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Title: Polity Agent
Title: Polity Agent
Series:
Polity: Agent Cormac #4
Author:
Neal Asher
Rating:
4 of 5 Stars
Genre:
SF
Pages:
580
Format:
Digital Edition
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Synopsis: |
Another jain node is experimented upon, this time by a haiman. But she's a bit smarter than Skellor and doesn't allow it access to her, thus putting off its growth and takeover.
At the same time, it turns out that the
Maker civilization, which created the Dragon, was also using jain
tech and planned on seeding the Polity with the nodes and thus
allowing the Polity to destroy itself. Well, the Makers ended up
destroying themselves first, but Cormac must track down the remaining
nodes that they sent with the Dragon.
And if that wasn't enough, it appears
that a rogue AI, that left the Polity after the Prador Wars, has
succumbed to jain tech and is actively trying to destroy the Polity
as well.
Bloody jain tech, it just wants to kill
everything...
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My Thoughts: |
This was the first book in the Agent Cormac series where things weren't wrapped up by the end. The Haiman's [a human who is aug'ing themselves until they can handle AI level of data] storyline was the slowest and the least completed. In many ways her plot line almost felt unnecessary except for when she propelled the other plot lines forward. I can't remember enough about the next book to know if she plays a big part or not. I guess I'll just have to wait and find out.
Cormac tracking down the other nodes
and the Rogue AI lines were pretty closely intertwined. The rogue AI,
named Cerberus, kept laying traps for Polity ships and they kept
falling for it. Not sure if that was deliberate or if the Polity AI's
really were that stupid? Considering how long range Earth Central
plans, I'm betting on “deliberate”.
I had forgotten how many people died.
Almost everyone we've met so far, except for Cormac [of course!], the
biologist Mika, the Dracoman Scar and AI's, die. Subsumed by jain
tech, destroyed in battles, tortured and killed by bad guys, etc.
Even the revelations about Horace Blegg means he is out of the
picture, his usefulness at an end. By his own side too, ouch!
This is fun to read and I enjoy the
violence and blazing guns and super weapons and smarty pants AI's. I
don't feel that this book lost anything upon re-read. Things might
not be as “new”, but it was just as exciting as before. If you're
looking for some bloody good science fiction, try this sub-series of
Asher's Polity Universe.
★★★★☆
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