Heaven’s River

by Dennis E. Taylor

16 hours, 57 minutes

English language

Published Sept. 24, 2020 by Audible Originals.

ASIN:: B088C51F5H
Audible ASIN:: B088C4DBYP

(5 reviews)

Civil war looms in the Bobiverse in this brand-new, epic-length adventure by Audible #1 bestseller Dennis E. Taylor.

More than a hundred years ago, Bender set out for the stars and was never heard from again. There has been no trace of him despite numerous searches by his clone-mates. Now Bob is determined to organize an expedition to learn Bender’s fate — whatever the cost.

But nothing is ever simple in the Bobiverse. Bob’s descendants are out to the 24th generation now, and replicative drift has produced individuals who can barely be considered Bobs anymore. Some of them oppose Bob’s plan; others have plans of their own. The out-of-control moots are the least of the Bobiverse’s problems.

Undaunted, Bob and his allies follow Bender’s trail. But what they discover out in deep space is so unexpected and so complex that it could either save the universe — or pose an …

Civil war looms in the Bobiverse in this brand-new, epic-length adventure by Audible #1 bestseller Dennis E. Taylor.

Undaunted, Bob and his allies follow Bender’s trail. But what they discover out in deep space is so unexpected and so complex that it could either save the universe — or pose an existential threat the likes of which the Bobiverse has ever faced.

Heaven’s River is the fourth installment in the blockbuster Audible Original Bobiverse series—which has sold more than 1 million copies.

4 editions

Christin White reviewed Heaven’s River by Dennis E. Taylor (Bobiverse, #4)

The best book so far!

4 stars

Content warning Some spoilers

While I've enjoyed all the previous books, I didn't find them all that substantial beyond light, enjoyable fun. Heaven's River definitely elevates the quality in comparison to its predecessors, and it held my interest the whole way through.

I think the main change is the introduction of a creative and thought-provoking new race of aliens and the topopolis megastructure they inhabit. The aliens themselves weren't particularly unique, but the concept of a pre-industrial civilization that had previously advanced to the level of creating an immense megastructure and an advanced AI to manage it before largely regressing. Trying to understand a civilization that has an advanced overseer who is effectively standing in for a god to a culture, having a subset of the civilization that has not regressed and is still using high speed rale (far more advanced than ours) while the rest of the civilization is moving around on carts, transporting themselves by boat and living a more simple life. It's a fascinating concept to me.

That said, I also didn't find the continued conflict between the factions of bobs very compelling, nor the conflicts with humanity and the inevitable meltdown being foreshadowed. I also felt like the big twist at the end was rather predictable, and the conclusion was somewhat anticlimactic and unsatisfying.

Still, I'm stoked to read the text book and hope Taylor keeps growing. The series, and especially the author, have so much potential, I can't wait to watch.

Frank Burns reviewed Heaven’s River by Dennis E. Taylor (Bobiverse, #4)

Review of 'Heaven’s River' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Yay, another enjoyable outing in the Bobiverse.
This time we have an alien megastructure, rescuing a missing Bob and trouble in Bob paradise.
By this point with this series you are either bought in or not. I most definitely am so this was a fun ride for me.
Recommend for this and the whole series.