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Night's Dawn #1-3
The Night's Dawn Trilogy
The Reality Dysfunction and The Neutronium Alchemist chronicled an epic, far-future struggle set in a universe of thrilling complexity. Multiple worlds, alien races, two types of future humanity, and uncountable forms of fascinating future technology make up the universe created by Peter F. Hamilton. The "reality dysfunction" is a break in the fabric of reality that allows the dead to return to our world, where they possess living bodies. Gradually, it becomes horrifyingly clear that all of humanity is at risk of being taken over by the minds of those long dead. More and more of the dead are stealing the bodies of those still living, grouping together into powerful consortiums led by leaders from history. Opposing this development is an increasingly desperate Confederation Navy. Joshua Calvert is assigned to chase after Alkad Mzu, who is trying to recover the "doomsday weapon" that might possibly blast the dead back into oblivion. Mzu is hunted not only by Joshua, but also by various intelligence agencies and the possessed themselves, all of whom are desperate to lay hands on the weapon. In The Naked God, the Confederation starts to c
2956 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1996
50 people are currently reading
1236 people want to read
About the author
Peter F. Hamilton
208 books10.2k 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 40 reviews
March 12, 2024
Great trilogy that is massive in scope and complexity. A hard SF Space Opera that describes human usage and acquisition of human augmentation technology as casually as it does so convincingly and makes you want go to the next RadioShack to pick up some of that good stuff. There is also that mind blowing afterlife component and the menace it becomes as the story progresses - as imaginative as it is terrifying. The Night’s Dawn Trilogy lets you forget about the boring life around you, it sucks you in and won’t let go of you for some time - as long as it takes you to read them almost 3000 pages. 😂 personal note: Took this with me in 2007 when I went to work in China for the first time.
November 29, 2012
I read the first book in this trilogy on it's own, then picked up this combo to read the last two. It is a loooooong series. After reading the first I wasn't sure I wanted to continue reading because it gets pretty harsh and gory in places, but I really wanted to find out how everything got resolved. So I pressed on. And while there was still more nasty depravity in the second and third books, the story just kept me going. There were parts, pretty much anything having to do with Quinn Dexter, that I would have preferred to skip. He was just all nasty evil awfulness, and I can't even imagine being Hamilton writing that kind of thing. I think you'd have to be a little sick in the head yourself to come up with things like that. This is why this book doesn't get more than 3 stars from me.
But overall, I really enjoyed this series. The ending was a bit quick and over with. Quite literally deus ex machina. Not quite the resolution I had hoped for with all the work I'd put into the book. But I get that Hamilton was trying to make a POINT, and that was his way of making it.
So if you love a good space opera/sci-fi super-long series and you don't mind a bit of evil on the side, this is a pretty good one to give a few months of your time.
But overall, I really enjoyed this series. The ending was a bit quick and over with. Quite literally deus ex machina. Not quite the resolution I had hoped for with all the work I'd put into the book. But I get that Hamilton was trying to make a POINT, and that was his way of making it.
So if you love a good space opera/sci-fi super-long series and you don't mind a bit of evil on the side, this is a pretty good one to give a few months of your time.
August 5, 2016
Favorite, favorite, favorite. Will read again. Loved the whole series. Cried when it was over.
December 25, 2011
This is probably the largest cohesive work of fiction I've read. It's larger than a lot of 10 book fantasy series out there. So although I started in May and didn't finish until September, I don't feel that bad about it. It's really 3 books anyway (hence, "trilogy") but it's really more like 7 because in the printed version the books were too big to make as single volumes, so they had to be split up.
Anyway, I was daunted by the size before I started. This was the last thing sitting unread on my Kindle, and I just read everything else I had on there first. Then I ran out of excuses, and was about to do some serious traveling, so I figured I should attack Night's Dawn over the summer.
I was so glad I did.
Epic is really the only word to describe it. I was a huge fan of Hamilton's Commonwealth Saga, so I at least had an idea of what I was getting into. But this was even bigger in scope. An even more complex world. With even more characters.
The first book seemed slow to start, but I think it was around chapter 13 when things started to pick up. From then on I really couldn't put it down.
