What do you think?
Rate this book
The Shoal Sequence #2
Nova War
Dakota and Corso are taken prisoner by the Bandati in the second book of The Shoal Sequence
Dakota discovered the Shoal's dark and dangerous secret, and now she works toward stopping not only the spread of this knowledge, but also the onset of the nova war. Found adrift near a Bandati colony world far away from Consortium space, Dakota and Corso find themselves the Bandati's prisoners, and it rapidly becomes clear to them that the humanity’s limited knowledge of the rest of the galaxy, filtered through the Shoal, is direly inaccurate. The Shoal have been fighting a frontier war with a rival species, the Emissaries, with their own FTL technology for more than 15,000 years. Realizing that the Shoal may be the Galaxy's one chance at sustained peace, Dakota is forced to work with Trader to prevent the spread of deadly knowledge carried onboard the Magi ships—but it seems that the nova war is inevitable.
Dakota discovered the Shoal's dark and dangerous secret, and now she works toward stopping not only the spread of this knowledge, but also the onset of the nova war. Found adrift near a Bandati colony world far away from Consortium space, Dakota and Corso find themselves the Bandati's prisoners, and it rapidly becomes clear to them that the humanity’s limited knowledge of the rest of the galaxy, filtered through the Shoal, is direly inaccurate. The Shoal have been fighting a frontier war with a rival species, the Emissaries, with their own FTL technology for more than 15,000 years. Realizing that the Shoal may be the Galaxy's one chance at sustained peace, Dakota is forced to work with Trader to prevent the spread of deadly knowledge carried onboard the Magi ships—but it seems that the nova war is inevitable.
568 pages, Paperback
First published April 9, 2009
51 people are currently reading
770 people want to read
About the author
Gary Gibson
52 books420 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
May 28, 2013
Before I even launch into this review I have one word: Emissary.
Imagine an alien race that is half Cthulhu, half Mammoth and all bad attitude. If that doesn’t inspire you to read Nova War I’m afraid nothing will.
What a fun book! Filled with violence and sense-of-wonder, the second novel in the Shoal trilogy takes the story waaay beyond the events of Stealing Light. As far as hard Space Opera is concerned, this is turning into a biggie, even though it retains an intimate flavour (despite the vast scope of the novel, it centres on only a few main characters).
Again, I liked the review by Neal Asher. Who am I to question his authority on this kind of thing?
After the surprise reveals and upheavals of Nova War, the story is set to conclude in spectacular fashion in Empire of Light. Highly recommended.
Imagine an alien race that is half Cthulhu, half Mammoth and all bad attitude. If that doesn’t inspire you to read Nova War I’m afraid nothing will.
What a fun book! Filled with violence and sense-of-wonder, the second novel in the Shoal trilogy takes the story waaay beyond the events of Stealing Light. As far as hard Space Opera is concerned, this is turning into a biggie, even though it retains an intimate flavour (despite the vast scope of the novel, it centres on only a few main characters).
Again, I liked the review by Neal Asher. Who am I to question his authority on this kind of thing?
After the surprise reveals and upheavals of Nova War, the story is set to conclude in spectacular fashion in Empire of Light. Highly recommended.
July 18, 2018
In Stealing Light Gary Gibson built something pretty cool, an interesting story that took off and soared into a galaxy-spanning narrative.
I expected this breakneck flight to continue in the sequel. I was (partly) wrong.
In Nova War Gibson spends the first hundred or so pages flying his creation around in circles, the whole thing burping smoke and bits of fuselage as it rapidly loses altitude and spirals towards the earth.
Honestly, at around page 100 I was unsure I wanted to be around for the inevitable crash, as Dakota, the main character from Stealing Light bounced around from torture scene to imprisonment scene to beating scene, the pretty much aimless brutalising of her character slowing the narrative to a glacial crawl.
I almost quit, but I’m glad I didn’t.
Nova War isn’t as strong as Stealing Light, and the first few chapters may try your patience, but it continues the interesting story begun in book one, and is entertaining when it (finally) gets going.
Dakota returns, as well as scheming Shoal-empire super-fish Trader in Faecal Matter of Animals and Lucas Corso, Dakota’s on-and-off (mostly off) lover. The Shoal- the dominant species in our part of the galaxy, and the only race with lightspeed travel capability still rule, but their reign is threatened by the existence of the ancient lightspeed ship that Dakota is piloting.
The revelation in book one that lightspeed ships can be used to destroy stars hangs over everyone in the story, driving some to try and hide the tech, and others to try and exploit it for selfish means.
As the book begins the derelict superluminal ship discovered in book one has carried Dakota and Lucas to a system ruled by the Bandati, an insect like race who have their own interest in the ancient vessel.
The ship is captured, and after much long and aimless interrogation and harsh treatment Dakota and Lucas get taken by rival Bandati hives, who plan to use their knowledge of the derelict to unlock it and leverage it in their hive wars.
Unknown to the Consortium, the reigning power in Human space – The Shoal - have been at war with an equally advanced race – the warlike Emissaries – for millennia, a war they are slowly losing.
The Bandati hope to curry favor with the Emissaries by giving them access to the derelict ship, winning a better deal from them should they conquer the Shoal empire.
And so Dakota finds herself again at the centre of a struggle that could destroy the known universe, and the story once again gains pace.
There are some irritating plot developments in Nova War.
These annoyances don’t hugely detract from the book however and there’s still an interesting narrative here that will suck you along with it providing you don’t question it too much.
I’m looking forward to book three and I’m hopeful that it continues the quick, high-stakes narrative Gibson (eventually) re-establishes in Nova War.
Three superluminal ships punching through stars out of five.
I expected this breakneck flight to continue in the sequel. I was (partly) wrong.
In Nova War Gibson spends the first hundred or so pages flying his creation around in circles, the whole thing burping smoke and bits of fuselage as it rapidly loses altitude and spirals towards the earth.
Honestly, at around page 100 I was unsure I wanted to be around for the inevitable crash, as Dakota, the main character from Stealing Light bounced around from torture scene to imprisonment scene to beating scene, the pretty much aimless brutalising of her character slowing the narrative to a glacial crawl.
I almost quit, but I’m glad I didn’t.
Nova War isn’t as strong as Stealing Light, and the first few chapters may try your patience, but it continues the interesting story begun in book one, and is entertaining when it (finally) gets going.
Dakota returns, as well as scheming Shoal-empire super-fish Trader in Faecal Matter of Animals and Lucas Corso, Dakota’s on-and-off (mostly off) lover. The Shoal- the dominant species in our part of the galaxy, and the only race with lightspeed travel capability still rule, but their reign is threatened by the existence of the ancient lightspeed ship that Dakota is piloting.
The revelation in book one that lightspeed ships can be used to destroy stars hangs over everyone in the story, driving some to try and hide the tech, and others to try and exploit it for selfish means.
As the book begins the derelict superluminal ship discovered in book one has carried Dakota and Lucas to a system ruled by the Bandati, an insect like race who have their own interest in the ancient vessel.
The ship is captured, and after much long and aimless interrogation and harsh treatment Dakota and Lucas get taken by rival Bandati hives, who plan to use their knowledge of the derelict to unlock it and leverage it in their hive wars.
Unknown to the Consortium, the reigning power in Human space – The Shoal - have been at war with an equally advanced race – the warlike Emissaries – for millennia, a war they are slowly losing.
The Bandati hope to curry favor with the Emissaries by giving them access to the derelict ship, winning a better deal from them should they conquer the Shoal empire.
And so Dakota finds herself again at the centre of a struggle that could destroy the known universe, and the story once again gains pace.
There are some irritating plot developments in Nova War.
These annoyances don’t hugely detract from the book however and there’s still an interesting narrative here that will suck you along with it providing you don’t question it too much.
I’m looking forward to book three and I’m hopeful that it continues the quick, high-stakes narrative Gibson (eventually) re-establishes in Nova War.
Three superluminal ships punching through stars out of five.
February 24, 2012
Righto, Macmillan kindly provided me with a copy of Gary Gibson’s Nova War. It should be enough to say that on the first day of picking it up I was busy and only read it for an hour or so, but on the second day I polished off the rest of the book. There’s a prison sequence in this that did seem to drag a bit, but not enough to make me abandon the book, nowhere near, otherwise it kicked along very nicely. For those of you that read and enjoyed the book before this, Stealing Light, here’s more of the good stuff. The title should give you a clue about how Gibson has upscaled the demolition. For those of you that haven’t read Stealing light, and who enjoy massive, violent balls-out sensawunda space opera, I suggest you go out and buy it, then read Nova War.
Here you have the Shoal, who control FTL technology and consequently rule a large portion of the galaxy because other races, without FTL, have become their clients. But these deep sea fish lied about being the only ones with FTL, of course they did, lying seems par for the course with a race whose arch manipulator has named itself ‘Trader in the faecal matter of animals’ (bullshit to the uninitiated). Now the Emissaries are on the scene and it’s beginning to look like Nova War is unavoidable. Oh bugger.
Here you have the Shoal, who control FTL technology and consequently rule a large portion of the galaxy because other races, without FTL, have become their clients. But these deep sea fish lied about being the only ones with FTL, of course they did, lying seems par for the course with a race whose arch manipulator has named itself ‘Trader in the faecal matter of animals’ (bullshit to the uninitiated). Now the Emissaries are on the scene and it’s beginning to look like Nova War is unavoidable. Oh bugger.
June 2, 2013
This sequel to Stealing Light fixes many of its predecessor's problems; distractingly overt reference to other books is absent, as is clumsy foreshadowing and very predictable plotting. This makes it much better, but there are still some problems, mainly at the detailed sentence level of occasional poor grammar and bad phrasing.
The over-arching theme of both books (with at least one more to come) seems to be about nuclear proliferation and who should be allowed to control such devastating weapons. Of course in the books, its bombs that detonate entire stars, but still...Should older, more mature societies suppress everybody else? Is that idea patronising? Who can be trusted? Gibson's answer seems to be an independent body not bound to any particular political body or doctrine. This immediately raises in my mind the question, who watches the watchers? Maybe Gibson examines this in the third volume, which, if it shows continued improvement might be very good.
The over-arching theme of both books (with at least one more to come) seems to be about nuclear proliferation and who should be allowed to control such devastating weapons. Of course in the books, its bombs that detonate entire stars, but still...Should older, more mature societies suppress everybody else? Is that idea patronising? Who can be trusted? Gibson's answer seems to be an independent body not bound to any particular political body or doctrine. This immediately raises in my mind the question, who watches the watchers? Maybe Gibson examines this in the third volume, which, if it shows continued improvement might be very good.
January 2, 2014
4.5 Stars
Nova War by Gary Gibson picks up right where Stealing Light leaves off. This book has a much different feel than the first book. It is much more a space opera than anything else. A great deal of the cyberpunk has been removed from this second book, almost literally speaking.
Dakota Merrick is the star, the center, and the pivot point for the world as we know it. She goes through some dramatic changes that alter her forever. I love her character, her strength, and her unique ability to overlook the horrors that she has bestowed. Her character carries this book and this series and this is ok.
Gibson is smart in this book as we get to spend a great deal of time with the “Bad Guys”. Trader, Roses, and of course Moss make for a diverse group of antagonists. Moss can give most evil characters a run for their money, he is just so damn hard to kill. I loved all the chapters that Moss was in and feel that he partially stole this book for me.
I love the diction that Gibson took this book and the series. This is space opera at its finest. I cannot wait to see where it goes from here. If you are reading this review than you already know what to expect so go buy this one…Highly recommeded!
Nova War by Gary Gibson picks up right where Stealing Light leaves off. This book has a much different feel than the first book. It is much more a space opera than anything else. A great deal of the cyberpunk has been removed from this second book, almost literally speaking.
Dakota Merrick is the star, the center, and the pivot point for the world as we know it. She goes through some dramatic changes that alter her forever. I love her character, her strength, and her unique ability to overlook the horrors that she has bestowed. Her character carries this book and this series and this is ok.
Gibson is smart in this book as we get to spend a great deal of time with the “Bad Guys”. Trader, Roses, and of course Moss make for a diverse group of antagonists. Moss can give most evil characters a run for their money, he is just so damn hard to kill. I loved all the chapters that Moss was in and feel that he partially stole this book for me.
I love the diction that Gibson took this book and the series. This is space opera at its finest. I cannot wait to see where it goes from here. If you are reading this review than you already know what to expect so go buy this one…Highly recommeded!
May 22, 2024
Nova War is a fitting sequel to Stealing Light. It's not perfect (the start is slow for sure) and it's not all that deep and meaningful, but it's just a damn enjoyable popcorny space opera. Love it.
August 7, 2016
I wrote about my distaste for the first book in the series, which had SO MUCH potential but was completely overpowered by sloppy writing and self-indulgent gratuitous eroticism. Dakota Merrick has all the parts in play to be a strong, intriguing character with a lot of depth... but she wastes it by spending the first book fucking everyone (including her ship). Other reviews suggest the series gets stronger as it goes, so I popped open the second one to see how the writing evolves.
It opens with the same problem the first one had: huge exposition dumps from characters I haven't really been given much of a chance to give a single shit about. The underlying plot points really have some power to them, but it feels like such a slog to care about any of the characters.
We finally get back to Dakota, who finds herself in prison. She's naked, of course, with plenty of mentions about her breasts, and she immediately notes how her pubic hair has been shaved. This does not look like a promising indication that the writing will be any less indulgent. Sure enough, when she is finally reunited with her boy toy (who, I noted, is also naked but he's such a flat character that he isn't even graced with a physical description) the first thing they do is fuck. Even though she's been starving herself and is so weak she's barely coherent. Priorities!
Let me be clear: I'm not prudish, and I will happily read explicit content in books, as long as there is a REASON for it. There is no reason for all of the gratuitous sexuality in these books. It's self-indulgent and distracting, and the worst part is (as I said in my review of the first book) it could fairly easily have been modulated to actually have a point. Dakota Merrick could be a really interesting female protagonist, because she's been ostracized and traumatized and has difficulty connecting to people. Building a trust relationship with Corso could be a REALLY powerful sequence. But, instead, she prances around naked and fucks everything with a cock at every opportunity (real cocks or artificial ones, it doesn't matter to her!). It's pretty clearly biased, too. We become intimately familiar with Dakota's naked body, breasts, pubic region, anus... but there is barely any time wasted describing Lucas Corso. Who wants to read about him anyway, right? It's all about the boobies and pubic hair! And, naturally, the males she fucks think it's the best sex they've ever had. Even the main enemy is like "You know what, I kind of like her, despite trying to kill her." I wonder how long it will take before she fucks him too, despite the fact that he's a fish in a floating bubble. (He does have tentacles that extend outside of it! Hmmmmm...)
I skimmed through roughly 30% of the book and found the characters were still acting inconsistently (one moment they're badass, the next they're weeping and cowering) and just gave up before getting out of the prison sequences. It's really a shame because the plot is interesting and the action is fast paced, but the characters ruin it for me. As I said with the first book, though: give it to an editor who will slash all the bullshit out of it and an effects team who will bring the action to life and we'll have a decent (possibly cheesy) movie that I will happily watch.
It opens with the same problem the first one had: huge exposition dumps from characters I haven't really been given much of a chance to give a single shit about. The underlying plot points really have some power to them, but it feels like such a slog to care about any of the characters.
We finally get back to Dakota, who finds herself in prison. She's naked, of course, with plenty of mentions about her breasts, and she immediately notes how her pubic hair has been shaved. This does not look like a promising indication that the writing will be any less indulgent. Sure enough, when she is finally reunited with her boy toy (who, I noted, is also naked but he's such a flat character that he isn't even graced with a physical description) the first thing they do is fuck. Even though she's been starving herself and is so weak she's barely coherent. Priorities!
Let me be clear: I'm not prudish, and I will happily read explicit content in books, as long as there is a REASON for it. There is no reason for all of the gratuitous sexuality in these books. It's self-indulgent and distracting, and the worst part is (as I said in my review of the first book) it could fairly easily have been modulated to actually have a point. Dakota Merrick could be a really interesting female protagonist, because she's been ostracized and traumatized and has difficulty connecting to people. Building a trust relationship with Corso could be a REALLY powerful sequence. But, instead, she prances around naked and fucks everything with a cock at every opportunity (real cocks or artificial ones, it doesn't matter to her!). It's pretty clearly biased, too. We become intimately familiar with Dakota's naked body, breasts, pubic region, anus... but there is barely any time wasted describing Lucas Corso. Who wants to read about him anyway, right? It's all about the boobies and pubic hair! And, naturally, the males she fucks think it's the best sex they've ever had. Even the main enemy is like "You know what, I kind of like her, despite trying to kill her." I wonder how long it will take before she fucks him too, despite the fact that he's a fish in a floating bubble. (He does have tentacles that extend outside of it! Hmmmmm...)
I skimmed through roughly 30% of the book and found the characters were still acting inconsistently (one moment they're badass, the next they're weeping and cowering) and just gave up before getting out of the prison sequences. It's really a shame because the plot is interesting and the action is fast paced, but the characters ruin it for me. As I said with the first book, though: give it to an editor who will slash all the bullshit out of it and an effects team who will bring the action to life and we'll have a decent (possibly cheesy) movie that I will happily watch.
April 17, 2012
As with Stealing Light, the universe that Gary Gibson has created is fascinating. The characters are reasonably portrayed although the second main character (Lucas Corso) seems misplaced and little more than a person to run around from one disaster to the next without an end goal in mind.
The reason I rate this book 2 stars is due to the incredible length of time it takes for the story to really get going. It is roughly 200 pages from the beginning and the characters begin their road to escaping the prison they start in and the action and mystery starts to come to the fore.
I think the book needed more editing to cut out some of the scenes which didn't really add much (such as the story of how Dakota gets her alien film suit, which didn't seem needed as the first book never explained it much at all). I've just started the third book (Empire of Light) and I don't think it is a coincidence that the action and exploration of the universe takes place right in the first chapter.
The reason I rate this book 2 stars is due to the incredible length of time it takes for the story to really get going. It is roughly 200 pages from the beginning and the characters begin their road to escaping the prison they start in and the action and mystery starts to come to the fore.
I think the book needed more editing to cut out some of the scenes which didn't really add much (such as the story of how Dakota gets her alien film suit, which didn't seem needed as the first book never explained it much at all). I've just started the third book (Empire of Light) and I don't think it is a coincidence that the action and exploration of the universe takes place right in the first chapter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2015
2,5 stars
Gary Gibson has watched "Star Wars" [Exogorth] and "Flight of the Navigator" / "The Last Starfighter".
There is still too much torture and blackmail in this sequel.
I didn't like the return of a supposedly dead antagonist from the previous book.
For a space opera the world of the book is still rather small.
The books is a sequence of scenes in which one character forces another character to do something she / he doesn't want to do.
The end of the book reminded of the Peter F Hamilton's Night's Dawn trilogy,
Gary Gibson has watched "Star Wars" [Exogorth] and "Flight of the Navigator" / "The Last Starfighter".
There is still too much torture and blackmail in this sequel.
I didn't like the return of a supposedly dead antagonist from the previous book.
For a space opera the world of the book is still rather small.
The books is a sequence of scenes in which one character forces another character to do something she / he doesn't want to do.
The end of the book reminded of the Peter F Hamilton's Night's Dawn trilogy,
May 12, 2015
Pretty much meh. It's ok, but when you've read some Peter F Hamilton or Iain M Banks then it begins to look distinctly worse. Characters do not act in sensible ways, the narrative loops in strange ways, the descriptions of battles and vessels evoke nothing in my mind...found it fairly difficult to wade through to be honest.
September 17, 2015
Fantastic read! The characters, the plot, the world building, all are awesome.
May 13, 2022
Didn't start well. Stalled near start. Too much violence and weird stuff, Not much fun yet.
DNF. Recycled my copy. Not for me!
Too bad, as I liked the first in this series a lot: 4 stars worth.
DNF. Recycled my copy. Not for me!
Too bad, as I liked the first in this series a lot: 4 stars worth.
December 19, 2019
Gary Gibson keeps up the pace and intrigue with this middle installment of the trilogy. I stayed up until 4 in the morning to finish the last quarter - always a good sign. The book opens with a new cast of (alien) characters. Handled badly, this could have been a turn-off, but it sucked me quickly into their part in the story arc, fleshing out the stage upon which the story is set.
There's some deliciously inventive, tongue-in-cheek stuff in here, which feels like Banksian perverseness turned up a notch. A restaurant in a dormant carnivorous worm's stomach, anyone? All part of the fun. There's an awful lot of torture, however, which won't be to everyone's taste. It sometimes felt a little voyeuristic to be comfortable. By the middle, something subconsciously bothering me finally crystallised: doesn't anyone in this series have friends? Everyone seems to be a tool, prey, or food for someone or something else. Perhaps that was a conscious point - it certainly amps up the atmosphere of chilly, existential vulnerability. The two lead characters also started to grate a little, losing some of my investment in them.
This was temporary, however, and proved part of an ultimately satisfying journey arc. The character I'd expected to be the love interest spends most of the book as a kind of human ping-pong ball, batted helplessly around by events far too big for him. His exasperated indignation at his treatment and the stupidity of those who have power over him is beautifully observed, and it's nice to read something not built around square-jawed heroics and over-worn romantic tropes (the deepest romance so far is between the protagonist and a priapismic sex doll operated by her spaceship).
The wider political space in which the story is set feels simultaneously realistic and adeptly constructed, and fractionally underdeveloped. It's the same with what happens off the page. It's all there, and some of the concepts involved are vast - but it doesn't feel quite as epic as it perhaps could have. One or two plot issues felt papered-over, too (would anyone seriously think recruiting psychologically traumatised criminals to operate a fleet of ultra-powerful WMDs was a sane idea?) As with the first book, there are quite a few adjectival tautologies which I felt this one would have benefited from having edited out.
These are minor niggles, however (this last one probably down to me reading with my editing hat on): this series is building into something majestic. I can't wait for book number three, and will be sad when it all ends.
There's some deliciously inventive, tongue-in-cheek stuff in here, which feels like Banksian perverseness turned up a notch. A restaurant in a dormant carnivorous worm's stomach, anyone? All part of the fun. There's an awful lot of torture, however, which won't be to everyone's taste. It sometimes felt a little voyeuristic to be comfortable. By the middle, something subconsciously bothering me finally crystallised: doesn't anyone in this series have friends? Everyone seems to be a tool, prey, or food for someone or something else. Perhaps that was a conscious point - it certainly amps up the atmosphere of chilly, existential vulnerability. The two lead characters also started to grate a little, losing some of my investment in them.
This was temporary, however, and proved part of an ultimately satisfying journey arc. The character I'd expected to be the love interest spends most of the book as a kind of human ping-pong ball, batted helplessly around by events far too big for him. His exasperated indignation at his treatment and the stupidity of those who have power over him is beautifully observed, and it's nice to read something not built around square-jawed heroics and over-worn romantic tropes (the deepest romance so far is between the protagonist and a priapismic sex doll operated by her spaceship).
The wider political space in which the story is set feels simultaneously realistic and adeptly constructed, and fractionally underdeveloped. It's the same with what happens off the page. It's all there, and some of the concepts involved are vast - but it doesn't feel quite as epic as it perhaps could have. One or two plot issues felt papered-over, too (would anyone seriously think recruiting psychologically traumatised criminals to operate a fleet of ultra-powerful WMDs was a sane idea?) As with the first book, there are quite a few adjectival tautologies which I felt this one would have benefited from having edited out.
These are minor niggles, however (this last one probably down to me reading with my editing hat on): this series is building into something majestic. I can't wait for book number three, and will be sad when it all ends.
August 20, 2020
VERDICT: 2 stars. This is a pretty interesting universe, but I didn't like this story as much as Book #1. It took a long time to get rolling, and put me to sleep twice.
Cue Book #3, which I currently have no plans to read.
Cue Book #3, which I currently have no plans to read.
December 23, 2009
Nova War
Gary Gibson
Tor, 2009
Nova War is the sequel to 2008’s Stealing Light a book that, surprise surprise, has yet to get a release here in the states. Nova War dispenses with some of the mystery of the first novel and trading it instead for some serious action. Indeed things are ratcheted right up to eleven and amongst all the action and excitement I felt that Gibson still managed to do an excellent job in creating unique and memorable characters and wound up with a book that surpassed its predecessor in terms of quality. If you haven’t read the first book be warned there will be some minor spoilers below.
After having escaped an exploding star in an ancient Magi spaceship machine-head Dakota Merrick and her erstwhile lover and sometime rival Lucas Corso find themselves captured by the insect-like Bandati. Tortured and imprisoned for their knowledge of the Magi technology Dakota and Lucas find themselves trapped not only between warring hives of Bandati but square in between the arrogant Shoal and their longtime enemies the Emissaries. As hostilities between the two ancient rivals escalate Dakota, with her special connection to Magi ships, becomes a key figure in a battle that far transcends the scope of human, or even Shoal, knowledge.
In my review of Stealing Light I mentioned Star Wars and while the novel as a whole transcends the more fantasy-based architecture of that series it seems to me that Gibson certainly draws inspiration from some of the more wondrous and adventurous situations that the original trilogy offered. During an early scene in Nova War I was reminded of The Empire Strikes back and the scene where Han and company take refuge in what they think is an asteroid. I still remember the sort of “Wow” moment induced when the truth behind where they were was revealed. In Nova War Gibson plays upon a similar theme in a restaurant inside the mouth of a giant worm. I’ll repeat that: a restaurant in the mouth of giant worm. Gibson does a masterful job of imparting basic knowledge of Bandati culture (where eating is a completely private affair), introducing us to new characters, and providing a thrilling scene of high action. It is certainly one of the best, if not THE best, action scenes I’ve read all year.
Nova War expands the scope of the Shoal sequence introducing us to new aliens; such as the horrific Emissaries. While we don’t get any chapters from an Emissary perspective what we go glimpse reveals a species terrifying in their power and with a mad zealotry towards nigh on inscrutable goals. Hopefully we’ll see more of the Emissaries in future volumes since Gibson dropped just enough hints to wet my curiosity but not enough answers to sate it. The things Dakota learns from the Magi vessel further expands on the universe that Gibson has created and manages to infuse dire events with a certain amount of hope for the futures of the Shoal’s “client species.”
While I didn’t mention it in my review of Stealing Light, Nova War continues Gibson’s penchant for offering entertaining and evocative names for his non-human characters. We have, returning from the previous novel, the Shoal Trader in Faecal Matter of Animals whose name, despite being somewhat humorous still manages to accurately describe his personality. The bandati’s names are more translations of their personal scents so you get the wonderfully evocative “Scent of Honeydew, Distant Rumble of Summer Storms” (Honeydew for short) and the former ambassador to a human colony “Days of Wine and Roses” (a name that is considered odd by his people). The bandati names might be tiresome if their scent based communication weren’t carried through in other aspects of the novel but thankfully it is; one particular scene in which Wine and Roses urges haste because of an alarm causes a character respond along the lines of “I don’t hear an alarm only smell something burning” which Wine and Roses responds “That is the alarm.”
Each of the main characters of Nova War are well realized and believable individuals with histories and goals that are unique. Even that characters that are nominally on the same side often have agendas and goals that don’t mesh with their “allies.” As a result Gibson weaves a tangled web of politics and personal relationships that creates not only an emotional connection to his characters but also enhances the tension amongst the various factions vying for control of the Magic vessel. There are no real clear cut mustache-twirling villains here, though the actions some characters take have tragic galaxy spawning consequences their motivations are typically clear and not necessarily evil from their perspective.
Nova War is a thrilling addition to the Shoal sequence and a definite improvement over the already-stellar Stealing Light. Despite the lack of an official US release I highly highly recommend fans of space opera to hit up Book Depository and Amazon.co.uk (according this news post ebooks are available via panmacmillan.com) and give the series a try. Gibson, ends Nova War with rather frustrating hints at what is to come in the next volume, Empire of Light (release date unknown), that leave me wishing I had the book right now. Nova War is definitely on my list of favorite reads of 2009 and I look forward to Mr. Gibson’s future work.
Gary Gibson
Tor, 2009
Nova War is the sequel to 2008’s Stealing Light a book that, surprise surprise, has yet to get a release here in the states. Nova War dispenses with some of the mystery of the first novel and trading it instead for some serious action. Indeed things are ratcheted right up to eleven and amongst all the action and excitement I felt that Gibson still managed to do an excellent job in creating unique and memorable characters and wound up with a book that surpassed its predecessor in terms of quality. If you haven’t read the first book be warned there will be some minor spoilers below.
After having escaped an exploding star in an ancient Magi spaceship machine-head Dakota Merrick and her erstwhile lover and sometime rival Lucas Corso find themselves captured by the insect-like Bandati. Tortured and imprisoned for their knowledge of the Magi technology Dakota and Lucas find themselves trapped not only between warring hives of Bandati but square in between the arrogant Shoal and their longtime enemies the Emissaries. As hostilities between the two ancient rivals escalate Dakota, with her special connection to Magi ships, becomes a key figure in a battle that far transcends the scope of human, or even Shoal, knowledge.
In my review of Stealing Light I mentioned Star Wars and while the novel as a whole transcends the more fantasy-based architecture of that series it seems to me that Gibson certainly draws inspiration from some of the more wondrous and adventurous situations that the original trilogy offered. During an early scene in Nova War I was reminded of The Empire Strikes back and the scene where Han and company take refuge in what they think is an asteroid. I still remember the sort of “Wow” moment induced when the truth behind where they were was revealed. In Nova War Gibson plays upon a similar theme in a restaurant inside the mouth of a giant worm. I’ll repeat that: a restaurant in the mouth of giant worm. Gibson does a masterful job of imparting basic knowledge of Bandati culture (where eating is a completely private affair), introducing us to new characters, and providing a thrilling scene of high action. It is certainly one of the best, if not THE best, action scenes I’ve read all year.
Nova War expands the scope of the Shoal sequence introducing us to new aliens; such as the horrific Emissaries. While we don’t get any chapters from an Emissary perspective what we go glimpse reveals a species terrifying in their power and with a mad zealotry towards nigh on inscrutable goals. Hopefully we’ll see more of the Emissaries in future volumes since Gibson dropped just enough hints to wet my curiosity but not enough answers to sate it. The things Dakota learns from the Magi vessel further expands on the universe that Gibson has created and manages to infuse dire events with a certain amount of hope for the futures of the Shoal’s “client species.”
While I didn’t mention it in my review of Stealing Light, Nova War continues Gibson’s penchant for offering entertaining and evocative names for his non-human characters. We have, returning from the previous novel, the Shoal Trader in Faecal Matter of Animals whose name, despite being somewhat humorous still manages to accurately describe his personality. The bandati’s names are more translations of their personal scents so you get the wonderfully evocative “Scent of Honeydew, Distant Rumble of Summer Storms” (Honeydew for short) and the former ambassador to a human colony “Days of Wine and Roses” (a name that is considered odd by his people). The bandati names might be tiresome if their scent based communication weren’t carried through in other aspects of the novel but thankfully it is; one particular scene in which Wine and Roses urges haste because of an alarm causes a character respond along the lines of “I don’t hear an alarm only smell something burning” which Wine and Roses responds “That is the alarm.”
Each of the main characters of Nova War are well realized and believable individuals with histories and goals that are unique. Even that characters that are nominally on the same side often have agendas and goals that don’t mesh with their “allies.” As a result Gibson weaves a tangled web of politics and personal relationships that creates not only an emotional connection to his characters but also enhances the tension amongst the various factions vying for control of the Magic vessel. There are no real clear cut mustache-twirling villains here, though the actions some characters take have tragic galaxy spawning consequences their motivations are typically clear and not necessarily evil from their perspective.
Nova War is a thrilling addition to the Shoal sequence and a definite improvement over the already-stellar Stealing Light. Despite the lack of an official US release I highly highly recommend fans of space opera to hit up Book Depository and Amazon.co.uk (according this news post ebooks are available via panmacmillan.com) and give the series a try. Gibson, ends Nova War with rather frustrating hints at what is to come in the next volume, Empire of Light (release date unknown), that leave me wishing I had the book right now. Nova War is definitely on my list of favorite reads of 2009 and I look forward to Mr. Gibson’s future work.
November 7, 2016
I love all the parts of this series, but they don't seem to add up to a satisfying whole. Like the glaringly missed payoff in the last book when the protagonist finally gets her hands on the most prized object in the galaxy--an FTL spaceship. Couldn't we have taken JUST A LITTLE joy in that accomplishment in EITHER of these books? Instead of the thrill of superluminal flight, we get our heroes imprisoned and tortured for over half the book. Not where I'd have taken the series. It just felt like a huge sidetrack from a main plot I still hope is going to happen.
Also, the ongoing indifference by all the characters about how FTL technically works has graduated from a annoyance to a plot problem. The science behind FTL would be more valuable than any single FTL craft, but the characters never think in those terms. Not the bad guys, and especially not the hyper-technology-absorbing protagonist
Also, the ongoing indifference by all the characters about how FTL technically works has graduated from a annoyance to a plot problem. The science behind FTL would be more valuable than any single FTL craft, but the characters never think in those terms. Not the bad guys, and especially not the hyper-technology-absorbing protagonist
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2014
Gibson’s second book in the Shoal Sequence continues following its two protagonists from “Stealing Light”, Dakota Merrick and Lucas Corso, largely in two separate narratives. Having concluded their previous story in possession of the ultimate prize, a superluminal and ultra powerful starship full of technologies denied to humanity, Gibson promptly removes that advantage from them in order to ratchet up the stakes. While a good part of the first half of the book is a snail-pace chronicle of their imprisonment, it also introduced some additional characters from other species, and these were both imaginative and helpful in stretching both the perspective and focal length on the plot. The action-packed climax has a satisfying number of moving parts, although I was surprised at the amount of epilog following, which I imagine will make for a much smoother transition into the third volume.
November 19, 2013
The main character makes a mistake of being captured outside of the safety of her magician's ship. The rest of the book are the consequences of that mistake. The whole book I was asking myself - what kind of idiot would let herself be captured like that? And her partner? Idiot too. Apparently, in author's universe, there aren't any likable intelligent characters, except for the villein (Trader). I really dislike books like that. But the writing style is ok, and graphic details are enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2016
If you're going to take that kind of risk you eliminate them, you don't piss them off. Now you pay the price. Good going, fish!
How did they fish poison all the navigators?
Makers are pretty shit at wiping out life if there's the idea.
How did they fish poison all the navigators?
Makers are pretty shit at wiping out life if there's the idea.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2020
I really like the premise and the world building, but the main characters really come across as morons. Still mentally debating trying book 3, which really says something about everything other than the main characters.
February 2, 2011
Quick to read, but damned slow to start off, if that makes any sense. I'm hoping the third book makes up for it.
July 11, 2015
After such a bright start in his book one I found the second to be a slog that given my limited time defeated my will to complete it.
September 11, 2014
essentially entertaining, but the writing quality bugged me no end.
January 7, 2023
This one's dull. Yeah, you can do prison and drama and politics. But not like this.
Read
December 23, 2022The cover says it all, ‘Continuing from Stealing Light’ (well it does on the final cover copy), so I’m going to have be careful what I say. About the first book I said,
I have a feeling that Gibson is going to be a quick rising star in sci-fi. He has the level of knowledge and skill to construct a story, he can twists these ideas around a cast of well conceptualised and constructed characters – human and non-human. And anyone who makes me want to find out what happens next is always going to get my vote.
I know what you’re thinking, does he manage it?
We start from almost exactly where the last book finished and Gibson notches up the pressure on Dakota and Corso straight away and in the process we get to meet a new race, the Bandati, who I can only think of as humanoid flies.
As the ending of Stealing Light opens up the possibilities and expands the Universe it’s good to see that Gibson has plan in mind and the two warring factions that make up two Bandati Hives have a vital role in how Nova War plays out. He keeps up the tension by keeping Dakota and Corso apart and in some ways opposing each other when they each end up working with the opposite Hives.
What I did find amazing was the Emissaries, the race that are equal to the Shoal in terms of advancement though they challenging them for control of the Universe.
And it’s this control that the Nova War hinges on and Dakota’s abilities that are central to how events could unfold. But for all this big picture stuff humanity again shows that it is only interested in guarding its own small pieces of power. Though that comes later and in a surprising way.
In fact the whole book is packed with surprises. Take the Trader and the measures which he will take in order to follow the Dreamers, what he does for self-preservation and how far his influence extends is almost religious devotion.
I did have a slight niggle with humanities involvement and their connection to events but this is a continuation of the ideas that came from Stealing Light and that was something that didn’t fit right for me then either. That though could be to do with my own thoughts about what they would or wouldn’t do rather than any real problems with the events themselves.
Dakota has the biggest journey of all, and it’s fascinating how she changes and how Gibson is able to keep it in realms that are understandable and also daring in scope.
If you haven’t read Stealing Light and enjoy science fiction your missing out big time. And Nova War only cements the fact that Gibson has a devious imagination, a sense of bigger picture and a more twists than a corkscrew.
I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do to Dakota next and what he’s going to make her suffer next.
I have a feeling that Gibson is going to be a quick rising star in sci-fi. He has the level of knowledge and skill to construct a story, he can twists these ideas around a cast of well conceptualised and constructed characters – human and non-human. And anyone who makes me want to find out what happens next is always going to get my vote.
I know what you’re thinking, does he manage it?
We start from almost exactly where the last book finished and Gibson notches up the pressure on Dakota and Corso straight away and in the process we get to meet a new race, the Bandati, who I can only think of as humanoid flies.
As the ending of Stealing Light opens up the possibilities and expands the Universe it’s good to see that Gibson has plan in mind and the two warring factions that make up two Bandati Hives have a vital role in how Nova War plays out. He keeps up the tension by keeping Dakota and Corso apart and in some ways opposing each other when they each end up working with the opposite Hives.
What I did find amazing was the Emissaries, the race that are equal to the Shoal in terms of advancement though they challenging them for control of the Universe.
And it’s this control that the Nova War hinges on and Dakota’s abilities that are central to how events could unfold. But for all this big picture stuff humanity again shows that it is only interested in guarding its own small pieces of power. Though that comes later and in a surprising way.
In fact the whole book is packed with surprises. Take the Trader and the measures which he will take in order to follow the Dreamers, what he does for self-preservation and how far his influence extends is almost religious devotion.
I did have a slight niggle with humanities involvement and their connection to events but this is a continuation of the ideas that came from Stealing Light and that was something that didn’t fit right for me then either. That though could be to do with my own thoughts about what they would or wouldn’t do rather than any real problems with the events themselves.
Dakota has the biggest journey of all, and it’s fascinating how she changes and how Gibson is able to keep it in realms that are understandable and also daring in scope.
If you haven’t read Stealing Light and enjoy science fiction your missing out big time. And Nova War only cements the fact that Gibson has a devious imagination, a sense of bigger picture and a more twists than a corkscrew.
I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do to Dakota next and what he’s going to make her suffer next.
December 12, 2017
Dakota Merrick and Lucas Corso have recovered an alien spacecraft belonging to the enigmatic and long-extinct Magi. Possessing a functional FTL drive, the ship holds the key to freeing humanity from its dependency on the Shoal, hitherto believed to be the only race to possess the secret of superluminal travel. Unfortunately, Dakota and Luca are now 'guests' of the Bandati, another Shoal vassal species equally anxious to gain the secrets of the drive. As different factions of Bandati battle one another for access to the alien ship and the two humans who can pilot it, it becomes clear that the Shoal have been lying to their vassals for centuries about their abilities, for another race whose power rivals that of the Shoal are making their own play for the Magi vessel...
In the second volume of The Shoal Sequence, the ante is upped as various alien races and factions within those races (and within the human Consortium) attempt to seize control of the Magi ship, whilst Merrick and Corso, aware of the ship's ability to unleash devastation on a vast scale, struggle to stop it falling into the wrong hands. The result is a complex, many-sided struggle with our heroes caught in the middle, unsure of which faction to ally with.
Nova War is very much in the same vein as Stealing Light, with impressive action sequences bridging scenes featuring complex ethical dilemmas and some nicely-judged character-building moments, most notably as Dakota considers whether her unmatched ability to pilot the alien vessel could turn her into some kind of tyrant. The messy relationship between Dakota and Corso, who are on the same side but distrust one another's motives, is nicely developed and the story moves at a cracking pace, but some weaknesses remain. The new alien races, the airborne Bandati and the Emissaries of God (a race of psychotic space-elephants), are again not really that alien, whilst recurring bad guy Hugh Moss is starting to get a little annoying (although we finally learn why he is apparently indestructible). Dakota and Lucas again spend most of the book imprisoned in one form or another, which is frustrating, but made up for by the impressive (if rather rushed) climax.
Nova War (****) continues the Shoal Sequence trilogy in a readable and entertaining manner. It is available now in the UK and on import in the USA.
In the second volume of The Shoal Sequence, the ante is upped as various alien races and factions within those races (and within the human Consortium) attempt to seize control of the Magi ship, whilst Merrick and Corso, aware of the ship's ability to unleash devastation on a vast scale, struggle to stop it falling into the wrong hands. The result is a complex, many-sided struggle with our heroes caught in the middle, unsure of which faction to ally with.
Nova War is very much in the same vein as Stealing Light, with impressive action sequences bridging scenes featuring complex ethical dilemmas and some nicely-judged character-building moments, most notably as Dakota considers whether her unmatched ability to pilot the alien vessel could turn her into some kind of tyrant. The messy relationship between Dakota and Corso, who are on the same side but distrust one another's motives, is nicely developed and the story moves at a cracking pace, but some weaknesses remain. The new alien races, the airborne Bandati and the Emissaries of God (a race of psychotic space-elephants), are again not really that alien, whilst recurring bad guy Hugh Moss is starting to get a little annoying (although we finally learn why he is apparently indestructible). Dakota and Lucas again spend most of the book imprisoned in one form or another, which is frustrating, but made up for by the impressive (if rather rushed) climax.
Nova War (****) continues the Shoal Sequence trilogy in a readable and entertaining manner. It is available now in the UK and on import in the USA.
December 4, 2018
Gibson clearly learned a bit since Stealing Light, with less emphasis on the characters' (especially the female protagonist's) physical attributes and more emphasis on substance: where I found Dakota to be no more than Barbarella in the first book, now she is much more serious, competent, and even scary towards the end. That said, the characters spent a large part of the book locked up and caught in political machinery that they had little control or even insight into.
January 14, 2021
After reading the first book and loving it, I was really excited about this sequel. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into it. The characters just didn't advance and most of the story was different species of Aliens standing around talking about an overly convoluted plot.
The problem is, it ends on a high note. Why is this a problem? Because I spent most of the book convinced that I'm finished with the series but now I want to find out what happens. Not sure if I will or not yet...
The problem is, it ends on a high note. Why is this a problem? Because I spent most of the book convinced that I'm finished with the series but now I want to find out what happens. Not sure if I will or not yet...
November 30, 2023
The first book in this series was decent. 3.5 stars. This book though, was just bad. From stolen/recycled ideas to rambling plotlines and passages that left my scratching my head, it was almost unreadable. Repeatedly I found myself flipping backwards in the book to see if I had missed some important bit of information or dialogue but finding nothing. I kept putting it down and trying again later but after doggedly slogging through half the book I just gave up.
December 23, 2018
It takes a while to get started as it spends too much time of the main characters in the same place, but it does universe exploration in parallel which pays off later. I bet there must be a better way to do it which don’t feel to take so long. Also, as with all of his books, the story is too straightforward. It would really benefit from some some surprises.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews