with wild science, alien beings and the civilizations they've established, and crusty bitter humans who have been around and seen it all. Sometimes it's hard to keep all the characters and story lines together, as he often writes trilogies, so things can get pretty deep, but you'll never leave without experiencing great adventures and a sense of cosmic wonder. Not unlike the late and dearly missed Iain M. Banks Culture novels. Good stuff
October 23, 2017
Asher continues to amaze.
This is probably the tenth book I've read if his and they are all increasingly good. I honestly couldn't have thought of a better way to end this series, while continuing the story line of the universe he has created.
This is probably the tenth book I've read if his and they are all increasingly good. I honestly couldn't have thought of a better way to end this series, while continuing the story line of the universe he has created.
December 18, 2020
A good ending to the "Transformation" trilogy. This book provides good closure and explains a lot that was left open in the previous books. The third book is the precise continuation of the first two -- no significant new characters or changes to the main plot.
Nitpick: some characters got so powerful that things start becoming too "fantastic", breaking the suspension of disbelief. In any case, still a good and entertaining read.
Nitpick: some characters got so powerful that things start becoming too "fantastic", breaking the suspension of disbelief. In any case, still a good and entertaining read.
October 15, 2018
Really good. A bit of a weird ending but solid sci-fi!!
August 12, 2020
Solid series. Sometimes it's just good to read scifi where the laws of physics don't matter and there's all kinds of weird aliens and technology.
March 28, 2025
Bit of a mixed bag for a finale, strong opening, middle act was a bit boring, drawn out and convoluted, ending was strong.
March 11, 2024
Suite et fin de la trilogie Transformation, une des trilogies les plus explosives et funs de l’auteur ! Il y a vraiment tout pour en faire une lecture appréciable et intelligente, avec à la fois de l’action et des réflexions très poussées sur l’IA et la vengeance, sans parler des pradors, beaucoup plus subtils ici que jamais. En bref, comme toujours : lisez du Asher, c’est top !
June 21, 2017
In science fiction, movies, and books, there is a great though short history of evil and/or mad computers. We often fear what we depend on, and the more we depend on computers, my guess is that we will see more narratives of their malevolence. My first was Colossus: The Forbin Project. The movie and the book inspired me and set a background for interest in maddest computer in then contemporary culture: HAL 9000 of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Neal Asher's recent hardcover release, completing his Transformation trilogy, is done with a mixed narrative, with sections of it done in the first person by a lead character: one we are supposed to identify with. Yet, the series is really about "the black AI" called Penny Royal. Not for the first time an author gives us a glimpse into the workings and motives of a sentient computer, superior to us in all ways, yet with all our attributes. All? Well, of course we know that Penny Royal is evil, and evil due to super intelligence.
Books could be written about the history of the concept of intelligence. For when a being is intelligent, yet performs no useful function in our society, it is suspected of evil. There is the adage about the idle minds being the Devil's workshop, yet there is more to it. If intellect does not equal either usefulness or high discretionary income at the very least, a human (or non-human) being must be sinful, and often today sinful is also sickness. This relates to something at the core of the Puritan ethic. In fact, note how many American television personalities through the years have had some kind of mental or physical defect, which, I think, is supposed to make them more equal, more humble, to the rest of us. We can excuse useful though suspect, intellects if they are maimed in some way. Given our suspicious attitude, perhaps there is some truth to this distorting meme. (I note that nearly all evil women, I think of Sharon Stone's lead character in Basic Instict, are super smart).
With Neal Asher, I have run into a human construct become non-human, even pure evil it would seem, except for one central goal of this excellent science fiction: that we walk a mile, or a light year, in the computers shoes (prostheses). When, and I will not spoil it, a final confrontation takes place between the lead AI, Penny Royal, and the lead human, Spear, we understand the complexity of this evil. Moreover, like good science fiction about aliens, we find that the non-human mostly points to some things-all-too-humanoid: intelligence, evil, guilt, love, and empathy, in the face of the insane, often contradictory morality, we encounter even now, in the prosaic present. Read science fiction in this light, and much if it may seem, well, subversive. Another article idea: science fiction writers as idle minds.
Neal Asher's recent hardcover release, completing his Transformation trilogy, is done with a mixed narrative, with sections of it done in the first person by a lead character: one we are supposed to identify with. Yet, the series is really about "the black AI" called Penny Royal. Not for the first time an author gives us a glimpse into the workings and motives of a sentient computer, superior to us in all ways, yet with all our attributes. All? Well, of course we know that Penny Royal is evil, and evil due to super intelligence.
Books could be written about the history of the concept of intelligence. For when a being is intelligent, yet performs no useful function in our society, it is suspected of evil. There is the adage about the idle minds being the Devil's workshop, yet there is more to it. If intellect does not equal either usefulness or high discretionary income at the very least, a human (or non-human) being must be sinful, and often today sinful is also sickness. This relates to something at the core of the Puritan ethic. In fact, note how many American television personalities through the years have had some kind of mental or physical defect, which, I think, is supposed to make them more equal, more humble, to the rest of us. We can excuse useful though suspect, intellects if they are maimed in some way. Given our suspicious attitude, perhaps there is some truth to this distorting meme. (I note that nearly all evil women, I think of Sharon Stone's lead character in Basic Instict, are super smart).
With Neal Asher, I have run into a human construct become non-human, even pure evil it would seem, except for one central goal of this excellent science fiction: that we walk a mile, or a light year, in the computers shoes (prostheses). When, and I will not spoil it, a final confrontation takes place between the lead AI, Penny Royal, and the lead human, Spear, we understand the complexity of this evil. Moreover, like good science fiction about aliens, we find that the non-human mostly points to some things-all-too-humanoid: intelligence, evil, guilt, love, and empathy, in the face of the insane, often contradictory morality, we encounter even now, in the prosaic present. Read science fiction in this light, and much if it may seem, well, subversive. Another article idea: science fiction writers as idle minds.
July 16, 2017
Originally published at .
Before I begin to analyse and review this novel, I'll mention that I hadn't read much fiction by Neal Asher prior to reading this novel. It took a bit of time for me to get used to the author's complex and well-created Polity universe, because I had to do research about the previous novels and their happenings, but boy, am I glad I took the opportunity to acquaint myself with them, because the Polity universe is simply amazing!
I admit that this reading experience was a bit overwhelming, because there was a lot of information to take in. Although it took a bit of time for me to explore the Polity universe, I enjoyed every minute of it and liked what I found out about the characters, the aliens and the technology. I'm soon going to read more novels by the author, because I want to find out what exactly has happened in the previous novels.
Infinity Engine is the third and final novel in the Transformation trilogy (the previous novels are Dark Intelligence and War Factory). It's an intricate and brilliantly created novel, which is filled with complex and layered characters ranging from AIs and humans to aliens. What separates it from many other science fiction novels is the diverse cast of characters, the detailed worldbuilding and the amount of subplots. It's the best and most satisfying space opera novel I've read in ages.
Because I feel that the less you know about this novel and its climax, the more you'll love the unfolding story, I'll try to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, but I aim to be informative. (Trust me when I say that you don't want to be spoiled by too many revelations about the story and its climax, because the climax is worth waiting for.)
Here's a bit of information about how the story begins:
Haiman Crowther studies and analyses the unique black hole, Layden's Sink. The Hawking radiation coming from the black hole isn't always a simple chaotic output, but occasionally radiation exits in organised form, as data. Crowther is near the location where Penny Royal, an artifical intelligence that changed into something dark, was created and wonders why it has done certain things... The Brockle, an artificial intelligence who has once interrogated people, has a discussion with a woman who is auged. It kills the woman and leaves the scenes, because it has already breached its confinement and killed nominally innocent human beings and is committed to a grander aim. It changes its appearance and finds a way to escape.... Riss is slowly recovering from the combined EM pulse and viral attack, because her internal systems are yet to heal the damage... Trent discusses things with Sepia, the catadapt woman, and Cole, the mid-tech. They explore places and soon face a surgical robot that informs them that the place they've entered is not allowed for trespassers... And Penny Royal is making its own machinations...
This is the beginning of a story, which develops nicely towards a thrilling climax. I found the unfolding story interesting and was totally hooked by it, because it was intricately complex.
I like the author's storytelling style, because he concentrates on writing about various characters and their deeds. I find the author's way of following different plot threads masterful. The characters, their motivations and their deeds are all handled in a satisfying way. The characterisation is good and will please many readers.
