Series: Prefect Dreyfus Emergency, Book Two
Publisher: Gollancz
Format: Hardcover
Published: 25th January 2018
Number of Pages: 416
Book: For Review*
Genre: Science-Fiction,
Space Opera, Crime Fiction, Thriller-Suspense, Mystery, Adult
Recommended
Age: 13+
Contains: Violence,
Death, Swearing
Author's
Site: Alastair Reynolds
Blurb From Goodreads:
Featuring
Inspector Dreyfus - one of Alastair Reynolds most popular characters - this is
a fast paced SF crime story, combining a futuristic setting with a gripping
tale of technology, revolution and revenge.
One
citizen died a fortnight ago. Two a week ago. Four died yesterday . . . and
unless the cause can be found - and stopped - within the next four months,
everyone will be dead. For the Prefects, the hunt for a silent, hidden killer
is on . . .
Alastair
Reynolds has returned to the world of The Prefect for this stand-alone SF
mystery in which no one is safe. The technological implants which connect every
citizen to each other have become murder weapons, and no one knows who or what
the killer is - or who the next targets will be. But their reach is spreading,
and time is not on the Prefects' side.
Review:
“He
saw it now, what had always been there, always explicit, but which he only now
forced himself t acknowledge in all its truth and simplicity. To destroy
Devon Garlin – to destroy the enemy of everything he held precious - it was
first necessary to destroy Wildfire.
And
so he would.”
The Glitter Band is a man-made system of
planets and microworlds. Run by the people, they are a utopia of sorts,
where crime is almost non-existent.
But when it occurs, they need someone who
can deal with it. That’s why the Prefects were formed – a planet of
police, ready to deal with anything that threatens to harm the Glitter Band.
Until they were forced to protect it by
doing something unthinkable...
Now, dissent is rising among the worlds of
the Glitter Band – led by a man named Devon Garlin, worlds are declaring
independence from the Prefects.
Meanwhile, Prefect Tom Dreyfus and his
fellow operatives are trying to stop a series of deaths – scores of people are
dying, their implants overheating for no discernible reason, with no connection
between the victims. And the rate of Wildfire deaths is ever-increasing –
soon it will be in the thousands and before long all of the Glitter Band could
perish...
But when links begin to appear between the
two cases, the risk of the destruction of the world as Dreyfus and the others
know it is rising ever higher...
I have never read anything by Alastair
Reynolds, but Elysium Fire intrigued
me from the moment I received it. Even though I hadn’t read any of the
books in the series, let alone the previous Prefect Dreyfus Emergency, I was
soon sucked right into the story. I need to get my hands on the other
books now – I am just in love with Dreyfus and the Glitter Band!
Also, I’m pretty awful at reading sci-fi –
let alone adult hard-core sci-fi space operas. And there were a few terms
I may have had to look up, but I found it really, really easy to just immerse
myself in this world, in this story. I’m a sucker for crime thrillers,
although I think crime thrillers in space may have ruined me for the more
mundane earthly kind!
It helped that I just loved all of the
characters in the book! They were all brilliantly complex and
three-dimensional. I just need to read the first Prefect Dreyfus book so
I can fully understand them all! Because I need some more backstories,
guys!
I love Tom Dreyfus – he is such a badass.
Plus he’s so driven and dedicated to protecting everyone. I also
love that while he’s very level-headed, he does lose his cool occasionally (to
be fair, Garlin was a dick). I really have to read book one because I want to
know more about him!
Jane Aumonier was awesome – such a brilliant leader and so very, very badass
too. She was tough, but fair – and when you messed with her, watch out!
I also loved Thalia and Sparver - they were amazing prefects and I just
loved how they interacted together. And I really enjoyed the characters
of Julius and Caleb – and trying to figure out what their story was. Those two intrigued me from the very
beginning...
This story was just genius. I just loved the multiple story lines – we had the
Prefects trying to solve the implant-caused deaths, then them trying to deal
with the anarchy Garlin caused, and then there
was another storyline following two boys with many a secret in their family
past... I just loved seeing how it all tangled together, all the little
clues that we were given to unravel the plots and discover what was happening.
It was just so exciting and utterly addictive.
And I will admit, it probably would’ve
helped if I’d at least read the previous Prefect Dreyfus book, because there
were quite a few references to what occurred in it – but I managed to guess
most things and catch up, so it really didn’t confuse me or take away from my
enjoyment of Elysium Fire.
Oh, and have I mentioned the multiple
perspectives? No? It was brilliant.
It let us follow so much action and
mystery and plot lines in a single chapter and it really could’ve been
confusing but it just wasn’t. I
loved it so very much!
I honestly don’t know why I don’t read more
sci-fi books – I enjoyed this so much.
Elysium Fire was exciting and
intriguing and wonderful and I seriously have to get the rest of this
series! I definitely recommend the
Prefect Dreyfus series to sci-fi lovers – and even those who don’t generally
read sci-fi! The crime thriller aspect
is just amazing and I honestly can’t
wait for my next adventure with Tom Dreyfus!
Star Rating:
4 Out of 5
4 Out of 5
Read this
book if you liked:
Prefect Dreyfus Emergency by
Alastair Reynolds
Agent Cormac by Neal Asher
Invictus by Ryan Graudin
The Androma Saga by Sasha Alsberg and Lindsay Cummings
Happy Reading
Megan
* This
book was received from Gollancz in exchange for an honest review
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