The Saints of Salvation

No cover — The Saints of Salvation (Hardcover, 2020, Del Rey)

Hardcover, 528 pages

English language

Published Oct. 27, 2020 by Del Rey.

ISBN:: 978-0-399-17888-7

(1 review)

Sequel to Salvation Lost.

Humanity welcomed the Olyix and their utopian technology. However, mankind was tricked. For two years, these visitors have been laying seige to Earth - harvesting its people and levelling its cities with devastating weaponry. And while millions fled into space, others have continued to fight a seemingly unwinnable war.

As Earth's defeat draws near, a team attempts to infiltrate the Salvation of Life - the Olyix's arkship. If this succeeds, the group will travel countless lightyears to the enemy's hidden enclave. From there, they could reveal its location to allies in a future timeline. Yet in the future, humanity is still hunted by its ancient adversary. And so far, hope seems distant indeed.

5 editions

Stephen reviewed The Saints of Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton

Enjoyable again, but a bit confusing

4 stars

Without spoilers, there's a lot of stuff happening in a lot of different times, but those times are flowing at different speed relatively to each other so the stuff that starts earlier finishes later. And, as opposed to the the first book with locations like "this space habitat" or "that bit of London" it's "in this ship, which is between these places" and I found it very hard to keep apart.

But again I also read the book at 4am, instead of failing to sleep, so that didn't help. The trilogy is concluded, but there are two hooks left open to tug on later.

I also really can't work out whether the author wants us to like billionaire autocrats or not. It very much feels like you're supposed to, in the same way that classic fantasy has "kings, what a good idea" through it, as they're all wise and fearless …

Without spoilers, there's a lot of stuff happening in a lot of different times, but those times are flowing at different speed relatively to each other so the stuff that starts earlier finishes later. And, as opposed to the the first book with locations like "this space habitat" or "that bit of London" it's "in this ship, which is between these places" and I found it very hard to keep apart.

But again I also read the book at 4am, instead of failing to sleep, so that didn't help. The trilogy is concluded, but there are two hooks left open to tug on later.

I also really can't work out whether the author wants us to like billionaire autocrats or not. It very much feels like you're supposed to, in the same way that classic fantasy has "kings, what a good idea" through it, as they're all wise and fearless (the hero ones, anyway). The billionaire characters are definitely the good guys (and girls, and omnia) but it's yet another set of books that say "whoever makes their fortune in the 2200s will have it for the rest of the civilisation of the humans, if they don't outlive the others". Everyone else is spending each lifetime paying for life extensions of one form or another.

It's also nice to see PFH broaden the gender spectrum, but writing this I've realised he does do it to exactly three. No more or less.