The artificial intelligences are among the most impressive I've ever encountered in science fiction novels. Penny Royal and the Brockle are interesting and complex AIs, because they seem to be driven by their own agendas and have their own goals. The author's vision of them and their actions feels fresh and exciting.
Penny Royal is an artificial intelligence constructed in Factory Station Room 101, during the Polity war against the prador. Its crystal mind was faulty and it changed and did vicious things. Now it has its own machinations and readers are being kept at guessing whether they're good or evil until the ending. The Brockle is a powerful artificial intelligence, a swarm robot consisting of worm-like units that it can pull together into human form. It chases Penny Royal, because it considers Penny Royal to be a threat and aims to do what it must do regardless of what may happen while doing so and how many lives may be lost. I'm aware that there's no shortage of stories featuring AIs doing whatever they want to do, but there's something about the Brockle that makes it different. For instance, there's a thrillingly deranged feel to it that intrigued me.
When I began to read this novel and searched for information about the Polity novels, the xenophobic prador, who are giant crablike creatures, fascinated me a lot, because hostility is part of their biology. Among many other things, I also found the assassin drones and their deeds intriguing.
What makes this novel stand out in the field of science fiction is the author's fluent way of writing about technology and everything related to it. He's one of the few authors who excel in it. Despite the fact that almost everything about the story and technical information is fully fictional, details concerning technology feel suprisingly plausible.
If there are those out there who are not familiar with the Polity universe, Polity is a human/AI dominion extending across many star systems, occupying a spherical space spanning the thickness of the galaxy and centred on Earth. It is ruled by AIs and is a highly techinical civilization. There are many well-known science fiction tropes in the Polity universe, but the author uses them in an original and entertaining way.
I consider Neal Asher's Infinity Engine to be one of the crowning achievements in the space opera genre. It's satisfyingly original, wonderfully complex and above all else very entertaining. It's great that the author has managed to come up with such a distinct vision of space opera, because he doesn't struggle with worldbuilding and science fiction tropes, but blends and merges many elements with ease.
I found it interesting that the author touches upon such themes and issues as morality, politics, redemption, transformation and intelligence in an excellent way, but doesn't dwell on them. I also like the author's ability to keep things on the move and his way of delivering intense action scenes, because he does everything on purpose and avoids easy resolutions.
It's great that this novel has a well-made list of characters and a glossary, because it helps readers - especially newcomers to the Polity universe - to understand certain things better. I found these appendixes useful and informative, because I didn't know much about the Polity universe.
I highly recommend Neal Asher's Infinity Engine to readers who enjoy reading space opera novels with good characterisation. If you want to read quality science fiction and excellent space opera, don't look any further, because this novel has everything you could ever hope to find in a good space opera story. I have a feeling that this novel will be difficult to surpass on many levels, because it's a stunning achievement and may well be the author's best novel to date.
An outstanding and satisfyingly complex space opera novel!
Before I begin to analyse and review this novel, I'll mention that I hadn't read much fiction by Neal Asher prior to reading this novel. It took a bit of time for me to get used to the author's complex and well-created Polity universe, because I had to do research about the previous novels and their happenings, but boy, am I glad I took the opportunity to acquaint myself with them, because the Polity universe is simply amazing!
I admit that this reading experience was a bit overwhelming, because there was a lot of information to take in. Although it took a bit of time for me to explore the Polity universe, I enjoyed every minute of it and liked what I found out about the characters, the aliens and the technology. I'm soon going to read more novels by the author, because I want to find out what exactly has happened in the previous novels.
Infinity Engine is the third and final novel in the Transformation trilogy (the previous novels are Dark Intelligence and War Factory). It's an intricate and brilliantly created novel, which is filled with complex and layered characters ranging from AIs and humans to aliens. What separates it from many other science fiction novels is the diverse cast of characters, the detailed worldbuilding and the amount of subplots. It's the best and most satisfying space opera novel I've read in ages.
Because I feel that the less you know about this novel and its climax, the more you'll love the unfolding story, I'll try to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, but I aim to be informative. (Trust me when I say that you don't want to be spoiled by too many revelations about the story and its climax, because the climax is worth waiting for.)
