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Virga #5
Ashes of Candesce: Book Five of Virga
A world of endless sky, with no land, no this is Virga. Beginning in the seminal science fiction novel Sun of Suns, the saga of this striking world has introduced us to the people of stubborn pride and resilience who have made Virga their home; but also, always lurking beyond the walls of the world, to the mysterious threat known only as Artificial Nature. In The Sunless Countries, history tutor Leal Hieronyma Maspeth became the first human in centuries to learn the true nature of this threat. Her reward was exile, but now, in Ashes of Candesce, Artificial Nature makes its final bid to destroy Virga, and it is up to Leal to unite the quarrelling clans of her world to fight the threat.Ashes of Candesce brings together all the heroes of the Virga series, and draws the diverse threads of the previous storylines together into one climactic conflict. Blending steampunk styling with a far-future setting and meditations on the posthuman condition, Ashes of Candesce mixes high adventure and cutting-edge ideas in a fitting climax to one of science fiction's most innovative series.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 14, 2012
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483 people want to read
About the author
Karl Schroeder
95 books383 followersKarl Schroeder is an award-winning Canadian science fiction author. His novels present far-future speculations on topics such as nanotechnology, terraforming, augmented reality and interstellar travel, and have a deeply philosophical streak. One of his concepts, known as thalience, has gained some currency in the artificial intelligence and computer networking communities.
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April 2, 2012Karl Schroeder’s Virga series, of which Ashes of Candesce is the fifth and final volume, appears to have been more popular with critics than with the general reading public. Which is a pity, because (as I have noted before) it is one of the, quite possibly the best Science Fiction series in recent years, if not ever - unparalleled in both the scope and the depth of its imagination, the originality and the thoroughness of its worldbuilding. It is also somewhat puzzling, because even with all the breath-taking concepts and the well-founded science, the whole series is immensely readable, a highly entertaining romp filled with adventure – chase scenes! secret missions! swashbuckling! space battles!
Which points to something that is truly unique about this series (at least I can not think of anyone who would have done anything similar; I might be wrong, of course), namely the way it seamlessly blends the more fantastic, over-the-top variants of the Science Fiction genre with actual, hard science. It is no small achievement to write Planetary Romance in a Steampunk-ish setting in a way that makes sense and is scientifically sound – but Karl Schroeder boldly went where no man went before, and actually pulled it off, and managed to make it a whole lot of fun to read as well.
And in that, this final volume is no different from the previous ones – what started out in Sun of Suns as minor war between two nations of Virga has by now been revealed as part of a galaxy-spanning conflict with Candesce as its much-coveted prize. In Ashes of Candesce, the rivalling factions make their final move, last gamble that will decide which way life in the galaxy will develop, and things culminate in a grand, riveting finale during which the reader encounters some new protagonists and many familiar faces from the preceding novels – most notably, the incomparable Venera Fanning, my favourite character in the series, who here is as charming and as ruthless as ever.
Try as I may, I simply cannot understand why this has not been recognised as the genre classic that it is (although I suppose that Tor’s somewhat weird publishing policy has played some part in that), and I strongly encourage everyone to go out and get Sun of Suns and start reading it. Like, now.
Which points to something that is truly unique about this series (at least I can not think of anyone who would have done anything similar; I might be wrong, of course), namely the way it seamlessly blends the more fantastic, over-the-top variants of the Science Fiction genre with actual, hard science. It is no small achievement to write Planetary Romance in a Steampunk-ish setting in a way that makes sense and is scientifically sound – but Karl Schroeder boldly went where no man went before, and actually pulled it off, and managed to make it a whole lot of fun to read as well.
And in that, this final volume is no different from the previous ones – what started out in Sun of Suns as minor war between two nations of Virga has by now been revealed as part of a galaxy-spanning conflict with Candesce as its much-coveted prize. In Ashes of Candesce, the rivalling factions make their final move, last gamble that will decide which way life in the galaxy will develop, and things culminate in a grand, riveting finale during which the reader encounters some new protagonists and many familiar faces from the preceding novels – most notably, the incomparable Venera Fanning, my favourite character in the series, who here is as charming and as ruthless as ever.
Try as I may, I simply cannot understand why this has not been recognised as the genre classic that it is (although I suppose that Tor’s somewhat weird publishing policy has played some part in that), and I strongly encourage everyone to go out and get Sun of Suns and start reading it. Like, now.
May 7, 2012
After an onerous wait, Schroeder assembles the main characters from the first four Virga books *plus* a new protagonist, and attempts to wrap up the series in a multi-viewpoint blaze of glory. I can't say all the threads held together for me. I can't say he should have spent more pages gluing it together, either -- this series *could* have bloated out into another three volumes of resolution, and I give Schroeder credit for avoiding this.
Instead, he appears to followed the "write all the awesome scenes, skip everything else" model of novel construction. The result is undeniably full of awesome, but leaves me wishing he'd spent less time setting up and more structuring a single coherent series arc.
The worldbuilding mystery of the series -- "what does Artificial Nature mean?" -- is pretty well answered, but in a tell-not-show way; I didn't find it a satisfying Big Idea. Yes, aggressive oak trees and killer tulip planters are nifty. No, they don't add up to a good portrayal of posthuman/postconscious ecosystems. Schroeder has been tackling this once since _Ventus_. (Stross has taken stabs at it too, with "Missile Gap" and the Economy 2.0 stuff and so on.) I hope he (they) keep at it; I think there's something down there, but the great Idea SF Novel for it has yet to be written. Unless it was _Blindsight_, in which case eww.
