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The Gap Cycle #3
The Gap Into Power: A Dark and Hungry God Arises
Billingate: illegal shipyard, haven for pirates and brigands, where very vice flourishes and every appetite can be sated…gateway to the alien realm of the Amnion and clearinghouse for all they require to fulfill their mutagenic plans against humanity.
It is here that beautiful UMCP cop Morn Hyland is about to be traded to the Amnion by the buccaneer Nick Succorso—an act of profiteering and revenge that pushes his crew to mutiny. Now Nick’s survival depends on retrieving Morn’s sixteen-year-old son “force-grown” by the Amnion, a boy struggling to gain his identity. To accomplish the rescue, Nick must turn to his mortal enemy, Angus Thermopyle. Irrevocably altered, programmed for an unknown purpose, Thermopyle has apparently escaped captivity and fled to Billingate with the infamous double-dealer, Milos Taverner. Together, they will mount a raid against a man called the Bill, illegal spaceport owner and traitor to the human race—and into the center of the most heavily defended shipyard in the universe.
At Billingate the stage is set for confrontation, when the fate of Morn Hyland is to be decided in a kaleidoscopic whirl of plot and counterplot, treachery and betrayal. In A Dark and Hungry God Arises, nothing is as it seems. As schemes unravel to reveal yet deeper schemes, the lives of Morn, Nick, and Angus may all be forfeit as pawns in the titanic game played out between Warden Dios, dedicated director of the UMC Police, and the Dragon, greed-driven ruler of the UMC. Here, the future of humankind hangs on the uncertain fortune of Morn Hyland.
It is here that beautiful UMCP cop Morn Hyland is about to be traded to the Amnion by the buccaneer Nick Succorso—an act of profiteering and revenge that pushes his crew to mutiny. Now Nick’s survival depends on retrieving Morn’s sixteen-year-old son “force-grown” by the Amnion, a boy struggling to gain his identity. To accomplish the rescue, Nick must turn to his mortal enemy, Angus Thermopyle. Irrevocably altered, programmed for an unknown purpose, Thermopyle has apparently escaped captivity and fled to Billingate with the infamous double-dealer, Milos Taverner. Together, they will mount a raid against a man called the Bill, illegal spaceport owner and traitor to the human race—and into the center of the most heavily defended shipyard in the universe.
At Billingate the stage is set for confrontation, when the fate of Morn Hyland is to be decided in a kaleidoscopic whirl of plot and counterplot, treachery and betrayal. In A Dark and Hungry God Arises, nothing is as it seems. As schemes unravel to reveal yet deeper schemes, the lives of Morn, Nick, and Angus may all be forfeit as pawns in the titanic game played out between Warden Dios, dedicated director of the UMC Police, and the Dragon, greed-driven ruler of the UMC. Here, the future of humankind hangs on the uncertain fortune of Morn Hyland.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1992
113 people are currently reading
2164 people want to read
About the author
Stephen R. Donaldson
149 books2,726 followersStephen Reeder Donaldson is an American fantasy, science fiction, and mystery novelist; in the United Kingdom he is usually called "Stephen Donaldson" (without the "R"). He has also written non-fiction under the pen name Reed Stephens.
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION:
Stephen R. Donaldson was born May 13, 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio. His father, James, was a medical missionary and his mother, Ruth, a prosthetist (a person skilled in making or fitting prosthetic devices). Donaldson spent the years between the ages of 3 and 16 living in India, where his father was working as an orthopaedic surgeon. Donaldson earned his bachelor's degree from The College of Wooster and master's degree from Kent State University.
INSPIRATIONS:
Donaldson's work is heavily influenced by other fantasy authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Roger Zelazny, Joseph Conrad, Henry James, and William Faulkner. The writers he most admires are Patricia A. McKillip, Steven Erikson, and Tim Powers.
It is believed that a speech his father made on leprosy (whilst working with lepers in India) led to Donaldson's creation of Thomas Covenant, the anti-hero of his most famous work (Thomas Covenant). The first book in that series, Lord Foul's Bane, received 47 rejections before a publisher agreed to publish it.
PROMINENT WORK:
Stephen Donaldson came to prominence in 1977 with the The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, which is centred around a leper shunned by society and his trials and tribulations as his destiny unfolds. These books established Donaldson as one of the most important figures in modern fantasy fiction.
PERSONAL LIFE:
He currently resides in New Mexico.
THE GRADUAL INTERVIEW
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION:
Stephen R. Donaldson was born May 13, 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio. His father, James, was a medical missionary and his mother, Ruth, a prosthetist (a person skilled in making or fitting prosthetic devices). Donaldson spent the years between the ages of 3 and 16 living in India, where his father was working as an orthopaedic surgeon. Donaldson earned his bachelor's degree from The College of Wooster and master's degree from Kent State University.
INSPIRATIONS:
Donaldson's work is heavily influenced by other fantasy authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Roger Zelazny, Joseph Conrad, Henry James, and William Faulkner. The writers he most admires are Patricia A. McKillip, Steven Erikson, and Tim Powers.
It is believed that a speech his father made on leprosy (whilst working with lepers in India) led to Donaldson's creation of Thomas Covenant, the anti-hero of his most famous work (Thomas Covenant). The first book in that series, Lord Foul's Bane, received 47 rejections before a publisher agreed to publish it.
PROMINENT WORK:
Stephen Donaldson came to prominence in 1977 with the The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, which is centred around a leper shunned by society and his trials and tribulations as his destiny unfolds. These books established Donaldson as one of the most important figures in modern fantasy fiction.
PERSONAL LIFE:
He currently resides in New Mexico.
