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Owner Trilogy #3
Jupiter War
Alan Saul is now part-human and part-machine, and our solar system isn't big enough to hold him. He craves the stars, but can't leave yet. His sister Var is trapped on Mars, on the wrong side of a rebellion, and Saul's human side won't let her die. He must leave Argus Station to stage a dangerous rescue -- but mutiny is brewing onboard, as Saul's robots make his crew feel increasingly redundant. Serene Galahad will do anything to prevent Saul's escape. Earth’s ruthless dictator hides her crimes from a cowed populace as she readies new warships for pursuit. She aims to crush her enemy in a terrifying display of interstellar violence. Meanwhile, The Scourge limps back to earth, its crew slaughtered, its mission to annihilate Saul a disaster. There are survivors, but while one seeks Galahad's death, Clay Ruger will negotiate for his life. Events build to a climax as Ruger holds humanity’s greatest prize -- seeds to rebuild a dying Earth. This stolen gene-bank data will come at a price, but what will Galahad pay for humanity’s future?
481 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 13, 2013
116 people are currently reading
1319 people want to read
About the author
Neal Asher
139 books3,064 followersI’ve been an engineer, barman, skip lorry driver, coalman, boat window manufacturer, contract grass cutter and builder. Now I write science fiction books, and am slowly getting over the feeling that someone is going to find me out, and can call myself a writer without wincing and ducking my head. As professions go, I prefer this one: I don’t have to clock-in, change my clothes after work, nor scrub sensitive parts of my body with detergent. I think I’ll hang around.
Source: http://www.blogger.com/profile/139339...
Source: http://www.blogger.com/profile/139339...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
October 29, 2013
A great ending to the series. Having read the various short stories I knew what the eventual outcome would be but I enjoyed the journey to get there. I hope Neal continues this series with the Owners first encounter with aliens.
July 8, 2016
Jupiter War brings to a conclusion the Owner trilogy. It has been one of the grittiest hard sci-fi series I've ever encountered. It is sometimes foul, sometimes graphically violent and always exciting and interesting. Strangely the author seems to be able to drive reviewers with a very liberal ideologue's outlook absolutely batshit, thus an added bonus. I won't spoil the book by telling you much, this is worth reading for yourself.
Always remember Mr. Asher's world is the antithesis of the utopian worldview often espoused. If anything he is the anti-Gene Roddenberry. The world is severely overpopulated, polluted, and the nanny state has become a tyrannical oppressive state. While many tend to wax rhapsodic about socialism, they tend to forget that what starts as socialism tends over time to become something far more noxious and then eventually lethal. The division of the world into ZA's (Zero Assets) and SA (State Assets)- a subdivision based on your ability to contribute to the State and then resource allocation based thereupon, should chill those who blithely await the government to provide them with everything from education to health care to retirements...because one day when the populations become so large that such a system can't possibly be maintained...THEN the Nanny State becomes something much worse.
The Orwellian Committee that runs earth has had real world precedents both on the right and the left. His nightmare scenario of ID implants, cams covering every bit of urban sprawl, "adjustments" to correct peoples behavior all backed up by Inspectorate Enforcers, Spiderguns, Sheperds, Razorbirds, etc...and the explanations he gives for how they gradually came about are quite feasible. So this could serve as a sci-fi or even a poli-sci-fi.
Mr. Asher's character of the Owner (Alan Saul) is a truly fascinating character. Never, except for the first part of the first book, is he that sympathetic a character since from the first book he is something far more than human. By this final book, he is truly a Hyper AI...only very, very loosely to be described as human. But while Saul, doesn't elicit much empathy, you'll find yourself rooting for this emotionless, yet implacably correct hero.
There are so many things that I would like to speak about but it would ruin the twists and turns in this final book. All I can say is, if you like hard-sci fi and want a world different than the utopian "everything is going to AWESOME in the future" of Gene Roddenberry..this is a great alternative. It does for sci-fi, in his odd vision, what G.R.R. Martin did for fantasy. It's a more mature, adult, grim take on a common theme. Glad I found and read this series....
