What an epic conclusion to a truly mind bending trilogy! Cixin Liu has crafted an astoundingly original series and Death's End is a fitting finale. It tells the story of Cheng Xin, a young aerospace engineer who is placed in a position of extreme power when she is awoken from hibernation following the success of the Dark Forest deterrence plan. Once again, the prose is clean and concise and there is an emotional distance that allows events to unfold without becoming wrapped up in the human emotions of the characters involved. It is a style that takes a little getting used to, but it works so well for a book that deals with such all-encompassing issues and operates on a timescale that I certainly haven't experienced in a narrative before. Our point of view character throughout is Cheng Xin and we discover the intricacies and foibles of new worlds at the same pace that she does. Along the way, we are introduced to some truly memorable characters and the concepts at play here are so deep that I feel like I'm going to have to sit with them for a while to fully appreciate everything that Cixin Liu has achieved here. This is an awesome (in the truest sense of the word) novel and anyone who appreciates science fiction of the highest quality should definitely read it.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.