|
-
News
- Features
- Events
Calendar
- Editorials
- Monthly
Zine
- Offworld
Report
- Our Daily
RSS Feed
- Movie/TV
Reviews
> Recent movies
> Movies by year
> Movies by title
- Book
Reviews
> Recent books
> Books by year
> Books by title
- Home
- Worlds
- Biography
- Bibliography
- Appearances
- Reviews
- Blog
- Community
- Press
- Links
Become
an Advertiser
- Web
Site Directory
- Search
the Net
- StephenHunt.net
- WoodenRocket.com
- Check
your E-mail
- Non Sci-Fi
News
|
Polity Agent by Neal Asher
01/03/2007 . Source: Tomas L. Martin 
pub: TOR-UK. 486 page hardback. Price: £ 17.99 (UK). ISBN: 1-4050-5498-0. Buy Polity Agent in the USA - or Buy Polity Agent in the UK  In this, Neal Asher's seventh major novel and fourth in the Ian Cormac series, 'Polity Agent', we see more of the traits that have made his previous efforts successful. Enjoyable gung-ho action mixed with impressive future tech and convoluted, many-character plots add up to an extremely heady read.
'Polity Agent' focuses again on agent Ian Cormac and his efforts working for the AI-led Polity, ridding the human and AI occupied civilisation from threats. The most important threats in Asher's books have been the Jain nano-technology, which takes over an intelligent host and breeds inside it, ultimately destroying civilisations in the process.
Another couple of Jain 'nodes' have been uncovered in this book, planted by an unknown operative on arrogant leaders willing to utilise the power of the technology. Rapidly, this reassembling invasive organism spreads through its host and infects the land around it in a frighteningly quick growth reminiscent of many a Japanese animation.
There are far too many plot-lines to list all of them but suffice to say that all of the characters still living in the Cormac storyline return and there are some significant advances and revelations. The most interesting surrounding mysterious agent Horace Blegg, who has been an enigmatic figure until now.
The overall story arc also has some revelations and brings together elements of the previous three books ('Gridlinked', 'Line Of Polity' and 'Brass Man') into a cohesive whole. I still feel 'Line Of Polity' is the most enjoyable of the series but the events of 'Polity Agent' makes a lot of the many storylines clearer.
The final confrontation at the end of the book isn't as satisfying as it could have been and still many of the characters are a little un-fleshed out but Neal Asher's strengths are again highlighted here. The action is frenetic, utilising some ingenious world-building and technological inventions, in particular the insidious Jain tech. These highlights combine with larger-than-life heroes and alien life to create another fun ride from this excellent British writer.
Tomas L. Martin
|
|