Here's a bit of information about how the story begins:
Haiman Crowther studies and analyses the unique black hole, Layden's Sink. The Hawking radiation coming from the black hole isn't always a simple chaotic output, but occasionally radiation exits in organised form, as data. Crowther is near the location where Penny Royal, an artifical intelligence that changed into something dark, was created and wonders why it has done certain things... The Brockle, an artificial intelligence who has once interrogated people, has a discussion with a woman who is auged. It kills the woman and leaves the scenes, because it has already breached its confinement and killed nominally innocent human beings and is committed to a grander aim. It changes its appearance and finds a way to escape.... Riss is slowly recovering from the combined EM pulse and viral attack, because her internal systems are yet to heal the damage... Trent discusses things with Sepia, the catadapt woman, and Cole, the mid-tech. They explore places and soon face a surgical robot that informs them that the place they've entered is not allowed for trespassers... And Penny Royal is making its own machinations...
This is the beginning of a story, which develops nicely towards a thrilling climax. I found the unfolding story interesting and was totally hooked by it, because it was intricately complex.
I like the author's storytelling style, because he concentrates on writing about various characters and their deeds. I find the author's way of following different plot threads masterful. The characters, their motivations and their deeds are all handled in a satisfying way. The characterisation is good and will please many readers.
The artificial intelligences are among the most impressive I've ever encountered in science fiction novels. Penny Royal and the Brockle are interesting and complex AIs, because they seem to be driven by their own agendas and have their own goals. The author's vision of them and their actions feels fresh and exciting.
Penny Royal is an artificial intelligence constructed in Factory Station Room 101, during the Polity war against the prador. Its crystal mind was faulty and it changed and did vicious things. Now it has its own machinations and readers are being kept at guessing whether they're good or evil until the ending. The Brockle is a powerful artificial intelligence, a swarm robot consisting of worm-like units that it can pull together into human form. It chases Penny Royal, because it considers Penny Royal to be a threat and aims to do what it must do regardless of what may happen while doing so and how many lives may be lost. I'm aware that there's no shortage of stories featuring AIs doing whatever they want to do, but there's something about the Brockle that makes it different. For instance, there's a thrillingly deranged feel to it that intrigued me.
When I began to read this novel and searched for information about the Polity novels, the xenophobic prador, who are giant crablike creatures, fascinated me a lot, because hostility is part of their biology. Among many other things, I also found the assassin drones and their deeds intriguing.
What makes this novel stand out in the field of science fiction is the author's fluent way of writing about technology and everything related to it. He's one of the few authors who excel in it. Despite the fact that almost everything about the story and technical information is fully fictional, details concerning technology feel suprisingly plausible.
If there are those out there who are not familiar with the Polity universe, Polity is a human/AI dominion extending across many star systems, occupying a spherical space spanning the thickness of the galaxy and centred on Earth. It is ruled by AIs and is a highly techinical civilization. There are many well-known science fiction tropes in the Polity universe, but the author uses them in an original and entertaining way.
I consider Neal Asher's Infinity Engine to be one of the crowning achievements in the space opera genre. It's satisfyingly original, wonderfully complex and above all else very entertaining. It's great that the author has managed to come up with such a distinct vision of space opera, because he doesn't struggle with worldbuilding and science fiction tropes, but blends and merges many elements with ease.
I found it interesting that the author touches upon such themes and issues as morality, politics, redemption, transformation and intelligence in an excellent way, but doesn't dwell on them. I also like the author's ability to keep things on the move and his way of delivering intense action scenes, because he does everything on purpose and avoids easy resolutions.
It's great that this novel has a well-made list of characters and a glossary, because it helps readers - especially newcomers to the Polity universe - to understand certain things better. I found these appendixes useful and informative, because I didn't know much about the Polity universe.
I highly recommend Neal Asher's Infinity Engine to readers who enjoy reading space opera novels with good characterisation. If you want to read quality science fiction and excellent space opera, don't look any further, because this novel has everything you could ever hope to find in a good space opera story. I have a feeling that this novel will be difficult to surpass on many levels, because it's a stunning achievement and may well be the author's best novel to date.
An outstanding and satisfyingly complex space opera novel!
September 20, 2017
This book concludes the Transformation trilogy, and I read it mostly because I wanted some kind of closure, and really hoped that this final book in the trilogy will make me like the previous two books more. It didn't.
