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Jacob's Ladder #2
Chill
Sometimes the greatest sin is survival.
The generation ship Jacob’s Ladder has barely survived cataclysms from without and within. Now, riding the shock wave of a nova blast toward an uncertain destiny, the damaged ship—the only world its inhabitants have ever known—remains a war zone. Even as Perceval, the new captain, struggles to come to terms with the traumas of her recent past, the remnants of rebellion aboard the ship still threaten the crew’s survival.
Yet as Perceval’s relatives Tristen and Benedick play a deadly game of cat and mouse in pursuit of a traitor through a vast ship that is renewing itself in strange and dangerous ways, an even more insidious threat is building in a place no one ever thought to look. And this implacable enemy could change the face of the ship forever if a ragtag band of heroes cannot stop it.
The generation ship Jacob’s Ladder has barely survived cataclysms from without and within. Now, riding the shock wave of a nova blast toward an uncertain destiny, the damaged ship—the only world its inhabitants have ever known—remains a war zone. Even as Perceval, the new captain, struggles to come to terms with the traumas of her recent past, the remnants of rebellion aboard the ship still threaten the crew’s survival.
Yet as Perceval’s relatives Tristen and Benedick play a deadly game of cat and mouse in pursuit of a traitor through a vast ship that is renewing itself in strange and dangerous ways, an even more insidious threat is building in a place no one ever thought to look. And this implacable enemy could change the face of the ship forever if a ragtag band of heroes cannot stop it.
310 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 29, 2009
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Elizabeth Bear
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
June 17, 2015
I'm afraid that I won't be able to review this book as seriously as I originally intended. I wanted to read it as an adventure and a novel of chase, because that's how it felt, but I got sidetracked by alienish and outright aliens being bred in the bowels of the generation ship. I wanted to get waylaid by Tristan, the toolbox, the necromancer, and the fragment of our big bad angel from Dust, but I'm afraid I was distracted.
It could be because the novel was a departure from the excellent setup from the first in the trilogy, and perhaps it is because the main actors from Dust were forced into more cerebral and sendentary roles. Perhaps I wanted a smarter overmind, incorporating the pizazz of the angels from before.
Unfortunately, the novel felt like it was suffering from the same problem as the ship. It was outrunning a supernova, but it had no idea where it wanted to go. I know, it sounds rather damning, but that's my take, and the characters within go and hunt for a reason, or an engineer, to take them by the hand and just go astrogate.
We do get it, by the end, with the help of leviathan, but it felt more like a whimper than a bang. The first novel was much better.
Fortunately, I'm still riding the supernova of the first novel, so I haven't given up on the trilogy. I'll take on Grail right away and pray it picks up again.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I do have to let everyone know that this novel is going to suffer, in my mind, because I devoured a singularly fantastic book during the reading of this one. The problem is simple. I've suddenly had to rearrange my favorite top 3 books of all time to make room for Raphael Carter's Fortunate Fall. This out of print book was a complete unknown to me, but it STILL has an iron grip on my mind and makes me look at EVERYTHING else in a poorer light. It's not fair to the books that come after or, in this case, during, because it's become almost impossible to be objective.
This is also the best reason I can give for continuing on to the third book in good faith.
It could be because the novel was a departure from the excellent setup from the first in the trilogy, and perhaps it is because the main actors from Dust were forced into more cerebral and sendentary roles. Perhaps I wanted a smarter overmind, incorporating the pizazz of the angels from before.
Unfortunately, the novel felt like it was suffering from the same problem as the ship. It was outrunning a supernova, but it had no idea where it wanted to go. I know, it sounds rather damning, but that's my take, and the characters within go and hunt for a reason, or an engineer, to take them by the hand and just go astrogate.
We do get it, by the end, with the help of leviathan, but it felt more like a whimper than a bang. The first novel was much better.
Fortunately, I'm still riding the supernova of the first novel, so I haven't given up on the trilogy. I'll take on Grail right away and pray it picks up again.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I do have to let everyone know that this novel is going to suffer, in my mind, because I devoured a singularly fantastic book during the reading of this one. The problem is simple. I've suddenly had to rearrange my favorite top 3 books of all time to make room for Raphael Carter's Fortunate Fall. This out of print book was a complete unknown to me, but it STILL has an iron grip on my mind and makes me look at EVERYTHING else in a poorer light. It's not fair to the books that come after or, in this case, during, because it's become almost impossible to be objective.
This is also the best reason I can give for continuing on to the third book in good faith.
August 13, 2012
2 Stars
This book is barely a 2 star read after a decent start with book 1 Dust. Very little happens in this book and the characters that made book 1 great are reduced down to paper thin shells. I was bored at times reading this and am truly shocked that I pushed through to the end.
Elizabeth Bear is an amazing author that writes great science fiction, but this book was not up to par. It is going to be tough to finish this series.
This book is barely a 2 star read after a decent start with book 1 Dust. Very little happens in this book and the characters that made book 1 great are reduced down to paper thin shells. I was bored at times reading this and am truly shocked that I pushed through to the end.
Elizabeth Bear is an amazing author that writes great science fiction, but this book was not up to par. It is going to be tough to finish this series.
August 4, 2019
Elizabeth Bear's Chill is the second in her Jacob's Ladder series. I described the first in this series as part of a "frequently disorienting, occasionally downright trippy, always original and thoughtful trilogy." Chill was less disorienting – except in terms of tracking who the 12-15 central characters were: they included siblings of a super family of Exalt, good and bad angels (AI projections), necromancers, re-evolved creatures (baby mammoths and giant carnivorous orchids).
I enjoyed Dust, but Chill seemed to come together better. It faced the evil in the world, named it, and attempted to rebuild a better one. Caitlin, one daughter in the Conn family, when faced with a horrifying decision made by the Builders (perhaps us?) considered the description of the decision as "cynical":
Cynical. What a comforting euphemism to mean deception, betrayal, the treacherous use of the faith of hundreds of thousands to lure them to their deaths. (Kindle 3687)
Trust appears in the text 45 times and was a rare but growing commodity:
His sister Arianrhod, the most obviously evil member of the family, is caught at the end. She was released, Cynric (yet another sister) arguing, "What has she done that's worse than you or me?" (Kindle 4309)
Fair enough.
This series reminds me of Zelazny's Prince of Amber series, although the tone is very different. There the demi-god siblings killed each other at a drop of a hat and often joked. In Chill, their ship has just escaped apparent apocalypse. There are fewer opportunities to laugh.
If I were to ask for one thing, I would ask for a genealogy – or an activated X-Ray feature on my Kindle – especially as the Conn family was complicated, intermarried, long-lived, and might take different forms across time. Tracking their relationships was often difficult. In fact, I probably misidentified some relationships in this review. Mea culpa!
I enjoyed Dust, but Chill seemed to come together better. It faced the evil in the world, named it, and attempted to rebuild a better one. Caitlin, one daughter in the Conn family, when faced with a horrifying decision made by the Builders (perhaps us?) considered the description of the decision as "cynical":
Cynical. What a comforting euphemism to mean deception, betrayal, the treacherous use of the faith of hundreds of thousands to lure them to their deaths. (Kindle 3687)
Trust appears in the text 45 times and was a rare but growing commodity:
"Will you accept a squirt?”Love was dangerous, but fruitful.
Easier and faster than speech, to allow the angel to simply inject the knowledge into his head. Riskier, too—all sorts of things could come concealed in such code.
Benedick nodded nevertheless, choosing to trust. Trust the angel, trust the Captain his daughter. Trust the world that cradled his bones. (Kindle 1608)
You did not love an angel to be safe, or in the interests of survival, or even because you thought the angel might ever love you back. You did not love an angel because you thought you could tame an angel, change it, make it safe. You loved an angel because to love an angel was to touch something larger than yourself, and because the process of that touch enlarged you as well. (Kindle 3198)In Dust, the characters were either good or bad, while in Chill, they were more nuanced. In one scene, Tristen meets his great-granddaughter, the priestess of the land that his team was travelling through, and judged for his crimes by being forced to face them. He told her, "Death is not the only justice. I paid for my sins before you met me, Lady of the Edenites. I am well acquainted with my monstrosities. And I have long since learned to live with them, which is harder.” She responded, Good enough, if unsatisfying." (Kindle 3379) To me, this is a more satisfying conclusion than many.
His sister Arianrhod, the most obviously evil member of the family, is caught at the end. She was released, Cynric (yet another sister) arguing, "What has she done that's worse than you or me?" (Kindle 4309)
Fair enough.
This series reminds me of Zelazny's Prince of Amber series, although the tone is very different. There the demi-god siblings killed each other at a drop of a hat and often joked. In Chill, their ship has just escaped apparent apocalypse. There are fewer opportunities to laugh.
If I were to ask for one thing, I would ask for a genealogy – or an activated X-Ray feature on my Kindle – especially as the Conn family was complicated, intermarried, long-lived, and might take different forms across time. Tracking their relationships was often difficult. In fact, I probably misidentified some relationships in this review. Mea culpa!
December 1, 2012
WARNING: No spoilers for Chill, but plenty of spoilers for Dust.
Chill picks up almost directly after Dust ended, when the ship is reeling from the nova blast and the crew is reeling from all of the deaths, particularly Rien's sacrifice to bring the new angel -- an A.I. integrating all of the splinter A.I.s that developed when the ship broke down centuries before -- into existence. Perceval is now captain, but she is barely functional as she deals with her grief, and there is an enormous power vacuum that the remaining Exalts of Rule and Engine -- both those for and against Perceval's captaincy -- are scrambling to fill. And while the A.I.s have all been integrated into the new angel, it is bothered by enormous black spaces in its awareness of the ship, due either to damage or enemy machinations.
And then a very dangerous prisoner escapes, so two teams -- one led by Tristen, the other by Benedick -- are sent in pursuit.
The plot is made up entirely by that pursuit, and I found that choice disappointing. The entire plot of Dust was Perceval and Rien fleeing through the fascinating landscape of the half-ruined ship; to have the entire plot of this one be another chase through a now-much-more-familiar landscape just seemed repetitive. There are a couple new and exciting set-pieces -- particularly a scene involving massive intelligent fungi doing something deliciously unexpected -- but ultimately I felt a bit let down by Bear's imagination. What stood out most about Dust for me was how gloriously imaginative the world-building was; with that thrill behind me this was just another SF action novel.
Or would have been, were it not for the characters.
If there was one flaw in Dust, it was that all of the characters were ciphers to me for 2/3 of the novel. Not so here. Dust and Chill ended up being mirror images of each other: the first all ideas and no character development; the second few (new) ideas but wonderful, complex characters with long histories and complicated relationships. The chase plot is really just window-dressing for internal, character-driven action, as the characters left standing after Dust figure out who they want to be in this new world.
Unfortunately, window-dressing or not the chase plot was still there, and it required a resolution, and that resolution was something of a deus-ex-machina. It also left a pretty significant plot thread dangling, as this is the middle book of a trilogy. But for these characters I would forgive a great deal more than that.
Chill picks up almost directly after Dust ended, when the ship is reeling from the nova blast and the crew is reeling from all of the deaths, particularly Rien's sacrifice to bring the new angel -- an A.I. integrating all of the splinter A.I.s that developed when the ship broke down centuries before -- into existence. Perceval is now captain, but she is barely functional as she deals with her grief, and there is an enormous power vacuum that the remaining Exalts of Rule and Engine -- both those for and against Perceval's captaincy -- are scrambling to fill. And while the A.I.s have all been integrated into the new angel, it is bothered by enormous black spaces in its awareness of the ship, due either to damage or enemy machinations.
And then a very dangerous prisoner escapes, so two teams -- one led by Tristen, the other by Benedick -- are sent in pursuit.
The plot is made up entirely by that pursuit, and I found that choice disappointing. The entire plot of Dust was Perceval and Rien fleeing through the fascinating landscape of the half-ruined ship; to have the entire plot of this one be another chase through a now-much-more-familiar landscape just seemed repetitive. There are a couple new and exciting set-pieces -- particularly a scene involving massive intelligent fungi doing something deliciously unexpected -- but ultimately I felt a bit let down by Bear's imagination. What stood out most about Dust for me was how gloriously imaginative the world-building was; with that thrill behind me this was just another SF action novel.
Or would have been, were it not for the characters.
If there was one flaw in Dust, it was that all of the characters were ciphers to me for 2/3 of the novel. Not so here. Dust and Chill ended up being mirror images of each other: the first all ideas and no character development; the second few (new) ideas but wonderful, complex characters with long histories and complicated relationships. The chase plot is really just window-dressing for internal, character-driven action, as the characters left standing after Dust figure out who they want to be in this new world.
Unfortunately, window-dressing or not the chase plot was still there, and it required a resolution, and that resolution was something of a deus-ex-machina. It also left a pretty significant plot thread dangling, as this is the middle book of a trilogy. But for these characters I would forgive a great deal more than that.
July 10, 2011
Dust was a fantastic novel that reminded me of Wolfe's Dying Sun series. Couched in mythic/fantasy language, but set far in the future. Chill is Dust's sequel and sadly, not as good as it's prequel.
The world-ship Jacob's Ladder has suffered some cataclysm which has left it adrift. The crew is at war with each other inside the broken hull. After a enforced peace breaks out at the end of Dust, the ship sets out again after 500 years. Now, crippled by damage, low on resources, the crew must deal with tough decisions. And then it looks like someone or something is sabotaging the ship...
