War Factory: Transformation: Book Two

To understand the headline you will need to read the previous book and then this. I hope you enjoy them, I have. Neal Asher at his best, The War Factory has given the Polity a shot in the arm, as it were, stunning, funny, mind bending, bloody and a very good read.

War Factory is the second novel in Neal Asher’s Transformations series, preceded by Dark Intelligence. Based in his ever-popular Polity universe, War Factory takes the events from the first novel and expands on them further, and all done in typical Asher fashion. Not the place to jump in to Asher’s work, but if you liked Dark Intelligence, you’ll love War Factory…From the publisher:One seeks judgement, another faces damnation and one man will have his revenge . . .Thorvald Spear is losing his mind as he drowns in dark memories that aren’t his own. Penny Royal, rogue artificial intelligence, has linked Spear with the stored personalities of those it’s murdered. And whether the AI seeks redemption or has some more sinister motive, Spear needs to destroy it. He feels the anger of the dead and shares their pain.As Spear tracks the AI across a hostile starscape, he has company. Sverl, an alien prador, has been warped by Penny Royal and hungers to confront it. But will the AI’s pursuers destroy each other or hunt it together? Sverl’s prador enemies aren’t far behind either. They plan to use his transition to prove human meddling, triggering a devastating new war.Clues suggest Penny Royal’s heading for the defective war factory that made it. So allies and enemies converge, heading for the biggest firestorm that sector of space has ever seen. But will Spear secure vengeance for his unquiet dead?As we rejoin the action following the events of Dark Intelligence, one of the first noticeable differences is the exclusion of Isobel Satomi. A main character in the first novel who went through a rather shocking and thorough change into a hooder, it was surprising to see her put to one side. However, this doesn’t mean the momentum eases off, for we do continue to follow Spear and Sverl, plus Cvorn, one of Sverl’s children, that moves that plot along very nicely indeed. And let’s not forget the mastermind behind all the events: Penny Royal.It would be very easy to get caught up in the details of War Factory, to talk about the changes going on to the varied cast. While a large aspect of the novel, and a part that drives the narrative forward at every twist and turn, it really is best left to be discovered by the reader. There are some truly amazing revelations and set pieces as the story moves along – from a rather unique look at time travel through to a meeting with the Prador king – the time spent reading War Factory is well worth the effort.However, there is only one issue with War Factory – you have to have read Dark Intelligence. This isn’t a stand-alone novel or one that forms a loose series, War Factory is a firm second novel in a trilogy that requires knowledge from the first book to be both enjoyed and understood. In fact, Asher wrote the trilogy as a whole before even turning anything in to his publisher, so seeing such intricately plotted and connected details is expected.In short, War Factory contains everything that is good about Asher’s writing. It’s thoughtful, yet action-packed, and adds layer upon layer to an already deep setting that is the Polity. With AI, Prador, and human elements to the story this truly takes the series title of Transformations and gives it a spin that is massively enjoyable. Add to this some truly unique and weird aliens that you’re unlikely to see from any other authors and you’ve got a winner. Nobody does science fiction like Neal Asher, and War Factory is yet more proof of that.

For years my favourite Science Fiction realm has been the late great Iain M Banks’ Culture universe. With Iain’s untimely death I was convinced that I would never find anything to compare with it and I missed waiting for the next Culture book!I’ve read a couple of other book by Neil Asher including The Skinner and enjoyed them, but in my opinion the first two books in this series are on another level!The complexity of the plot, the sheer scale of the story, the pacing, and above all the superb range of human, AI and even Prador characters are just all right up there with the best science fiction I have ever read. It’s been some time since I devoured a book in the manner in which I devoured this one!I absolutely loved the AIs in this series; Penny Royal, terrifying, psychotic, totally destructive, manipulating, and almost omnipotent. Riss, an Assassin drone with no one left to assassinate. Flute, A Prador ganglin with a sense of humour?! The mentally damaged golem Mr Grey – snickety-snick! These really are some of the best AI creations since the Minds of Iain Banks.I mistakenly thought that all three books in this series were already published, and now find myself with a month’s wait until book three! I haven’t looked forward to a book being published this much in a long long while!