THE GRADUAL INTERVIEW
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
March 18, 2016
The third book in the Gap series i.e. A Dark and Hungry God Arises shows us the real manipulators in the game, all the previous characters which we have met so such as Morn,Nick and Angus are pawns in the hands of these corporate bigwigs.Donaldson keeps a tight leash on the story in this book, and he switches between the different pov characters effortlessly, the outcome is an superb convergence which leaves you wanting more.
Some of the strong points of the book are
1.New set of pov characters.
2.Plot thickens more.
3.Top notch world building.
Some of the weak points of book are
1.Donaldson fails to do a Jamie Lannister on Angus.
Let me elaborate on the above points now
1.New set of pov characters.
Donaldson gives us a varying pov characters in this book, so we get to understand the story from both the ends, this partly the reason which makes this book such an enjoyable read. Although we get lot of pov characters in this book the most noticeable among them are
Holt Fasner, the CEO of the UMC.
He is the king on the board of this chess, and is aptly called the The Dragon, he controls human space through the UMCP as people think he is the last shield protecting them from the Aminion. With mergers and acquisitions of some key corporations he has managed to become one of the most powerful man in human space.
With such tripe masses of human beings were tranquilized—until those rare occasions when they woke up, saw what was really happening around them, misunderstood it, and did their best to impose the stupidest possible solution on the men who normally led them
He wants to become a god like character, and has almost reached that level because not only he has
kept his friends closer but he has managed even to keep his enemies like Warden Dios closer.
Warden Dios
He is an honest man who is trying to the right thing, but other people have to face the repercussions of his actions. He wants to sever the ties with UMC and wants to cut tto size the power wielded by Holt Fastener but there only a few choices left with which he can do that.
He believes in
It is the nature of power to resist restrictions, to seek an unfettered expansion and expression of itself. And it is the function of ethics to impose restrictions on power, to weld and wield the potentialities of power so that they serve but do not control the people in whose name they exist.
Milos Taverner
After been betrayed by the UMCP he is travelling with Angus to the Billingate station. He is one the biggest rats i.e. he has been playing both the sides for so long that betrayal has been etched in his DNA. He also gives Angus some taste of his own medicine when he makes him do some of the despicable things.
2.Plot thickens more.
There are so many betrayals going on the book, that your head starts spinning after reading it. You start to distrust anything and everything because the truth becomes so much convoluted in this book, this is due to the fact that everyone is playing its own game.
As we are exposed to the pawns of the game and the players of the game, but the pawns do not move with a specific set of rules in this game they have a mind of their own in this story. It just is remarkable reading it all and digesting it.
3.Top notch world building.
Donaldson can not only describe the gutter to you but also can make you breath it until you can choke on it. He describes Billingate in the same way to us. there is only one law on the Billingate i.e.
I am the bill you owe, if you don't pay you don't live.
And that law has been put in place by the Bill who runs this station. There are all sort of illegal things going on over here because this is the last station which separate human space with forbidden space or amnion space.
The only issue I had with the book was
1.Donaldson fails to do a Jamie Lannister on Angus.
We met Angus in the last two books and we know what kind of sadistic psychopath he is, he just hates everything. Also the way he broke Morn in the first book is too much fresh for me, so when Donaldson tries to make a Jami Lannister out of him in this book I could not digest it. That was the only flaw which I had with this book.
I am really amazed that how such remarkable series has gone under the radar for sci-fi and grim dark readers, but this series is just keeps getting better with each new book.
Highly recommended 4/5 stars.
Some of the strong points of the book are
1.New set of pov characters.
2.Plot thickens more.
3.Top notch world building.
Some of the weak points of book are
1.Donaldson fails to do a Jamie Lannister on Angus.
Let me elaborate on the above points now
1.New set of pov characters.
Donaldson gives us a varying pov characters in this book, so we get to understand the story from both the ends, this partly the reason which makes this book such an enjoyable read. Although we get lot of pov characters in this book the most noticeable among them are
Holt Fasner, the CEO of the UMC.
He is the king on the board of this chess, and is aptly called the The Dragon, he controls human space through the UMCP as people think he is the last shield protecting them from the Aminion. With mergers and acquisitions of some key corporations he has managed to become one of the most powerful man in human space.
With such tripe masses of human beings were tranquilized—until those rare occasions when they woke up, saw what was really happening around them, misunderstood it, and did their best to impose the stupidest possible solution on the men who normally led them
He wants to become a god like character, and has almost reached that level because not only he has
kept his friends closer but he has managed even to keep his enemies like Warden Dios closer.
Warden Dios
He is an honest man who is trying to the right thing, but other people have to face the repercussions of his actions. He wants to sever the ties with UMC and wants to cut tto size the power wielded by Holt Fastener but there only a few choices left with which he can do that.
He believes in
It is the nature of power to resist restrictions, to seek an unfettered expansion and expression of itself. And it is the function of ethics to impose restrictions on power, to weld and wield the potentialities of power so that they serve but do not control the people in whose name they exist.
Milos Taverner
After been betrayed by the UMCP he is travelling with Angus to the Billingate station. He is one the biggest rats i.e. he has been playing both the sides for so long that betrayal has been etched in his DNA. He also gives Angus some taste of his own medicine when he makes him do some of the despicable things.
2.Plot thickens more.
There are so many betrayals going on the book, that your head starts spinning after reading it. You start to distrust anything and everything because the truth becomes so much convoluted in this book, this is due to the fact that everyone is playing its own game.
As we are exposed to the pawns of the game and the players of the game, but the pawns do not move with a specific set of rules in this game they have a mind of their own in this story. It just is remarkable reading it all and digesting it.
3.Top notch world building.
Donaldson can not only describe the gutter to you but also can make you breath it until you can choke on it. He describes Billingate in the same way to us. there is only one law on the Billingate i.e.
I am the bill you owe, if you don't pay you don't live.
And that law has been put in place by the Bill who runs this station. There are all sort of illegal things going on over here because this is the last station which separate human space with forbidden space or amnion space.