The strong side of the trilogy is interesting world-building, somewhat unconventional set-up, some suspense and mystery. Unfortunately, by the time I was reading the third book, some things irked me more and more, and I couldn't enjoy it:
1. Strange editing: Author has a peculiar habit to use a few rarely used words way too much frequently: "erstwhile" is used more than 20 times in the text, I think. Granted, I learned some new words, which is a good thing, but when the author calls an old spaceship "an antediluvian vessel", in otherwise very bland text, it's somewhat jarring.
2. I don't share author's fascination with torture.
3. Too much pseudo-technical detail. I tried to ignore this cringy "femto- and pico-tech", but there was too much of it. This is not a "hard" SF, science behaves like magic, that's ok, as long as you don't write 5-page detailed descriptions of how this magic supposedly works.
3. Protagonists and antagonists behaved equally illogically.
In conclusion, if you weren't crazy hooked after the second book, don't read the third, it's not worth it.
The strong side of the trilogy is interesting world-building, somewhat unconventional set-up, some suspense and mystery. Unfortunately, by the time I was reading the third book, some things irked me more and more, and I couldn't enjoy it:
1. Strange editing: Author has a peculiar habit to use a few rarely used words way too much frequently: "erstwhile" is used more than 20 times in the text, I think. Granted, I learned some new words, which is a good thing, but when the author calls an old spaceship "an antediluvian vessel", in otherwise very bland text, it's somewhat jarring.
2. I don't share author's fascination with torture.
3. Too much pseudo-technical detail. I tried to ignore this cringy "femto- and pico-tech", but there was too much of it. This is not a "hard" SF, science behaves like magic, that's ok, as long as you don't write 5-page detailed descriptions of how this magic supposedly works.
3. Protagonists and antagonists behaved equally illogically.
In conclusion, if you weren't crazy hooked after the second book, don't read the third, it's not worth it.
March 30, 2018
Nowhere near as good as the first book in the Transformation Trilogy, Dark Intelligence was by far the best book I've read of Asher and I've about read every one of them. His next Trilogy about the Jain ought to be interesting. I hope he doesn't include the Prador, they are essentially Cannibals and not worthy of mention. Asher should and could get even more deep... hope he doesn't fall for the sensibilities and weaknesses of his Culture! Rock on Asher!
June 6, 2018
The finale to Asher’s Transformations trilogy focusing on Penny Royal and all its devious plans and machinations. Honestly, I hoped for something a little more from this book, but it ticked all the boxes and tied off the story very nicely.
July 14, 2019
Stale rovnako vyborne, akurat miestami som mal z uvodu pocit, ze sa prekladatelovi nechcelo, takze v jednej casti myslienkove pochody postavy posobia zhruba ako komunikacia 3 rocneho dietata. Okrem tohoto ale nie je na co sa stazovat :)
September 30, 2020
on the numinous Infinity Engine by the luminous Neal Asher
"I must unravel my past back to its beginning, and it's to the beginning I will go next"
My first Neal Asher story was Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck (Asimov's August 2005). Then came The Gabble (Asimov's, March 2006). I was fascinated and intrigued by the wonder and mystery of the Gabbleducks and everything about them. I'd been reading science fiction for forty years; so fascinating and intriguing me was no mean feat. Alien Archaeology (Asimov's June 2007) was the first Penny Royal story I read and it had not only a Gabbleduck, but also a rusty former ECS agent and an incredibly narcissistic and greedy treasure seeker. The fascination only deepened. I gleefully read the subsequent stories with Penny Royal, culminating in The Transformation Trilogy, which ties together the Prador, the Gabbleducks (we all know those are the Atheter, right?) and Penny Royal. There's also the shadow of a connection to Ian Cormac.
Mr. Asher weaves a complex and intricate tale. He leads us, captivated, to the inevitable and inexorable yet unforeseen conclusion. The gradual unraveling of the past mixed with the fraught action of the present is riveting It is followed by the final revelation of the whole truth which has on me as great an impact as the final revelation in Sophie's Choice. It is in its own way as devastating. The climax of the story takes place at Panarchia, where Penny Royal's tale begins. So here at the end and the beginning, is where stand the dramatis personae.
"Meanwhile, over the years, it became apparent that Sverl was changing in some strange way."
Sverl started as a contradiction- a Polity-hating, human-loathing Prador possessed of an overweening curiosity. (You! You readers of War Factory. You didn't really think Penny Royal was finished with Sverl, did you?) He ends as a much happier and better suited/fitted individual than he started. And he is something of a trailblazer for the Prador. I suspect more will follow in his foot prints, or rather, claw marks. (Sfolk is also happy with his new position.)
