Dark Intelligence

This was not, I felt, one of the strongest of Asher's books, although there's still plenty to like. It's officially the beginning of a trilogy, but, in fact, relies heavily on previous books, so that it feels more like another part of a much longer series. Indeed, I found that to be the main weakness, in that there isn't terribly much new introduced here, more a revisiting of old locations and concepts.

Having said that, many of the characters are new, even if the places that we see them visiting aren't. Of particular interest is the primary character implied by the trilogy title of “transformation”, a haiman being biologically transformed into a hooder. This (along with a less important character who is also altering their species) is perhaps the most intriguing idea in the book, which at times gets a little confusing as the original revenge plot morphs into something more.

It does all make sense in the end, as it eventually becomes clear what the “dark intelligence” of the title - the rogue AI Penny Royal - is trying to do. And, even if it does rely on earlier novels, it does a pretty good job of explaining what happened in them, for those who haven't read them (or have forgotten the details). So, not one of the best, but it still works, and is an enjoyable read.