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Archimedes Engine #2
Exodus: The Helium Sea
Not yet published
Expected 16 Jun 26For millennia, the Crown Dominion has been at relative peace, with the Celestials in control and the human population little better than serfs. But now the Crown Dominion is facing a crisis of epic proportions – one that could change the balance of power in the Centauri Cluster forever – as an exiled faction that has been waiting for seven thousand years beyond the Helium Sea has returned to wreak their vengeance.
For Finn and his human allies, who have ended up at the centre of this conflict either through circumstance or manipulation, this is an unprecedented opportunity. If they can band together, they may be able to outwit the Celestials and finally earn their fellow humans a place of independence and power in the Crown Dominion. To achieve this, they must first locate and master ancient artefacts of immense power that could give them a much-needed edge in the conflict ahead. And all while ducking the forces that are determined to knock them off the board for good.
For Finn and his human allies, who have ended up at the centre of this conflict either through circumstance or manipulation, this is an unprecedented opportunity. If they can band together, they may be able to outwit the Celestials and finally earn their fellow humans a place of independence and power in the Crown Dominion. To achieve this, they must first locate and master ancient artefacts of immense power that could give them a much-needed edge in the conflict ahead. And all while ducking the forces that are determined to knock them off the board for good.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 16, 2026
About the author
Peter F. Hamilton
195 books10.4k followersPeter F. Hamilton is a British science fiction author. He is best known for writing space opera. As of the publication of his tenth novel in 2004, his works had sold over two million copies worldwide, making him Britain's biggest-selling science fiction author.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 5, 2026
4.75/5
I received a copy of this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Massive and expansive but surprisingly focused space opera. This takes the build up of Archimedes Engine and runs with it beautifully. It is a masterfully plotted adventure that takes the many threads built up over the series and weaves them together in an intricate and satisfying way while leaving plenty on the table to explore in the future.
From the get-go we're picking up where Archimedes Engine left off and we get immediate payoff from what it set up in awe inspiring and, often terrifying, moments.
I don't think I can emphasize enough how good the politics are. The many different factions, their motivations, their hidden schemes, and the dynamic nature of the alliances that form and break over the story is seriously impressive, it has to be some of my favorite politics in fiction.
It makes it fairly complex to keep track of, but it is very rewarding and engaging and made the world feel real and deep. It also makes the plot extremely compelling, as I was constantly thinking about what was going to happen and how these various factions might interact and conflict with each other. Often the characters involved are very long-lived so these Great Games they've been playing have been set up for millennia.
The world building is impressive and well thought out. It's clear Hamilton put a lot of legwork into the world and he is disciplined enough to maintain focus on telling the story he set out to tell in a way that reasonably wraps up in the 1600 or so page budget for the duology.
While this is by no means a short story, if anything, I think this could have been a 5+ book series and in a lot of ways it could have benefitted from a bigger page count, but I do appreciate that we weren't left waiting for years and years for the resolution to the story. So while I do want more, I am satisfied with what I've read so far and will be thinking of this world for quite some time to come.
Some of the plot points resolve a bit too quickly, it needed some breathing room after big climactic moments. In some ways some of the big confrontations resolve a bit too easily but it keeps the story moving and we don't get hung up on any particular plotline. This makes some of the moments with the characters not hit as hard as I think they could have, it's sort of a tradeoff for a faster moving plot and the consequence is we don't connect with the characters as much and don't have as much of an emotional connection with them.
I do think Hamilton could have added some more pages to make these moments a bit harder hitting when they happen but I was able to connect some of the dots in my head to put myself in the shoes of the characters, but it's definitely not the focus for the story. This is consistent with other Hamilton series so I'm not surprised but it could have been an area of improvement.
One of the technologies is used as a bit of a crutch multiple times (3 times that I remember) and in very similar ways to give insight into the antagonist factions without having as much at stake. This particular technology is a pretty interesting idea, I'm just not sure the implications of it were explored fully and it was a pretty convenient plot device at times, it wasn't a deal breaker for me however.
I do think the plot felt like you could tell it was set up to play out a particular way at times and could have been a little more dynamic and messy, but there were also plenty of surprises along the way, so not that big of a negative against the series.
Overall this is one of my favorite space operas and one of my favorite reads of this year. Really looking forward to the video game and hope it lives up to the story and world in the books.
I received a copy of this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Massive and expansive but surprisingly focused space opera. This takes the build up of Archimedes Engine and runs with it beautifully. It is a masterfully plotted adventure that takes the many threads built up over the series and weaves them together in an intricate and satisfying way while leaving plenty on the table to explore in the future.
From the get-go we're picking up where Archimedes Engine left off and we get immediate payoff from what it set up in awe inspiring and, often terrifying, moments.