Always remember Mr. Asher's world is the antithesis of the utopian worldview often espoused. If anything he is the anti-Gene Roddenberry. The world is severely overpopulated, polluted, and the nanny state has become a tyrannical oppressive state. While many tend to wax rhapsodic about socialism, they tend to forget that what starts as socialism tends over time to become something far more noxious and then eventually lethal. The division of the world into ZA's (Zero Assets) and SA (State Assets)- a subdivision based on your ability to contribute to the State and then resource allocation based thereupon, should chill those who blithely await the government to provide them with everything from education to health care to retirements...because one day when the populations become so large that such a system can't possibly be maintained...THEN the Nanny State becomes something much worse.
The Orwellian Committee that runs earth has had real world precedents both on the right and the left. His nightmare scenario of ID implants, cams covering every bit of urban sprawl, "adjustments" to correct peoples behavior all backed up by Inspectorate Enforcers, Spiderguns, Sheperds, Razorbirds, etc...and the explanations he gives for how they gradually came about are quite feasible. So this could serve as a sci-fi or even a poli-sci-fi.
Mr. Asher's character of the Owner (Alan Saul) is a truly fascinating character. Never, except for the first part of the first book, is he that sympathetic a character since from the first book he is something far more than human. By this final book, he is truly a Hyper AI...only very, very loosely to be described as human. But while Saul, doesn't elicit much empathy, you'll find yourself rooting for this emotionless, yet implacably correct hero.
There are so many things that I would like to speak about but it would ruin the twists and turns in this final book. All I can say is, if you like hard-sci fi and want a world different than the utopian "everything is going to AWESOME in the future" of Gene Roddenberry..this is a great alternative. It does for sci-fi, in his odd vision, what G.R.R. Martin did for fantasy. It's a more mature, adult, grim take on a common theme. Glad I found and read this series....
March 3, 2015
There were passages in ‘Jupiter War’ where I thought that Neal Asher was actually going to confront the Superman problem. Namely, how do you create drama with a lead character who’s so powerful he’s virtually invincible? Interestingly it seemed as if Asher was going to tackle that dilemma through a character flaw, constantly highlighting Alan Saul’s arrogance – a distinctly human failing in one who perceives himself far beyond human beings – and one which could conceivably be his Achilles’ heel. Unfortunately despite all the hints and feints in that direction, it’s a path not taken and the Superman problem therefore remains unsolved. It’s just one of many frustrations at the end of ‘The Owner Trilogy’ (although it looks to me like a trilogy which could easily do a Douglas Adams and expand forever more). For instance the two main antagonists have their stories resolved (or pretty much resolved) without ever really engaging with each other. There’s no great and spectacular confrontation, and so we have two separate strings evolving and concluding in parallel isolation. Not being able to tie these plots together, and leaving more than one of Chekov’s pistols just lying around, does make for a peculiarly unsatisfying ending to a thousand pages of space opera. Yes, there’s lots of explosions and spaceship against spaceship action – all great stuff with your brain in neutral – but the story doesn’t hit that explosive conclusion I wanted. And yes, Asher may go away and write more of ‘The Owner Saga’ (as it will surely be redubbed) but too many interesting paths are closed off here and so the result will no doubt be diverting, just in the end nowhere near as good as it could have been – much like this book then.
July 30, 2015
Space Opera!
Pew pew!
Best read by people who don't know any science, like Asher himself.
I often criticise Asher for have lots of Pew! Pew! and no subtext but in this case I think that would be a bit unfair: There's a discussion of what it means to be "free" going on here, which concludes that here is no such thing as complete freedom. In practice, within any society, you only have the rights and freedoms that society allows. On the other hand, the society provides policing and justice. Therefore, the real question is how to organise a society that maximises individual freedom whilst minimising crime. Asher doesn't really offer any good answers to this perennial political poser, instead focusing on the dangers of corruption and bureaucracy. (I get the impression Asher hates the European Union in general and the European Commission in particular.)
Another issue raised is that of human over-population and its impact on the general planetary ecology. The power crazed dictator presented here wants to personally genetically control both human life-span and fertility, an idea branded as morally defective essentially just by association with its deranged progenitor. Again, Asher is not offering any alternatives he'd prefer. The fact is that population control is the most important political and moral issue of our time and nobody is talking about it, let alone taking any action, except the Chinese - and this ties directly back in to the question of personal freedom: should it be an individual's choice whether or not to have children? Should the State forcibly limit the number of children one can have? If you're against such Draconian action by the State, what do you propose instead? The likelihood is that unless concerted action is taken, an uncontrolled Malthusian population crash is in the offing. It is likely that this will be accompanied by resource wars across the globe as food, water and material resources become scarce. Indeed, some argue the resource wars started in 1991 in Iraq and haven't yet ceased.
Now, I can't really criticise Asher for not presenting a solution to all this; I don't have one and I haven't ever heard of one that isn't either a)State control with loss of individual rights over one's own body or b)educate people and hope most people act responsibly or c)give everybody access to a high energy society because this correlates with a drop in the birth-rate.
The last of these is, unfortunately, not going to work: as migrants from less developed nations have entered the highest-energy Western economies, the birth-rate decline has reversed. Additionally, a global population of 7 billion with an individual resource-use equivalent to that of the USA or even of Western Europe (we're somewhat more efficient here but not extremely) is unsustainable: a somewhat old stat is that the mean energy use of one USA citizen is equivalent to that of 8 Africans.
So what are we supposed to do? Well done, Neal, for at least raising the issue, even if your understanding of science remains terrible and your space operas remain bloated and somewhat incoherently plotted.
Pew! Pew! BOOM!
Pew pew!
Best read by people who don't know any science, like Asher himself.
I often criticise Asher for have lots of Pew! Pew! and no subtext but in this case I think that would be a bit unfair: There's a discussion of what it means to be "free" going on here, which concludes that here is no such thing as complete freedom. In practice, within any society, you only have the rights and freedoms that society allows. On the other hand, the society provides policing and justice. Therefore, the real question is how to organise a society that maximises individual freedom whilst minimising crime. Asher doesn't really offer any good answers to this perennial political poser, instead focusing on the dangers of corruption and bureaucracy. (I get the impression Asher hates the European Union in general and the European Commission in particular.)
Another issue raised is that of human over-population and its impact on the general planetary ecology. The power crazed dictator presented here wants to personally genetically control both human life-span and fertility, an idea branded as morally defective essentially just by association with its deranged progenitor. Again, Asher is not offering any alternatives he'd prefer. The fact is that population control is the most important political and moral issue of our time and nobody is talking about it, let alone taking any action, except the Chinese - and this ties directly back in to the question of personal freedom: should it be an individual's choice whether or not to have children? Should the State forcibly limit the number of children one can have? If you're against such Draconian action by the State, what do you propose instead? The likelihood is that unless concerted action is taken, an uncontrolled Malthusian population crash is in the offing. It is likely that this will be accompanied by resource wars across the globe as food, water and material resources become scarce. Indeed, some argue the resource wars started in 1991 in Iraq and haven't yet ceased.
Now, I can't really criticise Asher for not presenting a solution to all this; I don't have one and I haven't ever heard of one that isn't either a)State control with loss of individual rights over one's own body or b)educate people and hope most people act responsibly or c)give everybody access to a high energy society because this correlates with a drop in the birth-rate.
The last of these is, unfortunately, not going to work: as migrants from less developed nations have entered the highest-energy Western economies, the birth-rate decline has reversed. Additionally, a global population of 7 billion with an individual resource-use equivalent to that of the USA or even of Western Europe (we're somewhat more efficient here but not extremely) is unsustainable: a somewhat old stat is that the mean energy use of one USA citizen is equivalent to that of 8 Africans.
So what are we supposed to do? Well done, Neal, for at least raising the issue, even if your understanding of science remains terrible and your space operas remain bloated and somewhat incoherently plotted.
Pew! Pew! BOOM!
March 22, 2014
I've been a fan of Neal Asher's writing for a while now, the Polity novels were all excellent reads. This latest Owner series took a little while for me to get into as they had a different feel to them, less immediate and visceral than his earlier novels. Once I got into them though I was hooked and that remains the case with this latest and final book in the trilogy - although the ending leaves the storyline open for more books and I hope that will be the case.
For me the great thing about science-fiction is when it tackles big question, at the core of Jupiter War (and the preceeding novels) is trans-humanism, or more specifically the consequences of melding humans with technology. Alan Saul is an interesting character as he balances his once human self with the practicalities of being an AI and integrated not only with his ship but the robots within. We also see the beginnings of others taking similar steps, although I would have liked to have seen a bit more done with these characters, especially the comlife operatives.
