Saturday, November 22, 2014

Hellhole Awakening

Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
Tor, 2013 (my hardcover copy is a first edition, gracefully provided by Tor for review)
Size: Long (my hardcover copy has 527 pages)
Theme: Space Opera
Narrative: third-person
Main character: General Tiber Adolphus
Recommended minimum age: Teenager
Would purchase as a gift to any sci-fi reader: YES



A worthy sequel to Hellhole, the story picks up right where the earlier book had left us. It actually felt more like a space opera than the previous book, and a considerable part of it occurs in space. The plot will involve several twist and turns, quite well put together, and finally feature some space warfare.

As a powerful Constellation fleet travels towards Hellholm to fight and capture the rebels, General Adolphus has plans for a trap that might render them helpless. Will he be able to flip the tables on the corrupt Constellation government and take command of their fleet instead? Diadem Michella’s extreme fear of the aliens and rage against Adolphus continues to prompt strong and violent reaction from the Constellation on several fronts, which will eventually backfire as the rebels and aliens are forced to take desperate measured to ensure their safety. The human-alien hybrids continue to build up their colony and will play a major role in the main storyline. Yet, it appears the Constellation is not the only enemy to account for, and the novel will unravel much more about the history of Hellhole and its inhabitants.

The multi-line plot and the fast pace are similar to Hellhole, as is the depth of characters and the scope of the saga. I quite enjoyed reading it, but there was one annoying aspect: as the story shifts focus to a different plot line, the authors repeatedly remind us of the character’s motivations and current status, like a nagging banner that you have seen too often.  Nevertheless, if you like military space operas, you should find yourself immersed in the complex universe of Hellhole.

Related work:

Hellhole Awakening is the second novel in a trilogy; the story started in Hellhole and will draw to a conclusion in Hellhole Inferno.


Monday, November 10, 2014

Hellhole

Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
Tor, 2011 (my hardcover copy is a first edition)
Size: Long (my hardcover copy has 532 pages)
Theme: Space Opera
Narrative: third-person
Main character: General Tiber Adolphus
Recommended minimum age: Teenager
Would purchase as a gift to any sci-fi reader: YES


Hellhole is an epic space opera taking place in a universe where humans travel between many colonized planets, using technology that exceeds faster-than-light travel. In this Constellation society, the government is centralized around a cluster of planets, the Crown Jewels, which dominate over a larger group of distant planets on the outskirts of the galaxy, the Deep Zone. For years, the Deep Zone planets have been paying tribute to the ruler of the Constellation, currently Diadem Michella Duchenet.

On one of the Deep Zone planets we find General Adolphus, exiled after his failed attempt at overthrowing the corrupt government of the Constellation and deposing the Diadem. We find Adolphus confined to the blasted planet Hallholme, where the ruined remains of an alien civilization spark only some curiosity, and where convicts, loners and misfits travel in order to disappear or to start a brand new life. However, Adolphus has not given up on his goal of saving the Constellation, and spectacular events unfolding at Hallholme might play a huge role in the future of the human race. And significant changes are at hand, as the Deep Zone planets reconsider their role in the Constellation…

This novel has a nice plot and the story unfolds in a fast yet comfortable pace, through multiple interweaving storylines. There are several concepts reminiscent of Dune, with an apparently worthless and desolated planet becoming a pivotal point in the universe. The characters are a little bit stereotyped but the major ones are still adequately explored. I felt that the interstellar travelling technology, being so exceptional, merited some attempt at an explanation or at least a better description. However, I know that getting into details is a gamble, and in fact Frank Herbert has shown us the power of leaving some mystery behind such aspects.

In my opinion, this novel is not at the same level as Hamilton’s Confederation or Commonwealth storylines, and is far from the complexity and layered narrative of Frank Herbert’s Dune, but it is still rather interesting and intriguing for space opera fans. It follows the style that Brian and Anderson already employed in their Dune “midquels” and “prequels”. Overall, I much enjoyed reading the book, which left me craving for the sequel. Luckily, since I already had books 2 and 3 when reading the first one, this is not an issue!

Related work:
Hellhole is the first novel in a trilogy; the story continues in Hellhole Awakening and concludes in Hellhole Inferno.