I don't think I can emphasize enough how good the politics are. The many different factions, their motivations, their hidden schemes, and the dynamic nature of the alliances that form and break over the story is seriously impressive, it has to be some of my favorite politics in fiction.
It makes it fairly complex to keep track of, but it is very rewarding and engaging and made the world feel real and deep. It also makes the plot extremely compelling, as I was constantly thinking about what was going to happen and how these various factions might interact and conflict with each other. Often the characters involved are very long-lived so these Great Games they've been playing have been set up for millennia.
The world building is impressive and well thought out. It's clear Hamilton put a lot of legwork into the world and he is disciplined enough to maintain focus on telling the story he set out to tell in a way that reasonably wraps up in the 1600 or so page budget for the duology.
While this is by no means a short story, if anything, I think this could have been a 5+ book series and in a lot of ways it could have benefitted from a bigger page count, but I do appreciate that we weren't left waiting for years and years for the resolution to the story. So while I do want more, I am satisfied with what I've read so far and will be thinking of this world for quite some time to come.
Some of the plot points resolve a bit too quickly, it needed some breathing room after big climactic moments. In some ways some of the big confrontations resolve a bit too easily but it keeps the story moving and we don't get hung up on any particular plotline. This makes some of the moments with the characters not hit as hard as I think they could have, it's sort of a tradeoff for a faster moving plot and the consequence is we don't connect with the characters as much and don't have as much of an emotional connection with them.
I do think Hamilton could have added some more pages to make these moments a bit harder hitting when they happen but I was able to connect some of the dots in my head to put myself in the shoes of the characters, but it's definitely not the focus for the story. This is consistent with other Hamilton series so I'm not surprised but it could have been an area of improvement.
One of the technologies is used as a bit of a crutch multiple times (3 times that I remember) and in very similar ways to give insight into the antagonist factions without having as much at stake. This particular technology is a pretty interesting idea, I'm just not sure the implications of it were explored fully and it was a pretty convenient plot device at times, it wasn't a deal breaker for me however.
I do think the plot felt like you could tell it was set up to play out a particular way at times and could have been a little more dynamic and messy, but there were also plenty of surprises along the way, so not that big of a negative against the series.
Overall this is one of my favorite space operas and one of my favorite reads of this year. Really looking forward to the video game and hope it lives up to the story and world in the books.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Helium Sea is the conclusion to The Archimedes Engine duology, set in the universe of EXODUS, an upcoming sci-fi RPG video game. This second installment picks up immediately after the events of book one, throwing readers right back into the aftermath of everything that unfolded in The Archimedes Engine.
We continue following the human characters as they struggle to survive and carve out a path forward, while several of the Celestials navigate an increasingly dangerous political landscape in an effort to uncover who was truly responsible for the events that set everything in motion. Along the way, Peter F. Hamilton continues expanding this fascinating universe with advanced technology, ambitious ideas about space travel, and large-scale political intrigue.
Overall, I enjoyed this sequel and thought it was a solid conclusion to the duology. That said, getting there was a bit of a journey.
The first half was a slog for me. I found the pacing to be slow, and it was difficult to keep track of the large cast of characters, numerous names, and extensive history from the first book. In hindsight, I probably should have done a reread before diving into this one. It actually took me around three weeks to finish because there were many days when I could only manage a chapter at a time. It doesn't help that this is a hefty book.
Thankfully, around the halfway point, things started to click. The political maneuvering became much more engaging, the human storyline gained momentum, and the various plot threads finally started coming together in interesting ways. From that point onward, I found myself much more invested, and what had been feeling like a 3-star read climbed to a 4-star one.
Unfortunately, my biggest criticisms are largely the same as they were in book one. While the worldbuilding and ideas are fantastic, the characters themselves often feel flat. There isn't much focus on emotional depth or meaningful character growth, which made it difficult for me to become fully attached to many of them. The dialogue was also hit-or-miss. At times, conversations felt unnecessarily long and didn't add much to either the story or the characters, making some sections feel more drawn out than they needed to be.
Still, where this series shines is in its scope and imagination. Hamilton has created a compelling universe filled with fascinating concepts, and I found myself constantly intrigued by the technology, politics, and larger mysteries at play.
Overall, this is a strong duology and one I would definitely recommend to fans of hard science fiction. It's especially a must-read for anyone excited about the upcoming EXODUS game.
Also, I need that video game now.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Worlds for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.
We continue following the human characters as they struggle to survive and carve out a path forward, while several of the Celestials navigate an increasingly dangerous political landscape in an effort to uncover who was truly responsible for the events that set everything in motion. Along the way, Peter F. Hamilton continues expanding this fascinating universe with advanced technology, ambitious ideas about space travel, and large-scale political intrigue.
Overall, I enjoyed this sequel and thought it was a solid conclusion to the duology. That said, getting there was a bit of a journey.
The first half was a slog for me. I found the pacing to be slow, and it was difficult to keep track of the large cast of characters, numerous names, and extensive history from the first book. In hindsight, I probably should have done a reread before diving into this one. It actually took me around three weeks to finish because there were many days when I could only manage a chapter at a time. It doesn't help that this is a hefty book.
Thankfully, around the halfway point, things started to click. The political maneuvering became much more engaging, the human storyline gained momentum, and the various plot threads finally started coming together in interesting ways. From that point onward, I found myself much more invested, and what had been feeling like a 3-star read climbed to a 4-star one.
Unfortunately, my biggest criticisms are largely the same as they were in book one. While the worldbuilding and ideas are fantastic, the characters themselves often feel flat. There isn't much focus on emotional depth or meaningful character growth, which made it difficult for me to become fully attached to many of them. The dialogue was also hit-or-miss. At times, conversations felt unnecessarily long and didn't add much to either the story or the characters, making some sections feel more drawn out than they needed to be.
Still, where this series shines is in its scope and imagination. Hamilton has created a compelling universe filled with fascinating concepts, and I found myself constantly intrigued by the technology, politics, and larger mysteries at play.
Overall, this is a strong duology and one I would definitely recommend to fans of hard science fiction. It's especially a must-read for anyone excited about the upcoming EXODUS game.
Also, I need that video game now.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Worlds for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Resting my hand on a contact bulb, accessing the massive duology through my induction pad.
By some Goddess-decreed miracle, I finally finished Helium Sea after my second re-read of Archimedes Engine. Once again, thank you to the publishers for the early ARC. May sweet Asteria bless you!
In the Great Game of EXODUS, the true wild cards are always the strongest cards, but only if you know how to play them well.
As Peter F. Hamilton expands the phenomenal worldbuilding of EXODUS, he keeps the same fusion drive powering this nova-level space opera: advanced technology, political intrigue, relativistic travel, time dilation, & humanity across centuries where every choice carries long-term consequences.
Helium Sea picks up immediately after Archimedes Engine without wasting time & space (pun fully intended). All the slow-velocity buildup in the first doorstopper book, all the hard work you’ve endured, relativistically pays off here in the sequel. There were many characters to track in AE, just as there are many ships to track in HS.
Without ingressing into spoilery Gate, my quintessence mind accelerates around 3/4 through the book. The stakes become incredibly high & had me on the edge of my seat while my neural induction wrestled over which faction to lean forward. It gave me that adrenaline page-turner rush where I constantly needed to know what came next, as if I’m piloting my own ship in the Great Game.
My main nitpick remains similar to AE. Some dialogue still doesn’t fully land for me in HS. Personally, I still have some questions left & was hoping to spend more time exploring the other side of the Helium Sea itself. I actually wished for different outcomes & not because it was bad, but because parts of it felt slightly safer than I expected. The sequel is shorter & breezier in pacing for me, though some of the resolution definitely felt rushed.
Across both books, my favorite characters remain the same: Terence, Makaio & Daves. Even my bio-andy agrees. The overall grand-scale scheming blends masterfully with intense, eerie & satirical moments which I absolutely enjoyed.
4.5/5 tons of antimatter. I liked Archimedes Engine & Helium Sea equally & honestly prefer them as a duology.
The TTRPG books in my cargo hold are waiting for me to dissect next. Forget Remnant-era tech, I just need the upcoming EXODUS game, & that Celestial rejuvenation machine for my joints & neural perception enhancement.
Until next dilation time! :)
My thoughts on the first book Archimedes Engine. I also wrote a blogpost on EXODUS.
__________________
Instagram | Blog
By some Goddess-decreed miracle, I finally finished Helium Sea after my second re-read of Archimedes Engine. Once again, thank you to the publishers for the early ARC. May sweet Asteria bless you!
In the Great Game of EXODUS, the true wild cards are always the strongest cards, but only if you know how to play them well.
As Peter F. Hamilton expands the phenomenal worldbuilding of EXODUS, he keeps the same fusion drive powering this nova-level space opera: advanced technology, political intrigue, relativistic travel, time dilation, & humanity across centuries where every choice carries long-term consequences.
Helium Sea picks up immediately after Archimedes Engine without wasting time & space (pun fully intended). All the slow-velocity buildup in the first doorstopper book, all the hard work you’ve endured, relativistically pays off here in the sequel. There were many characters to track in AE, just as there are many ships to track in HS.
Without ingressing into spoilery Gate, my quintessence mind accelerates around 3/4 through the book. The stakes become incredibly high & had me on the edge of my seat while my neural induction wrestled over which faction to lean forward. It gave me that adrenaline page-turner rush where I constantly needed to know what came next, as if I’m piloting my own ship in the Great Game.