It has all the wonderful parts of a typical Hamilton space opera, but more...raw. The editing isn't quite as tight, which accounts for at least some of the length. But the positive is that no threads are left hanging, no possible stone unturned or plot hole left unplugged.
The end is sudden and slightly disappointing after the vast journey to get to it, but fulfilling nonetheless.
I ended up loving the Night's Dawn trilogy, and would highly recommend it to any fan of long form sci-fi and space opera.
Anyway, I was daunted by the size before I started. This was the last thing sitting unread on my Kindle, and I just read everything else I had on there first. Then I ran out of excuses, and was about to do some serious traveling, so I figured I should attack Night's Dawn over the summer.
I was so glad I did.
Epic is really the only word to describe it. I was a huge fan of Hamilton's Commonwealth Saga, so I at least had an idea of what I was getting into. But this was even bigger in scope. An even more complex world. With even more characters.
The first book seemed slow to start, but I think it was around chapter 13 when things started to pick up. From then on I really couldn't put it down.
It has all the wonderful parts of a typical Hamilton space opera, but more...raw. The editing isn't quite as tight, which accounts for at least some of the length. But the positive is that no threads are left hanging, no possible stone unturned or plot hole left unplugged.
The end is sudden and slightly disappointing after the vast journey to get to it, but fulfilling nonetheless.
I ended up loving the Night's Dawn trilogy, and would highly recommend it to any fan of long form sci-fi and space opera.
January 21, 2013
This was my first dip into the works of Peter F. Hamilton and let me say it was a good one. From the first couple of pages until the final pages on the last page of "The Naked God", this series was great!
Hamilton incorporates so many elements into his books that it is refreshing to see so many different aspects brought together into something that works.
The three books are long. Really long. We are talking well over a thousand, small typed pages apiece, but the books are incredibly easy to read. The prose is good, not quite to the level as he writes in his Commonwealth Universe books, but still pretty good.
The story is classic space-opera, with the characters all making far-reaching decisions that have large-drastic consequences to both the main characters and hundreds of worlds around them.
I would start with the first book and see how it goes for you. If you make it through the first book, you will have no problem whatsoever devouring the other two. In fact, you will probably wish that the last book is actually longer than the 1,300 some pages it comprises. I am amazed that the publisher was able to actually print a tome of that size and not edit something out or shrink print or increase margins or something. Those three books will fill up a sizable part of a shelf, for sure. And if you get the American paperback version, they have pretty good cover art, nothing cheesy or anything like that. Very modern and looks good on the shelf.
If you don't try out this trilogy, definitely try out any of the books that are set in his Commonwealth Universe, the writing and storytellling just keeps getting better and better.
Hamilton incorporates so many elements into his books that it is refreshing to see so many different aspects brought together into something that works.
The three books are long. Really long. We are talking well over a thousand, small typed pages apiece, but the books are incredibly easy to read. The prose is good, not quite to the level as he writes in his Commonwealth Universe books, but still pretty good.
The story is classic space-opera, with the characters all making far-reaching decisions that have large-drastic consequences to both the main characters and hundreds of worlds around them.
I would start with the first book and see how it goes for you. If you make it through the first book, you will have no problem whatsoever devouring the other two. In fact, you will probably wish that the last book is actually longer than the 1,300 some pages it comprises. I am amazed that the publisher was able to actually print a tome of that size and not edit something out or shrink print or increase margins or something. Those three books will fill up a sizable part of a shelf, for sure. And if you get the American paperback version, they have pretty good cover art, nothing cheesy or anything like that. Very modern and looks good on the shelf.
If you don't try out this trilogy, definitely try out any of the books that are set in his Commonwealth Universe, the writing and storytellling just keeps getting better and better.
July 11, 2019
He did it again! Or would it be better for me to say he has done it afore, as I am kind of moving backwards in the Peter F. Hamilton writings? Night's Dawn is a huge book, about 9Mb of text, divided into three parts purely out of paper formatting reasons, I am sure. So far, this is the best thing he has written, at least in my opinion.
