

I wanted to read Exodus: The Helium Sea by Peter F. Hamilton because I have heard of this author but never read anything by him before this.
This novel is the second part of a two-part book series which sets the stage for an upcoming videogame called Exodus. The story is set 40,000 years in the future. There are several factions vying for control of the empire and known galaxy. The cast of characters includes basic humans, as well as Celestials, which are decedents of the original colonizers who have physically modified themselves into immortal super beings.
This book is long. There is a glossary of characters, places, and other details which takes up nearly 100 pages before the story even starts. The bulk of the 752-page book is world building. The author does a fantastic job of creating an extremely in-depth history, economy, and political system. While reading the book, it piqued my interest in the video game.
Unfortunately, I found the plot to be straightforward and the characters were shallow. Additionally, there were so many characters and locations it was impossible to keep track of it all, even with the glossary. The perspective changes regularly and there are 6 or 7 different perspectives from which the story unfolds.
Overall, I would only recommend this to readers who really want deep world building rather than a story or if you find yourself needing more content after playing the video game.
Originally posted at jimmybrewster.substack.com.
I wanted to read Exodus: The Helium Sea by Peter F. Hamilton because I have heard of this author but never read anything by him before this.
This novel is the second part of a two-part book series which sets the stage for an upcoming videogame called Exodus. The story is set 40,000 years in the future. There are several factions vying for control of the empire and known galaxy. The cast of characters includes basic humans, as well as Celestials, which are decedents of the original colonizers who have physically modified themselves into immortal super beings.
This book is long. There is a glossary of characters, places, and other details which takes up nearly 100 pages before the story even starts. The bulk of the 752-page book is world building. The author does a fantastic job of creating an extremely in-depth history, economy, and political system. While reading the book, it piqued my interest in the video game.
Unfortunately, I found the plot to be straightforward and the characters were shallow. Additionally, there were so many characters and locations it was impossible to keep track of it all, even with the glossary. The perspective changes regularly and there are 6 or 7 different perspectives from which the story unfolds.
Overall, I would only recommend this to readers who really want deep world building rather than a story or if you find yourself needing more content after playing the video game.
Originally posted at jimmybrewster.substack.com.