(There's also a quantum-gravity-math macguffin which I don't buy at all. To be fair, it only shows up in one scene. To be fair in the other direction, it's crucial to the Virga setting and its weakness undermines the whole series for me. Oh well.)
But, setting aside my inner twelve-year-old's "I want my mind-blowing idea" tantrum, the series wraps up with a perfectly acceptable action blowout involving end-to-end avalanches, missile attacks, bug hunts, triple-intertwined hostage rescue missions, fleet actions, and (of course) a chase scene into the heart of a live fusion reactor. So you can read it for that.
Instead, he appears to followed the "write all the awesome scenes, skip everything else" model of novel construction. The result is undeniably full of awesome, but leaves me wishing he'd spent less time setting up and more structuring a single coherent series arc.
The worldbuilding mystery of the series -- "what does Artificial Nature mean?" -- is pretty well answered, but in a tell-not-show way; I didn't find it a satisfying Big Idea. Yes, aggressive oak trees and killer tulip planters are nifty. No, they don't add up to a good portrayal of posthuman/postconscious ecosystems. Schroeder has been tackling this once since _Ventus_. (Stross has taken stabs at it too, with "Missile Gap" and the Economy 2.0 stuff and so on.) I hope he (they) keep at it; I think there's something down there, but the great Idea SF Novel for it has yet to be written. Unless it was _Blindsight_, in which case eww.
(There's also a quantum-gravity-math macguffin which I don't buy at all. To be fair, it only shows up in one scene. To be fair in the other direction, it's crucial to the Virga setting and its weakness undermines the whole series for me. Oh well.)
But, setting aside my inner twelve-year-old's "I want my mind-blowing idea" tantrum, the series wraps up with a perfectly acceptable action blowout involving end-to-end avalanches, missile attacks, bug hunts, triple-intertwined hostage rescue missions, fleet actions, and (of course) a chase scene into the heart of a live fusion reactor. So you can read it for that.
July 9, 2012
Schroeder attempts to pull his series together in a meaningful way, and succeeds to a fair degree.
Frankly, given the structure of the first four books, I'm surprised he didn't expand this--the first three center heavily on Hayden, Venera and Chaison, so having a second three centered on Leal, Antaea, and Keir Chen would have given it a certain symmetry, and allowed some room to flesh out the story. But, he didn't do that, so what did we get? On the one hand, this book feels rushed, like he was trying to fit too much into too few pages, especially towards the end. On the other, it does give the book a certain urgency that fits with the events.
As far as the series and world is concerned, Schroeder has been teasing us with hints of the wider universe and underpinnings of Virga, Candesce, and Artificial Nature since the beginning, and I'm pretty pleased with the final structure he's revealed.
The philosophical meanderings are also quite interesting, raising some pertinent questions about the nature of consciousness and how it might deal with 'uploading'.
I also enjoyed the reality check regarding consciousness: It all reminds me of an Emo Philips quote: "I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body. Then I realized who was telling me this."
As far as characterization, I enjoyed the trip through Keir's mind in Brink, and having more time with his viewpoint is really where I wish Schroeder had spent more pages. To a point, it was a plausible extrapolation of trends we can already see occurring in society. How much of a modern first-world person's brain is now devoted not to direct recall, but to remembering how to bring up information from the outside sources in their 'Scry', be that Wikipedia, reference books (e-book OR physical), etc?
I felt that Leal was rather underused, but I did enjoy that Antaea was brought back in, and thought her fit well with her character and prior motivations.
Overall, while it could have been better, that doesn't stop me from giving it five stars. It made me think, the final structure of Schroeder's toy world is pretty and self-consistent, and the story and character resolution is satisfying.
Frankly, given the structure of the first four books, I'm surprised he didn't expand this--the first three center heavily on Hayden, Venera and Chaison, so having a second three centered on Leal, Antaea, and Keir Chen would have given it a certain symmetry, and allowed some room to flesh out the story. But, he didn't do that, so what did we get? On the one hand, this book feels rushed, like he was trying to fit too much into too few pages, especially towards the end. On the other, it does give the book a certain urgency that fits with the events.
As far as the series and world is concerned, Schroeder has been teasing us with hints of the wider universe and underpinnings of Virga, Candesce, and Artificial Nature since the beginning, and I'm pretty pleased with the final structure he's revealed.
The philosophical meanderings are also quite interesting, raising some pertinent questions about the nature of consciousness and how it might deal with 'uploading'.
I also enjoyed the reality check regarding consciousness: It all reminds me of an Emo Philips quote: "I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body. Then I realized who was telling me this."
As far as characterization, I enjoyed the trip through Keir's mind in Brink, and having more time with his viewpoint is really where I wish Schroeder had spent more pages. To a point, it was a plausible extrapolation of trends we can already see occurring in society. How much of a modern first-world person's brain is now devoted not to direct recall, but to remembering how to bring up information from the outside sources in their 'Scry', be that Wikipedia, reference books (e-book OR physical), etc?
I felt that Leal was rather underused, but I did enjoy that Antaea was brought back in, and thought her fit well with her character and prior motivations.
Overall, while it could have been better, that doesn't stop me from giving it five stars. It made me think, the final structure of Schroeder's toy world is pretty and self-consistent, and the story and character resolution is satisfying.
August 30, 2012
Alas, the Virga cycle ends not with a bang, but with a whimper.
The first three books in the Virga cycle are incredible. Amazing. A rollicking good time in a world unlike anything you've ever encountered.