This book feels both short (as in, it hasn't covered much ground) and rushed (as in, the final chapter or two and the big reveal all crammed into a chapter or two. It feels like she had to pad the middle parts of the novel to expand the book out, and then had an editor cut off the last couple of chapters. Bear has done great novels, but sadly, it seems like her sequels always suffer.
The world-ship Jacob's Ladder has suffered some cataclysm which has left it adrift. The crew is at war with each other inside the broken hull. After a enforced peace breaks out at the end of Dust, the ship sets out again after 500 years. Now, crippled by damage, low on resources, the crew must deal with tough decisions. And then it looks like someone or something is sabotaging the ship...
This book feels both short (as in, it hasn't covered much ground) and rushed (as in, the final chapter or two and the big reveal all crammed into a chapter or two. It feels like she had to pad the middle parts of the novel to expand the book out, and then had an editor cut off the last couple of chapters. Bear has done great novels, but sadly, it seems like her sequels always suffer.
March 8, 2010
I think the first book in the series, "Dust", was a stronger book. It may have been too long since I read that one until I read this one. I had a hard time remembering all the characters and family history. The first book had more of a sense of wonder with the movement through the ship. The main characters from the first book are mostly not seen, and I had a hard time transferring my interest to the new characters. This book is basically one big long chase scene, interspersed with lots of character angst and family drama. Exploring the ship/world wasn't quite as fresh. It looks like a lot of set-up for the third book, which may have more story to it. Although there were a lot of efforts at building tension, really, I had a hard time believing in deadly danger facing these superhuman characters.
It may just be a case of middle-book syndrome, and the series may be more dynamic in the next book.
It may just be a case of middle-book syndrome, and the series may be more dynamic in the next book.
April 29, 2015
Had absolutely no idea what was going on, in the first book. Too many names, too many new ideas, too much description that made it difficult to tell what was metaphor and what was actually happening. I picked up the second book mostly just hoping to figure out what happened in the first one.
Ooh, I get it now! I will probably go re-read Dust, now that I have a better idea. Because, for all my complaining, Bear's prose is SO GORGEOUS that I can't not read her books, even when I am completely lost. And her metaphors are so fabulous that I can't not enjoy the hell out of the books-- even when I am completely lost.
Ooh, I get it now! I will probably go re-read Dust, now that I have a better idea. Because, for all my complaining, Bear's prose is SO GORGEOUS that I can't not read her books, even when I am completely lost. And her metaphors are so fabulous that I can't not enjoy the hell out of the books-- even when I am completely lost.
June 1, 2011
This is definitely a second-book-in-the-series, not that you can tell that from the cover - which must have been annoying for some people. As such, there are spoilers for the first book, Dust.
Chill picks up only hours after the end of Dust - Tristen Conn awakens in an acceleration tank, after the colony ship has had to accelerate at drastic rates to escape a supernova. The first part of the story therefore follows the experiences of Tristen, Caitlin, Benedick and Perceval as they accustom themselves to their new roles, new relationships, and - in Perceval's case - new status. They do not do this unhampered, of course, because Arianrhod - she whose actions contributed significantly to the disasters of Dust - is also abroad, and again contributing to chaos. Much of the novel is in fact concerned with chasing Arianrhod, with Tristen and Benedick's desires for vengeance running hot. As they do so, they encounter new areas of their world/ship, Jacob's Ladder, that both broaden and confuse their understanding of the world and its purpose.
There is a lot of chasing in this book; a lot of running, some hiding, the occasional ambush. One consequence for the reader is in demonstrating the sheer size of the ship. However, this is not done as well as I would have liked, as Bear shows little interest in emphasising the size or making it feel as seriously large as it must be. This is problematic because without it, I couldn't help but feel that Tristen, Benedick and their companions were doing little more than running through corridors, either aimlessly or only to advance the plot by allowing them to meet new and difficult characters. Although they clearly have a destination - or, for most of the story, an objective - it did make the book feel a bit like it was running on the spot. On the other hand, they do meet new and interesting characters (just wait for the orchids), and in the process we learn more about the characters (especially Tristen), the history of the Conns, and the world/ship. Not quite enough that everything makes sense - and I still have some trouble with the Conn family tree, which makes things a bit confusing sometimes - but enough that some pieces from Dust begin to fall into place, and other conclusions are suggested.
More is learnt about the Conns and the world/ship through those who stay behind, too. Caitlin - Chief Engineer, doing what she does best - learns all sort of interesting and uncomfortable things from the resurrected Jsutien, once an Astrogator. Meanwhile Perceval, who has had hardly any time to come to grips with the fact that her sister-love Rien has been subsumed into the new world angel, is forced to start acting as Captain - which means interacting with the new angel, whether she likes it or not. Despite her preeminence in Dust, and her new role as Captain, Perceval actually doesn't appear as much as I had anticipated here in Chill. This lack contributed to my feeling somewhat unfulfilled by the novel as a whole. Even when she was the focus of particular sections, the reader is not given the same access to Perceval as in the first book. This is not a result of shifting focus; this actually contributes to the pace and excitement of the story, I think, as well as its richness. Instead it felt more like Bear wasn't sure how to deal with the new Perceval - and that she was more interested in the chase scenes. Perceval's scenes felt a bit cursory.
It might sound as if I didn't enjoy this book very much, but that's actually not true. I like the characters, and especially learning more about Tristen and Benedick, who were fairly opaque in Dust. Bear does some interesting things with the world/ship as a whole - and although she doesn't always see them through, offering them more as tantalising possibilities, I'm hoping that the third book (Grail) will bring things to a magnificent conclusion. I generally enjoy Bear's dialogue and her descriptive passages as well. So I'm definitely going to read the third book.
Chill picks up only hours after the end of Dust - Tristen Conn awakens in an acceleration tank, after the colony ship has had to accelerate at drastic rates to escape a supernova. The first part of the story therefore follows the experiences of Tristen, Caitlin, Benedick and Perceval as they accustom themselves to their new roles, new relationships, and - in Perceval's case - new status. They do not do this unhampered, of course, because Arianrhod - she whose actions contributed significantly to the disasters of Dust - is also abroad, and again contributing to chaos. Much of the novel is in fact concerned with chasing Arianrhod, with Tristen and Benedick's desires for vengeance running hot. As they do so, they encounter new areas of their world/ship, Jacob's Ladder, that both broaden and confuse their understanding of the world and its purpose.
There is a lot of chasing in this book; a lot of running, some hiding, the occasional ambush. One consequence for the reader is in demonstrating the sheer size of the ship. However, this is not done as well as I would have liked, as Bear shows little interest in emphasising the size or making it feel as seriously large as it must be. This is problematic because without it, I couldn't help but feel that Tristen, Benedick and their companions were doing little more than running through corridors, either aimlessly or only to advance the plot by allowing them to meet new and difficult characters. Although they clearly have a destination - or, for most of the story, an objective - it did make the book feel a bit like it was running on the spot. On the other hand, they do meet new and interesting characters (just wait for the orchids), and in the process we learn more about the characters (especially Tristen), the history of the Conns, and the world/ship. Not quite enough that everything makes sense - and I still have some trouble with the Conn family tree, which makes things a bit confusing sometimes - but enough that some pieces from Dust begin to fall into place, and other conclusions are suggested.