The only issue I had with the book was
1.Donaldson fails to do a Jamie Lannister on Angus.
We met Angus in the last two books and we know what kind of sadistic psychopath he is, he just hates everything. Also the way he broke Morn in the first book is too much fresh for me, so when Donaldson tries to make a Jami Lannister out of him in this book I could not digest it. That was the only flaw which I had with this book.
I am really amazed that how such remarkable series has gone under the radar for sci-fi and grim dark readers, but this series is just keeps getting better with each new book.
Highly recommended 4/5 stars.
May 6, 2019
3.5 stars
I have made no secret of the fact that I struggle with Stephen Donaldson’s writing. This is the only series of his that I have made any connection with, and my relationship to it is turbulent. I’m not one of those people who needs to like the characters in order to like the book, but it helps if I care what happens to them. I reluctantly care about what happens to the main characters in the Gap series.
Its like Donaldson took the Star Trek universe and turned it inside out. There is no Prime Directive, no Starfleet, no honourable oversight by basically good-intentioned people. Like in C.J. Cherryh’s Company Wars series, it is the giant corporation that controls space and with the United Mining Companies comes the shadowy director, also known as the Dragon, who seeks to control everything.
In many ways, this is a bleaker, darker version of Cherryh’s idea of the megacorporation running outer space, like Glen Cook’s The Black Company running the universe. I had to order this volume through interlibrary loan, but I’ve got the remaining books from the local used book store, so finishing the series is a very likely proposition.
Book number 316 in my Science Fiction & Fantasy reading project.
I have made no secret of the fact that I struggle with Stephen Donaldson’s writing. This is the only series of his that I have made any connection with, and my relationship to it is turbulent. I’m not one of those people who needs to like the characters in order to like the book, but it helps if I care what happens to them. I reluctantly care about what happens to the main characters in the Gap series.
Its like Donaldson took the Star Trek universe and turned it inside out. There is no Prime Directive, no Starfleet, no honourable oversight by basically good-intentioned people. Like in C.J. Cherryh’s Company Wars series, it is the giant corporation that controls space and with the United Mining Companies comes the shadowy director, also known as the Dragon, who seeks to control everything.
In many ways, this is a bleaker, darker version of Cherryh’s idea of the megacorporation running outer space, like Glen Cook’s The Black Company running the universe. I had to order this volume through interlibrary loan, but I’ve got the remaining books from the local used book store, so finishing the series is a very likely proposition.
Book number 316 in my Science Fiction & Fantasy reading project.
October 25, 2022
Series Hits Its Stride
This is easily my favorite book so far in Donaldson's Gap Cycle series. This book finally gets out of the mode of repeating some of my least favorite aspects of the first two books and brings in something I really like, scheming and betrayal. All the characters including the new povs that are introduced have schemes within schemes and plots within plots. It can at times get a little confusing as characters mislead and lie to one another as it can be hard to remember what their actual agendas are. But also it's really freakin fun to read. Also, Donaldson writes the povs in such a way that the scheming is made more interesting by the internal character motivations. Add to that a climax and conclusion that are just non-stop page turners for the last 100 pages and you get one hell of a book.
This is easily my favorite book so far in Donaldson's Gap Cycle series. This book finally gets out of the mode of repeating some of my least favorite aspects of the first two books and brings in something I really like, scheming and betrayal. All the characters including the new povs that are introduced have schemes within schemes and plots within plots. It can at times get a little confusing as characters mislead and lie to one another as it can be hard to remember what their actual agendas are. But also it's really freakin fun to read. Also, Donaldson writes the povs in such a way that the scheming is made more interesting by the internal character motivations. Add to that a climax and conclusion that are just non-stop page turners for the last 100 pages and you get one hell of a book.
April 21, 2021
The last 100 pages of this book had me completely engrossed. I was stuck to my chair with my eyeballs glued to the pages, delightfully turning one after another with not a care in the world. It's been a while since I had my attention drawn quite that thoroughly to a novel.
Donaldson really did an exceptional job here, with the second half of this novel weaving multiple plots and characters together intelligently. Angus in particular is the unexpected star of this story; I finally get to see the beginnings(?) of the infamous 'role reversals' that I was told this series offers. I have a funny feeling Morn will be next...
With that being said, where the second half of the book shines, the first half drags. It's a slow start. Combine that with the fact that the middle(ish) section of the novel leaves you with a departure from Morn's perspective on a bit of an important scenario only to be re-visited several slower (boring) chapters later...it stings.
Another thing to point out here is Donaldson's strange way of jumping between characters and changes in writing style. For instance, in the first novel of this series we basically had three distinct character perspectives revolving around the three main characters with relatively equal exposure. In the second book we see more restriction, with Morn's character perspective being 75% of the novel and Nick getting most of the leftovers. Now in this third installment Donaldson takes the complete opposite approach; nearly every chapter being from a different character's perspective, including secondary and supporting characters. I found this very jarring and very strange, albeit it does show off a lot of Donaldson's talent in bringing his own dialogue and plots together.
Speaking of plot, the revelations and scenarios that come up in this novel blew me away. The storyline here is very strong, grimly gritty and incredibly believable. The closing scenario in particular, which brings many of our favorite characters out into a pirate shipyard on a daring EVA rescue mission that evoked insane vivid imagery and imagination, was nothing short of mesmerizing.
My favorite in this series from Stephen Donaldson thus far, which is rare for a middle installment in a long series in my reading experience.
Donaldson really did an exceptional job here, with the second half of this novel weaving multiple plots and characters together intelligently. Angus in particular is the unexpected star of this story; I finally get to see the beginnings(?) of the infamous 'role reversals' that I was told this series offers. I have a funny feeling Morn will be next...
With that being said, where the second half of the book shines, the first half drags. It's a slow start. Combine that with the fact that the middle(ish) section of the novel leaves you with a departure from Morn's perspective on a bit of an important scenario only to be re-visited several slower (boring) chapters later...it stings.
Another thing to point out here is Donaldson's strange way of jumping between characters and changes in writing style. For instance, in the first novel of this series we basically had three distinct character perspectives revolving around the three main characters with relatively equal exposure. In the second book we see more restriction, with Morn's character perspective being 75% of the novel and Nick getting most of the leftovers. Now in this third installment Donaldson takes the complete opposite approach; nearly every chapter being from a different character's perspective, including secondary and supporting characters. I found this very jarring and very strange, albeit it does show off a lot of Donaldson's talent in bringing his own dialogue and plots together.
Speaking of plot, the revelations and scenarios that come up in this novel blew me away. The storyline here is very strong, grimly gritty and incredibly believable. The closing scenario in particular, which brings many of our favorite characters out into a pirate shipyard on a daring EVA rescue mission that evoked insane vivid imagery and imagination, was nothing short of mesmerizing.
My favorite in this series from Stephen Donaldson thus far, which is rare for a middle installment in a long series in my reading experience.
March 6, 2022
Another great book in the series. Donaldson is making a perfect example of how to expand a story. From a very narrow narrative to a grand space opera. Introducing various key povs he is raising the stakes and the scope, masterfully revealing what is working behind the scenes, resulting in a breath taking story. A high octane ride with some of the most memorable, controversial characters and unforgettable sequences I can recall.
November 1, 2022
Mutual satisfaction of requirements has been achieved.
October 25, 2022
This entry in the Gap Cycle definitely was a step up in every single way. Cranked the politics up to 11 and gave our characters some much needed growth, while providing some great action set pieces during the climax. Excited to see where it goes in book 4.
June 5, 2022
I wanted to give this series one more try, I almost didn’t finish the last book , for this very reason… but I can’t!! The writing is great, but the topic is not.. all this is my opinion.
I DNFING this one at chapter 16
All this is my opinion, someone else might get past it.
I DNFING this one at chapter 16
All this is my opinion, someone else might get past it.
July 8, 2015
The story tangles further. The betrayal is deeper. The stakes are higher than you thought. Donaldson's sci-fi version of Wagner's Ring Cycle begins to truly blossom here.
Here we see the Gap Series begin its true, slow, inexorable motion. Like drowning, the reader is caught in a euphoria of despair.
This book, like the ones before it, offers little hope, but a creature emerges from it that can be neither countenanced nor resisted. I do not know whether to laugh or cry, but it appears the final hope of humanity is at least in capable hands. And many who have earned a comeuppance shall doubtless receive one.
This book seems to me the "middle portion," The Empire Strikes Back if you will. Nothing happens, and yet everything does. This book explains much of what came before, and sets the stage for what follows.
Again, and as always, I will remind the reader of this review, that the stakes cannot be higher, the heroes less heroic, nor the villains less remorseful than you will find here. The joy and the terror of Donaldson lies in witnessing the frightening and unpredictable efficacy of humanity all around.
And again, I give you my Dream Cast:
Captain Angus Thermopyle ... Ron Perlman
Morn Hyland ... Olivia Wilde
Davies Hyland ... Liam Hemsworth
Captain Nick Succorso ... Brad Pitt
Mikka Vasaczk ... Zoe Saldana
Vector Shaheed ... J.K. Simmons
Milos Taverner ... Steve Buscemi
The Bill ... Christoph Waltz
Warden Dios ... Tom Selleck
Min Donner ... Sigourney Weaver
Hashi Lebwohl ... Ben Kingsley
Holt Fasner ... Kevin Spacey
Captain Sorus Chatelaine ... Sharon Stone
Captain Dolph Ubikwe ... Idris Elba
If courage be thus, I fear for humanity's sake.
Here we see the Gap Series begin its true, slow, inexorable motion. Like drowning, the reader is caught in a euphoria of despair.
This book, like the ones before it, offers little hope, but a creature emerges from it that can be neither countenanced nor resisted. I do not know whether to laugh or cry, but it appears the final hope of humanity is at least in capable hands. And many who have earned a comeuppance shall doubtless receive one.
This book seems to me the "middle portion," The Empire Strikes Back if you will. Nothing happens, and yet everything does. This book explains much of what came before, and sets the stage for what follows.
Again, and as always, I will remind the reader of this review, that the stakes cannot be higher, the heroes less heroic, nor the villains less remorseful than you will find here. The joy and the terror of Donaldson lies in witnessing the frightening and unpredictable efficacy of humanity all around.
And again, I give you my Dream Cast:
Captain Angus Thermopyle ... Ron Perlman
Morn Hyland ... Olivia Wilde
Davies Hyland ... Liam Hemsworth
Captain Nick Succorso ... Brad Pitt
Mikka Vasaczk ... Zoe Saldana
Vector Shaheed ... J.K. Simmons
Milos Taverner ... Steve Buscemi
The Bill ... Christoph Waltz
Warden Dios ... Tom Selleck
Min Donner ... Sigourney Weaver
Hashi Lebwohl ... Ben Kingsley
Holt Fasner ... Kevin Spacey
Captain Sorus Chatelaine ... Sharon Stone
Captain Dolph Ubikwe ... Idris Elba
If courage be thus, I fear for humanity's sake.
April 19, 2019
I’m happy to say that the series has finally hit its stride, this being the best book so far. The reader is given a deeper look into what is going on that even those who thought they knew, didn’t. Betrayals abound, as nothing seems to be what it is, so the reader is left wanting more. Luckily, there are still two more books.
I’m still not totally happy with the main characters of Morn, Nick, and Angus. Their flaws still rule their lives, and they have plenty. I could perhaps feel more sympathy for the three if they weren’t giving so much to themselves. It seems that the fault always lies with the stars. Who are the victims, who the villains?
I’m hoping there’s more character growth in the next two books, because at this point, while I’ve become more invested in the plot, in the characters not so much.
I’m still not totally happy with the main characters of Morn, Nick, and Angus. Their flaws still rule their lives, and they have plenty. I could perhaps feel more sympathy for the three if they weren’t giving so much to themselves. It seems that the fault always lies with the stars. Who are the victims, who the villains?
I’m hoping there’s more character growth in the next two books, because at this point, while I’ve become more invested in the plot, in the characters not so much.
October 25, 2022
Easily the best in the series. Donaldson handles expanding the scope really well. This has to be one of the most complex political books I've read. Most of the characters have hidden agendas and their allegiances change depending on the advantages it brings them, makes for an exciting and dynamic read.
The climax of the book is awesome and the way everything ties together is exciting and has cool implications for the next books.
The climax of the book is awesome and the way everything ties together is exciting and has cool implications for the next books.
July 26, 2022
The series gets better with every entry. Very interesting character work - particularly how all three unlikable main characters have developed from the first book. If you would have told me that I would be rooting for any of these people to succeed when I was reading The Real Story, I wouldn't have believed you. But Donaldson has done it. Greatly look forward to book four.
January 17, 2008
I read "The Gap" series, a five-novel saga from Stephen R. Donaldson.
I think Donaldson does better with SF than fantasy. The series is set in a future as created by something called the Gap Drive, an FTL travel method that sometimes drives people mad. It starts out with a complicated little minuet of a story involving the lives of three people who live on the fringes of space (the first novel), but over time the series becomes a complicated tale involving a terrible cold war between an alien race (the Amnion) and humanity, the dangers of human greed, and one man's attempt to make the universe safe for humans. It's based very loosely on -- or perhaps sort of inspired by -- Wagner's Ring Cycle. (What's up with SF based on the Ring Cycle? I know of one video game that's a SF take on it, and there's a Captain Harlock anime series based on it...)
Anyhoo, I was told once regarding the Covenant the Unbeliever series that that if you can get past the rape scene in the first book, you're good. I think this is more literally more true of this series. If you can tolerate the (much nastier) rape scenes (that's multiple rape scenes, by the way) in the first book, you should be fine.
I dunno what's up with Donaldson and rape, but the important thing is you'll know you'll be able to handle the series overall if you can take the first book, in particular if you can have a certain amount of sympathy, no matter how small and how overwhelmed by hatred and disgust, for a mass-murderer and rapist, as he transforms from villain to victim. If you're capable of viewing a very, very bad person as a human being worthy of a tiny drop of sympathy, even if you can't forgive him for what he did (and the text makes it clear you shouldn't), then you'll enjoy the first book, and what follows it.
The first book is probably the best; while making it clear you should hate Angus Thermopile (the aforementioned rapist and mass murderer) for the things he's done, Donaldson deftly manages to make him seem human, which is vital as things totally fall apart for him, because otherwise you won't care when things go pear-shaped for him. The book starts with a listing of events as people understood them on a particular space station, followed by what REALLY happened.
The second book is also very personal, following what happens to the various characters after the first book, and completing various transformations: While Thermopile went from villain to victim in the first book, in the second book someone who seemed a hero becomes a villain, and the victim transforms into a heroine of sorts.
After that, the style of the books change, becoming less personal, even giving the occasional encyclopedia-like "supplemental data" entries on the universe, sort of like a reverse RPG sourcebook -- mostly fiction, with a little source material. However, this drawing back makes everything more epic, giving even more room for people to show themselves at heroes and villains. The last three books are a little overlong, but they keep you hooked.
What makes the series work is that while it is highly nasty and gritty, despite the cynicism of all the characters and the compromises they make, by the end of the series humanity is better off than it was at the start of the series, and there's been redemption -- or damnation -- for all the major characters. This including several characters that don't even get introduced until the second or third book, but turn out to be very important, especially in terms of how they intersect with the three main characters of the first book. (Of those "later" characters, I particularly like Hashi. Watch for him.)
I think Donaldson does better with SF than fantasy. The series is set in a future as created by something called the Gap Drive, an FTL travel method that sometimes drives people mad. It starts out with a complicated little minuet of a story involving the lives of three people who live on the fringes of space (the first novel), but over time the series becomes a complicated tale involving a terrible cold war between an alien race (the Amnion) and humanity, the dangers of human greed, and one man's attempt to make the universe safe for humans. It's based very loosely on -- or perhaps sort of inspired by -- Wagner's Ring Cycle. (What's up with SF based on the Ring Cycle? I know of one video game that's a SF take on it, and there's a Captain Harlock anime series based on it...)
Anyhoo, I was told once regarding the Covenant the Unbeliever series that that if you can get past the rape scene in the first book, you're good. I think this is more literally more true of this series. If you can tolerate the (much nastier) rape scenes (that's multiple rape scenes, by the way) in the first book, you should be fine.
I dunno what's up with Donaldson and rape, but the important thing is you'll know you'll be able to handle the series overall if you can take the first book, in particular if you can have a certain amount of sympathy, no matter how small and how overwhelmed by hatred and disgust, for a mass-murderer and rapist, as he transforms from villain to victim. If you're capable of viewing a very, very bad person as a human being worthy of a tiny drop of sympathy, even if you can't forgive him for what he did (and the text makes it clear you shouldn't), then you'll enjoy the first book, and what follows it.
The first book is probably the best; while making it clear you should hate Angus Thermopile (the aforementioned rapist and mass murderer) for the things he's done, Donaldson deftly manages to make him seem human, which is vital as things totally fall apart for him, because otherwise you won't care when things go pear-shaped for him. The book starts with a listing of events as people understood them on a particular space station, followed by what REALLY happened.
