Rating: 
Summary: It sure takes that Dragon a long time to fall!!!
Review: First, let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In many respects, it was much better then the Night's Dawn Trilogy, which kind of put Hamilton on the Sci-Fi scene. For one thing, this book has a much better ending then Night's Dawn and it doesn't try to do too much as that series did. However, Hamilton's one fault as a writer is that he doesn't know when to stop. The story of a 25th Century dreamer who is forced to become a low-level corporate enforcer in order to realize his dream of star travel is quite good and very imaginative. I enjoyed Hamilton's vision of the future and found it quite plausible in many respects. The book jacket has you believe that this is a story of three individuals, but in reality, it's the story of one and one only. While other characters get their time in this lengthy novel, it's Lawrence Newton's story that forms the basis for the book and that's the one that Hamilton concentrates his themes and arguments on the direction our current society is taking. (Yes, parts of this book are a little preachy, but it's well disguised!!) This book is too long and it starts very slow. It takes a bit of effort to get through the first 100+ pages. There are very lengthy flashbacks, which don't seem to have a point until you get to the end of the book. Literally, the last chapter. Hamilton's editor could have done us a favor and had him chop those flashbacks down a bit. You get the point and the tricks early on and the details are not necessary to appreciate the author's argument. Overall, however, be grateful that Hamilton is no Robert Jordan and he does end the book, with no sequel needed or requested!! I do recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Realised & Lost dreams
Review: Hamilton is one of the few writers who I will reflexively check out. Hidden Dragon does not disappoint. Perhaps the most whimsical book he has done it is as much about lost and distorted childhood dreams as anything else. The story is clever, the writing never less than first class. Perhaps most importantly the story develops persuasively beyond what at first appears a simple adventure yarn to interlacing acute observation on the financial problems of interstellar colonisation. Through it all he entwines an ache for lost love and innocence which is as clever as it is effective. First Class
Rating:
Summary: Keep on writing, and I'll keep on buying
Review: Hamilton returns with a very well written story of the far future. In Fallen Dragon we see a very different take on corporate life in the future, and planetary exploration. Basically, space exploration and colonization of planets is too expensive, so corporations "raid" colony worlds they have established for money and resources for Earth. In essence they are pirates. In Fallen Dragon we read about the continuation of human evolution, and we see a bright future where not only is technology becoming more advanced, but also humanity. Constantly growing and becoming better. And it has one of finest little plot twist endings I have ever read. A good read.
Rating: 
Summary: Page turner, but slow paced and the ending is disappointing
Review: Hamilton's novel of a soldier in a space army sent to other planets to loot their valuables(the economics of this being somewhat questionable, in my mind) paints a broad picture of interesting alien worlds. Alas, however, the book slows down in endless flashbacks to the main character's past--at first intriguing, but soon (especially once he leaves his home planet), you just want to get past them and get on with the main story.
The story contains intriguing technology, interesting worlds, but the ending disappoints. "Starship Troopers" becomes "By His Bootstraps". It's just one deus ex machina after another, until the end.
Hamilton, apparently a Brit, is not careful about using an excessive numbers of British expressions, with people who have no known British connection. He should be more careful. or else explain how English conquered the American language . . .
It's good reading, and I'll read more of his. But it could have been better.
Rating:
Summary: Nowhere close to the excitement of N.D.Trilogy
Review: Having read eveything I can get my hands by Peter F Hamilton, I was disappointed by this long drawn-out saga. In fact, if it wasn't for the blurb on the dust jacket I honestly wouldn't have a clue about the core story until about two thirds through. All too long winded for my liking, and lacking the fast pace, interesting characters and intersteller action set pieces of NDT. In fact, I got quite frustrated by the 'old fashioned' technology of this story - now that I am totally spoilt by the fabulous technology of Night's Dawn... Most of all, however, this book feels like a first novel, pulled off the shelves and offered up as something new - mainly because the style of writing lacks the polish, story zest, and sheer page turning tempo of his more accomplished works. Peter: please don't just churn out stories to appease your fans. I'd rather wait another three years and get the real 'Hamilton' macoy... Hamilton's vision is unequalled when focused on mankind's state of mind and developing social structures as we pioneer our way towards the stars. Whilst his kinetic high-tech fight sequences and interstellar battles are the most exciting SF since Dan Simmon's Hyperion cantos. But none of this came through, and in the end, I felt this book dwelled on senseless moment's in the protagonist's life for so long that, when the action came, it was short and far from the usual Hamilton velocity. At one point it was almost: E.T meets Platoon. Only the the chapter on the Santa Chico incursion felt like Hamilton was really enjoying himself. The rest a labour of love (or contract fulfillment, perhaps)... Unfortunately, the ending was pretty tame and half-expected, too. I will keep buying Hamilton - but let's 'swallow' forwards into the epic arena of the far flung future that you know so well on the next one, please.
Rating:
Summary: Hamilton rises sharply in my pantheon of favorite authors
Review: I bought "Fallen Dragon" on the strength of Hamilton's previous works, especially the Reality Dysfunction series. When Hamilton is writing at his peak he is superb, throwing off new ideas like a shower of sparks, and generating gripping plots and fascinating characters. Other times Hamilton will become a bit long-winded, or will paint himself into a corner which requires a deus ex machina to extricate things. I wasn't sure how "Fallen Dragon" would measure up, especially since interspersed flashbacks are not my favorite format for storytelling. But Hamilton was a good enough writer to pull me through the doubts I had early in the book. Pretty soon it turned into a "can't put it down" novel, costing me significant sleep time. I can't even complain too much about the deus ex machina aspect of "Fallen Dragon". It was carefully foreshadowed from the very beginning, and it made sense within the context of the story. The surprise ending caught me completely by surprise. It did a beautiful job of tying up all the loose ends, and it was very satisfying. My reaction upon finishing the book was, "Damn, that was good!" It was much better when viewed as a whole, which was pretty impressive considering how good the individual parts were. It far exceeded my expectations going in. It left me eager to read Hamilton's next new novel, and simultaneously apprehensive that he'll be able to maintain the high standards set by this and previous works.
Rating:
Summary: Can't wait for more from Peter Hamilton
Review: I didn't know if this would be good, like the Reality Dysfunction, or bad like the sci-fi mysteries from Peter Hamilton. I was happy to see that he had continued with good technological science fiction. The technology in this book, as in the Reality Dysfunction is very well presented, and seems very believable. Also, the cultures and characters are very well developed and interesting. And if that wasn't enough, there is an interesting twist at the end that I didn't see coming.
Rating:
Summary: Refreshing jab in the eye of politically dogmatic writers
Review: I found this book to be a startling refreshing variant of the coming of age story set in a military background in an age of space travel (R. Heinlein's Starship Troopers comes to mind as a stellar example of this). Before reading Fallen Dragon, I noted that several other Amazon readers lamented the relative lack of battle sequences in Fallen Dragon (as compared to Hamilton's other books) and the burden of a ponderous storyline that included unnecessarily diverting story threads that merely confused the reader. My curiousity was piqued, however, so I boldly bought it anyway and read it. Much to my pleasant surprise, Fallen Dragon was revealed to be a finely woven story. Sure, there were stereotypical figures like calculating corporate executives, aggressive and unfeeling soldiers, fanatical ecolitans, manipulatable politicians, and dysfunctional families. And sure, there was a scattering of expected military sequences like the "drop assault", "aliens attacking marines in a space station", and "superior firepower against crafty indigenous peoples". Not expected though were twists like an altruistic corporation that advanced a positive agenda through short term ruthless and barbaric means, ecologic societies that ironically devolve after embracing radical environmental technologies, a superior and ancient alien race that is indifferent as to the advancement or decline of humans, and a main military character whose life is amply peppered with dramatic but instructive setbacks rather than artifically steady promotions and impossible battle victories. Also fascinating was an interwoven story told of the past that eventually becomes an important element of the future, inventive battle armor, semi-sentient software algorithms, planetary warming through asteroid bombardment, societal ranking by the ownership of corporate shares, corporate dividends run amok, and molecular level DNA modifications that permit the loading of internal software subroutines that allow the subject to receive and transmit informtion much like a wireless network appliance. All in all, an excellent companion to a book like L.E. Modesitt's Ecolotan Trilogy. It is a page turner and provides a rewarding ending. Buy it!
Rating:
Summary: Fallen Dragon, Hidden Message
Review: I have read several other works by Peter Hamilton like the Reality Dysfunction, Neutronium Alchemist, et.al so I am very familar with his writing. I was very excited upon reading the dust jacket. I was prepared to read a ripsnorting tour de force of military sci-fi like Hammer's Slammers or Starship Troopers. Instead I got a very personal tale of one man's life journey to fulfill a dream. The main character Lawrence Newton gives up home, family and love to get the chance to become a starship pilot. Then years later, he discovers all that he gave up is all he ever really wanted in the first place. I also saw a repeat of a message that seems to recur throughout Hamilton's work - What is the good of technological advances, mastery of the physical world and exploring space if humanity's heart doesn't change and become better? Or as one character asks Newton 'You would sell your soul to go home?' He replies 'I left my soul at home'. This is a great book about shattered dreams and second chances.
Rating:
Summary: I Couldn't Put This Book Down
Review: I just about used up all my free time reading this book. I even sacrificed some sleeping time for it. The story is just so interesting. Lawrence Newton's quest for happiness was especially spell binding. Powerful issues in love, socioeconomics, idealogies, class, etc. swirl around this magnificent military sci-fi. As always, the worlds Hamilton's characters inhabit are rich and well-developed. Hamilton understands the social, political, technological, and economic realities of life. I have to applaud Hamilton for having no clear villains and heroes in this book. The warring sides simply have different goals and prefer different means in achieving what they want. All are convinced of the righteousness of their cause and think the others are crazy/misguided/brainwashed (Lawrence Newton, Denise Ebourn, Simon Roderick). I have read his Greg Mandel books and the Reality Disfunction Series. I eagerly await his next novels.
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