More is learnt about the Conns and the world/ship through those who stay behind, too. Caitlin - Chief Engineer, doing what she does best - learns all sort of interesting and uncomfortable things from the resurrected Jsutien, once an Astrogator. Meanwhile Perceval, who has had hardly any time to come to grips with the fact that her sister-love Rien has been subsumed into the new world angel, is forced to start acting as Captain - which means interacting with the new angel, whether she likes it or not. Despite her preeminence in Dust, and her new role as Captain, Perceval actually doesn't appear as much as I had anticipated here in Chill. This lack contributed to my feeling somewhat unfulfilled by the novel as a whole. Even when she was the focus of particular sections, the reader is not given the same access to Perceval as in the first book. This is not a result of shifting focus; this actually contributes to the pace and excitement of the story, I think, as well as its richness. Instead it felt more like Bear wasn't sure how to deal with the new Perceval - and that she was more interested in the chase scenes. Perceval's scenes felt a bit cursory.
It might sound as if I didn't enjoy this book very much, but that's actually not true. I like the characters, and especially learning more about Tristen and Benedick, who were fairly opaque in Dust. Bear does some interesting things with the world/ship as a whole - and although she doesn't always see them through, offering them more as tantalising possibilities, I'm hoping that the third book (Grail) will bring things to a magnificent conclusion. I generally enjoy Bear's dialogue and her descriptive passages as well. So I'm definitely going to read the third book.
August 10, 2021
Reread, 2021: It was a mistake to structure this as two simultaneous travelogues; there's some fun setpieces, particularly the high-oxygen descent, but it makes for a lot of structural repetition given the previous book, and the elided return trip undermines the scale and danger of every cross-ship journey. I like the worldbuilding otherwise, more this time than on my first read; developing Leviathan's character and role in the plot, rather than relegating it to mystery-fuel/MacGuffin, could have gone a long way to make this book more distinctive.
Also this is what I'm talking about when I mention Bear's penchant for microexpressions--they're 80% of the interpersonal relationships! It's repetitive but also my jam. I appreciate that putting Perceval offscreen allows her to grieve slowly, but failing to follow up on the emotional investments built in the first book is frustrating & I wonder if the tension of interior feelings betrayed/masked by external affect could have been productively turned on her grief.
Original review, 2015: The planetship is underway, but fragile: as its new angel and captain integrate, their integrity is threatened by a potential outside force. I miss the duo protagonists of Dust. Characterization in Chill is strong, but the narrative voice, with its distinctive quirks (especially in depicting microexpressions), remains static as it cycles through the half-dozen points of view; the effect is fluid almost to the point of sloppy, and, with a plot so similar to the first book, bizarrely redundant. But while the narrative left me cold, the world continues to be fascinating (even with this book's sudden and uneven ending). The religious slant on a generation ship, handled by an author as intentionally complex as Bear, is a spiraling nautilus, delicate and exponential and halfways-hidden, esoteric and creative, a pleasure to discover. I enjoy this series, and look forward to following it to conclusion, but as an individual book I much preferred the tighter and more effective narrative of the first.
Also this is what I'm talking about when I mention Bear's penchant for microexpressions--they're 80% of the interpersonal relationships! It's repetitive but also my jam. I appreciate that putting Perceval offscreen allows her to grieve slowly, but failing to follow up on the emotional investments built in the first book is frustrating & I wonder if the tension of interior feelings betrayed/masked by external affect could have been productively turned on her grief.
Original review, 2015: The planetship is underway, but fragile: as its new angel and captain integrate, their integrity is threatened by a potential outside force. I miss the duo protagonists of Dust. Characterization in Chill is strong, but the narrative voice, with its distinctive quirks (especially in depicting microexpressions), remains static as it cycles through the half-dozen points of view; the effect is fluid almost to the point of sloppy, and, with a plot so similar to the first book, bizarrely redundant. But while the narrative left me cold, the world continues to be fascinating (even with this book's sudden and uneven ending). The religious slant on a generation ship, handled by an author as intentionally complex as Bear, is a spiraling nautilus, delicate and exponential and halfways-hidden, esoteric and creative, a pleasure to discover. I enjoy this series, and look forward to following it to conclusion, but as an individual book I much preferred the tighter and more effective narrative of the first.
May 2, 2016
A funky mix of medieval knights questing through an incredible artificial space-faring habitat.
I had no idea what to expect - this is one of many 'second book in the series' that I've received as gifts. They normally sit on the shelf until I've found the first one. However, our book stacks are getting ridiculous and my current system is just reading the next book on the heap.
I didn't feel I was missing much though, the characters are suffering from their extended histories and the disasters of the first book. This is fixing it afterwards and preventing further chaos.
It's a beautiful world that Bear has created, full of nanotechnology and weird whimsy. It reminded me powerfully of Brian Aldiss' 'Hothouse', one of my favourite books about the far future and the bizarre fruits of evolution.
All the characters were fun, and I feel I'd like to know them better so I may still seek out the first volume 'Dust'. Bear's use of Angels as the AIs and the complex multitude of personalities and histories wrapped in all the characters made for great intrigue and depth. Basilisks - yes. Mammoths - yes. Intelligent carnivorous plants - yes.
Since it is primarily a quest tale there is a lot of walking and thinking with most of the real action right at the end. That gives it a slightly odd pace but it worked perfectly for me and I was delighted throughout.
I had no idea what to expect - this is one of many 'second book in the series' that I've received as gifts. They normally sit on the shelf until I've found the first one. However, our book stacks are getting ridiculous and my current system is just reading the next book on the heap.
I didn't feel I was missing much though, the characters are suffering from their extended histories and the disasters of the first book. This is fixing it afterwards and preventing further chaos.
It's a beautiful world that Bear has created, full of nanotechnology and weird whimsy. It reminded me powerfully of Brian Aldiss' 'Hothouse', one of my favourite books about the far future and the bizarre fruits of evolution.
All the characters were fun, and I feel I'd like to know them better so I may still seek out the first volume 'Dust'. Bear's use of Angels as the AIs and the complex multitude of personalities and histories wrapped in all the characters made for great intrigue and depth. Basilisks - yes. Mammoths - yes. Intelligent carnivorous plants - yes.
Since it is primarily a quest tale there is a lot of walking and thinking with most of the real action right at the end. That gives it a slightly odd pace but it worked perfectly for me and I was delighted throughout.