The second book is also very personal, following what happens to the various characters after the first book, and completing various transformations: While Thermopile went from villain to victim in the first book, in the second book someone who seemed a hero becomes a villain, and the victim transforms into a heroine of sorts.
After that, the style of the books change, becoming less personal, even giving the occasional encyclopedia-like "supplemental data" entries on the universe, sort of like a reverse RPG sourcebook -- mostly fiction, with a little source material. However, this drawing back makes everything more epic, giving even more room for people to show themselves at heroes and villains. The last three books are a little overlong, but they keep you hooked.
What makes the series work is that while it is highly nasty and gritty, despite the cynicism of all the characters and the compromises they make, by the end of the series humanity is better off than it was at the start of the series, and there's been redemption -- or damnation -- for all the major characters. This including several characters that don't even get introduced until the second or third book, but turn out to be very important, especially in terms of how they intersect with the three main characters of the first book. (Of those "later" characters, I particularly like Hashi. Watch for him.)
August 3, 2023
All of the characters are unlikeable, untrustworthy, and just plain evil.
This book is a rollercoaster going out of control.
So in this book, Thermopyle is still an ass, but he is now a cyborg ass, and he's programmed to rescue Morn. Nick (who I seem to like the most of all these despicable characters) is now (so it seems) the bad guy, and morn is still a useless victim.
There is a lot of intrigue, plot twists, and political scheming. All this keeps the reader going even though there is really no one to route for.
Extremely well written, brilliant in fact. I don't know why I keep going on to the next books, and part of me can't wait to finish because it leaves me so unsettled.
Content concerns: Nick the whore, sleeps with Leite. Not surprising. Angus Thermopyle seems to have real feelings for Morn, but I have no pity for him since he abused and raped her. There is of course the usual - violence, blood, gore, cursing etc... Not for the sensitive reader.
This book is a rollercoaster going out of control.
So in this book, Thermopyle is still an ass, but he is now a cyborg ass, and he's programmed to rescue Morn. Nick (who I seem to like the most of all these despicable characters) is now (so it seems) the bad guy, and morn is still a useless victim.
There is a lot of intrigue, plot twists, and political scheming. All this keeps the reader going even though there is really no one to route for.
Extremely well written, brilliant in fact. I don't know why I keep going on to the next books, and part of me can't wait to finish because it leaves me so unsettled.
Content concerns: Nick the whore, sleeps with Leite. Not surprising. Angus Thermopyle seems to have real feelings for Morn, but I have no pity for him since he abused and raped her. There is of course the usual - violence, blood, gore, cursing etc... Not for the sensitive reader.
February 24, 2017
Well... that was awesome!
When I asked Fantasy Faction for dark, character driven sci-fi, this series was recommended. It's taken a couple of books to hit its stride, but it's finally there - the world has opened up considerably and many characters introduced in the previous books are given their time of day.
After such a climatic ending, I simply cannot wait to explore this series further. Highly recommended.
When I asked Fantasy Faction for dark, character driven sci-fi, this series was recommended. It's taken a couple of books to hit its stride, but it's finally there - the world has opened up considerably and many characters introduced in the previous books are given their time of day.
After such a climatic ending, I simply cannot wait to explore this series further. Highly recommended.
July 2, 2017
I read this a long time ago. All I remember was that by this third volume, I absolutely hated this series, I hated every character, and I thought Donaldson was a fucking asshole.
February 18, 2019
What a book! What a ride! Man, I just don't know how Donaldson juggles all of this...he's a master storyteller. The twists and turns are so unpredictable. The constant rotation of the Hero>Villian>Victim thin this absolutely astounding, and now it's stretched to a secondary batch of characters..or two batches...it's hard to tell if they are going to rotate or are just fun...I can't wait for the next book!
August 10, 2020
Man, this series is killing it. Had to force myself to put it down (reading three other novels as well) but I failed time and time again. Donaldson has long been one of my favourite fantasy authors. Now he is my favourite Sci-fi author (granted, I don't read much in the genre).
On to book four ... in a bit.
On to book four ... in a bit.
December 20, 2020
Lord ... that was painful. I still have two more installments in this series.
A saner man would have stopped already. But I’m a glutton for punishment.
I’ll let it sit for a while before I read another one... in the meantime I’ll read some GOOD books.
A saner man would have stopped already. But I’m a glutton for punishment.
I’ll let it sit for a while before I read another one... in the meantime I’ll read some GOOD books.
February 19, 2022
Do you like it when your tragedy turns into a enemies-to-compatriots heist book? Especially if the writing is solid, the themes are still well developed, the world is further fleshed out and you still aren't quite possibly sure how this series will end?
November 24, 2022
If i could give it zero stars I would. I should have bailed on this trilogy on the first book.
December 31, 2020
This series just gets better and better. All forces converge at Billingate shipyard while overarching political machinations loom between the United Mining Company and their police force. The lies, double crossing, triple crossing, kidnappings, assassinations, dread aliens pumping mutagen into humans to make them their own... this series just doesn’t let up.
Next up, THE GAP INTO MADNESS: CHAOS AND ORDER.
Next up, THE GAP INTO MADNESS: CHAOS AND ORDER.
June 19, 2021
4/5
With every chapter in this book and especially the 2nd half, Modern "grimdark" authors seem more like children who played to much Mortal Kombat compared to Donaldson's work here. Hes incredible at making his characters walk the line of sanity and constantly moving that line farther into the abyss.
I strongly prefer to say this is a Sci-Fi Tragedy more then space opera or grimdark, but the type of tragedy that is a very deep character study and not just endless depression or something, and lots of drama and action. Donaldson is bringing the characters to life and then chewing them down to the bone, exposing their every emotion, hope and fear well also setting up an extremely interesting world with very realistic, yet understandable sci-fi elements with very detailed political factions. I felt the first two books struggled a little bit jumping between PoVs but in this book it was amazing. There are quite a few unexpected PoVs at really critical times to the point where I was getting excited every time I knew I was at the end of a chapter, and wondering who we're going to switch to next. The way the characters process events and information differently and scheme amongst themselves is just incredible. I also don't remember the last time I hated or rooted for certain characters so deeply, the end of the First Law Trilogy maybe?
I don't think anyone has ever given the void of space such nightmareish teeth that just ripped through my nerves. A reminder that the only way you can truly get people invested in your character conflicts is truly test their morals as a reader, how much sheer violence, debauchery and emotional stress can you put into a series without just doing it for shock value? Gap Cycle is certainly testing all those limits and with every chapter Donaldson manages to raise those limits higher and higher and never once did I feel like it was ever for shock value. Already 100 pages into the next book can't read anything else have to finish this series.
With every chapter in this book and especially the 2nd half, Modern "grimdark" authors seem more like children who played to much Mortal Kombat compared to Donaldson's work here. Hes incredible at making his characters walk the line of sanity and constantly moving that line farther into the abyss.
I strongly prefer to say this is a Sci-Fi Tragedy more then space opera or grimdark, but the type of tragedy that is a very deep character study and not just endless depression or something, and lots of drama and action. Donaldson is bringing the characters to life and then chewing them down to the bone, exposing their every emotion, hope and fear well also setting up an extremely interesting world with very realistic, yet understandable sci-fi elements with very detailed political factions. I felt the first two books struggled a little bit jumping between PoVs but in this book it was amazing. There are quite a few unexpected PoVs at really critical times to the point where I was getting excited every time I knew I was at the end of a chapter, and wondering who we're going to switch to next. The way the characters process events and information differently and scheme amongst themselves is just incredible. I also don't remember the last time I hated or rooted for certain characters so deeply, the end of the First Law Trilogy maybe?
I don't think anyone has ever given the void of space such nightmareish teeth that just ripped through my nerves. A reminder that the only way you can truly get people invested in your character conflicts is truly test their morals as a reader, how much sheer violence, debauchery and emotional stress can you put into a series without just doing it for shock value? Gap Cycle is certainly testing all those limits and with every chapter Donaldson manages to raise those limits higher and higher and never once did I feel like it was ever for shock value. Already 100 pages into the next book can't read anything else have to finish this series.
March 16, 2014
The third book in the Gap Cycle is where Donaldson's story really begins to take shape. Although he uses our interest in the characters to carry us along, the story really is about the political schemes and wheels within wheels that arise from the commercial development of faster than light travel and contact with a semi-hostile alien species. Although the series is based on Wagner's Ring Cycle, the historical bits of the story show a very plausible development of this society from our own, especially in terms of corporate usurpation of governmental power.
Besides the absorbing complexity of his plot and his ability to keep the reader guessing about what is really going on, Donaldson also demonstrates the rare ability to get his readers to sympathize with (or at least understand) truly despicable characters. He explodes any black and white vision of right and wrong by creating situations in which characters must commit evil acts in order to serve a greater good and making the worst of bad guys play the role of hero.
Other reviewers have described the ethos of this series as "depressing" and "hopeless," but I think they are wrong. While there certainly is an air of doom about the story, and more than enough evidence of the evil man can do to man, the fact remains that the whole point of what's going on is to preserve hope for human survival, on both the individual and species levels.
If readers have gotten through the first two books of the Gap series, they will be well rewarded with this third volume. In another review, I compared the Gap series to Herbert's Dune. The worlds they create are vastly different and the atmosphere of their stories appear on the surface to be at odds, but Donaldson has some of Herbert's knack for amazing world building and convoluted, but ultimately logical, plotting. I'd put Herbert in the top 20 authors of the 20th century, so it's no small compliment that I put Donaldson in his company.
Besides the absorbing complexity of his plot and his ability to keep the reader guessing about what is really going on, Donaldson also demonstrates the rare ability to get his readers to sympathize with (or at least understand) truly despicable characters. He explodes any black and white vision of right and wrong by creating situations in which characters must commit evil acts in order to serve a greater good and making the worst of bad guys play the role of hero.
Other reviewers have described the ethos of this series as "depressing" and "hopeless," but I think they are wrong. While there certainly is an air of doom about the story, and more than enough evidence of the evil man can do to man, the fact remains that the whole point of what's going on is to preserve hope for human survival, on both the individual and species levels.
If readers have gotten through the first two books of the Gap series, they will be well rewarded with this third volume. In another review, I compared the Gap series to Herbert's Dune. The worlds they create are vastly different and the atmosphere of their stories appear on the surface to be at odds, but Donaldson has some of Herbert's knack for amazing world building and convoluted, but ultimately logical, plotting. I'd put Herbert in the top 20 authors of the 20th century, so it's no small compliment that I put Donaldson in his company.
April 1, 2019
Aaaaand, I'm done. I got about a third of the way through this one before tossing it into the corner.
There are several problems with this series for me:
* I don't like/can't identify with ANY of the characters or their motivations. That being the case, I don't know who to root for. And that leaves me without any motivation to keep reading. I just don't care what the future holds for these characters.
* The world-building is very weak. Basically, you could sum this civilization up as "Everyone's trying to screw everyone else". There's no history. There's no future. The background is almost completely 2D. The tech is boring and unimaginative. The entire civilization could be painted on a kid's lunchbox.
* If you took Donaldson's question mark key off his keyboard, he couldn't write. You spend almost all your time inside the characters' heads, listening to them asking themselves the same boring questions over and over and OVER.
* In my brain, I've visualized the characters in this series using the characters in the movie Heavy Metal's "Captain Sternn" vignette. Which is just too silly.