And then the fourth book comes along, which is by far the worst. It introduces a new protagonist out of nowhere, and while we do finally get some awesome glimpses of beyond Virga, there's just not enough good stuff to care. Worse, the plot picks up speed, and not in a good way - things are no longer described with the same vivid detail. Instead, Schroeder seems to just race through so much of what the world is to get to what's happening. There's too much telling and not enough showing in Book 4.
And by Ashes, Book 5, well... Schroeder begins to pull it out of the fire, but he's just dragging too much baggage from Book 4. Alas.
It's still an amazing series, but by the end you feel like the last season of Lost - you're reading because you've invested all that time, not because you care.
The first three books in the Virga cycle are incredible. Amazing. A rollicking good time in a world unlike anything you've ever encountered.
And then the fourth book comes along, which is by far the worst. It introduces a new protagonist out of nowhere, and while we do finally get some awesome glimpses of beyond Virga, there's just not enough good stuff to care. Worse, the plot picks up speed, and not in a good way - things are no longer described with the same vivid detail. Instead, Schroeder seems to just race through so much of what the world is to get to what's happening. There's too much telling and not enough showing in Book 4.
And by Ashes, Book 5, well... Schroeder begins to pull it out of the fire, but he's just dragging too much baggage from Book 4. Alas.
It's still an amazing series, but by the end you feel like the last season of Lost - you're reading because you've invested all that time, not because you care.
February 24, 2012
This is the final book in an excellent series. If you're at all charmed by steampunk but a little put off by it's lack of connection to reality, this is the series you've been waiting for.
There's an excellent summation of the series at BoingBoing.net, so I won't bother, just go look for it there.
Suffice to say this book fills the criteria that Neal Stephenson sets out for his books, they must introduce interesting ideas, but primarily they must be a cracking good tale. Full of adventure and emotion the series manages to touch on everything from how do governments arise to what is intention and it's relation to consciousness.
There's an excellent summation of the series at BoingBoing.net, so I won't bother, just go look for it there.
Suffice to say this book fills the criteria that Neal Stephenson sets out for his books, they must introduce interesting ideas, but primarily they must be a cracking good tale. Full of adventure and emotion the series manages to touch on everything from how do governments arise to what is intention and it's relation to consciousness.
May 8, 2013
OK conclusion to a great series. The 5 Virga books kind of have it all -- inventive and creative steampunk (set in a zero gravity air bubble!); far future hard science fiction; pirates and buccaneers and broad romance...Schroeder covers a lot of ground. Doesn't finish quite as strong as the series starts, thanks to increasingly complex and convaluted storylines that only kind of wrap up, but still very enjoyable reads.
February 27, 2012
In reality, I would have preferred to give this 2.5 stars but. . . As the fifth and final book in a pentalogy that had lost its spark during the fourth volume, this just ties up the loose ends and, thankfully, ends. Shame really. Sun of Suns started us off so well back in 2006. It would have made such a good trilogy.
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May 4, 2025
3.5 stars. Better than the previous books, especially in the first half.
Review for the whole series:
The best aspect of these books is the world/galaxy/universe that the author builds, coherently improving on it with every entry in the series. The action is enjoyable.
Unfortunately, those are it. The characters are mostly bland and underdeveloped, and even the world, as imaginative as it is, is not utilized as well as could be. The last half of the last book was the prime example of the problems with this series: There's plenty of build-up in story, new and old characters come together, and .. they basically fight each other, with only some resolution that affects Virga. In the end, I felt that it was all almost inconsequential.
P.S. Unfortunately, the narrator, Mark Delgado, is one of the worst narrators I've listened to. Incredibly bland. :(
Review for the whole series:
The best aspect of these books is the world/galaxy/universe that the author builds, coherently improving on it with every entry in the series. The action is enjoyable.
Unfortunately, those are it. The characters are mostly bland and underdeveloped, and even the world, as imaginative as it is, is not utilized as well as could be. The last half of the last book was the prime example of the problems with this series: There's plenty of build-up in story, new and old characters come together, and .. they basically fight each other, with only some resolution that affects Virga. In the end, I felt that it was all almost inconsequential.
P.S. Unfortunately, the narrator, Mark Delgado, is one of the worst narrators I've listened to. Incredibly bland. :(
September 22, 2020
Quite spectacular. Recommended.
September 30, 2018
A bit of a slog. Double-crosses and reveals, lots of action, but it was difficult to keep track of what it all MEANT, especially toward the end with so many threads to tie up. Doubtless a difficult book to write.
I also didn’t quite buy the solution of the conclusion.
The author’s focus on logistics meant that there was a lot of telling instead of showing in the characterization, which is the complaint I’ve consistently had about his books. I really didn’t care much about any of the characters. They began to seem almost like iterations of each other. Except for Venera, and she didn’t get much page time.
However, the vision of the weightless world of Virga remains superb. So much detail and love it its description. Still and all, not worth re-reading aside from the second one, just too unsatisfying.
I also didn’t quite buy the solution of the conclusion.
The author’s focus on logistics meant that there was a lot of telling instead of showing in the characterization, which is the complaint I’ve consistently had about his books. I really didn’t care much about any of the characters. They began to seem almost like iterations of each other. Except for Venera, and she didn’t get much page time.
However, the vision of the weightless world of Virga remains superb. So much detail and love it its description. Still and all, not worth re-reading aside from the second one, just too unsatisfying.