"no one had any idea what the Weaver's intentions now were."
The Weaver is, as always, sitting in the catbird seat. He proves it is possible to achieve happiness, attain goals, and get what one wants, to the consternation of the Polity AI's, with some collaboration with Penny Royal. This involves a quid pro quo beneficial to all concerned, especially the reader. I wonder though if he isn't a bit lonely. Perhaps some more Atheter memstores will turn up.
"Welcome to the prison hulk the Tyburn. I am the Brockle and I am here to execute sentence on you."
The Brockle, oh, the deliciously deranged and arrogant Brockle. Mr Asher had to create a suitable, a plausible antagonist, and so came the Brockle with his Penny Royal like shoaling and his ability to hijack the once again hapless Garotte, and his nearly unlimited ability to expand himself and his abilities. The Brockle is not only nemesis, but also foil to Penny Royal. There is an important difference between the two. Where Penny Royal's madness drives its genius, the Brockle's madness drives only his meanness. Playing Hotspur to Penny Royal's young prince Harry, Penny Royal is all the Brockle would like to be, only not in a thousand years.
"During the ensuing three periods of waking, Trent thought about his past, wished he could change it but accepted he couldn't."
Trent Sorbel, erstwhile soulless tyro and basic sadistic criminal thug, has like the Tin Man, been in need of a heart. In the end he has grown one through his shepherding of the shell people and his love for three particular shell people. He has redeemed himself, Penny Royal just provided the setting.
"Blite and the crew were a strange lot"
Speaking of hapless, poor Blite and his crew have been dragged along by Penny Royal through the thickest thickets in the briar patch, the Graveyard, and beyond. In the end he and his crew are no longer a blight on the Polity and well, you'll see.
"On Masada, Penny Royal had provided me with intimate evidence of its own guilt, so my role seemed to be that of executioner."
Riss and Spear have at last completed their tasks as Penny Royal's chosen instruments. They are in a position to leave The War and Penny Royal in the past and move on into their futures. Through the spine entrusted to Spear, we/they learn the whole story of Room 101, Penny Royal, and events on and around Panarchia. The story speaks volumes about the exigencies of war, decisions made by leaders safely at the rear, the disposability of those at the sharp end, and how we/all societies have treated our veterans. The task chosen by Penny Royal for Spear was to execute him or forgive him for his role at Panarchia and all that followed. As for the rest, well that's our play, and it wouldn't want us to give it away.
"I must unravel my past back to its beginning, and it's to the beginning I will go next"
My first Neal Asher story was Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck (Asimov's August 2005). Then came The Gabble (Asimov's, March 2006). I was fascinated and intrigued by the wonder and mystery of the Gabbleducks and everything about them. I'd been reading science fiction for forty years; so fascinating and intriguing me was no mean feat. Alien Archaeology (Asimov's June 2007) was the first Penny Royal story I read and it had not only a Gabbleduck, but also a rusty former ECS agent and an incredibly narcissistic and greedy treasure seeker. The fascination only deepened. I gleefully read the subsequent stories with Penny Royal, culminating in The Transformation Trilogy, which ties together the Prador, the Gabbleducks (we all know those are the Atheter, right?) and Penny Royal. There's also the shadow of a connection to Ian Cormac.
Mr. Asher weaves a complex and intricate tale. He leads us, captivated, to the inevitable and inexorable yet unforeseen conclusion. The gradual unraveling of the past mixed with the fraught action of the present is riveting It is followed by the final revelation of the whole truth which has on me as great an impact as the final revelation in Sophie's Choice. It is in its own way as devastating. The climax of the story takes place at Panarchia, where Penny Royal's tale begins. So here at the end and the beginning, is where stand the dramatis personae.
"Meanwhile, over the years, it became apparent that Sverl was changing in some strange way."
Sverl started as a contradiction- a Polity-hating, human-loathing Prador possessed of an overweening curiosity. (You! You readers of War Factory. You didn't really think Penny Royal was finished with Sverl, did you?) He ends as a much happier and better suited/fitted individual than he started. And he is something of a trailblazer for the Prador. I suspect more will follow in his foot prints, or rather, claw marks. (Sfolk is also happy with his new position.)