This is all set against a dystopian background where the leader of Earth considers humanity a pestilence upon the Earth and uses extreme measures to restore nature to a dying Earth. Despite the advanced technology life for most is a dismal affair and this contrasts with the microcosm of humanity on Saul's ship.
Space battles are also a fun part of many science fiction tales and here we have not only an entertaining battle, but also a well thought out one. The considerations in the engagement provided a few interesting insights, not only for the technology involved but the tactics needed to utilise them.
What we have here is a damn fine science fiction read, it's fast paced and provides a satisfactory conclusion to the trilogy. Although as I said at the beginning the ending did leave me wanting more and I hope that will be the case.
For me the great thing about science-fiction is when it tackles big question, at the core of Jupiter War (and the preceeding novels) is trans-humanism, or more specifically the consequences of melding humans with technology. Alan Saul is an interesting character as he balances his once human self with the practicalities of being an AI and integrated not only with his ship but the robots within. We also see the beginnings of others taking similar steps, although I would have liked to have seen a bit more done with these characters, especially the comlife operatives.
This is all set against a dystopian background where the leader of Earth considers humanity a pestilence upon the Earth and uses extreme measures to restore nature to a dying Earth. Despite the advanced technology life for most is a dismal affair and this contrasts with the microcosm of humanity on Saul's ship.
Space battles are also a fun part of many science fiction tales and here we have not only an entertaining battle, but also a well thought out one. The considerations in the engagement provided a few interesting insights, not only for the technology involved but the tactics needed to utilise them.
What we have here is a damn fine science fiction read, it's fast paced and provides a satisfactory conclusion to the trilogy. Although as I said at the beginning the ending did leave me wanting more and I hope that will be the case.
May 13, 2018
For those of us of a certain age, and I'm talking 'bout growing up in the 80's on a steady steam of MTV when all they played was actual music videos, there was a song by the band named Loverboy named "Lovin' every minute of it!", that hook, sung out loud, as he did it in the video is how I feel about reading Neal Asher's books. This is techno-ultraviolence-porn and I'm loving every minute of it. This is the seventeenth book I've read by him and have found every one to be thoroughly enjoyable. I think this is arguably his darkest, most bleak stuff but it is just so fun to read. Asher is not going to philosophize on man's existence in the universe or explain our role in an evolving technological landscape but I can say I have a shitload of fun reading these books and can say without the slightest bit of shyness that he is among my most beloved of authors, and I have read A LOT of books. This is top-notch entertainment, imo, and a good way to spend a bunch of hours.
October 4, 2013
Wow - once again Mr Asher doesn't disappoint, action from start to finish and a mix of the global down to the personal all intertwined. Inventive technology and how nit is used. My only minor criticism might be that he has a very cynical view politics and human nature but hey it makes a great story.
October 3, 2013
Another excellent book, following on the story or Alan Saul and his fight to leave the solar system and so he can continue to evolve. I hope there is a 4th book of him leaving the solar system and what he find on his travels. If there is a problem with this book, it is that I would have like it to be longer, as I read it far too quickly.
December 28, 2013
Perfect ending to a trilogy.
Neal Asher keeps surprising me. I've read most of his books and it always amazes me how he can produce books that satisfy.
I will be awaiting for his next book anxiously.
Neal Asher keeps surprising me. I've read most of his books and it always amazes me how he can produce books that satisfy.
I will be awaiting for his next book anxiously.
March 6, 2017
One of the best scifi trilogies i have ever read, from cyberpunk tech noir to a full fledged space opera with transcedence underlines, this trilogy has got it all. A MUST for fans of Leviathan Wakes, Altered Carbon or Hyperion, and to be honest this shoulnd't be called the "owner" trilogy, it should be called "the BOSS" trilogy, cause Alan Saul owns it! Like a Boss!!!! (and Neal Asher)
March 22, 2014
The Departure series is well named. It certainly seems like a departure from Asher's normal style.
Not that it's short on action, but it's unlike his regular gore soaked escapades of heroic figures in several ways.
For a start this series seems a little heavy handed with Libertarian political philosophy. To the point of being cliched. Not just with the demonisation of Government and environmental regulation, or the salvific nature of free enterprise, but even the form of autistic "ultrarationalism" taken by the central character as a result of his "godlike" intelligence. The preachy political Jeremiad seemed even more jarring as Neal Asher's political leanings came as a complete surprise to me. I certainly didn't pick up on it in previous novels, which all seem to be set in a vaguely socialist, post scarcity, utopia.
Jupiter War, the concluding chapter, also stands apart in another way. It reads quite a lot like a fantasy build journal of Asher's imaginary interstellar craft. A good thing if the speculative design of spacecraft is something that interests you, but otherwise...
Perhaps it's my own political bias coming into play, but I do think this is a step backward for Asher from his previous efforts. The characters less engaging, the political content lumbering and the action a little colder. Despite this criticism it is still an entertaining series, and maybe for Libertarian Sci-Fi fans (of whom there's no shortage) the political dogma is a plus (hey... some people think that Atlas Shrugged is a good book).
Not that it's short on action, but it's unlike his regular gore soaked escapades of heroic figures in several ways.
For a start this series seems a little heavy handed with Libertarian political philosophy. To the point of being cliched. Not just with the demonisation of Government and environmental regulation, or the salvific nature of free enterprise, but even the form of autistic "ultrarationalism" taken by the central character as a result of his "godlike" intelligence. The preachy political Jeremiad seemed even more jarring as Neal Asher's political leanings came as a complete surprise to me. I certainly didn't pick up on it in previous novels, which all seem to be set in a vaguely socialist, post scarcity, utopia.
Jupiter War, the concluding chapter, also stands apart in another way. It reads quite a lot like a fantasy build journal of Asher's imaginary interstellar craft. A good thing if the speculative design of spacecraft is something that interests you, but otherwise...
Perhaps it's my own political bias coming into play, but I do think this is a step backward for Asher from his previous efforts. The characters less engaging, the political content lumbering and the action a little colder. Despite this criticism it is still an entertaining series, and maybe for Libertarian Sci-Fi fans (of whom there's no shortage) the political dogma is a plus (hey... some people think that Atlas Shrugged is a good book).
January 5, 2019
This was a well crafted and action packed book - as you'd expect from Neal Asher - but I was reading it alongside Steven Pinker's "The Better Angels of Our Nature" which charts the incredible decline of violence in our society, and, unfortunately, that book kind of made Asher's personal, cynical political bias (which is bluntly and doggedly crowbarred into the narrative) seem tired and anachronistic. Don't get me wrong, I love a good dystopian novel, but I just got a bit sick of his pessimism, especially as he does the whole human/technology hybrid philosophy thing so well. But, saying all that, I was still hooked right into his narrative and devoured the story with great relish. And, unfortunately, I've now read all of his books and will just have to wait for more ...
June 22, 2014
I have read most of Neal Asher's books so you could call me a fan. So what about Jupiter War, a book of 3 thirds. The first two thirds were hard work. It was slow, lots of build up trying to set things up for later in the final third. The final third, fast paced, exciting and couldn't put it down. The book took me nearly 2 weeks to read, but the last third only took 2 days.
So overall I liked it, but it wasn't great and I feel it could have been improved by cutting it down and may be making the series 2 books instead of 3. I suppose then I wouldn't have spend as much money as I did because I would only have had to buy two.
So overall I liked it, but it wasn't great and I feel it could have been improved by cutting it down and may be making the series 2 books instead of 3. I suppose then I wouldn't have spend as much money as I did because I would only have had to buy two.
January 29, 2014
Yet again, top marks to Mr. Asher. Consistently bringing home science fiction gold.
Yes I have read most of his previous and can confirm this hits bullseye again.
A fine story in its own right, a rounded end to the trilogy and a comprehensive plug in the historic asherverse.
Unfortunately this leaves us wanting more, please write faster.
Yes I have read most of his previous and can confirm this hits bullseye again.
A fine story in its own right, a rounded end to the trilogy and a comprehensive plug in the historic asherverse.
Unfortunately this leaves us wanting more, please write faster.
