Derek Künsken

This series is put together in interesting ways: the first book was a heist story, the second was a time travel novel. And The Quantum War is a very classic space opera, with space battles, impossible rescues and great powers negotiating. I felt that Quantum War lacked the sense of wonder of the first two books, but it was still a nice read.

The Puppets are creepy as #%*}%, but I did appreciate seeing so much of them (somewhat to my surprise). Also, it was interesting to have more insight into the Congregate and its motives. There wasn’t much space left for character development, a pity. The book should have been longer, perhaps?

Apparently, there is going to be a fourth book (after that ending, there really should be), and I am looking forward to it.… (altro)

A re-read: for my book club, and because I want to finally get my hands on Book 3 ;-)

In my view, the second instalment in The Quantum Evolution is a richer and more enjoyable novel. (I loved the world-building, but had trouble with the rather standard heist plot in The Quantum Magician.) Here, there is more focus on character, together with some interesting plot twists involving time travel and quantum "magic". I liked following Colonel Ayen Iekanjika's POV as well, as she became one of the main characters in this book (and I hope to see more of her in the sequel).
Thank you, Derek Künsken, for a great space opera.… (altro)

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The House of Styx is written in the same wavelength as the science fiction I read when I was younger: space exploration, alternative lifestyles, rebel characters, and cosmic heroes. Kunsken style is cinematic, ending chapters in stirring and emotional cliffhangers.
The majority of the characters are easy to like and comprehend, although not all. I, personally, thought Therese had a lot of potential when introduced but she fell flatter as the book progressed for me.
The House of Styx, in the vein of classic science fiction, deals with human earthly issues in otherworldly settings, which, counterintuitively, makes some of this issues more approachable. Kunsken master this quality of the genre with this book.
The ending left me a little deflated, but maybe this is another one of the author's masterful cliffhangers: after all this is the first book in a series.… (altro)

I don’t have a particular hard science background, but I found this futuristic heist somewhat interesting. For me, the highlight was learning about the different human-derived populations. They had been genetically engineered such that they essentially became different species with very different abilities and cultures. It was fascinating, and disturbing in parts, which I dare say was the intention.

There is of course a background of multiple political factions, all seeking advantage over each other. The gang is put together fairly early on. Unsurprisingly, they’re not all on the same side. There are bluffs, double-bluffs, deceptions and betrayals. Given that Belisarius, the titular character, has a super-powered brain (in my lay understanding), I was never clear whether what the other characters did had been factored into his plans or not. I had no sense whether things were truly going wrong, which led me to skim. Essentially, I wasn’t engaged enough to put much effort into keeping up or guessing implications of the characters’ actions, and I didn’t care about the details.

I got little impression of the characters as people, outside the roles they were supposedly playing. The only one who stuck with me was the sweary Stills because of his underdog origins.… (altro)