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The Shoal Sequence #3
Empire of Light
The nova war spreads across the galaxy, as the Emissaries wage a fierce and reckless campaign. They’ve already reached human-occupied space and forced the alien Shoal into a desperate retreat. And when Dakota leaves to pursue a lead, Corso’s luck turns bad.
Now commanding a fleet of human-piloted Magi ships, his authority crumbles before assassination attempts and politically motivated sabotage. Their best hope lies with Ty Whitecloud, currently light years beyond Consortium borders.
Only Ty can decipher messages left behind by ancient star travellers – which could be crucial to their cause. But Whitecloud is imprisoned onboard a dying coreship, awaiting execution for war crimes against Corso’s own people.
For humanity’s very survival, Corso must get to Whitecloud and keep him alive. If Dakota doesn’t kill him first.
Now commanding a fleet of human-piloted Magi ships, his authority crumbles before assassination attempts and politically motivated sabotage. Their best hope lies with Ty Whitecloud, currently light years beyond Consortium borders.
Only Ty can decipher messages left behind by ancient star travellers – which could be crucial to their cause. But Whitecloud is imprisoned onboard a dying coreship, awaiting execution for war crimes against Corso’s own people.
For humanity’s very survival, Corso must get to Whitecloud and keep him alive. If Dakota doesn’t kill him first.
566 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2010
46 people are currently reading
632 people want to read
About the author
Gary Gibson
52 books421 followersGary Gibson's first novel, Angel Stations, was published in 2004. Interzone called it "dense and involving, puzzling and perplexing. It's unabashed science fiction, with an almost "Golden Age" feel to it ..."
His second novel was Against Gravity in 2005; the Guardian described it as "building on current trends to produce a convincing picture of the world in 2096."
Stealing Light was first published in 2007, and garnered a wide range of positive reviews. The London Times called it: "A violent, inventive, relentlessly gripping adventure ... intelligently written and thought-provoking".
Stealing Light is the first volume in a four-book space opera, the final volume of which, Marauder, was published in 2013.
To date, Gary has written ten novels, most recently Extinction Game and its sequel, Survival Game.
His second novel was Against Gravity in 2005; the Guardian described it as "building on current trends to produce a convincing picture of the world in 2096."
Stealing Light was first published in 2007, and garnered a wide range of positive reviews. The London Times called it: "A violent, inventive, relentlessly gripping adventure ... intelligently written and thought-provoking".
Stealing Light is the first volume in a four-book space opera, the final volume of which, Marauder, was published in 2013.
To date, Gary has written ten novels, most recently Extinction Game and its sequel, Survival Game.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
January 2, 2019
When he closed his eyes, all he could see was stars scattered across the void like diamond dust.
Something I found particularly interesting about this trilogy was how the ante was upped considerably with each entry. This novel, which concludes the original Shoal trilogy, is no exception, with its bigger explosions, vaster distances travelled and greater odds to defeat.
‘I watched them use the energy of a nova,’ she explained, ‘just to power a signal to a swarm located in another galaxy.’
Both men stared at her in silence for several moments.
Yes, yes. The series does have its issues. But like I mentioned in my review of Stealing Light, I’m a sucker for a lot of what’s on display here. Derelicts? Deserted planets? Alien ruins? More tech than you can shake a stick at? The whole galaxy as playground? Yes please!
At times, things did seem a tad too convenient. Need bigger weapons? No problem – there’s a place I know… But this kind of thing, I suspect, is par for the course given the subject matter of the trilogy (which basically boils down to: seeded caches of alien technology causing all kinds of ruckus).
So: I’m not going to say a whole lot more about this series, or this book… other than:
(1) It does read pretty quickly, and
(2) I did enjoy it quite a bit
I will likely be reading more of Gibson’s books!
We have to get out of here.
We have to get out right now.
Something I found particularly interesting about this trilogy was how the ante was upped considerably with each entry. This novel, which concludes the original Shoal trilogy, is no exception, with its bigger explosions, vaster distances travelled and greater odds to defeat.
‘I watched them use the energy of a nova,’ she explained, ‘just to power a signal to a swarm located in another galaxy.’
Both men stared at her in silence for several moments.
Yes, yes. The series does have its issues. But like I mentioned in my review of Stealing Light, I’m a sucker for a lot of what’s on display here. Derelicts? Deserted planets? Alien ruins? More tech than you can shake a stick at? The whole galaxy as playground? Yes please!
At times, things did seem a tad too convenient. Need bigger weapons? No problem – there’s a place I know… But this kind of thing, I suspect, is par for the course given the subject matter of the trilogy (which basically boils down to: seeded caches of alien technology causing all kinds of ruckus).
So: I’m not going to say a whole lot more about this series, or this book… other than:
(1) It does read pretty quickly, and
(2) I did enjoy it quite a bit
I will likely be reading more of Gibson’s books!
We have to get out of here.
We have to get out right now.
June 3, 2019
Now this was a pleasant surprise.
After the strong beginnings of Stealing Light Gibson’s Shoal Sequence story went off the rails a bit. In book two his protagonist Dakota Merrick bounces from one torture/beating/imprisonment scene to the next for several chapters, before the story proper continues with revelations that FTL travel also doubles as a civilisation ending weapon.
By the time Nova War ends (and Gibson has the story back on track) the Shoal, the fish-like race who have a monopoly on FTl travel and a vast empire to back their domination up, are fighting a losing battle against the implacable Emissaries, a relentless, genocidally warlike race who will brook no negotiation. This is a good setup for the next book, but Nova War was tainted by a weak start that dragged on for far, far too long.
Not so in Empire of Light
In Empire of Light Gibson gets things happening from the first chapter as Dakota and her ex-lover Lucas Corso, aided by their wily enemy Trader-in-faecal-matter-of-animals try to acquire and master a strange weapon that could destroy almost every ship in the Emissary fleet.
Should they fail, the Emissaries will steamroll every civilised life form they discover, eradicating them in a shower of supernovae, sterilising the galaxy with starfire.
As you’d expect with a weapons-and-war setup like this the action is almost constant, and the plot bounds along in a state of high tension, our heroes never more than a hair a way from disastrous defeat.
The overall story is more consistent than book two in the series, and just as large scale. Ancient alien weapon systems, mysterious and epically powerful alien artefacts, visits to far-flung worlds, thousands of light years of star travel – all the ingredients for a nice big space opera are here.
And so it goes. The story is entertaining and engaging, and the constant threats kept me glued to my reader in anticipation of what was coming next.
There's tension in this story, but it is a touch formulaic. There’s nothing in here that will leave you feeling like your world has been rocked – unless you’ve never read an ‘implacable interstellar threat only able to be stopped by a mysterious alien device’ story before. If that’s the case, you’re clearly new here. Welcome to Science Fiction and I hope you enjoy reading stories where people run around the galaxy chasing lost weapons of unfathomable power – you’re going to be seeing that a lot.
Anyway, Gibson’s storytelling is solid, and the characters and scenarios are engaging. Other than the underlying story being a fairly standard SF trope, my main bugbear with Empire of Light is the seemingly rushed ending. After a journey of many chapters things suddenly speed up, and the story is quickly resolved in a manner that left me a little cold.
Aside from that flaw however, this is an enjoyable, pacey read. It isn’t amazingly innovative. It isn’t transcending any genres. It is entertaining though, and I enjoyed it right up until the rather rapid ending.
3.5 mysterious alien artifacts of unknowable, nay, unthinkable power out of five.
After the strong beginnings of Stealing Light Gibson’s Shoal Sequence story went off the rails a bit. In book two his protagonist Dakota Merrick bounces from one torture/beating/imprisonment scene to the next for several chapters, before the story proper continues with revelations that FTL travel also doubles as a civilisation ending weapon.
By the time Nova War ends (and Gibson has the story back on track) the Shoal, the fish-like race who have a monopoly on FTl travel and a vast empire to back their domination up, are fighting a losing battle against the implacable Emissaries, a relentless, genocidally warlike race who will brook no negotiation. This is a good setup for the next book, but Nova War was tainted by a weak start that dragged on for far, far too long.
Not so in Empire of Light
In Empire of Light Gibson gets things happening from the first chapter as Dakota and her ex-lover Lucas Corso, aided by their wily enemy Trader-in-faecal-matter-of-animals try to acquire and master a strange weapon that could destroy almost every ship in the Emissary fleet.
Should they fail, the Emissaries will steamroll every civilised life form they discover, eradicating them in a shower of supernovae, sterilising the galaxy with starfire.
As you’d expect with a weapons-and-war setup like this the action is almost constant, and the plot bounds along in a state of high tension, our heroes never more than a hair a way from disastrous defeat.
The overall story is more consistent than book two in the series, and just as large scale. Ancient alien weapon systems, mysterious and epically powerful alien artefacts, visits to far-flung worlds, thousands of light years of star travel – all the ingredients for a nice big space opera are here.
And so it goes. The story is entertaining and engaging, and the constant threats kept me glued to my reader in anticipation of what was coming next.
There's tension in this story, but it is a touch formulaic. There’s nothing in here that will leave you feeling like your world has been rocked – unless you’ve never read an ‘implacable interstellar threat only able to be stopped by a mysterious alien device’ story before. If that’s the case, you’re clearly new here. Welcome to Science Fiction and I hope you enjoy reading stories where people run around the galaxy chasing lost weapons of unfathomable power – you’re going to be seeing that a lot.
Anyway, Gibson’s storytelling is solid, and the characters and scenarios are engaging. Other than the underlying story being a fairly standard SF trope, my main bugbear with Empire of Light is the seemingly rushed ending. After a journey of many chapters things suddenly speed up, and the story is quickly resolved in a manner that left me a little cold.
Aside from that flaw however, this is an enjoyable, pacey read. It isn’t amazingly innovative. It isn’t transcending any genres. It is entertaining though, and I enjoyed it right up until the rather rapid ending.
3.5 mysterious alien artifacts of unknowable, nay, unthinkable power out of five.
August 29, 2010
This finale is a must-read, if only to cap-off the excellent Nova War, but unfortunately it was not the strongest of the series. It really needed a major new plot point in the middle third -- some new world or species -- to break up a rather tedious journey that added little interest and distinctly overlapped similar events from the first book. However, the first and final thirds were both pretty good, and Gibson continued to pull in additional ideas and concepts (most drawn from established sci-fi canon, but nicely implemented and integrated). Previous parallels to Dune were cemented with an epilogue wink to Duncan Idaho...but these are all good sources, and it was good to seem them told afresh.
August 26, 2020
This series has taken me four years to finish reading. (Don't worry I'll spare you the messy details as to why)
I started this series in 2016 at point in my life where reading was my only escape. I followed our main heroine Dakota Merrick across the cosmos, and in the two previous novels I couldn't put them down. Each novel up'd the ante every time (this novel was no exception to that little motif) and there was a budding love story between our two main characters.
The last novel of this trilogy wasn't too bad but it feels like Gibson grew jaded by this novel. Much of the story drags on, and Dakota some how feels less heroic and badass as she was in the previous two books. In fact until the very end of this book all I feel is that Dakota is nothing more than everyone's number one abuse victim to go and have their stab at being a dick to.
I feel like this novel dropped a lot of the previous quirks and character developments we had for something that was nothing more than a paycheck for Gibson. Seeing as I read his novel Extinction Game after the first two novels of this series, I expected much the same see and excitement... But I didn't.
I often don't knock things, I normally find great enjoyment in things I love and I love Gary Gibson's work, but I can't say this one really was that good, even on its own it falls flat.
I started this series in 2016 at point in my life where reading was my only escape. I followed our main heroine Dakota Merrick across the cosmos, and in the two previous novels I couldn't put them down. Each novel up'd the ante every time (this novel was no exception to that little motif) and there was a budding love story between our two main characters.
The last novel of this trilogy wasn't too bad but it feels like Gibson grew jaded by this novel. Much of the story drags on, and Dakota some how feels less heroic and badass as she was in the previous two books. In fact until the very end of this book all I feel is that Dakota is nothing more than everyone's number one abuse victim to go and have their stab at being a dick to.
I feel like this novel dropped a lot of the previous quirks and character developments we had for something that was nothing more than a paycheck for Gibson. Seeing as I read his novel Extinction Game after the first two novels of this series, I expected much the same see and excitement... But I didn't.
I often don't knock things, I normally find great enjoyment in things I love and I love Gary Gibson's work, but I can't say this one really was that good, even on its own it falls flat.
January 3, 2013
Dakota and a small crew find and deliver to a certain well defended locale an ancient superweapon that just might stop the Emissaries from destroying much of the galaxy. I found myself skipping and skimming, because everything here is so predictable, and the characters seem to have done all their developing in previous episodes. Also, in grand cheating comic book tradition, Gibson keeps killing Dakota off and then miraculously reviving her. This volume finishes the sequence, and though there's a hint of further adventures for Dakota to come, I've read enough.
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May 7, 2017Lost interest about 20 percent in.
July 17, 2024
2.5/5 stars.
Whelp, this was a massive step back. Gone is the fun popcorny goodness, in comes utterly inconsistent pacing (starts ridiculously fast, before craaaaawling towards an ending), plot holes, and a total lack of charm. Disappointing.
Whelp, this was a massive step back. Gone is the fun popcorny goodness, in comes utterly inconsistent pacing (starts ridiculously fast, before craaaaawling towards an ending), plot holes, and a total lack of charm. Disappointing.
April 24, 2012
While I enjoyed seeing the conclusion of the Shoal Sequence, the final book in the series more closely represents the 1st and seems to ignore some elements of the 2nd.
It is great that the book heads right into the action and keeps going from there (one of my problems with Nova War is the very slow start). However, the 'murderer on board' and 'Trader takes over person through their implants' is rehashed from the first book when really I was expecting more.
Also, where is Days of Wine and Roses? The insect people introduced in the 2nd book (and which take up a subtantial part of that story), are entirely missing from this book except perhaps three mentions under the guise of 'yeah, those other insect dudes are also doing stuff but let's ignore them'. Hugh Moss (who plays a role in the 1st and greater role in the 2nd book) is nearly entirely absent in this except to handball a weapon to Dakota which she uses once and which is ineffective. So overall a bit underwhelming.
The romantic relationship between Dakota and Corso is also a bit strange. When Dakota first sees Corso she hops into bed with him and then things revert to their usual distrusting, dysfunctional relationship. This was fine in the 2nd book as it could be explained that after the sexual encounter they realised things weren't working out, but to repeat it? It doesn't ring true.
The plus for this book is the perspective of how the two main characters have grown and changed. There is also plenty of fight scenes and action as well as exploration of the unknown in space and hints at the ancient wars that even predated the current story.
While the book ends on a hint that another series may occur, I don't see it happening. Dakota (who I quite liked as a character), has run her course. I think Gary Gibson might have set his sights a little to high with this series, but it still has plenty of original parts and demonstrates good imagination.
It is great that the book heads right into the action and keeps going from there (one of my problems with Nova War is the very slow start). However, the 'murderer on board' and 'Trader takes over person through their implants' is rehashed from the first book when really I was expecting more.
Also, where is Days of Wine and Roses? The insect people introduced in the 2nd book (and which take up a subtantial part of that story), are entirely missing from this book except perhaps three mentions under the guise of 'yeah, those other insect dudes are also doing stuff but let's ignore them'. Hugh Moss (who plays a role in the 1st and greater role in the 2nd book) is nearly entirely absent in this except to handball a weapon to Dakota which she uses once and which is ineffective. So overall a bit underwhelming.
The romantic relationship between Dakota and Corso is also a bit strange. When Dakota first sees Corso she hops into bed with him and then things revert to their usual distrusting, dysfunctional relationship. This was fine in the 2nd book as it could be explained that after the sexual encounter they realised things weren't working out, but to repeat it? It doesn't ring true.
The plus for this book is the perspective of how the two main characters have grown and changed. There is also plenty of fight scenes and action as well as exploration of the unknown in space and hints at the ancient wars that even predated the current story.
While the book ends on a hint that another series may occur, I don't see it happening. Dakota (who I quite liked as a character), has run her course. I think Gary Gibson might have set his sights a little to high with this series, but it still has plenty of original parts and demonstrates good imagination.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2010
Empire Light was a very good ending to the Shoal trilogy with a hook for another book set in the same milieu some 3000 years later; the novel recreates somewhat the structure of Stealing Light, when after preliminaries, it comes down to Dakota and Julian to save the day again on a starship in enemy territory, while Trader is still around for his usual mischief
While the whole trilogy is a great example of new space opera and it allows one an introduction at 1000 pages rather than deliving in PF Hamilton 3000 pages epics, I still feel Gary Gibson undersells himself a bit; Stealing Light was awesome while the sequels were very good, but should have been more ambitious as depth goes; the scene, larger than life characters and narrative energy are there, but ultimately the world building is only partially there, sometimes going back to the 30-50's pulp hand waving of millions of x and trillions of y and this button destroys the enemy and...
On the other hand maybe 1000 pages is not enough for too much ambition in world building as the failures for me of both Humanity's fire/Cobley - this one terminal since I am not interested to read beyond the very mediocre volume 2 - and of Ragnarok/Meaney (so far - still very interested if the author can make sense of 7 or 8 stories as the series continue, since volume 1 was a jumble) - show.
As he showed in the considerably more complex Angel stations and Against gravity, plus with the narrative energy he brings, G. Gibson has the powers to write a monumental epic imho and i hope we will see it...
While the whole trilogy is a great example of new space opera and it allows one an introduction at 1000 pages rather than deliving in PF Hamilton 3000 pages epics, I still feel Gary Gibson undersells himself a bit; Stealing Light was awesome while the sequels were very good, but should have been more ambitious as depth goes; the scene, larger than life characters and narrative energy are there, but ultimately the world building is only partially there, sometimes going back to the 30-50's pulp hand waving of millions of x and trillions of y and this button destroys the enemy and...
On the other hand maybe 1000 pages is not enough for too much ambition in world building as the failures for me of both Humanity's fire/Cobley - this one terminal since I am not interested to read beyond the very mediocre volume 2 - and of Ragnarok/Meaney (so far - still very interested if the author can make sense of 7 or 8 stories as the series continue, since volume 1 was a jumble) - show.
As he showed in the considerably more complex Angel stations and Against gravity, plus with the narrative energy he brings, G. Gibson has the powers to write a monumental epic imho and i hope we will see it...
February 25, 2014
Having bought the trilogy on a whim, I really enjoyed the first two books, but the final one, Empire, let the trilogy down massively. The ending felt disjointed, there was no sense of urgency towards the end, unlike the previous two novels, and the fact that Dakota died repeatedly kind of cheapened her death, for lack of a better term.
Also, the fact that Corso seems to have gone a complete 180 in terms of personality and then laments it for a few sentences destroyed his character development. He also doesn't really do much in this book despite the end of the second one setting him up as a leader of men against the Shoal and other species out there.
Ty had some of the best character development but was hastily killed despite the fact he could have had an extended character arc of redemption for his past sins, much like Dakota went through.
Lastly there's no real exploration of alien cultures unlike in the other books, which made the book feel really rushed compared to the others.
Disappointing end to a solid trilogy.
Also, the fact that Corso seems to have gone a complete 180 in terms of personality and then laments it for a few sentences destroyed his character development. He also doesn't really do much in this book despite the end of the second one setting him up as a leader of men against the Shoal and other species out there.
Ty had some of the best character development but was hastily killed despite the fact he could have had an extended character arc of redemption for his past sins, much like Dakota went through.
Lastly there's no real exploration of alien cultures unlike in the other books, which made the book feel really rushed compared to the others.
Disappointing end to a solid trilogy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2013
Empire of light is een zeer vermakelijk sfavontuur met geweldige aliens, bedreigingen en een paar memorabele karakters. Maar er zijn ook problemen: af en toe is de stijl hakkelig, alsof er niet genoeg geëdit is, sommige ontwikkelingen duren te lang, andere te kort en ik werd wat grumpy van de 'a little while later' manier van voortgang in het verhaal houden.
Het is zeker geen slecht boek, maar een topper zoals Stealing light is, is Empire helaas niet. Wie weet herpakt Gibson met Marauder dat niveau.
Voor de goede orde: de Shoal, de Emissaries en de Atn zijn supercool en de ruimte-archeologie vind ik erg gaaf gedaan. Qua concepten zit het allemaal wel goed.
Het is zeker geen slecht boek, maar een topper zoals Stealing light is, is Empire helaas niet. Wie weet herpakt Gibson met Marauder dat niveau.
Voor de goede orde: de Shoal, de Emissaries en de Atn zijn supercool en de ruimte-archeologie vind ik erg gaaf gedaan. Qua concepten zit het allemaal wel goed.
November 19, 2013
Apparently, the main character is indestructible, and things like death just delay her. Nevertheless, I like this book better than the 2nd book of the sequence, although at times I considered starting another book instead.
The sense of wonder is gone. Now they've found a multi-dimensional artifact and want to use it to destroy the Emissaries' war capabilities. As usual, everybody wants to hinder them in their great task (including humans and all-knowing-shoal). That's about it to the book's plot
The sense of wonder is gone. Now they've found a multi-dimensional artifact and want to use it to destroy the Emissaries' war capabilities. As usual, everybody wants to hinder them in their great task (including humans and all-knowing-shoal). That's about it to the book's plot
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2014
After thoroughly enjoying books 1& 2, the 3rd installment of this trilogy was a real disappointment. So much so that I didn't finish it. I felt cheated by big jumps in the plot, and the complete absence of previously prominent characters.
It isn't badly written, but as the final installment of this trilogy, it isn't worthy. Maybe I'll come back to it, but with so many other books on my to-read list it can wait a while.
It isn't badly written, but as the final installment of this trilogy, it isn't worthy. Maybe I'll come back to it, but with so many other books on my to-read list it can wait a while.
August 14, 2016
So she dies yet again. And then they resurrect her yet again 3,000 years later. What ever did they do for those years without her?
And the Big Damn Weapon that can read your intent etc needs to consume a mind to function because anyone would design a weapon like that. Right, OK.
And there's another book. Wonder if it'll be about this new war or not. Which is because the fish want to flee the galaxy. The entire galaxy can't stand up to them if they do want to start a fight?
And the Big Damn Weapon that can read your intent etc needs to consume a mind to function because anyone would design a weapon like that. Right, OK.
And there's another book. Wonder if it'll be about this new war or not. Which is because the fish want to flee the galaxy. The entire galaxy can't stand up to them if they do want to start a fight?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2017
Meh finish to a space opera. First book was nice, second book very interesting.
Think action packed Hollywood movie trilogy with heavy power creep.
What I liked about the trilogy: interesting world, innovative alien species, some passages really grip and do not let you stop reading.
What I did not like: forgettable characters, several plot developments that smell of deus-ex-machina / plot holes, last book was a chore to finish.
Think action packed Hollywood movie trilogy with heavy power creep.
What I liked about the trilogy: interesting world, innovative alien species, some passages really grip and do not let you stop reading.
What I did not like: forgettable characters, several plot developments that smell of deus-ex-machina / plot holes, last book was a chore to finish.
October 24, 2014
Got fed up with this series, I suspect the author was also pretty fed up by book 3.
October 6, 2014
Well, it was better than the 2nd of the series ... but still ludicrously improbable.
December 12, 2017
The Shoal Hegemony and the Emissaries of God are locked in a devastating nova war between the Perseus and Orion arms of the Galaxy. Hundreds of star systems have been destroyed, billions slain. The war is starting to move in the direction of human space, but the Consortium is riven by in-fighting as the Consortium's rulers vie with the Peacekeeper Corps established by Dakota Merrick and Lucas Corso for control of the FTL-equipped ancient alien spacecraft. Merrick has uncovered a possible way of stopping the war for good, but it means forging an alliance with her greatest enemy and embarking on a lengthy trip into the very heart of the warzone.
Empire of Light brings the three-volume Shoal Sequence to a conclusion, although further books in the same setting are promised. Merrick and Lucas achieve their destinies, new characters are introduced and others are finally killed off as events reach a head. As a conclusion, the book works, but is not altogether satisfying.
It is an odd, unexpectedly quiet book, however. Given the vast, epic events set in motion by the previous volumes, it is surprising that most of the book is taken up with a single journey on a single, human-built spacecraft across the Galaxy, contending with internal factionalism and murder mysteries rather than the vast space battles and politicking of the previous books. As a result the book feels mechanical and anti-climatic: our heroes have to deliver a plot device to a certain location and it pretty much takes care of everything for them, at least until the epilogue (set centuries later, almost always a bad idea) informs us that lots more stuff is still to come and a bunch of interesting-sounding events have been skipped over (shades of Alastair Reynolds' troubled ending to Absolution Gap). As a result, although the immediate threat is addressed, many of the other narrative and character arcs are given short shrift.
Gibson's prose remains readable and entertaining and the book still has a page-turning quality to it, but there is definitely the feeling that this book didn't quite live up to expectations. Particularly notable is the fact that the cast is suddenly widened in this last book away from the tight focus on Dakota and Lucas in previous volumes, with the newcomers (particularly Ty Whitecloud) being intriguing and well-drawn characters, but given the limitations of space they are not as developed as much as one might hope. In addition, the oft-mentioned temptations to the dark side that Dakota's immense power has opened up for her don't particularly lead anywhere interesting, which feels like a wasted opportunity.
Empire of Light (***) is an entertaining book, but doesn't fulfil the ambitions laid out earlier in the series. Gibson has immense potential, however, and I look forward to his next project with interest. The book is available now in the UK and on import in the USA.
Empire of Light brings the three-volume Shoal Sequence to a conclusion, although further books in the same setting are promised. Merrick and Lucas achieve their destinies, new characters are introduced and others are finally killed off as events reach a head. As a conclusion, the book works, but is not altogether satisfying.
It is an odd, unexpectedly quiet book, however. Given the vast, epic events set in motion by the previous volumes, it is surprising that most of the book is taken up with a single journey on a single, human-built spacecraft across the Galaxy, contending with internal factionalism and murder mysteries rather than the vast space battles and politicking of the previous books. As a result the book feels mechanical and anti-climatic: our heroes have to deliver a plot device to a certain location and it pretty much takes care of everything for them, at least until the epilogue (set centuries later, almost always a bad idea) informs us that lots more stuff is still to come and a bunch of interesting-sounding events have been skipped over (shades of Alastair Reynolds' troubled ending to Absolution Gap). As a result, although the immediate threat is addressed, many of the other narrative and character arcs are given short shrift.
Gibson's prose remains readable and entertaining and the book still has a page-turning quality to it, but there is definitely the feeling that this book didn't quite live up to expectations. Particularly notable is the fact that the cast is suddenly widened in this last book away from the tight focus on Dakota and Lucas in previous volumes, with the newcomers (particularly Ty Whitecloud) being intriguing and well-drawn characters, but given the limitations of space they are not as developed as much as one might hope. In addition, the oft-mentioned temptations to the dark side that Dakota's immense power has opened up for her don't particularly lead anywhere interesting, which feels like a wasted opportunity.
Empire of Light (***) is an entertaining book, but doesn't fulfil the ambitions laid out earlier in the series. Gibson has immense potential, however, and I look forward to his next project with interest. The book is available now in the UK and on import in the USA.
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December 25, 2022Empire of Light concludes events started in Stealing Light and continued in Nova War. I say concludes but more it draws an arc to a definitive end but leaving the door open for more stories in this world.
I’ve given high praise to the series so far with phrases like, ‘clever, intelligent, thoughtful, and gripping’ and ‘Gibson has a devious imagination, a sense of bigger picture and a more twists than a corkscrew’. So not a lot to live up to there then.
And does Empire of Light continue that tradition. Yes and no. It’s gripping and I really felt for Dakota in places; I really wanted her to succeed. But we are drawing to the end and all the preparation that has taken place up to now has been leading to this point. So we don’t get a meander through more of Gibson’s mind. Instead we have a gripping race to the finish.
The double-crossing and scheming Trader is shown in a new light, as is Corso and so are the human-piloted Magi ships.
It’s a case of if you’ve read enjoyed Stealing Light and Nova War you’re going to enjoy
Empire of Light. It’s still filled with some nice twists and turns but it’s more focused and narrowed than I remember the earlier books being with less exposure to new things.
Not sure what to add beyond that. If you enjoy a SF series with a lot of energy the Shoal Sequence is one for you.
Gary Gibson’s latest novel is Final Days is out now in hardback/kindle and Empire of Light is out now in paperback/kindle
I’ve given high praise to the series so far with phrases like, ‘clever, intelligent, thoughtful, and gripping’ and ‘Gibson has a devious imagination, a sense of bigger picture and a more twists than a corkscrew’. So not a lot to live up to there then.
And does Empire of Light continue that tradition. Yes and no. It’s gripping and I really felt for Dakota in places; I really wanted her to succeed. But we are drawing to the end and all the preparation that has taken place up to now has been leading to this point. So we don’t get a meander through more of Gibson’s mind. Instead we have a gripping race to the finish.
The double-crossing and scheming Trader is shown in a new light, as is Corso and so are the human-piloted Magi ships.
It’s a case of if you’ve read enjoyed Stealing Light and Nova War you’re going to enjoy
Empire of Light. It’s still filled with some nice twists and turns but it’s more focused and narrowed than I remember the earlier books being with less exposure to new things.
Not sure what to add beyond that. If you enjoy a SF series with a lot of energy the Shoal Sequence is one for you.
Gary Gibson’s latest novel is Final Days is out now in hardback/kindle and Empire of Light is out now in paperback/kindle
July 15, 2021
I found this one far too long and the storylines not very taxing, sorry. Charlie Norfolk's narration has improved with each book (or so it sems to me) and is very good. She carries you over the clunky parts of the story. I had to finish the trilogy, of course, but probably would have committed the sin of skipping to the end had I been reading this.
November 21, 2022
So this pretty much wraps up the trilogy, with the 4th book being a post-trilogy book, which was not obvious to me going in.
There's still an awful lot of cool stuff happening to the core characters, but a few plot points and character events just felt a little ... lazy. And they irked me. But there was still so much to enjoy, and a lot of very interesting nuances to the main characters.
There's still an awful lot of cool stuff happening to the core characters, but a few plot points and character events just felt a little ... lazy. And they irked me. But there was still so much to enjoy, and a lot of very interesting nuances to the main characters.
May 25, 2019
Another solid book and sci-fi epic adventure. I'm a bit thorn about about the end because I feel that this is where the series could have ended. The setup for the next book felt a bit forced so I am a bit intrigued whether the price is worth paying.
January 1, 2020
I enjoyed it - finished off the trilogy nicely.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
November 23, 2020
Didn't get it
January 7, 2023
This one's long.
January 30, 2024
Fantastic "finish", or not, to this series.
A great Space Opera .
Gibson is now joining the Peter F Hamilton club of SF writers
A great Space Opera .
Gibson is now joining the Peter F Hamilton club of SF writers
June 21, 2025
First book in this series was so good. second one, almost entirely filler. This third book is decent, but I struggled to get into it.
August 23, 2025
Found the writing style really annoying and plotting a bit littered with helpful coincidences, but nice to finish the series I guess.
October 14, 2025
3.5/5
Kinda fizzled out in the end, left much unanswered but not bad.
Kinda fizzled out in the end, left much unanswered but not bad.
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