I’ve been a fan of Peter F Hamilton’s work since 2004 when I walked into a book shop and saw the hardback of Pandora’s Star sitting on one of the tables in the middle of the shop. The artwork grabbed my attention, and then the synopsis hooked me. I loved it, and after finishing it I set out to read everything else Hamilton had written to that point. Each time I was left in awe at his imagination, amazed at the length and depth of his stories, and quite simply completely entertained. With each new book, series, or universe, I’ve been left feeling the same, and always eager to see what comes next. With his Salvation Sequence, Hamilton started afresh in a new universe, ready to draw us in and tell a tale, this time across long time spans where humanity is ever on the run from an enemy that just won’t stop. The Saints of Salvation is the finale to this trilogy, started in Salvation (review) and continued in Salvation Lost (review), and ends this saga in the way only Hamilton can.
Beware spoilers for Salvation and Salvation Lost ahead…
Live in hiding – or die for freedom
Humanity welcomed the Olyix and their utopian technology. But mankind was tricked. Now these visitors are extracting a terrible price.
For two years, the Olyix have laid siege to Earth, harvesting its people for their god. One by one, cities are falling to their devastating weaponry. And while millions have fled to seek refuge in space, others continue to fight an apparently unwinnable war.
As Earth’s defeat draws near, a team attempts to infiltrate the Salvation of Life – the Olyix’s arkship. If it succeeds, those chosen will travel to a hidden enclave thousands of light years away. Once there, they must signal its location to future generations, to bring the battle to the enemy. Maybe allies scattered throughout space and time can join forces. Yet in the far future, humanity are still hunted by their ancient adversary. And as forces battle on in the cold reaches of space, hope seems distant indeed . . .
A couple of years has passed since the end of Salvation Lost, and Ollie and Lolo are living amongst the survivors in London while the Olyix continue to their attempts to break through the shield covering the city. All the survivors know is that they’re safe at the moment, but nobody knows how long it will last, and they know there is nothing that can be done when the Olyix finally break through to save humanity for their God at the End of Time. Horatio is still here too having decided to stay on Earth to help where he can rather than leave with Gwendoline to join their son, Loi, aide to Yuri Aster who is part of the inner group working on a greater plan to defeat the Olyix. And the plan continues, with the group – Alik, Callum, Yuri, Kandara, and Jessika – working now with Neána knowledge and relentless hope that they can save humanity. But the realisation that this will be a long and drawn out conflict is now clear, and a long-term plan to defeat the Olyix once and for all begins to form.
In the future Dellian is recovering from his encounter with the Olyix, his mind slowly returning to normal with Yirella’s help, and with it the realisation of what he saw in the visions he was given. Humanity of the future also realise that they have gravely underestimated the Olyix, and the tricks and traps they were setting are far from new, with other groups having used them in their lures. The Olyix are prepared for this tactic, and their overwhelming force is brought against humanity in these battles. But now the Morgan and its crew have a new ally in the entity that once was Ainsley Zangari, and after tens of thousands of years fleeing, the final fight against the Olyix enclave is within their grasp…
I think the first thing that springs to mind when thinking about The Saints of Salvation is how unexpected much of the novel was. There was obviously an idea of where things were going, but Hamilton manages to subvert pretty much every expectation in delivering this finale. The main aspects of this are the revelations that came at the end of Salvation Lost, where the group of humanity that we have been following on the Morgan discover that while they’ve been following the plan, they are far from the first to do so and a lot has been happening in other parts of the galaxy over the millennia. This really seeds the story for what follows, and Hamilton is quite refreshing in his approach to telling the story without delving into every detail, as is often his style. Don’t get me wrong, I would have loved to hear more of some of these things, but the narrative works well with this approach.
Hamilton also manages to weave the two storylines together remarkably well considering the time differences between the two. Plenty has been laid out in the earlier novels with regards to the Olyix and their enclave, and the plan humanity has to deliver vengeance to them, but the way things play out is exceptional. It’s not often that my expectations are not only exceeded, but completely blown out of the water, but that is simply the case with this finale. While Salvation and Salvation Lost were about the back story and build-up, The Saints of Salvation is all about the payoff. However, when you put the three novels together it’s clear that this is simply one big story, and the Salvation Sequence is perhaps Peter’s best yet, and certainly his most accessible.
While I thoroughly enjoyed The Saints of Salvation, it isn’t without its faults. I said earlier that not delving into every detail worked well, and this is the case… to an extent. There are some aspects here that seem to be leading to some exciting places, though by the end of the novel remain unresolved. I think this may be the first time where there’s been a definite, even blatant, unresolved thread from Hamilton, though it’s quite clear that a return to this universe is very likely – Hamilton has said as much himself at the end of a recent interview – and it would be a very welcome one.
Suffice to say that I thoroughly enjoyed The Saints of Salvation, and the Salvation Sequence as a whole. It’s a relatively svelte trilogy compared to his previous series, but it certainly packs a punch, and it’s one for Hamilton fans and newcomers alike. In fact, this will be my first recommendation to anyone new to Hamilton’s work going forward.
In short, the Salvation Sequence shows a writer that is the master of his genre, delivering everything expected, and more. Highly recommended.
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Author: Peter F Hamilton
October 2020, 528 Pages
Hardcover, ISBN: 9781509844630
Review copy received from the publisher
© 2020 Mark Chitty | @chitman13
The Saints of Salvation by Peter F Hamilton is published by Pan Mac on 29th October, £20 in hardback.
Some free online events that may be of interest:
Titans of Sci-Fi with Waterstones Swansea, Thu 29 Oct, 6.30pm (Peter with Stephen Baxter, Temi Oh and Alastair Reynolds): https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/125490522531
Remaking the Future with SFX and Toppings, Wed 4 Nov, 6.30pm (Peter with Stephen Baxter, Laura Lam, Jonathan Wright): https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/125511443105
I’ve just finished and I couldn’t agree more. Great read!
Glad to hear that the story will continue…
“Don’t get me wrong, I would have loved to hear more of some of these things, but the narrative works well with this approach.”
Absolutely. Hamilton often comes up with sub-plots that would each warrant its own novel, e.g. the time-differential weapon the Olyix employ against the enclave invasion fleet. btw, for me that was one of the most horrifying parts of the book, akin to the discovery of the cocooned bodies in book 1 – and, in its own special way, the shocking revelation at the end of Jessika being a Néana envoy, Fenton being an Olyix quint and the Olyix being set on kidnapping all humankind.
I enjoyed the trilogy immensely. Until now I have read/listened to it two times in a row, wich is also due to the fact that the audio-book version – artfully narrated by John Lee – cannot be recommended highly enough!
And wouldn’t we all like to learn how Yirella is going to The End of Time and kick that god’s behind?