February 11, 2012
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, "Dust." I very much liked the juxtaposition of the near-derelict generation ship with the mythology that has grown up around its technologies, and the complex, 'old-fashioned' court hierarchies of the society.
Unfortunately, I didn't feel that "Chill" lived up to the first book's promise. I just wasn't sucked back into the world. The plot kind of meandered, and while there were some interesting ideas and imagery, I didn't feel any tension or driving drama... it was a bit of a slog to get through it.
Unfortunately, I didn't feel that "Chill" lived up to the first book's promise. I just wasn't sucked back into the world. The plot kind of meandered, and while there were some interesting ideas and imagery, I didn't feel any tension or driving drama... it was a bit of a slog to get through it.
November 7, 2017
The world building in this book is amazing. The flora & fauna, the evolution of culture & language, have been given exquisite attention.
However, this book goes in a different direction from the first in the series. The main protagonists are different characters, & point of view shifts through many more people. Unfortunately, I never fell in love with any of them. I was fascinated by the world through which they were traveling, but it was a struggle to care how their journey resolved. I loved so many things about the first book, to not love this one was a disappointment.
However, this book goes in a different direction from the first in the series. The main protagonists are different characters, & point of view shifts through many more people. Unfortunately, I never fell in love with any of them. I was fascinated by the world through which they were traveling, but it was a struggle to care how their journey resolved. I loved so many things about the first book, to not love this one was a disappointment.
July 16, 2016
Chandler's Law on a generation ship. I decided to finish the series but that is probably a character flaw.
January 1, 2019
Sort of a post apocalyptic/pre-advanced civilization sci-fi trilogy in which I still need to read the final volume. I enjoyed getting to know the world and the different characters.
Read
June 22, 2023there is, again, a lot to process here. sometimes i wonder what a person without the context of the history of christianity (especially american fundamentalism) would make of this series, as so much of it appears to be social commentary along religious (but not only religious) themes. indeed, parts of the story only make sense as counterpoints and comparisons to commentary already (being) made, and to me seem rather unneccessary in any other context.
the worldbuilding is a+ and the different facets of/ expressions of technology are fascinating as well.
the worldbuilding is a+ and the different facets of/ expressions of technology are fascinating as well.
November 13, 2023
Please read Goodreads summary above.
Directly on the heels of the previous novel, "Dust", we encounter the same protagonists riding the wave of a supernova blast with their already damaged generation ship, Jacob's Ladder.
(I don't get how that exactly could work out from a physics standpoint-we're talking about harnessing the force of two exploding stars with minimal preparation-but let’s run with it).
Tristan, Benedick, and Chelsea Conn (plus supporting cast) pursue well-known enemy Arianrhod in a mad dash through a good portion of the ship as post-explosion damage moves through it like a virus.
Plus, the viral simile may well be literal. There are viruses on the ship that can infect living things and technology, so that's another worrisome phenomenon that must be addressed by Engineering.
Meanwhile, Captain Perceval Conn tries to keep it together enough to command a ship with the support of her Chief Engineer mother, Caitlin Conn, and her ship AI, Nova.
As the chase continues, central truths to the original mission are revealed along with a well-kept secret.
Again, Bear mixes high concept Sci-Fi with pseudo-religion and feudal values and manages to make these potentially incompatible elements come together.
One thing that I would have appreciated as a shortcut in this series, though: a family tree of the incestuous Conns, a mission timeline, and a rough map of their world, generation ship Jacob's Ladder. This is the kind of material someone like Andy Weir would provide ("The Martian"), and I do appreciate the efforts he makes as an author to help the reader along with plot elements or science that could potentially frustrate the reader. No such help from Bear, though.
Directly on the heels of the previous novel, "Dust", we encounter the same protagonists riding the wave of a supernova blast with their already damaged generation ship, Jacob's Ladder.
(I don't get how that exactly could work out from a physics standpoint-we're talking about harnessing the force of two exploding stars with minimal preparation-but let’s run with it).
Tristan, Benedick, and Chelsea Conn (plus supporting cast) pursue well-known enemy Arianrhod in a mad dash through a good portion of the ship as post-explosion damage moves through it like a virus.
Plus, the viral simile may well be literal. There are viruses on the ship that can infect living things and technology, so that's another worrisome phenomenon that must be addressed by Engineering.
Meanwhile, Captain Perceval Conn tries to keep it together enough to command a ship with the support of her Chief Engineer mother, Caitlin Conn, and her ship AI, Nova.
As the chase continues, central truths to the original mission are revealed along with a well-kept secret.
Again, Bear mixes high concept Sci-Fi with pseudo-religion and feudal values and manages to make these potentially incompatible elements come together.
One thing that I would have appreciated as a shortcut in this series, though: a family tree of the incestuous Conns, a mission timeline, and a rough map of their world, generation ship Jacob's Ladder. This is the kind of material someone like Andy Weir would provide ("The Martian"), and I do appreciate the efforts he makes as an author to help the reader along with plot elements or science that could potentially frustrate the reader. No such help from Bear, though.
November 26, 2023
I'm so unsure of how to rate this!
I enjoyed the fact that the plot, while sprawling, felt slightly easier to follow than that of Dust. That being said, the shift in character focus was disappointing for me after the end of the first novel, which had me more invested in Perceval than ever.
That being said, the expansion of the POV cast to include more characters does provide more of an opportunity to explore the ship. The worldbuilding was fascinating, and felt easier to follow now that I've already become familiar with the ship after reading Dust. I can genuinely say that at no point have I been able to guess what would happen next -- though it occasionally gets bogged down in the characters or the setting, the plot is still fresh and intriguing. I'm definitely intrigued by the ending and am looking forward to reading the third and final novel in the series.
Somehow, this book was slightly easier to follow, and the sci-fi-babble seemed integrated into the story and dialogue in ways that were less confusing, which I appreciated.
The concept and content of this series is so intriguing to me, and it's wild how many parallels I see between this series and The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir. The futuristic feudalism, cryogenics, fusing of consciousnesses... all of it reminds me of The Locked Tomb series. The tone , characters, and storylines couldn't be more different, but I am really enjoying some of the overlap in content.
The gender fuckery, from a series written in the mid aughts, is pretty impressive. I was so glad to see more Mallory in this novel.
I enjoyed the fact that the plot, while sprawling, felt slightly easier to follow than that of Dust. That being said, the shift in character focus was disappointing for me after the end of the first novel, which had me more invested in Perceval than ever.
That being said, the expansion of the POV cast to include more characters does provide more of an opportunity to explore the ship. The worldbuilding was fascinating, and felt easier to follow now that I've already become familiar with the ship after reading Dust. I can genuinely say that at no point have I been able to guess what would happen next -- though it occasionally gets bogged down in the characters or the setting, the plot is still fresh and intriguing. I'm definitely intrigued by the ending and am looking forward to reading the third and final novel in the series.
