The Neutronium Alchemist : Conflict (Neutronium Alchemist, No 2)

Rating:
Summary: Space Opera the way it used to be...
Review: I've now read about 2000 pages about LaGrange Calvert, Father Horst, et al... Quite a story. These novels remind me of the science fiction I read as a teenager (Van Vogt, Heinlein, Asimov, Simak). Quite unlike the "idea" stories you see so much of these days. And yet Hamilton's work uses lots of "fresh science" (datavise, geneering, voidhawks, habitats, etc). In defense of the length of his novel (These four books: Reality Dysfunction I & II, Neutronium Alchemist I & II are really one long novel; each does not have a discernable conclusion): I found myself reading each one more rapidly than the previous, and enjoying it more as well. My criticism of the length of his novel: Mr. Hamilton, are you squeezing as much money out of me as you can with this story? At about 10 bucks a pop, I've now spent $40, and I have to wait till 1999 for the conclusion of this story? (And at the end, I won't even have a nice hardcover to put on the bookshelf with the other clssics I've read.) I think Mr. Hamilton knows he has us hooked. Finally, I must say, this book(s) is worth the effort. Read it!

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: I thought that some parts of this book would be too far fetched, but the story works perfectly. Hamiltons story is huge, with many different interlinked story threads, all the characters are superbly created and you can feel yourself getting to know them better every chapter. Everything about this book is great, from the technology, the people, the setting and of course the story. A fantastic read, roll out the 3rd volume!

Rating:
Summary: Great followup!!
Review: As a followup to his great Reality Dysfunction, Hamilton enlarges the plot of his first novel. Taken together both parts of the Neutronium Alchemist are over 1100 pages. Not nearly enough and you are left eagerly awaiting his final chapter!!

Rating:
Summary: An excellent read.
Review: I have just finished the Neutronium Alchemist
The story just keeps getting bigger! A truly
awesome read, and very chilling.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Series, But Not For Everyone
Review: There are six books in Peter F. Hamilton's "Night's Dawn" series:

- "The Reality Dysfunction - Part 1: Emergence,"
- "The Reality Dysfunction - Part 2: Expansion,"
- "The Neutronium Alchemist - Part 1: Consolidation,"
- "The Neutronium Alchemist - Part 2: Conflict,"
- "The Naked God - Part 1: Flight," and
- "The Naked God - Part 2: Faith."

Be warned: you CANNOT read these books individually. They are, essentially, chapters in one whopping great book. If you like the first book, then you'll have to read the other five books in order. There's no tie-up of any sort between any of the books. The publisher just broke the story up because it totals over 3,000 pages. If you pick up a book before you've read all the previous books (in order), put it down. It won't mean anything to you. Since these books are entirely dependent on each other, I'm writing this review on the series as a whole, not on the individual books.

This is one of the greatest science fiction sagas written. It ranks up there with David Brin's "Uplift Saga." It is literally a story of good vs evil and shows some of the potential (and pitfalls) of the human race. Over the years, I've read the whole series five times, and I still love it. I really only have two gripes with the book. First, and this is unavoidable in what Hamilton is doing, the evil in the series is definitely, graphically evil. This is not a book where the villain twists his mustache and laughs "nyah hah hah" as he forecloses on the orphanage or ties the heroine to the railroad tracks. The writing is fairly graphic in a lot of places. After five readings, this gets a bit wearing. My second gripe is one which somewhat limits the audience of the series (even more so than the evilness presented, and it's why I've given the series four stars instead of five): there's too much sex and the writing about it is too graphic. This is a problem with all of Hamilton's books, but it seems more prevalent in this series. Because of this, I wouldn't recommend the book for your children to read. But, as long as you're aware of that, I highly recommend the series and give it 4 stars out of five.

Rating:
Summary: A galaxy-wide vision of incredible imagination
Review: This series is more far-reaching than almost any I have read before. The sheer scope is awe inspiring; it's absoluely amazing how complex a world Peter Hamilton has created here.
In this, the 4th book, some old characters, like Quinn Dexter, Ione, the Lord of Ruin, Joshua Calvert and many, many more, are revisited, and new characters introduced.
New twists are revealed and older plot threads wind tighter as this story progresses.
Centering around the mysterious Alchemist, this book continues the fight against the posessed and the struggle to overcome the terrifying revelation about the nature of the Beyond. What is the Alchemist? What can it really do? Is it truly capable of destroying an entire world? I know I was terribly curious.
As this book goes on, more and more worlds are falling to the posessers, and Al Capone's empire is growing fast. Several worlds are already lost beyond retrieving, pulled out of our universe entirely. Is there really a way to stop the dead from returning? Especially when all who live in the Confederation will eventually join them?
It's facinating to me how Hamilton has shown the different ways people are reacting to this crisis. How different people are dealing with this revelation.
I was enthralled yet again by this fantastic story. The way this series is put together is truly beyond belief. The plot is engaging and it really makes you think hard about the nature of our existence.
But I'm not saying that this is the kind of book that will make you change your life. No, it's simply a wonderfully imaginative story, bringing the whole galaxy into focus in a masterfully told tale. The places you get to explore, and the people you meet will make you ready for more, I promise.
One last thing. Don't be intimidated by this book's size. I actually finished it in one day, it was that hard to put down.
I can't wait to read the next.