Arbieroo reviewed Temporal Void by Peter F. Hamilton
Review of 'Temporal Void' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
The middle tome of the Void Trilogy is in some ways the best book I've read by Hamilton - there really isn't a dull patch in it and it contains the most emotionally affecting material I've read by him. It is, however, interesting to observe where these passages occur:
There is a story within a story - the dreams about the Waterwalker - which has reached 13 installments by the end of this second volume. This story really came to dominate my interest and emotional connection to the book and here's the thing about it; instead of jumping between the points of view of disparate characters in different locations, it sticks constantly to the point of view of one character, the Waterwalker, and we get to know other characters through him. I care more about what happens to him than about the fate of the galaxy which, outside the dreams, …
The middle tome of the Void Trilogy is in some ways the best book I've read by Hamilton - there really isn't a dull patch in it and it contains the most emotionally affecting material I've read by him. It is, however, interesting to observe where these passages occur:
There is a story within a story - the dreams about the Waterwalker - which has reached 13 installments by the end of this second volume. This story really came to dominate my interest and emotional connection to the book and here's the thing about it; instead of jumping between the points of view of disparate characters in different locations, it sticks constantly to the point of view of one character, the Waterwalker, and we get to know other characters through him. I care more about what happens to him than about the fate of the galaxy which, outside the dreams, is under threat of destruction, whilst various parties intrigue, politic and generally machinate...
In the really daft film, The Core, someone suggests that saving the world is too much - one should just aim to save those you love...another facet of this is that it really is easier to care about the fate of an individual in a dream than about all those myriad characters who get approximately equal but insufficient time back in the real world. It's easier to write, too. Unfortunately the Waterwalker looks quite familiar; anyone who has read as much Hamilton as I have will have noticed that stock characters keep showing their faces in different books with different names and different circumstances and this is going to become a serious problem if it carries on.
The science-fictional idea central to this trilogy is the Void itself - and it is an interesting one - the most interesting and original one Hamilton has come up with, I think. My feeling is that Hamilton has the potential for more than mere space opera if he can weave together all his strengths in one book and recognise and hence avoid his weaknesses; Hamilton is a writer who has been improving as time goes on, but needs to carry on doing so.