My main nitpick remains similar to AE. Some dialogue still doesn’t fully land for me in HS. Personally, I still have some questions left & was hoping to spend more time exploring the other side of the Helium Sea itself. I actually wished for different outcomes & not because it was bad, but because parts of it felt slightly safer than I expected. The sequel is shorter & breezier in pacing for me, though some of the resolution definitely felt rushed.
Across both books, my favorite characters remain the same: Terence, Makaio & Daves. Even my bio-andy agrees. The overall grand-scale scheming blends masterfully with intense, eerie & satirical moments which I absolutely enjoyed.
4.5/5 tons of antimatter. I liked Archimedes Engine & Helium Sea equally & honestly prefer them as a duology.
The TTRPG books in my cargo hold are waiting for me to dissect next. Forget Remnant-era tech, I just need the upcoming EXODUS game, & that Celestial rejuvenation machine for my joints & neural perception enhancement.
Until next dilation time! :)
My thoughts on the first book Archimedes Engine. I also wrote a blogpost on EXODUS.
__________________
Instagram | Blog
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Exodus, The Helium Sea is a stunning cosmic sequel to Exodus: The Archimedes Engine. Peter Hamilton continues to awe us with ideas, thoughtful but persistent plotting, and transcendent possibilities. What is satisfying is the intelligence put into the extrapolations of the characters and the technological and experiential hurdles they face. I look forward to Hamilton’s novels because it is so frustrating when there is no internal consistency to the ideas set forth in the initial presentation. I don’t like to give away plot details because it can ruin the awe and surprise of the unfolding of the story but there is a superlative battle scene near the middle that evokes what will be a transcendent experience for one of the characters and loss as well; but, what a hell of a running battle! Don’t miss it. And don’t miss this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This man has one hell of an imagination.
The way he's built this world and created an epic storyline that is both fast paced but somehow takes into account time dilation from traveling through the magic space gates is fascinating.
There's so much science talk and I don't even know how much of it makes sense but it seems feasible. It's dense and sometimes I have to re-read sentences here and there to grasp the scope of what's being described.
My main criticism is that this story lacks emotional depth, the dialogue between characters isn't great and there is so much plotting and political machinations that the story behind the players gets pushed aside. I wish there had been more small moments to connect with the characters and understand who they are, but then this series would have had to be a trilogy instead of a duology.
I also don't care for the epilogue. It is unnecessary, I'm just going to pretend it didn't happen, it isn't throw the book dumb, it just isn't needed, the ending is good without it.
As always thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. It's been a wild ride through this series and I cannot wait for the game to release. All opinions are my own.
The way he's built this world and created an epic storyline that is both fast paced but somehow takes into account time dilation from traveling through the magic space gates is fascinating.
There's so much science talk and I don't even know how much of it makes sense but it seems feasible. It's dense and sometimes I have to re-read sentences here and there to grasp the scope of what's being described.
My main criticism is that this story lacks emotional depth, the dialogue between characters isn't great and there is so much plotting and political machinations that the story behind the players gets pushed aside. I wish there had been more small moments to connect with the characters and understand who they are, but then this series would have had to be a trilogy instead of a duology.
I also don't care for the epilogue. It is unnecessary, I'm just going to pretend it didn't happen, it isn't throw the book dumb, it just isn't needed, the ending is good without it.
As always thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. It's been a wild ride through this series and I cannot wait for the game to release. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I may be exactly the right person for these two books. Far future space opera with extensively-developed worldbuilding, many characters, wild transhumanism, interesting quasi-immortality, and scope and scale to choke a horse.
It's taking Peter Hamilton's previous scales and scopes and making them look paltry in comparison.
And me? I read this and feel immense sadness that I can hardly find any new SF these days that GO THERE. Maybe a few here and there, but in general, it's all pretty tame. This one has ties to the near future but sends us as far into the future as anything Stephen Baxter did.
I can't help but be immensely impressed.
Manage your expectations. If you want war and the very spirit of humanity represented in the far future, and don't want Warhammer, then this is definitely worth your time.
I should also definitely mention this is absolutely a tie-in to the upcoming Bioware game, Exodus. I'm very looking forward to THAT, too. :)
It's taking Peter Hamilton's previous scales and scopes and making them look paltry in comparison.
And me? I read this and feel immense sadness that I can hardly find any new SF these days that GO THERE. Maybe a few here and there, but in general, it's all pretty tame. This one has ties to the near future but sends us as far into the future as anything Stephen Baxter did.
I can't help but be immensely impressed.
Manage your expectations. If you want war and the very spirit of humanity represented in the far future, and don't want Warhammer, then this is definitely worth your time.
I should also definitely mention this is absolutely a tie-in to the upcoming Bioware game, Exodus. I'm very looking forward to THAT, too. :)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
There are different kinds of four star books. Some are solid all the way through, but lack the elements necessary to make it truly next level. Some are seriously flawed, but manage to rise above their flaws with great execution of certain elements. Then there is the Helium Sea, a great fantastic novel let down by a few things in its ending.
I do recommend this book, it follows up from book 1 in all the best ways. I just felt the ending was a little rushed, the last line before the epilogue is terrible, and that one character’s choice in the finale did not sit right with me. All of this served to bring what would have been an easy five stars down to four.
Hamilton is an interesting author. He’s not the best dialogue writer ever- even his post humans sound like they regularly scroll Twitter in the early 21st century- but he can describe space opera craziness in a way that read very clear to me. I never had any trouble understanding where the characters were in the action scenes, or have trouble picturing the wild tech they are up against.
I would say this book has just one too many times where characters arrive at the same spot at the same time when traveling through the vast distances of space, but that kind of has to happen to make the plot work. On all other fronts aside from the very end- character work, action, expanding the world, this book delivers.
I do recommend this book, it follows up from book 1 in all the best ways. I just felt the ending was a little rushed, the last line before the epilogue is terrible, and that one character’s choice in the finale did not sit right with me. All of this served to bring what would have been an easy five stars down to four.
Hamilton is an interesting author. He’s not the best dialogue writer ever- even his post humans sound like they regularly scroll Twitter in the early 21st century- but he can describe space opera craziness in a way that read very clear to me. I never had any trouble understanding where the characters were in the action scenes, or have trouble picturing the wild tech they are up against.
I would say this book has just one too many times where characters arrive at the same spot at the same time when traveling through the vast distances of space, but that kind of has to happen to make the plot work. On all other fronts aside from the very end- character work, action, expanding the world, this book delivers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Helium Sea follows immediately on from the previous book in this duology and the action and thrills take no time to get going, with this novel delivering exactly what I hoped.
The plot takes us to more spectacular locations with the main characters arcs branching out into various subplots before everything comes to a conclusion. The technology throughout continues to blow my mind and there are some super cool set pieces, with one in particular being a real highlight but I'll avoid mentioning it for risk of spoiling things.
The pacing again felt good and for a book of this length, I found myself absolutely hooked and desperate for more. However, if anything, I think there could've been more impact had the book been a little longer, as some scenes felt over too quickly and anti-climatic, with the plot moving on immediately.
Having said that, I found this book and the duology overall to be absolutely awesome and some of the best sci-fi I've read to date.
A very easy 5 star read and I cannot recommend it enough.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC.
The plot takes us to more spectacular locations with the main characters arcs branching out into various subplots before everything comes to a conclusion. The technology throughout continues to blow my mind and there are some super cool set pieces, with one in particular being a real highlight but I'll avoid mentioning it for risk of spoiling things.
The pacing again felt good and for a book of this length, I found myself absolutely hooked and desperate for more. However, if anything, I think there could've been more impact had the book been a little longer, as some scenes felt over too quickly and anti-climatic, with the plot moving on immediately.
Having said that, I found this book and the duology overall to be absolutely awesome and some of the best sci-fi I've read to date.
A very easy 5 star read and I cannot recommend it enough.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A fantastic conclusion to the Archimedes Engine duology, The Helium Sea picks up right where The Archimedes Engine left off. We dive headfirst back into Crown Dominion politics at a blistering pace as the subterfuge and gambles of The Great Game start to unfold in expected ways.
If you enjoyed the first book, you'll love this one too. Hamilton plays to his strengths by interweaving political plots across huge amounts of space and time, bringing seemingly disparate events together in unexpected (but impactful) ways. Supporting all of the space opera-style scheming is his characteristic technology that's high concept while remaining grounded and believable in the book's world. The intricate plot, litany of characters, and futuristic tech build a rich world that stands on its own rather than simply existing to support the story.
This was a 4-star read for me rather than a 5-star one like the first installment due to the pacing. Many of the big reveals and conclusions that we've waited over 1,000 pages for felt a bit rushed compared to the build up across the story. I have to qualify this by saying that I had over a year between finishing the first book and starting this, which likely contributed to the discrepancy. Despite this criticism, The Helium Sea was still a satisfying ending for our ensemble cast of characters.
I'd highly recommend The Helium Sea to anyone who enjoyed The Archimedes Engine. This is very much a continuation of the first book, with nearly no time between the end of the first book and the beginning of the second. I'm looking forward to a reread when I can binge these back to back and catch more of the subtle details throughout the story.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Worlds for an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review!
If you enjoyed the first book, you'll love this one too. Hamilton plays to his strengths by interweaving political plots across huge amounts of space and time, bringing seemingly disparate events together in unexpected (but impactful) ways. Supporting all of the space opera-style scheming is his characteristic technology that's high concept while remaining grounded and believable in the book's world. The intricate plot, litany of characters, and futuristic tech build a rich world that stands on its own rather than simply existing to support the story.