Maybe the guy is the kind of writer who writes his best work first, then tries unsuccessfully to follow up. Not that any of his followups could be called a failure, it's just that Night's Dawn is really cool! I mean who can seriously deal with possession, necromancy, devil worship, witch hunting, vampires, werewolves, ghosts and demons, all in a future world in which humanity has conquered space and tries to attack the situation with science and rationality? Seriously! If this guy would have written the Bible, there would be no Muslims! (Ron Hubbard, eat your heart out!)
There isn't much else I can say. I certainly cannot summarize a book that spreads over about a dozen inhabited planets, all with their own history, socioeconomic situations described and own characters to add plot (real plot) to the story. Right now I am terrified. I need to find the Greg Mandel trilogy, which is the last of the Hamilton big stories, and there are only two outcomes: a) I hate it, which would have wasted my time and trust in humanity; b) I love it, and then I go into withdrawal waiting for the last two volumes of the Void trilogy and whatever else he brilliantly writes in the future.
Bottom line: if you like Sci-Fi, you need to read this.
Maybe the guy is the kind of writer who writes his best work first, then tries unsuccessfully to follow up. Not that any of his followups could be called a failure, it's just that Night's Dawn is really cool! I mean who can seriously deal with possession, necromancy, devil worship, witch hunting, vampires, werewolves, ghosts and demons, all in a future world in which humanity has conquered space and tries to attack the situation with science and rationality? Seriously! If this guy would have written the Bible, there would be no Muslims! (Ron Hubbard, eat your heart out!)
There isn't much else I can say. I certainly cannot summarize a book that spreads over about a dozen inhabited planets, all with their own history, socioeconomic situations described and own characters to add plot (real plot) to the story. Right now I am terrified. I need to find the Greg Mandel trilogy, which is the last of the Hamilton big stories, and there are only two outcomes: a) I hate it, which would have wasted my time and trust in humanity; b) I love it, and then I go into withdrawal waiting for the last two volumes of the Void trilogy and whatever else he brilliantly writes in the future.
Bottom line: if you like Sci-Fi, you need to read this.
April 21, 2020
Disclaimer: I did not purchase this edition of the trilogy but each book separately. I just believe it's not fair to judge these three pieces of work separately and out of context to the entire saga. So this is a review for the story and not this edition of it.
First of all, this is indeed an amazing piece of work. It is clear from the first chapter of the first book to the last one of the third that the author put incredible effort to complete this trilogy. As an overall remark for the entire series I have to say that it was simultaneously very creative, enjoyable and truly scientific, if but necessarily a little intuitive to answer the main conflict of the plot. Sadly the one thing that keeps it away from the 5 star rating for me is the overall mediocre character ensemble.
The first book sets up the story really well. It is intriguing, fun and exciting and will almost definitely make you want to pick up the second book. The characters are build up fairly well and seem to have true potential.
The second book was my favorite. It had one of the most exciting and terrifyingly vivid action scenes I have read in a book. The narrative was given a strange direction towards some peculiar characters but by the end you end up satisfied with the resulting answers you got for the first book's questions. The original main characters experienced an obvious decline in their development but nothing too serious.
The third book was far from a disappointing conclusion, but it seemed to me like it was slightly rushed towards the end. Though as enjoyable as the other two, this one confirmed how thin the main characters had become after roughly 2.500 pages of potential development and the shift towards a more generalised approach of the story and the possible scientific elements of its contents from actual character growth.
In the end I have two remarks to offer as representations for these three books.
SPOILERS FOLLOW:
1. The books themselves make up an amazing saga and the general concept is being firmly supported by awesome descriptions, scientific facts and ideas, as well as interesting writing.
2. The characters end up disappointingly thin compared with the overall work that was put on the books. The most characteristic example being the main star/hero/god of the trilogy, Joshua, who had no real conflicts throught the saga and was by all accounts perfect in every possible way (intellectually superior, incredibly lucky, attractive to the point where (literally) every woman wanted him and the best captain of the books) so much so that in the end he was the one that saved everyone by becoming even more perfect somehow and essentially a god. (but for some reason still chose to marry the girl he hinted the least at loving throught the entirety of the story)
The Reality Dysfunction (Book 1) 4/5
The Neutronium Alchemist (Book 2) 5/5
The Naked God (Book 3) 3/5
First of all, this is indeed an amazing piece of work. It is clear from the first chapter of the first book to the last one of the third that the author put incredible effort to complete this trilogy. As an overall remark for the entire series I have to say that it was simultaneously very creative, enjoyable and truly scientific, if but necessarily a little intuitive to answer the main conflict of the plot. Sadly the one thing that keeps it away from the 5 star rating for me is the overall mediocre character ensemble.