"no one had any idea what the Weaver's intentions now were."
The Weaver is, as always, sitting in the catbird seat. He proves it is possible to achieve happiness, attain goals, and get what one wants, to the consternation of the Polity AI's, with some collaboration with Penny Royal. This involves a quid pro quo beneficial to all concerned, especially the reader. I wonder though if he isn't a bit lonely. Perhaps some more Atheter memstores will turn up.
"Welcome to the prison hulk the Tyburn. I am the Brockle and I am here to execute sentence on you."
The Brockle, oh, the deliciously deranged and arrogant Brockle. Mr Asher had to create a suitable, a plausible antagonist, and so came the Brockle with his Penny Royal like shoaling and his ability to hijack the once again hapless Garotte, and his nearly unlimited ability to expand himself and his abilities. The Brockle is not only nemesis, but also foil to Penny Royal. There is an important difference between the two. Where Penny Royal's madness drives its genius, the Brockle's madness drives only his meanness. Playing Hotspur to Penny Royal's young prince Harry, Penny Royal is all the Brockle would like to be, only not in a thousand years.
"During the ensuing three periods of waking, Trent thought about his past, wished he could change it but accepted he couldn't."
Trent Sorbel, erstwhile soulless tyro and basic sadistic criminal thug, has like the Tin Man, been in need of a heart. In the end he has grown one through his shepherding of the shell people and his love for three particular shell people. He has redeemed himself, Penny Royal just provided the setting.
"Blite and the crew were a strange lot"
Speaking of hapless, poor Blite and his crew have been dragged along by Penny Royal through the thickest thickets in the briar patch, the Graveyard, and beyond. In the end he and his crew are no longer a blight on the Polity and well, you'll see.
"On Masada, Penny Royal had provided me with intimate evidence of its own guilt, so my role seemed to be that of executioner."
Riss and Spear have at last completed their tasks as Penny Royal's chosen instruments. They are in a position to leave The War and Penny Royal in the past and move on into their futures. Through the spine entrusted to Spear, we/they learn the whole story of Room 101, Penny Royal, and events on and around Panarchia. The story speaks volumes about the exigencies of war, decisions made by leaders safely at the rear, the disposability of those at the sharp end, and how we/all societies have treated our veterans. The task chosen by Penny Royal for Spear was to execute him or forgive him for his role at Panarchia and all that followed. As for the rest, well that's our play, and it wouldn't want us to give it away.
June 24, 2017
One of the problems I have when writing my thoughts on books is the common complaint that we only ever notice things when they go wrong never when they go right. In the same way I generally notice and can easily identify all the things I hate in a book but I never notice what it is that makes a book excellent. And maybe that’s the point, because when a book is excellent I just read it; I’m completely absorbed in the story and with no blunders to pull me out I simply don’t notice what has kept me in. The Infinity Engine is one such; Asher has excelled himself with this brilliant final book in his Transformation trilogy.
The hugely complex threads running through all three books are brought together into a satisfying conclusion with everything neatly and believably tied off. All the main characters are well developed each with their own consistent and individual voice. Motivations are solid, consequences both logical and addressed, narrative slick� in fact I find it hard to criticise any aspect of this book. Possibly I could criticise the final part of the moderately long epilogue for possibly borrowing a little from one of Asimov’s famous short stories, but it’s not really that close and any similarity may well be circumstantial, and even if not I’m more inclined to think of it as a little Asimov homage.
An excellent end to this trilogy which had more than made up for my criticisms of the second book. I understand Asher’s now planning a new Polity trilogy focused around Jain technology; I can’t wait!
The hugely complex threads running through all three books are brought together into a satisfying conclusion with everything neatly and believably tied off. All the main characters are well developed each with their own consistent and individual voice. Motivations are solid, consequences both logical and addressed, narrative slick� in fact I find it hard to criticise any aspect of this book. Possibly I could criticise the final part of the moderately long epilogue for possibly borrowing a little from one of Asimov’s famous short stories, but it’s not really that close and any similarity may well be circumstantial, and even if not I’m more inclined to think of it as a little Asimov homage.
An excellent end to this trilogy which had more than made up for my criticisms of the second book. I understand Asher’s now planning a new Polity trilogy focused around Jain technology; I can’t wait!
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