June 8, 2015
Good end to the series. The nature of the series has some of the books starring different characters, so when they all come together in this one there are certain characters that haven't been seen in two or three books and I have trouble remembering their storylines. There are definitely some great ideas in this series.
July 30, 2024
3.5 stars, Metaphorosis reviews
Summary
Artificial Nature is making its play to shut down Virga's protections and bring its people into its consciousness-focused culture. But another living, non-conscious culture is offering an alliance of its own. The heroes of the Virga series find themselves on both sides, each fighting in their own way for what they think is best.
Review
The Virga series started very strong, but gradually declined, though it always remained worth reading. I hoped that it would finish strong, on a bit of an upswing. Instead, it plateaus. I’m still a fan of the series overall, but there’s not quite the climax I thought we might get.
In fact, the final battle of the book and series are, if not anti-climactic, at least flat. They’re confused, with many factions and actors, and perhaps one could argue for verisimilitude and fog of war. But as a reader, it’s hard to follow, and I found I just didn’t care much about the details.
The strengths of this book have been its worldbuilding (and in this book there’s not much that’s new) and its characters. Schroeder does his level best in this final book to keep all his key characters in play and to give everyone a resolution. He mostly succeeds, but his effort to do so is visible, and ends up meaning that no one is really the focus in the ensemble cast closing.
Schroeder does less well with his villain. Where Venera Fanning was a sociopath not very credibly sold as charming (and deeply in love with her husband), Inshiri Ferance is essentially her analog, just on the other side. There’s a thin attempt at motivation for her cruelty, but I didn’t find her very believable. On the other hand, even the ‘good guy’s finally win in part through cruelty and exploitation. I don’t believe Schroeder meant to show moral ambiguity; he just didn’t see the cruelty for what it was.
Altogether, I give Schroeder credit for trying to neatly wrap a multi-dimensional, complex story. He does that fairly well, but the path to get there is more muddled than it needed to be. The book generally works, but it’s the series resolution that it’s really offering.
For the series as a whole, I’m still a big fan. It’s innovative, intriguing, and peopled with engaging characters on big adventures, encountering big concepts. And I think it would be feasible to read just one or two books and be satisfied so it’s easy to take on. I recommend it.
Summary
Artificial Nature is making its play to shut down Virga's protections and bring its people into its consciousness-focused culture. But another living, non-conscious culture is offering an alliance of its own. The heroes of the Virga series find themselves on both sides, each fighting in their own way for what they think is best.
Review
The Virga series started very strong, but gradually declined, though it always remained worth reading. I hoped that it would finish strong, on a bit of an upswing. Instead, it plateaus. I’m still a fan of the series overall, but there’s not quite the climax I thought we might get.
In fact, the final battle of the book and series are, if not anti-climactic, at least flat. They’re confused, with many factions and actors, and perhaps one could argue for verisimilitude and fog of war. But as a reader, it’s hard to follow, and I found I just didn’t care much about the details.
The strengths of this book have been its worldbuilding (and in this book there’s not much that’s new) and its characters. Schroeder does his level best in this final book to keep all his key characters in play and to give everyone a resolution. He mostly succeeds, but his effort to do so is visible, and ends up meaning that no one is really the focus in the ensemble cast closing.
Schroeder does less well with his villain. Where Venera Fanning was a sociopath not very credibly sold as charming (and deeply in love with her husband), Inshiri Ferance is essentially her analog, just on the other side. There’s a thin attempt at motivation for her cruelty, but I didn’t find her very believable. On the other hand, even the ‘good guy’s finally win in part through cruelty and exploitation. I don’t believe Schroeder meant to show moral ambiguity; he just didn’t see the cruelty for what it was.
Altogether, I give Schroeder credit for trying to neatly wrap a multi-dimensional, complex story. He does that fairly well, but the path to get there is more muddled than it needed to be. The book generally works, but it’s the series resolution that it’s really offering.
For the series as a whole, I’m still a big fan. It’s innovative, intriguing, and peopled with engaging characters on big adventures, encountering big concepts. And I think it would be feasible to read just one or two books and be satisfied so it’s easy to take on. I recommend it.
August 19, 2023
I find myself enjoying this novel quite a bit more than the others, although none of them were bad. Lots of adventure and worldbuilding, with that neat combo of hard SF and steampunk, with the unique actual World Building of Virga taking front stage.
What really stood out for me was the inclusion of all the main characters from the first four books, each getting a great deal of limelight, plus a new character that really puts the context of the outside universe into Virga, itself.
I think I got the most enjoyment out of this one precisely for the trips-to-the-underworld grand philosophy, for the explorations of the nature of immortality, memory, grounding versus virtual, and the fine lines a lot of it can take.
For me, this is the epitome of science fiction. Swashbuckling, booms, and immortal nanotech constructs are just frosting on the cake.
What really stood out for me was the inclusion of all the main characters from the first four books, each getting a great deal of limelight, plus a new character that really puts the context of the outside universe into Virga, itself.
I think I got the most enjoyment out of this one precisely for the trips-to-the-underworld grand philosophy, for the explorations of the nature of immortality, memory, grounding versus virtual, and the fine lines a lot of it can take.
For me, this is the epitome of science fiction. Swashbuckling, booms, and immortal nanotech constructs are just frosting on the cake.
July 18, 2020
What an incredible ending to an incredible book series! After many, many years of SF reading, I'm so glad to have recently discovered Karl Schroeder and he has jumped into my top 3 authors.
October 28, 2020
This series has a really remarkable and well-played expansion of its world over the five quickly-consumed installments.