The first book sets up the story really well. It is intriguing, fun and exciting and will almost definitely make you want to pick up the second book. The characters are build up fairly well and seem to have true potential.
The second book was my favorite. It had one of the most exciting and terrifyingly vivid action scenes I have read in a book. The narrative was given a strange direction towards some peculiar characters but by the end you end up satisfied with the resulting answers you got for the first book's questions. The original main characters experienced an obvious decline in their development but nothing too serious.
The third book was far from a disappointing conclusion, but it seemed to me like it was slightly rushed towards the end. Though as enjoyable as the other two, this one confirmed how thin the main characters had become after roughly 2.500 pages of potential development and the shift towards a more generalised approach of the story and the possible scientific elements of its contents from actual character growth.
In the end I have two remarks to offer as representations for these three books.
SPOILERS FOLLOW:
1. The books themselves make up an amazing saga and the general concept is being firmly supported by awesome descriptions, scientific facts and ideas, as well as interesting writing.
2. The characters end up disappointingly thin compared with the overall work that was put on the books. The most characteristic example being the main star/hero/god of the trilogy, Joshua, who had no real conflicts throught the saga and was by all accounts perfect in every possible way (intellectually superior, incredibly lucky, attractive to the point where (literally) every woman wanted him and the best captain of the books) so much so that in the end he was the one that saved everyone by becoming even more perfect somehow and essentially a god. (but for some reason still chose to marry the girl he hinted the least at loving throught the entirety of the story)
The Reality Dysfunction (Book 1) 4/5
The Neutronium Alchemist (Book 2) 5/5
The Naked God (Book 3) 3/5
November 13, 2024
I just read a review kinda canning it at 3 stars. It's definitely not average, though. Sure, it's a bit leaning to soft porn and Fox Pictures style action, all ambition and aimless like a forgetable 80s flick. However, the way it reads so visually plus the sheer originality of the complex plots had me hooked. The stories and teasing bleak undertone all come together to deliver a superb cathartic finish that will always stand out to me. It's an awesome story, at a glance maybe shallow though it develops some big ideas and makes plenty of wry observations for sure. The plot delivers on it's purpose after a tense and bombastic mystery ride. Def, satisfying, it's gripping all the way.
April 6, 2021
Generally gripping story with strong action sequences and imaginative future science and descriptions. However I found some storylines over the top and felt the books would have been better trimming by a third and concentrating more on main characters, eg get rid of Valisk storyline, ghosts and miscellaneous monsters. I would also tone down the Quinn Dexter storyline as I think his powers are more fantasy and not consistent with a hard SF book.
I first read about 20 years ago with similar opinion.
I first read about 20 years ago with similar opinion.
November 29, 2024
This story could have been a prequel to the Commonwealth Saga, but that was set up differently.
This is horror on a level I have never seen before. Imagine if PLAN 9 from Outer Space knew what it was doing? Funny things happened in the trilogy- but it is hard for me to remember them.
Terrible things happened to good people, who didn't deserve it.
Whole Planets get destroyed.
"A Fate Worse than Death" is not a figure of speech!
The Neuronics technology features. A superpower I have never seen used in such a manner is integral to the plot.
This is horror on a level I have never seen before. Imagine if PLAN 9 from Outer Space knew what it was doing? Funny things happened in the trilogy- but it is hard for me to remember them.
Terrible things happened to good people, who didn't deserve it.
Whole Planets get destroyed.
"A Fate Worse than Death" is not a figure of speech!
The Neuronics technology features. A superpower I have never seen used in such a manner is integral to the plot.
March 3, 2019
I started this several times before I continued and finished (the trilogy). It takes a long time for the parts of the world he's building to come together, but when it does all the beginning parts fall into place. Speaking of many parts, however, this story has a lot of parts and I liked some much more than others. I found certain sections that describe evil absolutely searing and they've stayed with me. Other parts seemed absurd and comically stereotyped.
May 23, 2022
A page turning 10 day undertaking. Loved the world building. Beware of long info dumps. Never liked info dumps but Hamilton's way of incorporating them into stories gave good enough context One point reduced for the deus-ex-machina ending. Still this trilogy confirms humanity is going to be OK despite our differences.
April 16, 2018
This was a wonderful space epic. If you have a free year, just breeze through the nearly 3,000 pages.
January 5, 2019
Stunning trilogy.
February 17, 2021
The last 200 pages are epic but it takes 4000 pages to get there.
September 21, 2021
Boring...
June 29, 2017
A spectacular 3000 pages; vast-spanning sci-fi epic with a fascinating take on the afterlife. The ending may be .
Fantastic read. I already miss this universe.
Fantastic read. I already miss this universe.
December 22, 2020
I considered giving it four stars because of all the atrocities and porn scenes (sadly a staple with many sci-fi authors), but the epic world-building and the breathtaking adventures still push it to top grade, five star space opera for me. It has wormhole generators, brave captains, noble princesses, supervillains, multiple species of aliens, energy lifeforms, and even space zombies! If people can tolerate "A Song of Fire and Ice", they might also tolerate this. I just won't recommend it to anyone, because that would be creepy.
Edit: updated to 4 stars still. Excellent, yes. All-time favorites, no.
Edit: updated to 4 stars still. Excellent, yes. All-time favorites, no.
November 22, 2015
This would have to be the longest book I have ever read. At 3,000 pages (more than twice War and Peace!) it is truly a saga of epic proportions. I give it 4-stars as the ideas presented are interesting/novel and the interweaving stories make it hard to put down and as I like to say, an E for effort. It is blend of science fiction, religion and philosophy. Set a few centuries into the future, many of the technical advances sound plausible. It lost a point and got me frustrated in some blatant inconsistencies that seemed required to ensure the plot was complex enough. You don't get that with Isaac Asimov or Arthur C Clarke. Inter stellar travel and being possessed by the dead are strange bedfellows. The Trilogy is high melodrama, where heroes are serious heroes who can do no evil (well, sleeping around probably doesn't count) and evil villains are very evil and can do no good. Rather USA-centric for a Brit perhaps?
December 10, 2016
This is an impressive SF trilogy on multiple levels- extremely rich and innovative world-building. Very intricate plot. Multiple characters with rather unique perspectives and depth, and of course very good prose. Yet, although I am a fan of Mr. Hamilton's work, and really loved the Void trilogy, as a trilogy this one doesn't work so well. There is a large gap of quality between the first novel, which is superb, and the two latter ones. All books are excessively long, and the second and third novels felt inflated to me (an editor could have, and should have cut them by 33-40%). Still, I read all three and kept going waiting for the resolution, but unlike the Void trilogy, which ties up really well and in a surprising way, the way this trilogy ended really pissed me off - without giving away spoilers, I found the end highly disappointing on every conceivable layers and quite stupid.
September 29, 2014
The Reality Dysfunction; The Neutronium Alchemist; The Naked God
1996-1999
3500-page space opera.
Lalonde, the Juliffe River, Gerald&Loren and Marie Skibbow, Dexter Quinn, Father Horst, Jay, Mayope wood
Joshua Calvert and the Lady MacBeth
Ione Saldana (The Lord of Ruin) and Tranquility habitat
Syrinx and Oenone and the Edenists
Dr. Alkad Mzu, Garissa and Omuta
Al Capone and Jezibella, New California
Louise Kavanagh and Norfolk, Norfolk Tears
Valisk habitat Rubra and Dariat
Kiera/Marie Skibbow
the Mortonridge Liberation, Ralph Hiltch, Annette Ekelund; Stephanie and Moyo and Cochrane the hippie
Banneth and the Lightbringer Sect; B7 and "Western Europe"/Charlie
The Kiint and Haile
The Tyrathca, and The Sleeping God
1996-1999
3500-page space opera.