This was a 4-star read for me rather than a 5-star one like the first installment due to the pacing. Many of the big reveals and conclusions that we've waited over 1,000 pages for felt a bit rushed compared to the build up across the story. I have to qualify this by saying that I had over a year between finishing the first book and starting this, which likely contributed to the discrepancy. Despite this criticism, The Helium Sea was still a satisfying ending for our ensemble cast of characters.
I'd highly recommend The Helium Sea to anyone who enjoyed The Archimedes Engine. This is very much a continuation of the first book, with nearly no time between the end of the first book and the beginning of the second. I'm looking forward to a reread when I can binge these back to back and catch more of the subtle details throughout the story.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Worlds for an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review!
May 10, 2026
Not quite as epic as the first instalment, this is still a good, solid read.
The story picks up where the first book ended. There is a little bit of recapping to help the reader but, if like me, it has been nearly two years between the two books there is still a lot of events that you have to try and remember. I think at some point I will read them back-to-back to really appreciate the storylines.
There are multiple viewpoints/storylines that slowly start to converge. The action is generally fast-paced and full of twists and turns, keeping the reader engaged and wondering how on earth things are going to be resolved. This may be why I was a little underwhelmed by the ending. After all the high stakes action and clever plans, the conclusion-foiling the ultimate evil- didn’t seem to be that difficult. I would have preferred to see more of a showdown between some of the major characters.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC
The story picks up where the first book ended. There is a little bit of recapping to help the reader but, if like me, it has been nearly two years between the two books there is still a lot of events that you have to try and remember. I think at some point I will read them back-to-back to really appreciate the storylines.
There are multiple viewpoints/storylines that slowly start to converge. The action is generally fast-paced and full of twists and turns, keeping the reader engaged and wondering how on earth things are going to be resolved. This may be why I was a little underwhelmed by the ending. After all the high stakes action and clever plans, the conclusion-foiling the ultimate evil- didn’t seem to be that difficult. I would have preferred to see more of a showdown between some of the major characters.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Exemplary science fiction from one of the greats. I’ve read most of this author’s books and this stands amongst them all as an equal.
Incredibly grateful to the publisher for allowing me to read this early, as it is literally a long journey but the travel is worth every letter.
A mammoth read but never dull, packed full of evolving stories and characters, with a relentless story that keeps giving. Sublime.
Incredibly grateful to the publisher for allowing me to read this early, as it is literally a long journey but the travel is worth every letter.
A mammoth read but never dull, packed full of evolving stories and characters, with a relentless story that keeps giving. Sublime.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
I was already a pretty big PFH fan before starting this duology, but Exodus: The Archimedes Engine was incredible so I was thankful I got a chance to read the sequel before its release date. And it was not a surprise at all that Exodus: The Helium Sea was an absolute banger.
It picks up right where book 1 leaves off in typical PFH style and it wastes no time. It drops you right into the action and political scheming and does not let up for the entire book. The pacing is fast as the plot progresses from one thing to the next quite rapidly. This really lets you get immersed and hooked in as you want to get to the next thing. The political scheming is a real highlight here. If that's your thing in fantasy you'll like it here as well and it is done exceptionally well. There are also some amazing scenes and things that are truly imaginative from a worldbuilding perspective. I was engrossed at the scope.
There are a few good characters here, especially Terrence, who I would consider the main character probably. He gets a lot of nice development and has a good arc over the course of the books. That being said, these books are really plot and world building driven and not character focused. That doesn't mean the characters aren't good or memorable. Their development just doesn't drive the story as much. No big coming-of-age arcs here (mostly).
As with any story I do have some nitpicks or some things I would consider flaws to call out. Sometimes the pacing feels a bit too fast and big moments either don't get room to breathe or they don't get the epic descriptions PFH is certainly capable of and can deliver. There is also a plot device that feels a bit overused. However, neither of these items ruined or even hurt the book for me. And for all I know they may be addressed in the final version.
I heavily recommend this book and series. The juice is definitely worth the squeeze, and if half of what was in the book is in the upcoming game it was surely be worth playing.
I was already a pretty big PFH fan before starting this duology, but Exodus: The Archimedes Engine was incredible so I was thankful I got a chance to read the sequel before its release date. And it was not a surprise at all that Exodus: The Helium Sea was an absolute banger.
It picks up right where book 1 leaves off in typical PFH style and it wastes no time. It drops you right into the action and political scheming and does not let up for the entire book. The pacing is fast as the plot progresses from one thing to the next quite rapidly. This really lets you get immersed and hooked in as you want to get to the next thing. The political scheming is a real highlight here. If that's your thing in fantasy you'll like it here as well and it is done exceptionally well. There are also some amazing scenes and things that are truly imaginative from a worldbuilding perspective. I was engrossed at the scope.
There are a few good characters here, especially Terrence, who I would consider the main character probably. He gets a lot of nice development and has a good arc over the course of the books. That being said, these books are really plot and world building driven and not character focused. That doesn't mean the characters aren't good or memorable. Their development just doesn't drive the story as much. No big coming-of-age arcs here (mostly).
As with any story I do have some nitpicks or some things I would consider flaws to call out. Sometimes the pacing feels a bit too fast and big moments either don't get room to breathe or they don't get the epic descriptions PFH is certainly capable of and can deliver. There is also a plot device that feels a bit overused. However, neither of these items ruined or even hurt the book for me. And for all I know they may be addressed in the final version.
I heavily recommend this book and series. The juice is definitely worth the squeeze, and if half of what was in the book is in the upcoming game it was surely be worth playing.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC!
A true space opera at its best. The stakes are high, everyone is playing the Great Game, and the time dilitation ads a dimension of extra risk.
I read the first book in this duology just a few months ago, and it made it significantly easier for me to get into the second book smoothly. The amount of characters, dominions, technology, and historical concepts can be overwhelming if you’ve been out of the universe for a while. Ideally, I would recommend reading both books back to back to ensure 100% pleasure and detailed knowledge.
I’m in love with how deeply layered, complex, and entangled the universe of Archimede Engine is. Players playing different levels of the multidimensional Great Game, pieces slowly coming together, with misconceptions, assumptions, and holes in the story, only to ally with enemies and betray allies. We start right in the middle of the action, right where the first tome finished. The Usurper Empress is playing the role she was destined for since she was a child and rebelling against her family. She’s brilliantly strong, conniving, independent, and paranoid. If you spent your whole life playing your part, can you even see when the world is fraying at the edges? Who do you trust if you cannot trust anyone? The Estranged Queens are desperately trying to reorient themselves in the new universe’s setup, teaming up with unlike allies to win or lose completely. Sidelined and oh so dependent on humans, brave until the end, great sacrifices, and greater egos at play. And the many, many humans coming together to devise a plan that will help them get ahead in this Great Game, especially when they don’t even know the true players. Flying at relativistic speeds to outrun the aliens, the destruction, the threat, themselves. A great political intrigue played at the planes of galaxies, with empires and thousands of years of machinations. The plot is getting thicker, with knots slowly resolving into a better understanding, if only for some parties involved. The mastermind ploy finally revealed, where all the bodies, losses, and wiped worlds are worth the price paid. Peter F. Hamilton is one of the greatest minds in Sci-Fi, and I’m, for once, eternally grateful he did not go into politics. To design such dynasties and such a complicated world of betrayal makes him a dangerous man.
My only issue is with the ratio of battles to deaths. In Exodus, we were losing dozens of characters, some of importance, affecting the Game, and accelerating the actions, whilst still playing at stealth and throwing suspicion at the others. In The Helium Sea, the conflicts are bloody, full-blown assaults and battles, a universe-spanning war, and we barely lose anyone?
A true space opera at its best. The stakes are high, everyone is playing the Great Game, and the time dilitation ads a dimension of extra risk.
I read the first book in this duology just a few months ago, and it made it significantly easier for me to get into the second book smoothly. The amount of characters, dominions, technology, and historical concepts can be overwhelming if you’ve been out of the universe for a while. Ideally, I would recommend reading both books back to back to ensure 100% pleasure and detailed knowledge.
I’m in love with how deeply layered, complex, and entangled the universe of Archimede Engine is. Players playing different levels of the multidimensional Great Game, pieces slowly coming together, with misconceptions, assumptions, and holes in the story, only to ally with enemies and betray allies. We start right in the middle of the action, right where the first tome finished. The Usurper Empress is playing the role she was destined for since she was a child and rebelling against her family. She’s brilliantly strong, conniving, independent, and paranoid. If you spent your whole life playing your part, can you even see when the world is fraying at the edges? Who do you trust if you cannot trust anyone? The Estranged Queens are desperately trying to reorient themselves in the new universe’s setup, teaming up with unlike allies to win or lose completely. Sidelined and oh so dependent on humans, brave until the end, great sacrifices, and greater egos at play. And the many, many humans coming together to devise a plan that will help them get ahead in this Great Game, especially when they don’t even know the true players. Flying at relativistic speeds to outrun the aliens, the destruction, the threat, themselves. A great political intrigue played at the planes of galaxies, with empires and thousands of years of machinations. The plot is getting thicker, with knots slowly resolving into a better understanding, if only for some parties involved. The mastermind ploy finally revealed, where all the bodies, losses, and wiped worlds are worth the price paid. Peter F. Hamilton is one of the greatest minds in Sci-Fi, and I’m, for once, eternally grateful he did not go into politics. To design such dynasties and such a complicated world of betrayal makes him a dangerous man.
My only issue is with the ratio of battles to deaths. In Exodus, we were losing dozens of characters, some of importance, affecting the Game, and accelerating the actions, whilst still playing at stealth and throwing suspicion at the others. In The Helium Sea, the conflicts are bloody, full-blown assaults and battles, a universe-spanning war, and we barely lose anyone?
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Book Description:
For millennia, the Crown Dominion has been at relative peace, with the Celestials in control and the human population little better than serfs. But now the Crown Dominion is facing a crisis of epic proportions – one that could change the balance of power in the Centauri Cluster forever – as an exiled faction that has been waiting for seven thousand years beyond the Helium Sea has returned to wreak their vengeance.
For Finn and his human allies, who have ended up at the centre of this conflict either through circumstance or manipulation, this is an unprecedented opportunity. If they can band together, they may be able to outwit the Celestials and finally earn their fellow humans a place of independence and power in the Crown Dominion. To achieve this, they must first locate and master ancient artefacts of immense power that could give them a much-needed edge in the conflict ahead. And all while ducking the forces that are determined to knock them off the board for good.
My Review:
Peter F. Hamilton is one of my Top 5 favorite SciFi authors, right up there with Iain M. Banks, Dan Simmons, Neal Asher, and Sheri S. Tepper. The things that come out of this guy's mind are just incomprehensible and I don't really know how he continues to top himself, but he does. This second book in his Exodus duology expands on the first book and levels the boom when it comes to action and mind-blowing otherworldly tech.
Exodus: The Helium Sea is filled with the usual tight writing that Hamilton is known for. Never one to paint himself in a corner like some authors we know, Hamilton always ties up his loose ends in not only satisfactory fashion, but most of the time brilliantly. And this book is no different in that regard, as all of the conflicts that arise in Exodus: The Archimedes Engine come to a head and are told in vivid detail as we go along on this wonderful space-hopping journey.
We finally get to see the mysteries laid out in book one reveal themselves tantalizingly, and it's a wonder to behold. I honestly had a hard time concentrating on anything else while I was immersed in this exciting space opera and there is no doubt that Hamilton has not lost his chops at all. There's nothing else to be said other that the Exodus duology is a masterful work of SF that reaffirms Peter F. Hamilton's place as one of the very greats in the genre. Whoever told you that he was slowing down or lost his touch is awfully mistaken. Can't wait for more!
For millennia, the Crown Dominion has been at relative peace, with the Celestials in control and the human population little better than serfs. But now the Crown Dominion is facing a crisis of epic proportions – one that could change the balance of power in the Centauri Cluster forever – as an exiled faction that has been waiting for seven thousand years beyond the Helium Sea has returned to wreak their vengeance.
For Finn and his human allies, who have ended up at the centre of this conflict either through circumstance or manipulation, this is an unprecedented opportunity. If they can band together, they may be able to outwit the Celestials and finally earn their fellow humans a place of independence and power in the Crown Dominion. To achieve this, they must first locate and master ancient artefacts of immense power that could give them a much-needed edge in the conflict ahead. And all while ducking the forces that are determined to knock them off the board for good.
My Review:
Peter F. Hamilton is one of my Top 5 favorite SciFi authors, right up there with Iain M. Banks, Dan Simmons, Neal Asher, and Sheri S. Tepper. The things that come out of this guy's mind are just incomprehensible and I don't really know how he continues to top himself, but he does. This second book in his Exodus duology expands on the first book and levels the boom when it comes to action and mind-blowing otherworldly tech.
Exodus: The Helium Sea is filled with the usual tight writing that Hamilton is known for. Never one to paint himself in a corner like some authors we know, Hamilton always ties up his loose ends in not only satisfactory fashion, but most of the time brilliantly. And this book is no different in that regard, as all of the conflicts that arise in Exodus: The Archimedes Engine come to a head and are told in vivid detail as we go along on this wonderful space-hopping journey.
We finally get to see the mysteries laid out in book one reveal themselves tantalizingly, and it's a wonder to behold. I honestly had a hard time concentrating on anything else while I was immersed in this exciting space opera and there is no doubt that Hamilton has not lost his chops at all. There's nothing else to be said other that the Exodus duology is a masterful work of SF that reaffirms Peter F. Hamilton's place as one of the very greats in the genre. Whoever told you that he was slowing down or lost his touch is awfully mistaken. Can't wait for more!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is likely Peter F Hamilton's best series to date. He nails the duology finale and is even able to present new plotlines that resolve quickly and with the same action and technical detail fans are used to seeing from one of the best in the history of SF. Everything you want is in this series and Hamilton is able to avoid genreblending that has taken some fans away from previous series. Highly recommended.
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