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May 17, 2022An epic end for a long saga
February 24, 2023
I dunno, this one just got all jumbled up for me. Too many people and too many plots.
August 19, 2012
The Big Finish!
(I assume this is the last book in this series anyway, as it wraps up all the character arcs and the meta-plot from the previous books. Certainly, though, Schroeder has created a rich enough universe to tell a lot more stories set in Virga/The Arena.)
Ashes of Candesce is the fifth and longest of the Virga books. It's long because Schroeder has set himself the task of tying together all the various plot threads of the previous books and wrapping them up in a suitably epic fashion. In this he succeeds, but you certainly won't want to read this book without having read all of the previous four. This book hits the ground running and there's precious little time spent bringing the reader up to speed on previous events.
Plus, Schroeder also introduces yet another main character, Keir Chen, the first 'outsider' to feature as a protagonist in the series. Keir appears to be a teenager but he is 'de-indexing', a process whereby the humans of Artificial Nature erase their memories and return to childhood, basically starting their lives over with a clean slate. Keir literally doesn't know what he knows, and if you think that's going to be important later, well, duh.
There isn't the same amount of world-building as in the other books even though the action primarily takes place in Virga. Still, Schroeder manages to squeeze in a few new exotic locales which take advantage of Virga's mind-bending physics. I occasionally wish that Schroeder would slow down and describe things in more detail as occasionally it's difficult to visualize exactly what he's getting at.
The second half of the book is pretty much one giant battle, as one fleet of ships tries to reach Candesce, the sun of suns, and another fleet of ships tries to stop them. The physics of a zero-g fleet battle are pretty interesting and there are lots of daring tactics and last-minute reversals. There's also plenty of betrayals, double-crossings and whose-side-are-they-really-on-anyway? moments. It's pretty exciting.
I am trying to avoid Major Spoilers and will keep things vague, and what follows is relevant to a criticism I have of the book, but if you suffer from ESA (Extreme Spoiler Aversion) you might want to stop now or skip to the last paragraph.
**POSSIBLE SPOILERS**
So one of the big mysteries of the series is how Candesce generates the 'technology suppression field' which keeps Artificial Nature out and the humans within at a pre-electronic-computer state of technology. In this book that mystery is finally explained - and the explanation is basically a bunch of technobabble. That's kind of disappointing.
Equally disappointing: somebody outside Virga just basically figures out how the field works. This doesn't really make sense, since Schroeder has pointed out in earlier books that one of the main problems with Artificial Nature is that it is although it is unimaginably high tech, it is basically incapable of making genuine new scientific discoveries. This is why most of the factions of AN hate Virga so much and are trying to destroy it: it is the one part of their universe that doesn't make sense to them. If they could have figured out how it works, why wouldn't they have done so by now? After all, they've presumably spent the last several hundred years working on the problem. Yet someone else pops up with the solution just at the right moment.
It's basically the ultimate Deus Ex Machina.
**LAST PARAGRAPH**
Anyway, that's a small criticism of an otherwise fittingly epic end to the series. The Virga books are the work of a sci-fi master at his best. I personally believe Karl Schroeder is going to be added to the canon of great science fiction authors, right up there with Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein and Philip K. Dick. He has a brilliant imagination, is able to take his crazy ideas and flesh them out into believable worlds, and he's a helluva storyteller to boot.
I'm already looking forward to whatever he does next.
(I assume this is the last book in this series anyway, as it wraps up all the character arcs and the meta-plot from the previous books. Certainly, though, Schroeder has created a rich enough universe to tell a lot more stories set in Virga/The Arena.)
Ashes of Candesce is the fifth and longest of the Virga books. It's long because Schroeder has set himself the task of tying together all the various plot threads of the previous books and wrapping them up in a suitably epic fashion. In this he succeeds, but you certainly won't want to read this book without having read all of the previous four. This book hits the ground running and there's precious little time spent bringing the reader up to speed on previous events.
Plus, Schroeder also introduces yet another main character, Keir Chen, the first 'outsider' to feature as a protagonist in the series. Keir appears to be a teenager but he is 'de-indexing', a process whereby the humans of Artificial Nature erase their memories and return to childhood, basically starting their lives over with a clean slate. Keir literally doesn't know what he knows, and if you think that's going to be important later, well, duh.
There isn't the same amount of world-building as in the other books even though the action primarily takes place in Virga. Still, Schroeder manages to squeeze in a few new exotic locales which take advantage of Virga's mind-bending physics. I occasionally wish that Schroeder would slow down and describe things in more detail as occasionally it's difficult to visualize exactly what he's getting at.
The second half of the book is pretty much one giant battle, as one fleet of ships tries to reach Candesce, the sun of suns, and another fleet of ships tries to stop them. The physics of a zero-g fleet battle are pretty interesting and there are lots of daring tactics and last-minute reversals. There's also plenty of betrayals, double-crossings and whose-side-are-they-really-on-anyway? moments. It's pretty exciting.
I am trying to avoid Major Spoilers and will keep things vague, and what follows is relevant to a criticism I have of the book, but if you suffer from ESA (Extreme Spoiler Aversion) you might want to stop now or skip to the last paragraph.
**POSSIBLE SPOILERS**
So one of the big mysteries of the series is how Candesce generates the 'technology suppression field' which keeps Artificial Nature out and the humans within at a pre-electronic-computer state of technology. In this book that mystery is finally explained - and the explanation is basically a bunch of technobabble. That's kind of disappointing.
Equally disappointing: somebody outside Virga just basically figures out how the field works. This doesn't really make sense, since Schroeder has pointed out in earlier books that one of the main problems with Artificial Nature is that it is although it is unimaginably high tech, it is basically incapable of making genuine new scientific discoveries. This is why most of the factions of AN hate Virga so much and are trying to destroy it: it is the one part of their universe that doesn't make sense to them. If they could have figured out how it works, why wouldn't they have done so by now? After all, they've presumably spent the last several hundred years working on the problem. Yet someone else pops up with the solution just at the right moment.
It's basically the ultimate Deus Ex Machina.
**LAST PARAGRAPH**
Anyway, that's a small criticism of an otherwise fittingly epic end to the series. The Virga books are the work of a sci-fi master at his best. I personally believe Karl Schroeder is going to be added to the canon of great science fiction authors, right up there with Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein and Philip K. Dick. He has a brilliant imagination, is able to take his crazy ideas and flesh them out into believable worlds, and he's a helluva storyteller to boot.
I'm already looking forward to whatever he does next.
May 13, 2013
Leal Maspeth returns to Virga carrying a message, an offer of alliance against the forces that have been trying to infiltrate and destroy her home. But that assumes that it's not merely another trick by those same forces, as the alliance against her is claiming the same thing. Ultimately, Leal and many of the heroes of earlier in the series must make their choices and take their stands to decide the fate of Virga.
This book is intended as a conclusion to the entire series, so it has a lot to live up to. I think it does a pretty good job, although some of the mysteries or ongoing conflicts that had been built up through the series got resolved in a way that felt a little too simplistic. On the whole, though, I quite enjoyed it and would love to see more in the setting.
It has a lot of what I've come to enjoy in the setting... characters who may be antagonists, but have a certain nobility and truly believe they're doing the right thing, a sense of wonder about the most ordinary things in an extraordinary setting (a planet sized ball of air with no internal gravity except what individual ships or towns make by spinning), and the occasional really neat idea. And, rare for SF novels these days, it introduced me to a non-made up word I'd never heard before but that is incredibly useful: "velleity", a wish or inclination that isn't strong enough to lead to action. Like, if in your heart, you're opposed to some latest political outrage but for whatever reason, won't actually get up and do anything about it... which seems startlingly common. How had I never heard this word before? But I digress...
One development in this final installment is that, for the first time, one of the viewpoint characters is from the high-tech society outside of Virga, which allows for some more direct exploration of some of the themes which, previously, had to be looked at through explanations from possibly unreliable sources. And the direct look at the outside universe was refreshing this time around, in that you could see the ways it, and particularly Artificial Nature potentially worked, and the ways it potentially didn't, rather than just being a looming threat. I'm not sure I buy into all the author's stances, but it's still a lot of fun getting through and looking at things from a different angle, and there's enough ambiguity left in there that you don't feel like you're being told you're wrong for disagreeing. You can even agree with the 'bad guys' in philosophy and just disagree with them on the specific decisions they made.
Really, the series as a whole, being mostly a low-tech adventure in a fantastic setting, with a lot of colorful and enjoyable characters, could serve as a good soft-introduction to some weighty SF ideas about artificial intelligence and the nature of consciousness even for people who aren't hardcore into science fiction.
The conclusion wasn't quite everything I wanted, but I still liked it a whole lot. The series as a whole has a lot of value buried within it and will not just be a series I'll read again from time to time, but one of my favorite SF settings.
This book is intended as a conclusion to the entire series, so it has a lot to live up to. I think it does a pretty good job, although some of the mysteries or ongoing conflicts that had been built up through the series got resolved in a way that felt a little too simplistic. On the whole, though, I quite enjoyed it and would love to see more in the setting.
It has a lot of what I've come to enjoy in the setting... characters who may be antagonists, but have a certain nobility and truly believe they're doing the right thing, a sense of wonder about the most ordinary things in an extraordinary setting (a planet sized ball of air with no internal gravity except what individual ships or towns make by spinning), and the occasional really neat idea. And, rare for SF novels these days, it introduced me to a non-made up word I'd never heard before but that is incredibly useful: "velleity", a wish or inclination that isn't strong enough to lead to action. Like, if in your heart, you're opposed to some latest political outrage but for whatever reason, won't actually get up and do anything about it... which seems startlingly common. How had I never heard this word before? But I digress...
One development in this final installment is that, for the first time, one of the viewpoint characters is from the high-tech society outside of Virga, which allows for some more direct exploration of some of the themes which, previously, had to be looked at through explanations from possibly unreliable sources. And the direct look at the outside universe was refreshing this time around, in that you could see the ways it, and particularly Artificial Nature potentially worked, and the ways it potentially didn't, rather than just being a looming threat. I'm not sure I buy into all the author's stances, but it's still a lot of fun getting through and looking at things from a different angle, and there's enough ambiguity left in there that you don't feel like you're being told you're wrong for disagreeing. You can even agree with the 'bad guys' in philosophy and just disagree with them on the specific decisions they made.
Really, the series as a whole, being mostly a low-tech adventure in a fantastic setting, with a lot of colorful and enjoyable characters, could serve as a good soft-introduction to some weighty SF ideas about artificial intelligence and the nature of consciousness even for people who aren't hardcore into science fiction.
The conclusion wasn't quite everything I wanted, but I still liked it a whole lot. The series as a whole has a lot of value buried within it and will not just be a series I'll read again from time to time, but one of my favorite SF settings.
May 2, 2013
This book wraps up Schroeder's Virga saga, and the whole thing is well worth reading. Starting with this book, however, might not be the way to go. All the main characters of the previous four books are featured in this one.
The best thing about the book is Virga itself. It's such a rich, amazing concept: a steampowered low-tech (yes, kind of steampunk, but not just to get in on the trend) bubble world with no gravity except what's generated artificially, with an artificial sun in the center, where people navigate by how far from the sun and how far into "winter" (darkness beyond the artificial sun's light)they go. Where tiny town-nations slowly grind brass gears or rotate like hoops in order to generate gravity, banners waving in the breeze. Schroeder describes this world even more lovingly in this book than in the rest, and it's hard not to get drawn into the alien beauty of it.
Outside Virga, Artifical Nature reigns. Nano-technology and artificial life forms have robbed most people of the ability to build, since anything they wish can be created for them without any understanding necessary of the knowledge involved in the building. Artifical Nature cannot get inside of Virga, but wants to, and this book is the climax of that conflict.
We start on the outside skin of Virga, in the city of Brink, situated on the ice surrounding the artificial world's bubble. While the world outside of Virga is explored more thoroughly in this book, it unfortunately remains rather nebulous and vague. So very much can be done with the concept of Artificial Nature that the imagination boggles- how to convey that vast variety, that sterility?
Returning to the interior of Virga felt comforting. In this book, the concepts of home, memory and belonging are explored. Schroeder celebrates the ability of humans to create, innovate and make the best of their environment. The humanity of people, the kindness and connectedness of relationships, is also a theme.
Plot wise, the book was kind of all over the place. A lot of things happened, and they were described dashingly. However, I'm still not exactly sure what happened at the end, especially Leal, Keir and Hayden's part in the battle. Minus one star for confusion.
I'd willingly spend a lot more time within the world of Virga. Artificial Nature, not so much.
The best thing about the book is Virga itself. It's such a rich, amazing concept: a steampowered low-tech (yes, kind of steampunk, but not just to get in on the trend) bubble world with no gravity except what's generated artificially, with an artificial sun in the center, where people navigate by how far from the sun and how far into "winter" (darkness beyond the artificial sun's light)they go. Where tiny town-nations slowly grind brass gears or rotate like hoops in order to generate gravity, banners waving in the breeze. Schroeder describes this world even more lovingly in this book than in the rest, and it's hard not to get drawn into the alien beauty of it.
Outside Virga, Artifical Nature reigns. Nano-technology and artificial life forms have robbed most people of the ability to build, since anything they wish can be created for them without any understanding necessary of the knowledge involved in the building. Artifical Nature cannot get inside of Virga, but wants to, and this book is the climax of that conflict.
We start on the outside skin of Virga, in the city of Brink, situated on the ice surrounding the artificial world's bubble. While the world outside of Virga is explored more thoroughly in this book, it unfortunately remains rather nebulous and vague. So very much can be done with the concept of Artificial Nature that the imagination boggles- how to convey that vast variety, that sterility?
Returning to the interior of Virga felt comforting. In this book, the concepts of home, memory and belonging are explored. Schroeder celebrates the ability of humans to create, innovate and make the best of their environment. The humanity of people, the kindness and connectedness of relationships, is also a theme.
Plot wise, the book was kind of all over the place. A lot of things happened, and they were described dashingly. However, I'm still not exactly sure what happened at the end, especially Leal, Keir and Hayden's part in the battle. Minus one star for confusion.
I'd willingly spend a lot more time within the world of Virga. Artificial Nature, not so much.
February 15, 2017
Remember all those loose ends from Karl Schroeder's Candesce series? If not, you probably don't need to read this. "Ashes" is painted on a vast canvas, and tries to wrap the series up neatly. What it doesn't do is motivate, create interest, or entertain. All the favorite characters are back, but they aren't allowed to shine, or evolve. Artificial Nature is on the move, and our fellow humans have one chance to stop it, with help from an oak tree and a cheetah.
The best thing about "Ashes" is the philosophical discussion that happens about halfway through the book. The reader is asked to consider the goals of digital "assistants" like Siri or Alexa as they begin to become more intelligent. Are we opening the door for other forms of nature to interface with our creations? Will a future Siri share a respect for humanity, or is that irrelevant? Do we really want a Swiss Army Knife that does anything? This book finds a philosophical balance between AI and human, and that is what makes it worth the read. Plus you find out which of your favorite characters from the series survive!
The best thing about "Ashes" is the philosophical discussion that happens about halfway through the book. The reader is asked to consider the goals of digital "assistants" like Siri or Alexa as they begin to become more intelligent. Are we opening the door for other forms of nature to interface with our creations? Will a future Siri share a respect for humanity, or is that irrelevant? Do we really want a Swiss Army Knife that does anything? This book finds a philosophical balance between AI and human, and that is what makes it worth the read. Plus you find out which of your favorite characters from the series survive!
September 13, 2015
This would have been better if I had read it within a year or two of the 4th novel, but I might have been losing interest in the setting already. I'd forgotten most of the characters, but the intermittent reminders here were helpful.
The brief glimpses into life outside Virga were very interesting, as were additional details on life inside Virga where the details had something to do with dealing with floating in a giant bubble of air. The formal dance in the middle of the book was not, or the characters taking time to write their memoirs and go on diplomatic missions. Both of these seem far less interesting than the rescue of Hayden Griffin which happens concurrently but is not described by more than a sentence.
There might have been more cliched phrases in addition to one use of 'little black number', though that one was the most out of place.
There is a brief usage of 'a lot of actors following simple rules causes more intelligent emergent behavior' that was central to Lady of Mazes, but is pointless here.
The brief glimpses into life outside Virga were very interesting, as were additional details on life inside Virga where the details had something to do with dealing with floating in a giant bubble of air. The formal dance in the middle of the book was not, or the characters taking time to write their memoirs and go on diplomatic missions. Both of these seem far less interesting than the rescue of Hayden Griffin which happens concurrently but is not described by more than a sentence.
There might have been more cliched phrases in addition to one use of 'little black number', though that one was the most out of place.
There is a brief usage of 'a lot of actors following simple rules causes more intelligent emergent behavior' that was central to Lady of Mazes, but is pointless here.
July 24, 2025
While I still feel that writing a fourth novel to introduce a new character just to provide the deep background of the conflict on Virga, and the forces that are being held at bay by the artificial sun Candesce, is something of a kludge, the final novel in this epic does tie all the threads together and is appropriately grand in relation to the themes that Schroeder is playing with. Here is the thing, there are ongoing arguments about consciousness, existence and A.I. that are very real and that are reflected in this series. Consider this an advancement on themes previously dealt with by Jack Williamson and Greg Benford in regards to humanity's relationship with technology.
Originally written: May 28, 2019.
P.S.: Thinking back to when these books were coming out, Karl Schroder was supposedly having some health issues that delayed publication, and I suspect that there were ultimately supposed to be six novels, but the decision was made to cut to the chase. (August 24, 2025).
Originally written: May 28, 2019.
P.S.: Thinking back to when these books were coming out, Karl Schroder was supposedly having some health issues that delayed publication, and I suspect that there were ultimately supposed to be six novels, but the decision was made to cut to the chase. (August 24, 2025).
November 23, 2013
I really struggled through this one over the past few days and I think I'm going to have to call it quits and put an end to my attempts. It's a much too crowded book that gets too caught up in telling us events rather than characters and the charm of the unique Virga setting has long since worn off for me. The...rather fun and interesting set pieces of Virgan life have fallen to the wayside in favor of boring and uninteresting bland science fiction discussions, like technology vs personality and the all the weird gadgets and tech that the people from outside of Virga use that I've seen time and time again in the past.
Basically, it's too much concept, not enough story. I imagine I would've devoured this book ten years ago. I might come back to try it again at some point in the future, but I doubt it. Spectacle Fiction is not my thing anymore.
Basically, it's too much concept, not enough story. I imagine I would've devoured this book ten years ago. I might come back to try it again at some point in the future, but I doubt it. Spectacle Fiction is not my thing anymore.
December 26, 2014
Flawed but superb.
I expect the last book of a series to be the worst, but in this case it was by far the best. Several characters grew into their own and we're fun to follow. The plot was engaging and not too predictable, though a bit hard to follow (possibly not the book's fault).
Most of all, I appreciate the willingness to throw absurd genre bending elements into the story. The setting is a gem and I'd be happy to read more books set there.
The flaws? Mainly that the story doesn't always make a lot of sense and relies a bit too much on wild coincidence. But overall it's great and I'm glad I stuck through the weaker earlier novels.
I expect the last book of a series to be the worst, but in this case it was by far the best. Several characters grew into their own and we're fun to follow. The plot was engaging and not too predictable, though a bit hard to follow (possibly not the book's fault).
Most of all, I appreciate the willingness to throw absurd genre bending elements into the story. The setting is a gem and I'd be happy to read more books set there.
The flaws? Mainly that the story doesn't always make a lot of sense and relies a bit too much on wild coincidence. But overall it's great and I'm glad I stuck through the weaker earlier novels.
March 30, 2012
Well, it's over. Sigh, another amazing series from a new talent comes to an end.
If you read the other Virga books this one won't be a disappointment. Schroeder didn't suddenly forget how to plot, or describe, or make fascinating characters do interesting things. The climax isn't as swashbuckling as the prior Virga books, but we're dealing with larger matters in this story. It's a fitting ending to the increasingly complex world he's built.
If you read the other Virga books this one won't be a disappointment. Schroeder didn't suddenly forget how to plot, or describe, or make fascinating characters do interesting things. The climax isn't as swashbuckling as the prior Virga books, but we're dealing with larger matters in this story. It's a fitting ending to the increasingly complex world he's built.
August 15, 2012
Great conclusion to the Virga series, in my top 3 favorite series. I was worried about the final book, because this is a "hard" sci-fi series (compared to "soft" sci-fi like Star Trek). My experience is that "hard" sci-fi struggles to have a satisfying conclusion -- many either pull-a-rabbit-from-the-hat (violating the "hardness"), or else the endings can be bleak. "Ashes of Candesce" finds the middle path, with no rabbits and no bleakness.
April 17, 2014
More philosophical than the other Virga books, I occasionally felt a little bit lost in this one. I could have stood more explanation of the thought processes and alliances. But then the pace of the book, which was quite good, would have suffered.
Still wonderful adventure novels in a wonderful world.
Still wonderful adventure novels in a wonderful world.
May 1, 2012
I like the whole series. It combines adventure with a really interesting world. This part of the series encounter natural intelligence and looks at artificial intelligence and the threat it imposes on humanity. Thought provoking. This one moved a little slower than some of the others, but still was worthwhile.
April 26, 2012
As with any series, this would have been better had I recently read the other volumes. Still, it's an engaging world with interesting characters, playing around with one of the recent themes of science fiction: what is consciousness and what happens to us once artificial intelligence comes into existence. Strongly recommended.
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