Review: Exodus: The Archimedes Engine by Peter F. Hamilton

Blurb:

Explore EXODUS, a new sci-fi action-adventure RPG coming soon from Archetype Entertainment featured in this epic novel from legendary author Peter F. Hamilton.
 
Forty thousand years ago, humanity fled a dying Earth. Traveling in massive arkships, these brave pioneers spread out across the galaxy to find a new home. After traveling thousands of light-years, one fleet of arkships arrived at Centauri, a dense cluster of stars with a vast array of potentially habitable planets. The survivors of Earth signaled to the remaining arkships that humanity had finally found its new home among the stars.

Thousands of years later, the Centauri Cluster has flourished. The original settlers have evolved into advanced beings known as Celestials and divided themselves into powerful Dominions. One of the most influential is that of the Crown Celestials, an alliance of five great houses that controls vast areas of Centauri. As arkships continue to arrive, the remaining humans and their descendants must fight for survival against overwhelming odds or be forced into serving the Crown Dominion.

Among those yearning for a better life is Finn, for whom Earth is not a memory but merely a footnote from humanity’s ancient history. Born on one of the Crown Dominion worlds, Finn has known nothing but the repressive rule of the Celestials, though he dreams of the possibility of boundless space beyond his home.

When another arkship from Earth, previously thought lost, unexpectedly arrives, Finn sees his chance to embrace a greater destiny and become a Traveler—one of a group of brave heroes dedicated to ensuring humanity’s future by journeying into the vast unknown of distant space.

Review:

I became a fan of Peter F Hamilton over twenty years ago, after reading his Night’s Dawn trilogy. Its scope was vast, with a wide array of characters and planets. At the time I remember thinking the guy’s imagination had to be just as huge. Well, I seriously under-estimated him and his imagination. Exodus: The Archimedes Engine is truly epic. That is such a subjective term so let me clarify. This story doesn’t require world building but galaxy building. Literally. The story hops around from one planet to another within the Centauri galaxy, each location is detailed and utterly credible. His cast list is the equivalent of the Dramatis Personae of every Shakespeare play combined. The book opens with a background history that covers millennia. Now that is epic.

A century ago the term ‘space opera’ was invented by Wilson Tucker who wanted to define the ‘super-science epics’ of the time. Exodus is space opera at the extreme end of the term. Wager’s Ring Cycle is 15 hours long, that’s epic opera and it pales into insignificance against this book! 

I’m focusing on the scale of the story because Hamilton must have taken the decision not to leave out anything. As a result, reading the book felt like a marathon, it took dedication and concentration. It’s densely packed with detail. Let me illustrate. In one section, Thyra wants to be the designated princess who will take over when the current queen dies. (A hugely simplified summary). She has to survive three trials to achieve this goal. Where Suzanne Collins did this in her Hunger Games trilogy, Peter Hamilton turns it into a couple of chapters in his. It’s a relatively minor diversion in the story. 

Then there’s the science. It’s another reason for that need for concentration. Everything that happens is explained in scientific terms that is clearly the result of a lot of research. I grew up reading Arthur C Clark. These days much of his work has become normal for us (such as using the internet to work from home). In the future, they’re going to say the same about Hamilton. You’re convinced by so many of the concepts he introduces by the inevitability of what science might do. His explanations aren’t short and snappy either, exposition has the same epic feel as the rest of the story. 

The story is largely about space politics that inevitably leads to battles taking place on different planets and in space. I love this and it’s a central tenet of Hamilton’s stories, conflict is inevitable where humans are concerned. 

You’ll notice I haven’t mentioned characters in this review, or world building either. If I did, this review would be epic. Another reason why I’ve chosen to ignore them, it’s because the central premise and the plot dominate the story. The characters are players in a cosmic drama and they are dwarfed by its scale. 

So, did I enjoy the book? As I mentioned, I’ve been a fan of Hamilton for a long time but, honestly, this book almost defeated me. I got to the end and heaved a massive sigh of relief, as if I’d run a marathon. It’s broadened my mind, made me think about the issues it’s highlighted. Like a marathon, I was left exhausted but, as I recovered, I felt an exhilaration that arose out of the experience. Hamilton will be exulted as a literary prophet, I’m certain of that, Exodus: The Archimedes Engine will be cited as yet more proof. 

Exodus: The Archimedes Engine by Peter F Hamilton will be published by Tor on September 19th 2024.