Clearly the finest game tie-in novel I could have imagined, The Archimedes Engine is stunning. This is an epic work, huge in length, richly imaginative, complex, and detailed. Set in a far future, where time and technology have splintered humanity into a variety of species, ranging from base humans to advanced genetically modified Celestials, who are quasi immortal and who may or may not have moved on from human preoccupations. All seem locked in variants of the Great Game, played out on multiple worlds over hundreds and thousands of years. As the novel opens several Great Game plots are reaching maturity at approximately the same time, with possibly devastating consequences for the Centauri Cluster, where humanity and its more advanced relatives abide. Anchored by the adventures of a handful of generally sympathetic viewpoint characters, it is a joy to see the future world explained and to see the complex plots unfold. I am eager for the second, concluding volume. The best Peter Hamilton I’ve read in years. What an adventure!

I received an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Peter F. Hamilton has long been one of my favorite science-fiction writers. From my earliest days of reviewing when I worked at Borders Books, he was one of the first authors I got into after pulling a copy of The Reality Dysfunction off the shelf and totally becoming immersed in Hamilton's prodigious imagination. After that I was hooked and I couldn't get my hands on the rest of his books fast enough. Hamilton writes space opera that can also be heavy on the hard sf, but does it in such a way that even a newbie to the genre can grasp the plot without getting lost. It's a tough thing to pull off as a lot of hard sf elements can provide a good deal of intimidating moments for those who aren't used to reading it. EXODUS: THE ARCHIMEDES ENGINE is Hamilton's latest effort and I have much to say about it after venturing through its 900+ pages.

The first thing I will say is that immediately upon reading the back cover description this seemed like a book that was right up my alley. Generation ships fleeing Earth, setting up colonies and then seeing how that evolves tens of thousands of years later on said colonies? Yeah I guess you could say I was eager to read this story based on the tantalizing summary.

This is a huge book in pretty much every way. Huge in length, huge in galactic scope, with a huge cast of multi-dimensional characters. The main thrust of the plot is a very interesting one as the already established Celestials are now having to deal with a brand new group of colonists and see them as inferior just by virtue of the fact that they are new. Never mind that these Celestials were once exactly the same as the newly arrived colonists 40,000 years previously. I couldn't help but think that this was an intentional aspect of the storyline that kind of mirrors a lot of things that have happened in our real world history. And as the book progresses we get to see the same prejudices and stereotypes that have stained much of our past and present.

Understandably there is a good deal of setup in the first 200 pages or so of EXODUS: THE ARCHIMEDES ENGINE. We get introduced to the timeline of events leading up to present day and then each major player and their particular factions and home worlds. It can be tough to wade through but thankfully there is a handy glossary to help keep everyone straight. After I was able to grasp who was who the story really took hold and I couldn't stop reading, often consuming this goliath of a novel in hefty chunks. And once Hamilton sucks you in, you really have to cancel all plans for a while because he doesn't do anything in a half-hearted way, its mostly pedal to the floor with mind-blowing scene after mind-blowing scene.

EXODUS: THE ARCHIMEDES ENGINE is a brilliant first book in what will be a duology, so there won't be very long to wait for the ending of this story. Please do not be put off by the size of it because there aren't very many lulls and I found myself breezing through it in fairly short order. I am constantly in awe of Peter F. Hamilton's incredible vision and ability to project that vision onto the written page. If you are looking for space opera that has a lot of meat on the bone, then you should jump on this right away. It's just another masterpiece in a long string of successes from one of the best in the biz. I can't wait for the final chapter of the duology because the cliffhanger to this one left me truly flabbergasted.

"Exodus: The Archimedes Engine" by Peter F. Hamilton is a monumental science fiction saga that spans millennia and galaxies. Set in the expansive Centauri Cluster, humanity has evolved into Celestials ruling over vast dominions, while ordinary humans struggle under their oppressive regime. Finn, a young man born into this divided world, seizes an opportunity to join a new arkship from Earth, hoping to explore the uncharted reaches of space as a Traveler.

Hamilton's worldbuilding is nothing short of extraordinary, immersing readers in a future where technological marvels and complex societal structures intertwine. The narrative unfolds across nearly 1,000 pages, weaving together intricate plotlines and a diverse cast of characters, each with their own motivations and struggles.

"Exodus" not only captivates with its grand scope and vivid imagination but also challenges readers to ponder themes of identity, destiny, and the vast expanse of the cosmos. Hamilton's storytelling prowess shines through, making this epic novel a must-read for fans of ambitious science fiction.

I am awestruck at the vast capacity of the imagination of SF author Peter F. Hamilton. The breadth and depth of his World Building, multilayered and multicultural, the depth of Far-Future Scientific achievements, Genetic Engineering, Transhumans, effective immortality through transmission of Consciousness...an amazing 928 pages, engrossing, intriguing, highly suspenseful, yet peopled with characters both comprehensible and beyond our current comprehension.

Forty thousand years into the Future: can you imagine? Peter F. Hamilton can, and brings this Future vividly to his readers. First in a duology: so anticipating the next novel!!!
Distinctly a Best of 2024 and of this decade!

Humanity fled earth thousands of years ago in ark ships, large habitats designed to accommodate a population for generations as the ships traveled deep into the galaxy, looking for new homes in the vicinity of Alpha Centauri. A grouping of multiple suitable planets gave the multitude of humans places to call home. One grouping of humans evolved into a more sophisticated being, but also a crueler, more dominant administrator that treated original humans as a slave population.

One man, Finn, gets a chance to join a late-arriving ship, planning to return to the space life as a Traveler instead of a tool for the upper class to use.

The future can be a scary place, but also one of promise and adventure. Which will it be for Finn?
This is an epic tale with a character that will attract your interest.

Peter F. Hamilton's Exodus: The Archimedes Engine is an epic science-fiction novel sitting at just shy of 1,000 pages. The first book, in what is set to be a duology, is phenomenal and ended in such a way that will leave readers clamoring for the conclusion to this story. My only complaint with this novel is a factor of the sheer size which left me constantly referring back to the dramatis personae to remind myself who a character was after they weren't mentioned for several hundred pages, as well as referring back to the "Timeline of The Centauri Cluster" found at the beginning of the book to remind myself of key events and the years in which they took place.

Hamilton's worldbuilding is superb, setting the stage for a mass exodus as humans flee a dying Earth for the Centauri cluster and its vast array of potentially habitable planets. Upon arrival, humanity finds many worlds suitable for habitation, and sends the "Green World Signal" back to Earth to encourage the rest of humanity to make the journey. Due to time dilation (I would recommend a quick Google review of the concept), once the rest of humanity has followed the Green World Signal and arrived in the Centauri system, over 40,000 years have passed since the original human pioneers arrived... and humanity has evolved. Now calling themselves Celestials, these incredibly advanced civilizations view humans as a primitive, archaic species and exile them to war-torn, remnant worlds to live under the rule of the Celestial dominions.

This book is an epic, space opera unlike anything I have had the pleasure of reading. This book is a commitment, and one that I will make again in a heartbeat when book two releases, Exodus: The Archimedes Engine, Book Two: The Helium Sea.