The curse or Book Two in a trilogy is officially broken, thanks to Neal Asher.So often a science fiction trilogy sags in the middle. Everything gets going in the first book, then the third brings matters to a (normally explosive) conclusion. The middle one is the one that seems contrived and isn't actually going anywhere beside being something of an intermission between major events. The author has completely done away with that old chestnut by creating a genuine second act to the redemption story of Penny Royal.Major characters such as hybrid Prador Sverl are front and centre here, as the rogue AI Penny Royal manipulates all concerned in a vast game of chess. Events from the black AI's past need a conclusion. Thorvald Spear is still in pursuit, but he himself is changing thanks to Penny Royal's interference. Neal takes the stories started on volume one and kicks everything up a gear as major forces become involved and a confrontation is engineered at the disused War Factory Room 101.Absolutely epic space opera. The curse is broken, and enough clues are left to suggest Book Three will be as much of a triumph as the first two. Make sure you read both books as they are both incredible page-turners that kept me up at night, not wanting to break the magic.

Todo me gusta de este autor.Recrea un universo increíble. Esta trilogía en concreto es muy interesante.

Excellente série! Le début m’a semblé un peu long, mais très rapidement, j’ai été captivé. Je recommande cette série aux amateurs de science-fiction.

I have read Dark Intelligence, The Prador Moon, The Technician before I got hold of this book.Dark Intelligence is the first book in transformation series and hence becomes prerequisite for this book.But I'll say that if you have read The Technician as well already, it helps a lot. The Technician does give some background to some events in this book. But it's not mandatory.Coming to this book then. It's a very good book and certainly worth a read for any of Sci-Fi or Space Opera fans. Like Neal Asher's earlier books, you will find yourself siding with few characters unintentionally. I feel that is good as it makes you more involved.But I will have to give 4 stars as I find it was a notch below Dark Intelligence, the series' first book.

I have read all of Asher's novels and have enjoyed all of them. This second novel in the Transformation series is no different... it's a very enjoyable read, filled with action, plus the twists and turns Asher employs in all his novels... It is a bit predictable in some spots, but this doesn't take away from the reading enjoyment. Like all Asher books... this one is filled with gratuitous violence (blood, guts & gore), just what the adolescent part of my ancient brain needs occasionally for a bit of escapism.

The sequel to Dark Intelligence is no less riveting and complex than the first in the Transformation series. Asher is still playing with the deconstruction and evolution of being, what it means to exist, to act and overcome for Humans, Prador (the crab-like alien race) as well as A.I. entities. Through Penny Royal, a dark (possibly insane) A.I. the destinies of characters introduced in the first book continue to be manipulated. Is it for peace, is it out of guilt, is it out of benevolence? The motive for Penny Royal's actions aren't clear, not even to perhaps its closest victim, the human, Thorvald Spear.What I really like about this book (and mind you Asher is my favorite author) has always been his world building and nuanced characters. Never before has he delved so far into the Prador biology; their mating habits, dietary needs and social behavior. Considering that they are the frequently used brutal protagonists in his books, this was an insightful treat only made better by the appearances of a few unique prador, one such who even dabbles in...art!Also, unlike his other works, the humans definitely take a back seat to the god-like manipulations of A.I., not even including Penny Royal. The Brockle makes his appearance as a player in the great game of destiny. As an A.I. that is just as terrifying as Penny Royal, if not more, this Prison Warden/Interrogation A.I. becomes obsessed with bringing the rogue Penny Royal to justice, even at the threat of incurring the wrath of the main Polity protector, Earth Central.Artificial Intelligences aren't the only ones to steal the show though, as really, the Prador are the most fascinating characters in the work. Sverl, the mutated tripartite being (part human, part Prador, part A.I.), Cvorn, the cyber-augmented Prador vowing to hunt Sverl as a pawn to take over the Prador empire, Sfolk, the gutsy upstart renegade, Bsorol and Bsectil, Sverl's emphatically evolving first children and the ever elusive, mysterious King of the Prador. Each one of their narratives shine on the page!The usual, spectacular Asher staples are present throughout the work, with masers, CTDs, rail guns, planet busters, gaitling guns, hardfields and U-space tech. There are intense space ship battles, heart-pounding action and shocking deaths and destruction, but also as usual the story attacks the brain as much as the action hits the pulse.As I finish this book and eagerly await the 3rd, I will admit that I have no idea where the story is headed, but I eagerly look forward to finding out as the ending of this book was not exactly easy to get over.