Macaque Attack is the concluding volume in Gareth L Powell’s Macaque Trilogy. The first novel, Ack-Ack Macaque (review), was the joint recipient of the BSFA award for best novel in 2013, while its sequel, Hive Monkey (review), was released in 2014. I enjoyed the first two novels immensely, with Ack-Ack Macaque being a complete surprise when I read it early last year. Hive Monkey continued the adventures of Ack-Ack Macaque and the gang, introducing new elements that further expanded the setting. To say I was very eager to get to this final novel is an understatement!
From the publisher:
The Spitfire pilot monkey Ack-Ack Macaque faces a world on the brink in this adventure, the conclusion to his astonishing trilogy.
In the thrilling conclusion of the Macaque Trilogy, the dangerous but charismatic Ack-Ack Macaque finds himself leading a dimension-hopping army of angry monkeys, facing an invading horde of implacable killer androids, and confronting the one challenge for which he was never prepared: impending fatherhood!
Meanwhile, former journalist Victoria Valois fights to save the electronic ghost of her dead husband and reclaim his stolen soul from the sands of Mars.
It’s easy to think that, as book 3 of a series, Macaque Attack would be more of the same, especially when you’ve got a cigar-smoking, gun-toting, foul-mouthed monkey as the main protagonist. However, this is far from the case, and Powell manages to expand the world further while fitting elements from the previous novels easily into the narrative. The introduction inbook 2, Hive Monkey, of the multiverse particularly increases the opportunity for havoc and mayhem here, and Powell doesn’t let us down.
From the beginning Ack-Ack Macaque has been a unique character, from being raised to sentience with gel-ware implants and hooked into a World War 2 online game, to discovering his parallel universe alter-ego is the one behind the hive-mind cult of the universe-hopping Gestalt. From there Ack-Ack Macaque has been jumping from universe to universe, freeing other uplifted primates from slavery and setting up their own human-free settlement on an alternate Earth.
However, the supporting characters also deserve to share the success of these stories. Victoria Valois is reeling after the loss of her airship during the climax of Hive Monkey, and now has to deal with the steady loss of her husband, Paul, who has been living a doomed existence within the computers of the new flagship. K8, Ack-Ack’s closest friend and teenage computer whiz, is now part of the Gestalt, though the parallels they are on do not always have this cult, and the loneliness this causes her is present in her daily life.
Story-wise, Macaque Attack turns the action up to eleven, and then builds from there. Not only do our band of reluctant heroes have to face a threat from Mars in their original universe, but also the imminent invasion of forces from multiple other parallels. It’s really good stuff, the pages keep on turning, and the action barely letting up as it carries you along.
The second half of the novel takes an unexpected turn and introduces some very interesting information. This took me completely by surprise, and though it wasn’t at all how I thought things would go, it worked remarkably well. I won’t go into detail as I’d be venturing too deeply into spoiler territory. Suffice to say, it’s worth reading for this fact alone.
At the end of the day, and at the end of this trilogy, I can’t help but be impressed with all Powell has pulled off. He’s introduced so many tropes and genre staples that the result could easily have fallen into a terrible mess, but his skill as an author brings it all together masterfully. The main attraction here, however, is Ack-Ack Macaque himself, a character that I won’t forget, and one I’d read again in a flash.
Powell has delivered one of the most unique and exciting trilogies in recent years, and I applaud him for doing so.
Highly recommended.
Publisher: http://solarisbooks.com
Author: http://www.garethlpowell.com
January 2015, 352 pages
Paperback, ISBN: 9781781082850
Review copy received from the publisher
© 2015 Mark Chitty
