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Night's Dawn #2, Part 2 of 2
Der Neutronium-Alchimist
Der vierte Band des Armageddon-Zyklus von Peter F. Hamilton: Die Besessenen breiten sich immer weiter im Universum aus. Chaos und Tod drohen den bevölkerten Welten. Armeen allein sind der Bedrohung nicht mehr gewachsen. Und für Joshua Calvert geht der Wettlauf mit der Zeit weiter. Er muss Dr. Alkad Mzu finden, bevor sie den Alchimisten, die gefürchtete Superwaffe, reaktivieren kann. Doch Joshua ist nicht der einzige auf ihrer Spur ...
851 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1997
11 people are currently reading
658 people want to read
About the author
Peter F. Hamilton
205 books10.3k 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 - 30 of 44 reviews
January 16, 2020
Der „Der Neutronium Alchimist“, die zweite Hälfte von „The Neutronium Alchemist“ hat mir wieder sehr gut und deutlich besser als die erste Hälfte gefallen. Hauptsächlich weil die aus meiner Sicht schwächeren Handlungsstränge kaum vorkommen, aber auch weil die Gesamt-Konstruktion richtig gelungen ist und man das Buch kaum aus der Hand legen mag. Da am Ende ein dicker Cliffhanger steht bin ich jedenfalls sehr froh nicht jahrelang auf die Fortsetzung warten zu müssen, wie das bei einer aktuellen Reihe ja der Fall gewesen wäre. Und dass man rund zweitausend Seiten vor dem Schluss das Gefühl hat der Showdown stünde unmittelbar bevor kommt auch nicht direkt oft vor …
4,5 Sterne
4,5 Sterne
February 26, 2025
A very long detailed read that sometimes bogs down a bit too much. But the last 100 or so pages are absolutely fantastic. Comes full circle to the very opening of the first novel. The fate of Tranquility, which seemed isolated from much of the mess, is called into question. Final novel is set up to bring us back to Earth as well. Still so much left to be told and more musings needed on the concept of the possessors coming back from the beyond.
December 10, 2010
Erehdyin tähänkin trilogian toisen osan kakkoskirjaan vahingossa, siitä johtuu se, että taustat olivat hippasen hukassa kun aloitin. Vaan silti tämä ei ollut mitenkään hyvä.
Pääosapuolina on jotain tuonpuoleisesta tulleita sieluja, jotka ovat kaapanneet (possessoineet) ihmistorsoja käyttöönsä (-> possessed), joilla on sitten jotain energistisiä megakykyjä. Ykkösjannuna Al Capone, joka koettaa ottaa ilmeisesti koko galaksia haltuunsa. Vastassaan kyborgihenkisiä Adamisteja ja biotekniikkaEdenistit elävine avaruuslintuineen ja habitat-mestoineen.
Jotenkin tuo kyborgiosuus nykii, kun "X datavised the processor block of the door" tai vastaavaa... Samoin esimerkiksi kun Edenistit telepatisoivat eikun "puhuvat Affinity linkissä" keskenään, jutun seuraaminen on ihan naurettavan sekavaa kun kaikki teksti on vain boldattuna ja yhteen pötköön, puhujan vaihtoa on hankala arvata - kirjoitustyyliongelma mutta hämäsi minua.
Samoin kaikki nimet, oli kyse sitten hahmosta, konfliktin osapuolesta tai planeetasta (vast.), niitä ei erota toisistaan tai arvaa, minkälaisesta asiasta onkaan kyse... Pieni ja mitätön valitus tämäkin sinänsä, mutta kaiken muun kanssa nämä vain kasaantuvat miinuspuolelle ja vahvistavat toisiaan.
Ainoat oikeasti mielenkiintoiset ja mukavastiluettavat pätkät koko kirjassa olivat avaruustaistelut (kaikki kolme) ja avaruusalusosuudet ylipäätään: mukavan low-scifi -tyyppistä settiä (lue: yrittää edes olla jotenkuten realistisehko). Tuontyyppistä tarinaa olisin lukenut enemmänkin. Mutta se politikointi ja ihmisten sun muiden välinen kanssakäynti eli koko loppukirja? Ei, se ei toiminut niin ollenkaan.
Ehkä Peterin vahvuus on enemmänkin laitteiden ja niiden toiminnan kuvauksessa kuin kaikessa muussa. Jonkun muun kanssa yhteistyössä tämä olisi ehkä ollut ihan kivakin tekele, ehkä jopa niissä määrin että lukisin loputkin. Vaan kun ei niin ei.
Pääosapuolina on jotain tuonpuoleisesta tulleita sieluja, jotka ovat kaapanneet (possessoineet) ihmistorsoja käyttöönsä (-> possessed), joilla on sitten jotain energistisiä megakykyjä. Ykkösjannuna Al Capone, joka koettaa ottaa ilmeisesti koko galaksia haltuunsa. Vastassaan kyborgihenkisiä Adamisteja ja biotekniikkaEdenistit elävine avaruuslintuineen ja habitat-mestoineen.
Jotenkin tuo kyborgiosuus nykii, kun "X datavised the processor block of the door" tai vastaavaa... Samoin esimerkiksi kun Edenistit telepatisoivat eikun "puhuvat Affinity linkissä" keskenään, jutun seuraaminen on ihan naurettavan sekavaa kun kaikki teksti on vain boldattuna ja yhteen pötköön, puhujan vaihtoa on hankala arvata - kirjoitustyyliongelma mutta hämäsi minua.
Samoin kaikki nimet, oli kyse sitten hahmosta, konfliktin osapuolesta tai planeetasta (vast.), niitä ei erota toisistaan tai arvaa, minkälaisesta asiasta onkaan kyse... Pieni ja mitätön valitus tämäkin sinänsä, mutta kaiken muun kanssa nämä vain kasaantuvat miinuspuolelle ja vahvistavat toisiaan.
Ainoat oikeasti mielenkiintoiset ja mukavastiluettavat pätkät koko kirjassa olivat avaruustaistelut (kaikki kolme) ja avaruusalusosuudet ylipäätään: mukavan low-scifi -tyyppistä settiä (lue: yrittää edes olla jotenkuten realistisehko). Tuontyyppistä tarinaa olisin lukenut enemmänkin. Mutta se politikointi ja ihmisten sun muiden välinen kanssakäynti eli koko loppukirja? Ei, se ei toiminut niin ollenkaan.
Ehkä Peterin vahvuus on enemmänkin laitteiden ja niiden toiminnan kuvauksessa kuin kaikessa muussa. Jonkun muun kanssa yhteistyössä tämä olisi ehkä ollut ihan kivakin tekele, ehkä jopa niissä määrin että lukisin loputkin. Vaan kun ei niin ei.
April 25, 2015
AD 2600. Die Menschheit entdeckt endlich ihr ganzes Potential. Hunderte von Kolonien, verstreut über die ganze Galaxis, bieten eine Unzahl unterschiedlichster Kulturen und unermeßlichen Reichtum. Gentechnik hat die Grenzen der Natur gesprengt. Der Handel blüht, und die Konföderation sorgt für Frieden und Sicherheit. Ein goldenes Zeitalter ist angebrochen.
Doch etwas ist schiefgelaufen. Extrem schief! Auf einem kleinen, primitiven Planeten trifft ein Mensch rein zufällig auf ein vollkommen nichtmenschliches Wesen - und löst die Apokalypse aus: eine Macht, die all unsere Ängste wahr werden läßt... So beginnt einer der größten und besten Space Opera Zyklen aller Zeiten.
Mit dieser Serie beweist Peter Hamilton endgültig, daß er vom Hoffnungsträger der modernen SF zu deren Bannerträger geworden ist. Was zahllose Autoren vor ihm versucht haben, ist ihm alleine mit unvergleichlicher Bravour gelungen: einen klassischen Space-Opera-Zyklus zu schreiben, der alle Tugenden dieses alten Genres in sich birgt, ohne antiquiert zu sein, und der alle Entwicklungen der modernen SF, von Gen- bis Nanotechnologie aufgreift und logisch in die Geschichte integriert...
Doch etwas ist schiefgelaufen. Extrem schief! Auf einem kleinen, primitiven Planeten trifft ein Mensch rein zufällig auf ein vollkommen nichtmenschliches Wesen - und löst die Apokalypse aus: eine Macht, die all unsere Ängste wahr werden läßt... So beginnt einer der größten und besten Space Opera Zyklen aller Zeiten.
Mit dieser Serie beweist Peter Hamilton endgültig, daß er vom Hoffnungsträger der modernen SF zu deren Bannerträger geworden ist. Was zahllose Autoren vor ihm versucht haben, ist ihm alleine mit unvergleichlicher Bravour gelungen: einen klassischen Space-Opera-Zyklus zu schreiben, der alle Tugenden dieses alten Genres in sich birgt, ohne antiquiert zu sein, und der alle Entwicklungen der modernen SF, von Gen- bis Nanotechnologie aufgreift und logisch in die Geschichte integriert...
July 25, 2025
Not surprisingly, everything that I wrote about the first half of this novel is true of the second. There are some very cool parts in the space opera, but there are also many parts that just bog-down the story. I like when the narrative involves Joshua, Ione, Syrinx or Alkad. The parts with Erick, Ralph and Rubra are OK too. I don't see the point of spending time with the "good" possessed on Ombey, and Louise's travails don't add much either. The parts concerning the possessed are necessary, but the longer the parts with Capone are drawn-out, the sillier they seem. At more than 1100 pages, The Neutronium Alchemist drags. At 800 pages, this would have been a much better read. I'm going to read The Naked God to finish the series, but I doubt that I'll read another book by Hamilton. Shame that he does not write tighter novels. He is capable of this because the stories in A Second Chance at Eden were often excellent.
March 5, 2016
Und wieder deckt sich meine Einschätzung mit der Mehrheit :) - Ich finde es doch immer wieder interessant, wenn auch andere so empfinden wie ich.
Trotzdem die einzelnen Handlungsstränge weiter gehen, geschieht eigentlich nicht wirklich viel. Natürlich gibt es einzelne neue Erkenntnisse, die Gestalten entwickeln sich weiter, einige sterben, andere kommen wieder, doch im Grunde ging es in diesem Teil um die besondere Waffe in Form des Neutronium Alchimisten. Und dieser wird erst in den letzten beiden Hörstunden tatsächlich geborgen.
Alles steuert auf das fulminante Ende zu, doch noch gibt es zwei weitere Bücher.
Ich gebe 08/10 Punkte. Meine Rezension könnt ihr hier nachlesen: http://sunsys-blog.blogspot.de/2016/0... .
Trotzdem die einzelnen Handlungsstränge weiter gehen, geschieht eigentlich nicht wirklich viel. Natürlich gibt es einzelne neue Erkenntnisse, die Gestalten entwickeln sich weiter, einige sterben, andere kommen wieder, doch im Grunde ging es in diesem Teil um die besondere Waffe in Form des Neutronium Alchimisten. Und dieser wird erst in den letzten beiden Hörstunden tatsächlich geborgen.
Alles steuert auf das fulminante Ende zu, doch noch gibt es zwei weitere Bücher.
Ich gebe 08/10 Punkte. Meine Rezension könnt ihr hier nachlesen: http://sunsys-blog.blogspot.de/2016/0... .
March 6, 2021
One of the series greatest strengths is the grand scope, but at a certain point it felt like one of the bigger detriments too. By the end of this I was worn down and ready for a long break before reading the next one.
There did seem to be less juvenile sex fantasies with Joshua and less sadistic torture with Quinn (although there was still torture) than in Reality Dysfunction. That was a plus.
There did seem to be less juvenile sex fantasies with Joshua and less sadistic torture with Quinn (although there was still torture) than in Reality Dysfunction. That was a plus.
July 27, 2018
Well, this was book four of six...these first four (of the six part novel) were only about 575 pages each...the next and last two are more like 775 pages...still this fourth one had more action and excitement than even the first three!
A ripping yarn!
A ripping yarn!
March 1, 2025
Many interweaving storylines, parts of a larger story of souls of the dead finding a way to "possess" living people. Fascinating overall plot, and the background future history is really interesting. Hamilton is really good at generating plausible future histories, that are incredibly well-detailed. (As other readers have pointed out, this future history is one of the few where, even though we have fusion and the ability to do wormhole-like travel between stars, space travel is very expensive, and most people can't afford it. That feels so right.) The individual plots are generally quite well-done, characters are typically interesting.
However, the sheer length of this series (which often feels like one giant novel, about 7000 pages long; it's published as 6 volumes in North America) would, I suspect, be off-putting for most readers--it definitely daunted me. Each storyline individually is not that long, but there are just so many storylines (of order 16 or so, a few new ones are introduced each volume, and a few end) that it is quite confusing; I often have to turn back to the (5-page) character listing at the front of the paperbacks to keep track, when Hamilton suddenly changes viewpoints. A little bit like Martin's Game of Thrones (ok, Song of Ice & Fire) series, except Hamilton always keeps the end in sight, thankfully.
And one grump, particular to me: so, I study neutron stars, thus, neutronium (squashed neutrons). Part of why I felt I had to read this series was, well, this book's titled the Neutronium Alchemist. In the (2-volume) Neutronium Alchemist, I read ~1000 pages before the word neutronium was even mentioned (last ~100 pages). The storyline involving it is reasonably well-done, but I have to say the book as a whole has very little neutronium in it. (I doubt any other Goodreads readers will complain about this, though.)
Ok. On to the last two volumes (another ~1500 pages!). I am quite curious how the major themes work out; he's got some very interesting future history, extraterrestrials, and theology going on. I can't recommend this series for *everyone*, but if you like hard science and space opera, don't mind some unusual theology, and read reasonably quickly and/or have ~3 months of reading time available (at my reading rate of ~80 pages/day), you might enjoy this.
However, the sheer length of this series (which often feels like one giant novel, about 7000 pages long; it's published as 6 volumes in North America) would, I suspect, be off-putting for most readers--it definitely daunted me. Each storyline individually is not that long, but there are just so many storylines (of order 16 or so, a few new ones are introduced each volume, and a few end) that it is quite confusing; I often have to turn back to the (5-page) character listing at the front of the paperbacks to keep track, when Hamilton suddenly changes viewpoints. A little bit like Martin's Game of Thrones (ok, Song of Ice & Fire) series, except Hamilton always keeps the end in sight, thankfully.
And one grump, particular to me: so, I study neutron stars, thus, neutronium (squashed neutrons). Part of why I felt I had to read this series was, well, this book's titled the Neutronium Alchemist. In the (2-volume) Neutronium Alchemist, I read ~1000 pages before the word neutronium was even mentioned (last ~100 pages). The storyline involving it is reasonably well-done, but I have to say the book as a whole has very little neutronium in it. (I doubt any other Goodreads readers will complain about this, though.)
Ok. On to the last two volumes (another ~1500 pages!). I am quite curious how the major themes work out; he's got some very interesting future history, extraterrestrials, and theology going on. I can't recommend this series for *everyone*, but if you like hard science and space opera, don't mind some unusual theology, and read reasonably quickly and/or have ~3 months of reading time available (at my reading rate of ~80 pages/day), you might enjoy this.
June 7, 2019
My take on book one was it was too ambitious, but the follow through on this epic space opera was amazing and satisfying. Hamilton somehow manages a plethora of different story lines and braids them together like a master basket-weaver. I can't wait to finish this enormous trilogy.
February 27, 2021
My take on book one was it was too ambitious, but the follow through on this epic space opera was amazing and satisfying. Hamilton somehow manages a plethora of different story lines and braids them together like a master basket-weaver. I can't wait to finish this enormous trilogy.
August 1, 2025
3,75 étoiles 🌟
Un peu trop obsédé sexuel Peter ! Ça te fait perdre des points dans cette série ! Moins dans ce tome heureusement, c’est mieux, et moins de tortures également et ça aussi car souvent on flirte avec l’horreur.
Un peu trop obsédé sexuel Peter ! Ça te fait perdre des points dans cette série ! Moins dans ce tome heureusement, c’est mieux, et moins de tortures également et ça aussi car souvent on flirte avec l’horreur.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2017
The ending bumps it to 4 stars.
September 8, 2017
Pure pulp space opera, and thus entertaining.
November 3, 2017
The ending is particularly exciting.
September 27, 2018
Přesně ten typ SF, který mám rád :-)
February 21, 2019
between 7 & 8/10...
August 5, 2024
Another excellent book - I wish it was longer.
December 29, 2020
Reliably brilliant space opera from Hamilton. Seemlessly joins from TRD (and subsequently does so into The Naked God. Read it.
May 5, 2020
Again, more of the same adventures. This book features a lot of Mzu. Her character is ok, but it could be better developed. We do finally learn the nature of the Neutronium Alchemist.
The fact that the dead come back gives the book a bit of a "Matrix" feeling. In that movie, after tremendous effort finally one of the Agents was killed -- only to step off the train the next moment in a new body. There are some similar situations here, although not that quickly. That certainly adds interest to the plot. And we can't accuse Peter Hamilton of plagiarism; this book was written two years before the first Matrix movie came out.
The fact that the dead come back gives the book a bit of a "Matrix" feeling. In that movie, after tremendous effort finally one of the Agents was killed -- only to step off the train the next moment in a new body. There are some similar situations here, although not that quickly. That certainly adds interest to the plot. And we can't accuse Peter Hamilton of plagiarism; this book was written two years before the first Matrix movie came out.
December 13, 2012
So the first part was okay right? We all agree on that. Well, part 2 was beyond worth it. Oh, it was bloody brilliant. Fantastic. Sheer adrenaline and joy. No point reviewing the plot, i would need a few hundred pages for that. But by God, that was good. And the ending?
Here i am sitting in my bed, half past midnight, grinning like an idiot while everyone else is asleep. The last few pages go by and i am left feeling ecstatic. Pure alchemy! Loved every moment of it.
I am starting to see a pattern. Part 1 always sets up part 2. It adds the setting, the newest plot developments and reminds you of the previous book or teaches you some history. Part 2 smashes all that together and gives you a fantastic joyride. Every time.
Now onto the last. The Naked God. Boy will that be a sight!
Here i am sitting in my bed, half past midnight, grinning like an idiot while everyone else is asleep. The last few pages go by and i am left feeling ecstatic. Pure alchemy! Loved every moment of it.
I am starting to see a pattern. Part 1 always sets up part 2. It adds the setting, the newest plot developments and reminds you of the previous book or teaches you some history. Part 2 smashes all that together and gives you a fantastic joyride. Every time.
Now onto the last. The Naked God. Boy will that be a sight!
March 31, 2023
I am now two-thirds of the way through this LONG science fiction series. I am enjoying it, but it is not without its faults. It spans the galaxy and as more worlds and people are introduced, it is getting more and more difficult to keep people, planets and subplots straight. But the subtitle, "Conflict," is appropriate as the conflicts build and we are heading for quite a conclusion. And what is the answer? If the dead are returning from some kind of mysterious afterlife and taking over the bodies of the living, what is the point in killing them? They will only come back, right? Two books left to sort out this conundrum.
February 28, 2012
I love this book, and was sad to finish it knowing that it means I've only got one more book to go till its all over. If you love sci-fi and want to read something unlike anything else out there (check my books to know, I know what I'm talking about) then check this out. Its got it all, war in space, terrifying insidious threats from beyond our world, sentient space cities, compassion, and of course cyborgs and robots. If you read the first book "Reality Dysfunction" and even just "liked" it, then read this one cause it gets even more awesome and crazy.
February 5, 2008
With the second volume of the Neutronium Alchemist, the story pulls back to some of the main story lines. At the conclusion of the two volumes there are a few story lines that are left loose. Normally that would be a big problem for me. However this is a Hamilton Book, so I know the series is really just one huge book that some publishers broke into a series, so I am sure this nuisance will be cleared up in the Naked God books. Hamilton continues to shine.
April 24, 2008
Sci-fi space zombies have never been done as well as. Sheer amazingness. The entire philosophical concept of the after life and souls as handled in the The Night's Dawn trilogy is worth the entry ticket alone, nevermind the brilliance hard sci-fi and action and hot chicks and zombies and...
About that entry ticket, the first 200 pages or so of the first book are pretty boring. But the subsequent 3,000+ pages are pure happiness. Enjoy!
About that entry ticket, the first 200 pages or so of the first book are pretty boring. But the subsequent 3,000+ pages are pure happiness. Enjoy!
August 16, 2008
Pour faire vite, ce bouquin vaut le coup pour quelques scènes totallement spectaculaires (je pense en particulier à la scène finale qui est un monument de grandeur déraisonnable).
Hélas, comme dans tous les autres tomes, les multiples intrigues diminuent largement l'impact de ce genre de choses, et en particulier la promenade de Gérald Skibbow.
Hélas, comme dans tous les autres tomes, les multiples intrigues diminuent largement l'impact de ce genre de choses, et en particulier la promenade de Gérald Skibbow.
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January 3, 2009Book two in the nights dawn trilogy. This book was by far the best of the three. There a many wonderful scenes for this book as the plot takes you al over the universe. The author plays many interesting ideas where mainkind has gotten older, but not necessarily wiser or kinder.
February 22, 2013
What can one say about the middle section of one novel? The truth is that The Reality Disfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, and The Naked God are one massive book.
I liked it, but the story was not resolved in any way.
I liked it, but the story was not resolved in any way.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews