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A Review of Absolution Gap: Ignore the naysayers. Read this book. Love this book.

Alastair Reynolds ISBN-13 : 978-0575083165

I re-read Absolution Gap a decade or more after the first time in anticipation of the next part coming out in July of this year (2021). It was always the weakest of the trilogy, but not nearly as bad as I remember. In fact this time I devoured it in a relatively, for me, short period of time.

It’s true, as some other reviewers have said, that the story here could have been told in far fewer words, but then much of the texture of the story telling would have been lost and I think this is what makes this such a great book!


The characters and themes are believable in this universe. I think the story could have been very different if certain characters had not been killed off so early or at all. It’s always a shame when a lot of the main thrust of a previous book (Redemption Ark) is undone, but this is often how things play out in the real world.


I achieved what I wanted by re-reading Absolution Gap, I’m up to speed ready for the next instalment. The problem is that there is so much in the Revelation Space universe I now feel the need to go back and read it all again.


Ignore the naysayers. Read this book. Love this book.


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