I've had to force myself to read almost every single page of these books (to date) and I'm just not interested in going further. I picked up a John Scalzi book after throwing this one on the floor and was IMMEDIATELY hooked into the characters and storytelling. In the first chapter. What a breath of fresh air!
There are several problems with this series for me:
* I don't like/can't identify with ANY of the characters or their motivations. That being the case, I don't know who to root for. And that leaves me without any motivation to keep reading. I just don't care what the future holds for these characters.
* The world-building is very weak. Basically, you could sum this civilization up as "Everyone's trying to screw everyone else". There's no history. There's no future. The background is almost completely 2D. The tech is boring and unimaginative. The entire civilization could be painted on a kid's lunchbox.
* If you took Donaldson's question mark key off his keyboard, he couldn't write. You spend almost all your time inside the characters' heads, listening to them asking themselves the same boring questions over and over and OVER.
* In my brain, I've visualized the characters in this series using the characters in the movie Heavy Metal's "Captain Sternn" vignette. Which is just too silly.
I've had to force myself to read almost every single page of these books (to date) and I'm just not interested in going further. I picked up a John Scalzi book after throwing this one on the floor and was IMMEDIATELY hooked into the characters and storytelling. In the first chapter. What a breath of fresh air!
October 10, 2010
Wow, this book took me awhile to get through. Its a great book, but its not light reading. This is an emotionally heavy book from start to finish. Its a noir story loosely based on the Ring cycle, that is set in the far future in space. This is the 3rd book in the series, and it slows the series down a little bit, mainly because its transitioning us from the beginning of the story into the roller coaster ride toward the ending. I can't remember as of writing this review if there are two more books to go or just one. I highly recommend this series as its not quite like anything else I've ever read in the Sci-fi genre. That having been said, don't read it unless you have a strong stomach for man's inhumanity to other man(or more precisely, woman). The series, this book as well, is full of themes of betrayal, redemption, brutality, fear of loss of self, and a whole multitude of other very series human drama. All of which is set against a backdrop of mankind's future expanding into the universe, and all the technological and cultural developments that spurred that on as well as those that evolved because of it.
May 17, 2012
I thought that I had lucked out when I found all five of these books in a used book store. I really liked the Covenant books. After reading the short (didn't feel short...) first book in this series, my first thought was, Did an editor get near this thing? The writing itself is atrocious. Not wanting to admit that I wasted my money, I soldiered on. I managed to get about a third into this book (the third) before I gave up.
There were several instances where I was pretty sure that Donaldson used the wrong word. Other problems:
---He has no idea what a semicolon is and how it functions.
---It is not okay for the omniscient narrator to use cliches and hackneyed phrases.
---He uses the construction, e.g. (made up), "He went into the storage, not to get something, but to return something" about 20 times. (1) The commas are wrong. (2) Stop using this construction!
As others have pointed out, the main problem is that every character is disgusting and not worth caring about. Add to that a layer of inept writing, and you have yourself a "winner."
There were several instances where I was pretty sure that Donaldson used the wrong word. Other problems:
---He has no idea what a semicolon is and how it functions.
---It is not okay for the omniscient narrator to use cliches and hackneyed phrases.
---He uses the construction, e.g. (made up), "He went into the storage, not to get something, but to return something" about 20 times. (1) The commas are wrong. (2) Stop using this construction!
As others have pointed out, the main problem is that every character is disgusting and not worth caring about. Add to that a layer of inept writing, and you have yourself a "winner."
December 1, 2024
Continuing on with my re-read of this series after many years.
By the time we get to this book, the narrative has branched out into many points of view. It might be interesting to contrast this with the first volume in the series (which has much fewer pages) in which not much more actually happens, but thee mere fragmentation of the narrative makes the story take much longer to tell.
That said, it is still a gripping, tense and exciting story that is hard to put down. The despicable Angus Thermopyle is being weaved back into the main story and somehow one finds oneself sympathising and rooting for him more than one would have thought possible after the first book. Morn, Davies and the crew of the Captain's Fancy find themselves caught between the Amnion and the Bill on Thantos Minor. Can they possibly find a safe way out of this mess?
I'm enjoying my the series immensely once again.
By the time we get to this book, the narrative has branched out into many points of view. It might be interesting to contrast this with the first volume in the series (which has much fewer pages) in which not much more actually happens, but thee mere fragmentation of the narrative makes the story take much longer to tell.
That said, it is still a gripping, tense and exciting story that is hard to put down. The despicable Angus Thermopyle is being weaved back into the main story and somehow one finds oneself sympathising and rooting for him more than one would have thought possible after the first book. Morn, Davies and the crew of the Captain's Fancy find themselves caught between the Amnion and the Bill on Thantos Minor. Can they possibly find a safe way out of this mess?
I'm enjoying my the series immensely once again.
July 24, 2021
This volume brings on the full force of the terrific and memorable storyline. By this time you're ready for it. Book 2 moves right along, but remains focused on the behavoir of the crew aboard ship, and only the crew (only a couple of chapters reveal a larger plot). The limited, confined scope of Forbidden Knowledge (Gap #2) feels like an expanding bubble in contrast to the burst of this 3rd volume which fires the kitchen sink right at you.
The first three volumes are distinctly different pieces, and it works like great composition.
Gap Series is an interesting set of books (interesting like a really good double-album used to be), a pretty gripping tale, writing that is so readable it just soaks right in, makes everything clear in the head, and you can feel Donaldson's intellect burning to write it.
Take the super-satisfying experience, and read it at a good pace. Better that way.
The first three volumes are distinctly different pieces, and it works like great composition.
Gap Series is an interesting set of books (interesting like a really good double-album used to be), a pretty gripping tale, writing that is so readable it just soaks right in, makes everything clear in the head, and you can feel Donaldson's intellect burning to write it.
Take the super-satisfying experience, and read it at a good pace. Better that way.
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