Book Review: Engine City

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Engine City     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Ken MacLeod
Class/Genre:   Science Fiction
Series: Engines of Light # 3
Tor, Feb 2003, $24.95, 304 pp.

Two centuries ago immortal cosmonauts Matt Cairns and Grigory Volkov arrive at the Second Sphere planet Nova Terra where over the eons, descendants of Earth including the dinosaurs, the giant-squid, and various humanoids have lived. They learn from a dying god that non- terrestrial invaders are coming.

The two immortals approach the pending hostilities quite differently. Grigory declares martial law and names himself dictator. He orders development of defense systems capable of destroying the attacking aliens. Matt goes on the offensive seeking to intercept the invaders before they arrive and cause havoc. Matt succeeds and meets the feral force first. He quickly realizes that the Multipliers are not only friendly and peaceful, but want to ally themselves with the humans. The Multipliers are brilliant at submolecular technology and can enter human bodies to genetically reorganize cells converting everyone into immortals while also implanting Multiplier racial memory. The Bright Star Cultures are being created with only the ancient gods objecting as they expected the two noisy species to destroy each other. The gods manipulate Grigory trying to cause a solar-pandemic final showdown.

ENGINE CITY is a strong final entry to Ken MacLeod’s delightful "The Engines of Light" trilogy. The story line is fast-paced and ties up loose ends from the two previous novels through the final confrontation. Cairns and Volkov stay in character so that the audience knows how each will react to the crisis. Newcomers will be better suited buying the previous novels (see COSMONAUT KEEP and DARK LIGHT) as this finale is clearly for fans of this strong futuristic deep outer space series.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner