Lot’s of nice things being said out there about Shadow of the Scorpion. Here, in no particular order, is a sampling of some of the reviews I’ve come across:
Curled up with a Good Book Shadow of the Scorpion is fast-paced, with plenty of action, as are Asher’s other scintillating Polity books. Whether you’re already a Polity and Neal Asher fan or are a newbie who enjoys well-written sci_fi, you’re sure to enjoy this fine, action-filled novel. I can hardly wait for the next forthcoming Polity novel, Orbus, to hit bookstores.
Walker of Worlds As for the story itself, another winning combination of character development, aliens, action and political undertones. If you like Neal’s other stuff then this is a novel you can’t miss, but it’s also an ideal step on point for those new to Neal’s work. I thought this was one of Neal’s best to date, and if this is any indication of what to expect from the next few novels, we’re all in for a real treat.
Cool Shite on the Tube, Literature review The roundup? A good, fast-moving, active SF yarn with some interesting ideas woven through it. Worth reading, and worth buying.
Mark Chitty at SFFworld As for the story itself, another winning combination of character development, aliens, action and political undertones. If you like Neal’s other stuff then this is a novel you can’t miss, but it’s also an ideal step on point for those new to Neal’s work. I thought this was one of Neal’s best to date, and if this is any indication of what to expect from the next few novels, we’re all in for a real treat.
Vast Cool and Unsympathetic Shadow of the Scorpion is well worth reading for any fan of Neal Asher, action stories, vivid far-future societies, or examinations of some of the questions raised by technologies to reshape the human mind. I think you’ll get more out of it if you’re already familiar with Ian Cormac and the Polity (Gridlinked would be the place to start there), but it is a self-contained story that stands well on its own. I highly recommend it, and I hope Nightshade continues to bring this sort of book to the U.S.
Book Calender This novel is very dark. It asks a lot of philosophical questions. What divides humans from machines? How can we maintain our freedom and individuality in an artificial world? Combined with the philosophical questions are all out fast paced action sequences. The artificial intelligences come across as more human than humanity. I had a hard time putting this novel down. Green Man Review
Of course, it’s still Asher, so this mission still involves terrorists with anti-matter weapons capable of blowing away large chunks of planet, incredibly durable crab-like aliens capable of shrugging off a hit from heavy artillery, and more alien ecologies and far-future technologies than you can shake a stick at. There’s little praise I can lay on this that won’t be recycled from previous Polity novel reviews. It’s Asher; it’s good. Recommended for anyone who’s a fan of the series or of good hard science fiction in general.