Somehow, this book was slightly easier to follow, and the sci-fi-babble seemed integrated into the story and dialogue in ways that were less confusing, which I appreciated.
The concept and content of this series is so intriguing to me, and it's wild how many parallels I see between this series and The Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir. The futuristic feudalism, cryogenics, fusing of consciousnesses... all of it reminds me of The Locked Tomb series. The tone , characters, and storylines couldn't be more different, but I am really enjoying some of the overlap in content.
The gender fuckery, from a series written in the mid aughts, is pretty impressive. I was so glad to see more Mallory in this novel.
June 30, 2023
I loved the first book in this series a lot. It was compelling, adventurous and a real blast figuring out what was going on. This novel was still very good, but the magic was diminished; the nature of the setting (a generation spaceship which was stranded centuries prior; genetically engineered symbiotes have made some people almost immortal (the "Exalt"), acting as knights and feudal lords in a bizarre mixture of religious and chivalric parody. But they have a real quest; the ship was broken, and it needed a captain to fix it.
But that was last novel; in this, the ship has a new captain, and is underway fleeing a supernova. But there were a lot of deaths, and still the ship needs repaired; some of the ambitious traitors from the first novel are still alive and may be up to something that is steadily eroding the captain's control. These must be hunted down while the ship and captain integrate themselves to take on their new duties.
It turns into a chase sequence somewhat like the first book in reverse, but there's a lot less mystery. The characters are mostly older ones who are more familiar with technology, but there's a lot of shared history -- it's primarily a familial infight with probably the emotional climax being an inward struggle of dealing with guilt for past actions.
Still a good book and I definitely want to track down the third book.
But that was last novel; in this, the ship has a new captain, and is underway fleeing a supernova. But there were a lot of deaths, and still the ship needs repaired; some of the ambitious traitors from the first novel are still alive and may be up to something that is steadily eroding the captain's control. These must be hunted down while the ship and captain integrate themselves to take on their new duties.
It turns into a chase sequence somewhat like the first book in reverse, but there's a lot less mystery. The characters are mostly older ones who are more familiar with technology, but there's a lot of shared history -- it's primarily a familial infight with probably the emotional climax being an inward struggle of dealing with guilt for past actions.
Still a good book and I definitely want to track down the third book.
June 13, 2020
This 2nd book of the Jacob's Ladder trilogy picked up pretty much immediately after Pinion, as they have just escaped from certain end-of-the-world event. However, there are so much damage and not enough resources to repair them. In addition, the enemy was not quite defeated as they thought they have done. In fact, there is a bigger conspiracy at play and once again, the world's survival is threatened. This time, all need to work together to save it from an external threat.
Just as fascinating as the first book and just as "convoluted" (even one of the characters acknowledged that the Conns family is just that mixed up). Secondary characters from the first book take centre stage in this book and it's wonderful to be given more background to this crazed family and to see these characters grow. I'm always amazed just how scifi writers get their ideas though because all this sounds so very fantastical to me. One main interesting point in this trilogy is the religious references (as noted firstly by the name of trilogy but also throughout the story).
Just as fascinating as the first book and just as "convoluted" (even one of the characters acknowledged that the Conns family is just that mixed up). Secondary characters from the first book take centre stage in this book and it's wonderful to be given more background to this crazed family and to see these characters grow. I'm always amazed just how scifi writers get their ideas though because all this sounds so very fantastical to me. One main interesting point in this trilogy is the religious references (as noted firstly by the name of trilogy but also throughout the story).
February 23, 2018
Second book in the series, and this one was weirder than the first. This book begins after the generation ship catches the explosion wave of the star they were circling when it went nova. The ship is cracking up. The new captain is mourning. Lots of people died. And they're under attack, either by the aunt/granddaughter/cousin (depending on which of the cast of characters is relating to her) who was causing trouble in book 1, or maybe the ship's own nanocolonies gone rogue and attacking itself. Mostly, it's a quest story, with several of the characters from book 1 heading off through the ship to catch/stop the bad girl. They spend an awful lot of time traveling through the various, marvelous spaces of the ship, marveling at them. A lot of ship history is explored as well, and secrets are revealed. Bear does a good job of keeping her own story secrets as well, releasing them in dribs and drabs as needed, but only as needed. And the ending is again a hopeful one.
April 12, 2019
This book is really about the Conn family and their history. We follow Benedick and Tristen as they chase through the ship. She's carrying a dangerous, unknown, virus. In the background, Caitlin and Perceval struggle to repair the ship.
It felt like a very slow book - the characters are basically going through the ship, and any "fight" scenes are between competing AIs. There's interesting bits about nanotech and evolution. It also felt very mythic - there are abundant references to the Bible (including the Book of Job) and a resurrection of to lead them to a new path (giving the ship . Plotwise, it doesn't feel like it's moving - but I can appreciate how dense the story also feels.
3/5 stars - wasn't as fresh as the first book, and the last book looks far more interesting.
It felt like a very slow book - the characters are basically going through the ship, and any "fight" scenes are between competing AIs. There's interesting bits about nanotech and evolution. It also felt very mythic - there are abundant references to the Bible (including the Book of Job) and a resurrection of to lead them to a new path (giving the ship . Plotwise, it doesn't feel like it's moving - but I can appreciate how dense the story also feels.
3/5 stars - wasn't as fresh as the first book, and the last book looks far more interesting.
June 23, 2020
I like the story, I like the world-building, and I like the themes of this book -- this series, really. I even like Bear's narrative style, though that's part of the reason I rate the book three stars instead of four. It's hard to penetrate at times, and as I neared the conclusion of the book (and Dust, its predecessor), I started losing track of what was happening. Bear would throw a sentence into a section that would make me think, "Whoa, wait, did that happen?", and then I was shuffling back a few pages to see what I missed. She suggests a lot of things without overtly stating them until later in the story, and sometimes they just whooshed over my head.
I waffled over whether or not to finish out the series, and maybe just reading a summary of the third book instead, but I caved. I'll start that one tomorrow. I just hope it doesn't take me nearly three weeks to finish it, like this one did.
I waffled over whether or not to finish out the series, and maybe just reading a summary of the third book instead, but I caved. I'll start that one tomorrow. I just hope it doesn't take me nearly three weeks to finish it, like this one did.
March 8, 2019
Well this is unexpected. I actually liked this one a lot more than the first. It’s a lot stranger, for one. Sapient carnivorous plants! And the characters come through a lot better for me but that might just be increased familiarity.
I’ve never been good at keeping track of many characters though not as challenging as it would be in game of thrones. Nevertheless, rampant incest makes it very difficult for me to keep in mind who loves who or hates who and why and who had what children and so on. Add to that multigenerational conflicts and relationships. Yeah. My mind can’t handle that.
I was grooving along a lot better than with the first. Not entirely sure if most people will enjoy book two as it feels very different than book one but I can tell you that it’s sprawling with strange ideas.
I’ve never been good at keeping track of many characters though not as challenging as it would be in game of thrones. Nevertheless, rampant incest makes it very difficult for me to keep in mind who loves who or hates who and why and who had what children and so on. Add to that multigenerational conflicts and relationships. Yeah. My mind can’t handle that.
I was grooving along a lot better than with the first. Not entirely sure if most people will enjoy book two as it feels very different than book one but I can tell you that it’s sprawling with strange ideas.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2020
The Jacob's Ladder is underway, but something is making parts of the ship either dissapear or become inaccessible. The crew and angel(s) have to find out what and why and deal with the problem. The story involves a lot of travelling, largely by foot, around the world/ship very much in the tradition of quest-style fantasy stories. The crew meet and interact with many different environments and creatures/plants/tech/combinations of all three that may or may not be friendly.
I found the old style fantasy trek a bit worn and weary as a trope, even for an SF rather than a fantasy book - not that there is much distinction in this case. Having said that, the encounters are sometimes quite imaginitive and interesting. I do like the world and the characters in all their shades of human, AI, and all stops in between. But the format of the first book was a lot more my style than this.
I found the old style fantasy trek a bit worn and weary as a trope, even for an SF rather than a fantasy book - not that there is much distinction in this case. Having said that, the encounters are sometimes quite imaginitive and interesting. I do like the world and the characters in all their shades of human, AI, and all stops in between. But the format of the first book was a lot more my style than this.
May 17, 2019
Chill (Jacob's Ladder, #2) by Elizabeth Bear
If Dust didn't blow you away, this sequel will!
Just when you thought it was safe to be in Jacob's Ladder, you will be killed. But death may, or may not, be all that permanent. In a spaceship known simply as the world, that left Earth how many generations ago, and is headed to who knows where, the onboard family schisms and power struggles are all to real.
And the family that Rules them all, the Conns (nifty name there) is by parts, as sadistic, manipulative and power hungry as they come. Yet they also boast some of the most heroic, and also some of the most talented people on board.
You'll just hafta read this continuation!
If Dust didn't blow you away, this sequel will!
Just when you thought it was safe to be in Jacob's Ladder, you will be killed. But death may, or may not, be all that permanent. In a spaceship known simply as the world, that left Earth how many generations ago, and is headed to who knows where, the onboard family schisms and power struggles are all to real.
And the family that Rules them all, the Conns (nifty name there) is by parts, as sadistic, manipulative and power hungry as they come. Yet they also boast some of the most heroic, and also some of the most talented people on board.
You'll just hafta read this continuation!
July 15, 2020
The mix of science fiction and fantasy that Elizabeth Bear uses in this series really works for me; I feel like she took the best tropes of the two genres and added outstanding characters, creating a world that I can’t get enough of. I adored reading about the characters’ backstories, the mistakes and failures that shaped them. The ship is just as crazy and beautiful as in the first book. I think the pacing was a bit uneven, while it was slow for the first 270 pages, the last 40 pages were rushed. But, for me, this is a book that is worth reading.
January 8, 2012
Finished Chill and Grail, volumes 2 and 3 of the Jacob's Ladder trilogy by Elizabeth Bear.
Chill picks up immediately after the end of Dust. The Jacob's Ladder is under way again after 500 years, but all is not perfect. The newly-made Captain Perceval has to deal with the loss of Rien, and learn to work with the new ship's Angel Nova, composed of Rien and the fragmented Angels she ingested at the end of Dust. Nova, meanwhile, notices that something is fighting her control over the ship's systems.
In order to be able to survive the acceleration, all inhabitants of the Jacob's Ladder have been forcibly Exalted. And they're not too happy about that.
Benedick and Tristen seperately travel through the ship to find their antagonist, and run into different factions not happy with the Conn rule, foremost a group of Edenists, who violently oppose the forced evolution enforced by the the Builders who launched the Jacob's Ladder almost a thousand years ago. As if that wasn't enough, Tristen discovers that the Edenists leader, Dorcas, wears the body of his deceased daughter Sparrow.
Meanwhile, Benedick and Chelsea, another member of the Conn family, take another route and meet giant, intelligent, carnivorous mobile orchids, among other things. Fortunately, they're friendly.
In the course of the novel, several dark secrets are laid open, some relating to the true aims of the Builders, and some to the mysterious Cynric Conn, who developed most of the creatures inhabiting the Jacob's Ladder, as well as the nano-colonies the Exalted rely on.
Grail continues 50 years after the events of Chill. The Jacob's Ladder has discovered a habitable planet on their course. Unfortunately, other humans have got there first, as faster than light travel was invented while the Jacob's Ladder drifted through space.
The book's perspective shifts between the people on the ship, and the Administrators of the planet, Danilaw and Amanda, each trying to come to terms with the respective "aliens".
Unfortunately, an ancient antagonist on the ship decides to use the opportunity to take over control, and there's an attack on the Bridge resulting in a very tragic death.
Most of the book is concerned with philosophical discussions about the two forms of human civilsation: the highly advanced but rather chaotic Jacob's Ladder people, for whom evolution and adaptation is the highest aim, and on the other side the highly ordered people of Fortune, who have culled all negative elements out of the human mind through a procedure called "rightminding". The people of Fortune are all well-adjusted, rational and useful members of society. Thus, members of both groups are almost constantly fighting their own instincts making them see the other as an abomination.
It's a bit hard to describe what I like so much about Elizabeth Bear...she has a very distinctive style, very intelligent and somehow poetic, which also often requires the reader to think along with her. No easy, ready-to-swallow conclusions for the most part.
The Jacob's Ladder is a fascinating world, full of amazing creatures, and people who, despite their evolution and all their little nano-toys, still have to deal with the most basic human emotions; love, loss, impossible families...
On the ship, technology and life seamlessly flow into eachother, as seem in the colonies supporting the people, and the toolkits, which are essentially a cross between a Swiss army knife and a smart phone in the shape of a fluffy squirrel-like creature, which is also biologically alive. Life, death, nature and artifice are very flowing here. It reminded me of Dan Simmons' Hyperion, Endymion and Illium a bit.
I also liked how in Grail, the author does not take a side in the argument. Both societies have their pros and cons (though the Jacob's Ladder has more Conns....sorry...), and the motivations of both sides are thoroughly understandable.
In the end, the conflict can only be solved by a bit of a deus ex machina (angelus ex machina rather), but it was pretty much the only way.
Some nitpicks though: I found it hard to get a scale of the ship. It's only ever described as gigantic, but it only really seems to exist in small portions, the rest is kinda vague. Also, we're never told how many people are on it. We almost only meet the Conns and their associates, and the Edenites. It is implied that a lot of the ship is empty, but a bit more description would have been nice here.
Also, I'd really like a family tree of the Conns. On the other hand, their cheerful incest (being Exalted has its advantages) might make drawing one a bit complicated.
In Grail, I didn't really like the Ariane storyline. It seemed a bit superfluous, with all the philiosophical debate between the ship and Fortune going on. Also, it read like a bit of a rehash of the issues in Chill. It was also pretty obvious who Ariane was hiding in, and there wasn't much emotional impact for me, because the host never had much of a personality herself anyway. The end result is dependant of the Ariane plot, but without the problems she generated, a very different conclusion could have been found. It's a bit of a self-serving cause and effect, and none of it really necessary.
Now, I'd really like to read a prequel to Dust, and see how their high-tech feudal disfunctional society on a spaceship actually worked in the beginning...
Chill: 8/10
Grail: 7.5/10
Chill picks up immediately after the end of Dust. The Jacob's Ladder is under way again after 500 years, but all is not perfect. The newly-made Captain Perceval has to deal with the loss of Rien, and learn to work with the new ship's Angel Nova, composed of Rien and the fragmented Angels she ingested at the end of Dust. Nova, meanwhile, notices that something is fighting her control over the ship's systems.
In order to be able to survive the acceleration, all inhabitants of the Jacob's Ladder have been forcibly Exalted. And they're not too happy about that.
Benedick and Tristen seperately travel through the ship to find their antagonist, and run into different factions not happy with the Conn rule, foremost a group of Edenists, who violently oppose the forced evolution enforced by the the Builders who launched the Jacob's Ladder almost a thousand years ago. As if that wasn't enough, Tristen discovers that the Edenists leader, Dorcas, wears the body of his deceased daughter Sparrow.
Meanwhile, Benedick and Chelsea, another member of the Conn family, take another route and meet giant, intelligent, carnivorous mobile orchids, among other things. Fortunately, they're friendly.
In the course of the novel, several dark secrets are laid open, some relating to the true aims of the Builders, and some to the mysterious Cynric Conn, who developed most of the creatures inhabiting the Jacob's Ladder, as well as the nano-colonies the Exalted rely on.
Grail continues 50 years after the events of Chill. The Jacob's Ladder has discovered a habitable planet on their course. Unfortunately, other humans have got there first, as faster than light travel was invented while the Jacob's Ladder drifted through space.
The book's perspective shifts between the people on the ship, and the Administrators of the planet, Danilaw and Amanda, each trying to come to terms with the respective "aliens".
Unfortunately, an ancient antagonist on the ship decides to use the opportunity to take over control, and there's an attack on the Bridge resulting in a very tragic death.
Most of the book is concerned with philosophical discussions about the two forms of human civilsation: the highly advanced but rather chaotic Jacob's Ladder people, for whom evolution and adaptation is the highest aim, and on the other side the highly ordered people of Fortune, who have culled all negative elements out of the human mind through a procedure called "rightminding". The people of Fortune are all well-adjusted, rational and useful members of society. Thus, members of both groups are almost constantly fighting their own instincts making them see the other as an abomination.
It's a bit hard to describe what I like so much about Elizabeth Bear...she has a very distinctive style, very intelligent and somehow poetic, which also often requires the reader to think along with her. No easy, ready-to-swallow conclusions for the most part.
The Jacob's Ladder is a fascinating world, full of amazing creatures, and people who, despite their evolution and all their little nano-toys, still have to deal with the most basic human emotions; love, loss, impossible families...
On the ship, technology and life seamlessly flow into eachother, as seem in the colonies supporting the people, and the toolkits, which are essentially a cross between a Swiss army knife and a smart phone in the shape of a fluffy squirrel-like creature, which is also biologically alive. Life, death, nature and artifice are very flowing here. It reminded me of Dan Simmons' Hyperion, Endymion and Illium a bit.
I also liked how in Grail, the author does not take a side in the argument. Both societies have their pros and cons (though the Jacob's Ladder has more Conns....sorry...), and the motivations of both sides are thoroughly understandable.
In the end, the conflict can only be solved by a bit of a deus ex machina (angelus ex machina rather), but it was pretty much the only way.
Some nitpicks though: I found it hard to get a scale of the ship. It's only ever described as gigantic, but it only really seems to exist in small portions, the rest is kinda vague. Also, we're never told how many people are on it. We almost only meet the Conns and their associates, and the Edenites. It is implied that a lot of the ship is empty, but a bit more description would have been nice here.
Also, I'd really like a family tree of the Conns. On the other hand, their cheerful incest (being Exalted has its advantages) might make drawing one a bit complicated.
In Grail, I didn't really like the Ariane storyline. It seemed a bit superfluous, with all the philiosophical debate between the ship and Fortune going on. Also, it read like a bit of a rehash of the issues in Chill. It was also pretty obvious who Ariane was hiding in, and there wasn't much emotional impact for me, because the host never had much of a personality herself anyway. The end result is dependant of the Ariane plot, but without the problems she generated, a very different conclusion could have been found. It's a bit of a self-serving cause and effect, and none of it really necessary.
Now, I'd really like to read a prequel to Dust, and see how their high-tech feudal disfunctional society on a spaceship actually worked in the beginning...
Chill: 8/10
Grail: 7.5/10
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2021
The second half of Dust, the first book in the Jacob's Ladder series, was exciting. It was full of interesting ideas and mostly differentiated, dynamic characters.
Skip Chill. It has a bunch of boring, indistinguishable Lord of the Rings characters who do nothing except walk around. They barely even eat, wash, or think, which is what occupied them during Dust's quiet moments. There is really only one chapter of plot spread across this entire book.
Skip Chill. It has a bunch of boring, indistinguishable Lord of the Rings characters who do nothing except walk around. They barely even eat, wash, or think, which is what occupied them during Dust's quiet moments. There is really only one chapter of plot spread across this entire book.
August 21, 2022
A direct continuation of Dust. Again, the concepts are cool, , and there continues to be eerie, beautiful imagery, but the lack of warmth and empathetic characters really ruined this for me. I finished this one, don't think I can keep going and read the next one.
August 15, 2022
SF
hoping the third book of the series is better than this one. I know 2nd books of a trilogy are often not as good as the first or third, and this one did have lots of action, but I didn't find it as interesting as I had hoped.
Not a whole lot of trust going on between anyone. Perceval, now Captain, new angel Nova, Benedick, Caitlin, Jsutien, Mallory, Gavin, Edenites, Cynric...
hoping the third book of the series is better than this one. I know 2nd books of a trilogy are often not as good as the first or third, and this one did have lots of action, but I didn't find it as interesting as I had hoped.
Not a whole lot of trust going on between anyone. Perceval, now Captain, new angel Nova, Benedick, Caitlin, Jsutien, Mallory, Gavin, Edenites, Cynric...
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