Lalonde, the Juliffe River, Gerald&Loren and Marie Skibbow, Dexter Quinn, Father Horst, Jay, Mayope wood
Joshua Calvert and the Lady MacBeth
Ione Saldana (The Lord of Ruin) and Tranquility habitat
Syrinx and Oenone and the Edenists
Dr. Alkad Mzu, Garissa and Omuta
Al Capone and Jezibella, New California
Louise Kavanagh and Norfolk, Norfolk Tears
Valisk habitat Rubra and Dariat
Kiera/Marie Skibbow
the Mortonridge Liberation, Ralph Hiltch, Annette Ekelund; Stephanie and Moyo and Cochrane the hippie
Banneth and the Lightbringer Sect; B7 and "Western Europe"/Charlie
The Kiint and Haile
The Tyrathca, and The Sleeping God
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2014
This has got to be the best and longest hard sci-fi trilogy I've read. It kept my interest up the entire time.
Totaling over 3,600 pages, in the end, I wish it would have kept going.
Peter F Hamilton's view in this universe he created is amazingly large and thorough.
This was an awesome mix of space action, hard sci-fi, bad boy/good boy space captains, space zombies, super ships, weaponry, and cyborg like humans.
One of my favorite concepts in it, though not a large part of the story, is a man who has himself put in hibernation for 200 years every 10 years or so... to see how humanity is coming along.
Totaling over 3,600 pages, in the end, I wish it would have kept going.
Peter F Hamilton's view in this universe he created is amazingly large and thorough.
This was an awesome mix of space action, hard sci-fi, bad boy/good boy space captains, space zombies, super ships, weaponry, and cyborg like humans.
One of my favorite concepts in it, though not a large part of the story, is a man who has himself put in hibernation for 200 years every 10 years or so... to see how humanity is coming along.
Read
January 9, 2017maybe i'm the only guy, maybe i'm the chief weirdass in here but this book read like it had been edited to death near the end
i felt like i just hadn't had enough time to get to know any of the characters arriving later in the book and it was difficult to care for the arcs introduced after the first book or honestly a lot of the arcs in the first book
there's a state of mind where one could theoretically argue that this was an intentional attempt to convey the scale/speed of the events occurring in the book but i'm not high right now so that's not going to happen
i felt like i just hadn't had enough time to get to know any of the characters arriving later in the book and it was difficult to care for the arcs introduced after the first book or honestly a lot of the arcs in the first book
there's a state of mind where one could theoretically argue that this was an intentional attempt to convey the scale/speed of the events occurring in the book but i'm not high right now so that's not going to happen
January 8, 2013
Short review, LOOOOONG read :) I read all three back to back, sheeze by the time I finished the last book I was ready for it to be over with. Very good writing style, storyline kept me turning pages and staying up way late just to see what was going to happen next. Well developed characters although there were so many I did find myself a little confused as to who was who. Very enjoyable read.
October 18, 2022
Started off with a bang, really loved it for several hundred pages, until the ending veered from semi-plausible speculative fiction to fantasy. I kept this on my "Currently Reading" list for nearly a decade (no exaggeration) because I truly did 'want' to finish it. But after all this time I have to admit I lost momentum on this trilogy for reasons.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2021
If you are looking for a fast moving, exciting space opera, there is no need to look further. Watch out though: you are looking at over three thousand pages of hard science fiction, space zombies, alien races, interstellar pirates and mind reading living space ships.
Great experience - I am currently re-reading all of it.
Great experience - I am currently re-reading all of it.
October 28, 2010
This is one of the best books I have ever read. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a cultural science fiction book. After reading this book, I got completely hooked on Peter F. Hamilton and have subsequently read every book he has written.
July 19, 2014
Dupa semnificatia notarii, trei stele inseamna ca mi-a placut. Imaginatia autorului a fost greu de tinut in frau, de aceea trilogia e greu de citit. Traducerea in limba romana a ultimei parti, "Zeul adormit" e absolut mizerabila.
November 18, 2021
The main character might be a bit of an arse, the ending might be weak etc but none of that matters because it's so epic and contains so many mind-blowing creations of human and alien culture and technology, and it's all driven along by rip-roaring narrative.
March 10, 2011
Epic, and awesome. Space opera at its finest.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews