Machine Vendetta (SF) - Alastair Reynolds *****

I recently read another SF thriller and moaned that it was very slow to get going. You can’t say that about Machine Vendetta. In the first few chapters we get three separate major incidents - and that’s just the beginning of the problems for central character Prefect Dreyfus and his colleagues at Panoply. Alastair Reynolds set up a rich political position for this organisation - its primary role is to ensure the voting at the heart of democracy keeps going, but they effectively act as a sort of inter-habitat FBI as well.

It’s been a while since I read the previous novels in the series (Aurora Rising and Elysium Fire), and was concerned I’d have trouble keeping up, but Reynolds does an excellent job of filling in what’s needed without ever going into boring synopsis mode.

At the heart of the story are two rogue AIs, so powerful that they are god-like in their abilities - this, combined with the after effects of a failed attempt to control them, a conspiracy to continue this effort and unrest due to what appears to have been an act of terrorism by one of the supposed good guys gives a rich and engaging plot - true page turner stuff. I think it’s a sign of just how good Alastair Reynolds is at packing detail and plot into his novels that I was really surprised that this is only the third (and probably final) book in the series.

I can’t say much more without spoilers, but the whole thing is a delight. Well, almost. Some might raise an eyebrow at the ending - not because it’s a cliff hanger (thankfully - novels really shouldn’t end with cliff hangers), but because it ties everything up almost too neatly in just a few pages. Even so, the book forms a great ending to the trilogy.

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Review by Brian Clegg - See all Brian's online articles or subscribe to a weekly email free here

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The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire - Henry Gee ****

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