May 26, 2013
Cover art and synopsis revealed at Upcoming4.me
October 2, 2013
A really great end to the trilogy, one of those books that I'm just sad to have finished as I was just hoping it would go on forever.
April 1, 2014
Great third installment dear I say the end leaves an option for further tails.
February 1, 2014
This last and final version of the Owner trilogy keeps up the racy pace of the first.
June 11, 2022
New boss, same as the old boss. A conclusion that foregoes its more interesting premises for shoot-em-ups.
Asher's "Owners" trilogy ends with 2013's "Jupiter War" where the forces of Earth's authoritarian dictator Selene Galahad attempt to defeat cybernetically augmented Alan Saul -- who has become "one" with Argus station and also is the last main challenge to Galahad's authority and ostensibly the last best hope for humanity.
Galahad is too comical a villain to take seriously insofar as death is just around the corner for EVERYONE in her orbit. Asher doesn't devote enough attention to precisely how Galahad is able to maintain her grip on power as she's not portrayed as the most skilled or clever. Ruthless, yes, but that just means she's willing to give the kill order -- but there's not enough in the text to justify why she has maintained control over 2 whole books. Yet here we are.
The more interesting subplot that unfortunately never gets satisfactorily addressed is Saul's increasing separation from the humanity he claims he's trying to save. As he becomes more and more machine-like and "logical" his impulses cause him to wonder just how efficient his space station could be without all these pesky humans and their life support, food, etc. Saul takes some very authoritarian measures during his "rule" and it raises some interesting questions insofar as personal freedom and the nature of freedom. As Saul never directly orders the deaths of millions like Galahad did, I guess he's the good guy?
Overall, these somewhat interesting questions get tossed aside for lots of space engineering talk and explodey robots. There's less bloat to this final volume than the first two, which is a good thing, but overall the dystopian/cyberpunk premise of the first novel falls prey to too much pew-pew.
Asher's "Owners" trilogy ends with 2013's "Jupiter War" where the forces of Earth's authoritarian dictator Selene Galahad attempt to defeat cybernetically augmented Alan Saul -- who has become "one" with Argus station and also is the last main challenge to Galahad's authority and ostensibly the last best hope for humanity.
Galahad is too comical a villain to take seriously insofar as death is just around the corner for EVERYONE in her orbit. Asher doesn't devote enough attention to precisely how Galahad is able to maintain her grip on power as she's not portrayed as the most skilled or clever. Ruthless, yes, but that just means she's willing to give the kill order -- but there's not enough in the text to justify why she has maintained control over 2 whole books. Yet here we are.
The more interesting subplot that unfortunately never gets satisfactorily addressed is Saul's increasing separation from the humanity he claims he's trying to save. As he becomes more and more machine-like and "logical" his impulses cause him to wonder just how efficient his space station could be without all these pesky humans and their life support, food, etc. Saul takes some very authoritarian measures during his "rule" and it raises some interesting questions insofar as personal freedom and the nature of freedom. As Saul never directly orders the deaths of millions like Galahad did, I guess he's the good guy?
Overall, these somewhat interesting questions get tossed aside for lots of space engineering talk and explodey robots. There's less bloat to this final volume than the first two, which is a good thing, but overall the dystopian/cyberpunk premise of the first novel falls prey to too much pew-pew.
August 21, 2020
I had a hard time deciding how I felt after finishing this trilogy. I think it has some interesting ideas and a pretty good storyline, but also some significant downsides. I liked the action and the fact that the big ideas seemed creative. I was kind of disgusted by the brutality, and the pessimism and cynicism of the series was getting pretty tiring by the end of the third book, as was the editorials at the start of each chapter: what was just interesting world-building atmosphere in the first book was feeling like eye-rolling proselytizing by the end of the third. I would've preferred some more explanation of the sci-fi ideas like zero point energy and mach-effect drives and Alcubierre drive and the Io Flux Tube: none of these were things I was familiar with, and I guess I need to do some googling, but it would've been nice to have a brief summary to help the reader, since the interactions between these things are a huge part of the storyline. Overall, not a terrible series, but not a favorite either.
March 1, 2015
In this trilogy-capper, true to the title, when the characters aren’t engaged in life-and-death battles, they’re gearing up for such fights. Somehow the defeated tyrannical forces of the previous installments have regrouped enough to once again pose an existential threat to the unbeatable anti-hero, Alan Saul- ‘The Owner’. His overpowered infallibility is paired with an increased detachment from human-scale relationships in this novel, so Asher has wisely spread the burden of the POV protagonist flag to other, more relatable characters. Another welcome development is that a few of the previously antagonistic ‘villains’ undergo some transformation and serve more redeemed roles. The story structure is a fairly straightforward build-up to inevitable conflict, although there’s some clever tactical twists that are rewarding to watch unfold. The only theme I identified was a continuation from the rest of the series: violent revenge will visit the guilty.
December 4, 2013
As an Asher fan it really pains me to say what a dissapointment this series is turning out to be. The first book was ok, second just more of the same without anything moving forward, third was frankly tedious. I won't be reading any more of the Owner nonsense. Reminded me (vaguely) of Donaldson's Gap Into Power series only not a third as well written.
Annoyed and frustrated, I expected a lot better.
Annoyed and frustrated, I expected a lot better.
October 6, 2013
the story thins out to nothing in part 3. it's an endless boring description of space ship construction and meaningless genocide. can't finish it, i'm giving up. this doesn't take away the fact that asher has written some of the best SF ever. he was among the greatest.
October 2, 2013
Satisfying
owned
October 13, 2014Awesome end of the trilogy. Thanks Neal for this book and even more thanks for turning me into a vaper and ditching the cigarettes forever.
June 25, 2023
First of all, I want to point out that. I really like this type of content. Boating, yachting, sailing, fishing and anything that falls under the concept of a marina.
I leave this information below for those who want to read it. A look at Boat and Yacht History:
the ships we encounter today are; They are large, robust and self-propelled watercraft used to transport cargo across the seas and oceans. This was not the case hundreds of years ago, and current ships went through countless centuries of development until they became what they are today.
In ancient times, sailors used rafts, bamboo logs, reed bales, inflated animal hides, and baskets covered with pitch to cross small bodies of water.
As a matter of fact, the first boat; it was in the form of a simple frame made of interconnected rods and sewn animal hides that skillfully covered them. These boats could easily carry large and heavy loads. Information about similar old boat examples; You can find it among bull boats, Eskimo canoes, and British Islander merchant ships on the North American plains. In addition to these, another old-style boat is the one carved from the log and the ends of which are sharpened. Some of these were 60 feet (approx. 18 m) long.
When we look at the history of seafaring in ancient times, we come across a very interesting study of human strength and survival instincts. For example, in ancient times, the simple shovel mechanism we know was not used. Instead, people used their hands to move through the water in tiny boats. They propelled their rafts forward, pushing the masts to the bottom of the rivers. Increasingly, using his creative instincts and ingenuity, man redesigned the posts by straightening them and widening one end, thus making it usable in deeper waters. Later, this form was masterfully redeveloped and the blade fixed to the sides of the boat was transformed into the shape of a wide oar.
Invention of the sail
The invention of the sail was the greatest turning point in maritime history. Sails replaced human muscle movements, and sailboats were able to travel longer with heavier loads. The first ships used square sails, which were best suited to sail downwind. Side sails were invented later.
The Egyptians credit the emergence of advanced sailing cargo ships. These were made by connecting and stitching together small pieces of wood. These cargo ships were used to transport large stone pillars used in the construction of monuments.
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https://numberoneboats.com/jupiter-31...
https://theboatyacht.com/jupiter-31-f...
I leave this information below for those who want to read it. A look at Boat and Yacht History:
the ships we encounter today are; They are large, robust and self-propelled watercraft used to transport cargo across the seas and oceans. This was not the case hundreds of years ago, and current ships went through countless centuries of development until they became what they are today.
In ancient times, sailors used rafts, bamboo logs, reed bales, inflated animal hides, and baskets covered with pitch to cross small bodies of water.
As a matter of fact, the first boat; it was in the form of a simple frame made of interconnected rods and sewn animal hides that skillfully covered them. These boats could easily carry large and heavy loads. Information about similar old boat examples; You can find it among bull boats, Eskimo canoes, and British Islander merchant ships on the North American plains. In addition to these, another old-style boat is the one carved from the log and the ends of which are sharpened. Some of these were 60 feet (approx. 18 m) long.
When we look at the history of seafaring in ancient times, we come across a very interesting study of human strength and survival instincts. For example, in ancient times, the simple shovel mechanism we know was not used. Instead, people used their hands to move through the water in tiny boats. They propelled their rafts forward, pushing the masts to the bottom of the rivers. Increasingly, using his creative instincts and ingenuity, man redesigned the posts by straightening them and widening one end, thus making it usable in deeper waters. Later, this form was masterfully redeveloped and the blade fixed to the sides of the boat was transformed into the shape of a wide oar.
Invention of the sail
The invention of the sail was the greatest turning point in maritime history. Sails replaced human muscle movements, and sailboats were able to travel longer with heavier loads. The first ships used square sails, which were best suited to sail downwind. Side sails were invented later.
The Egyptians credit the emergence of advanced sailing cargo ships. These were made by connecting and stitching together small pieces of wood. These cargo ships were used to transport large stone pillars used in the construction of monuments.
Here are the contents I love about two beautiful marinas.
https://numberoneboats.com/
https://theboatyacht.com/
https://foodlord.net
https://numberoneboats.com/jupiter-39...
https://theboatyacht.com/jupiter-39-e...
https://numberoneboats.com/jupiter-38...
https://theboatyacht.com/jupiter-38-f...
https://numberoneboats.com/jupiter-31...
https://theboatyacht.com/jupiter-31-f...
July 14, 2024
The end is in sight for this blood soaked mass genocidal trilogy of one man's fight against the oppressive Committee.
Is Alan Saul even human any more?
His consciousness is now expanded and connected to the stolen Argus Array now as he ducks and dodges Earth's pursuit of him at Jupiter with three ships intent on his capture and retrieval of Earth's Gene Bank data/samples so as to repopulate the bio diversity that humanity has destroyed as it swarmed over the planet.
He is also facing revolt amongst some of his remaining human passengers, can't really call them crew as he basically doesn't need them as he is almost a deity now, all seeing etc.
All seems lost as his ship is pounded by the Earth vessels and resembles a colander.
The plot jumps from Argus to Earth to the various Earth ships and is a rather frenetic read as the action escalates.
Lots and lots of energetic space warfare and pew pew which I really appreciate.
Asher's the go-to author for that, no doubt about it.
I now need to read something light and fluffy now after this rollercoaster.
Is Alan Saul even human any more?
His consciousness is now expanded and connected to the stolen Argus Array now as he ducks and dodges Earth's pursuit of him at Jupiter with three ships intent on his capture and retrieval of Earth's Gene Bank data/samples so as to repopulate the bio diversity that humanity has destroyed as it swarmed over the planet.
He is also facing revolt amongst some of his remaining human passengers, can't really call them crew as he basically doesn't need them as he is almost a deity now, all seeing etc.
All seems lost as his ship is pounded by the Earth vessels and resembles a colander.
The plot jumps from Argus to Earth to the various Earth ships and is a rather frenetic read as the action escalates.
Lots and lots of energetic space warfare and pew pew which I really appreciate.
Asher's the go-to author for that, no doubt about it.
I now need to read something light and fluffy now after this rollercoaster.
September 3, 2023
Neal Asher usually writes far-future space operas on an epic scale that would make E. E. “Doc” Smith blush. But, as he notes in a publisher’s blog, Jupiter War is set closer to home, necessitating more plausible extrapolations from current technology than he usually provides. To that end, we have brain implants, gene banks, clever insectile robots, strongish AI, and some really fast sub-light spacecraft. There is much political chicanery and plenty of battles with futuristic weapons and armor. Why don’t I love the book? Well, I loathe all the characters. I root for them to die, and indeed, most of them do. Despite all the action, the book was a slow read, not especially long, just slow.
September 18, 2017
All in all, a very thoughtful ending to a challenging, at times difficult, series. I really appreciated that he allowed some of the characters' storylines to develop, and have resolutions in this book, in particular Alex, the clone, and Sack, bodyguard to Earth's authoritarian dictator. The space battles were handled in an interesting way, but that honestly the thing I am least interested in science fiction-it was the human drama that I enjoyed in this book, and more than in The Departure, the second book in the series.
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