I haven't read the two previous books so don't have the required background and found the story rather confusing

Please note, The Saints of Salvation is the final book in The Salvation Sequence. If you haven’t read Salvation and Salvation Lost then what follows is going to contain some minor spoilers. My advice would be to toddle off and read them both first. You can thank me later.

Live in hiding – or die for freedom

Humanity welcomed the Olyix and their utopian technology. But mankind was tricked. Now these visitors are extracting a terrible price.

For two years, the Olyix have laid siege to Earth, harvesting its people for their god. One by one, cities are falling to their devastating weaponry. And while millions have fled to seek refuge in space, others continue to fight an apparently unwinnable war.

As Earth’s defeat draws near, a team attempts to infiltrate the Salvation of Life – the Olyix’s arkship. If it succeeds, those chosen will travel to a hidden enclave thousands of light years away. Once there, they must signal its location to future generations, to bring the battle to the enemy. Maybe allies scattered throughout space and time can join forces. Yet in the far future, humanity are still hunted by their ancient adversary. And as forces battle on in the cold reaches of space, hope seems distant indeed . . .

Ahh, book three in a trilogy. The grand finale, the last hurrah. I’ve been waiting for The Saints of Salvation to reach the top of my review pile and I’m ecstatic that it has finally arrived. After months of idle speculation, I get the opportunity to discover humanity’s fate.

If you’re reading this review then chances are, like me, you’ve invested your time in reading the first two books in this series. The good news is that the wait for the final pay off has been worth it. The Saints of Salvation is exactly what I have come to expect from a Peter F Hamilton novel – grand awe-inspiring celestial vistas and plots that manage to be both devilishly simple yet also fiendishly complex. I can confidently confirm you’ll find all that and more in his latest masterwork.

As with its predecessors, the narrative charts two distinct time periods in our future history. In the twenty-third century the Olyix have just about decimated Earth. Billions have been ‘saved’ by our friendly neighbourhood religious zealots. Those humans who remain free can do little more than run and hide. Meanwhile, many thousands of years in the far future, what is left of the human race has reached the point where they are ready to fight back. The Saints of Salvation is all about weaving these two, seemingly disparate, threads of plot together. Needless to say, the author does this and makes it look easy while doing so. Hamilton has created a giant, irresistible cosmic puzzle, and in book three of the trilogy the final pieces fall neatly into place.

As I’ve mentioned before, as soon as anyone starts mentioning things like quantum entanglement and relativistic space travel, internal alarm bells start going off. The difference between Peter F Hamilton and some other sci fi authors I’ve read is that his writing manages to make the science feel almost optional. You can choose to engage with it if you want but you don’t have to. I’ll be honest, all the theory and explanation is not for me but that has not once ever driven me away from Hamilton’s work. What can I say? Time paradoxes man, they get me every time.

The final climatic showdown is so mind-bendingly huge it just about made my feeble old brain blow a gasket. No-one else quite manages to create the same level of scale as Hamilton when it comes to spectacle. I swear there are moments, so perfectly captured, it feels like you are gazing into the infinite. I don’t suppose that can ever be a bad thing when you are talking about the vast expanse of the cosmos.

The impressive thing is that the author also has that knack of scaling things right down to a personal level. Though the book, like most of Hamilton’s other works, has quite an ensemble cast, he is deft at turning his focus to individuals. The relationship between Yirella and Dellian is a good example. There are scenes between the two that feel intimate, almost voyeuristic, in nature. We see glimpses of a couple just trying to survive in the midst of universe altering events.

There is a nice little coda at the novel’s end that suggests we have just reached the end of the beginning and there is far further still left to travel. I can only hope this is the case. I’ve become so invested in the characters I would love to know what happens next*.

The Salvation Sequence remains consistent throughout and is right up there with Peter F Hamilton’s best. Not a surprise really, I love the Night’s Dawn trilogy and the Greg Mandel novels are superb. This latest series is just as good. Hamilton is a master in the art of epic science fiction, it’s evident on every page.

The Saints of Salvation is published by Pan Macmillan and is available now. It is the perfect conclusion to a perfect science fiction trilogy. I don’t think I can offer a higher compliment than that.

I agonized over my musical recommendation to accompany this novel. It had to be something special, something suitably grand. Ultimately, I’ve gone with the soundtrack to No Man’s Sky by 65daysofstatic. There is something about the tone of the music that captures all the different elements in Hamilton’s work that just feels right.

*I can’t help it. I always want to know what is just over the next hill or just round the next corner. I’m naturally inquisitive in that respect.

It's Peter Hamilton. It's large, it's multi-stranded, it worms through time, space and reality. I honestly don't know how he brings it all together, must have a mind like a Visio Flow. Yet again a trilogy completed with pace, style and engagement. And a tantalising suggestion of story continuation

I’ve been a fan of Peter F Hamilton’s work since 2004 when I walked into a book shop and saw the hardback of Pandora’s Star sitting on one of the tables in the middle of the shop. The artwork grabbed my attention, and then the synopsis hooked me. I loved it, and after finishing it I set out to read everything else Hamilton had written to that point. Each time I was left in awe at his imagination, amazed at the length and depth of his stories, and quite simply completely entertained. With each new book, series, or universe, I’ve been left feeling the same, and always eager to see what comes next. With his Salvation Sequence, Hamilton started afresh in a new universe, ready to draw us in and tell a tale, this time across long time spans where humanity is ever on the run from an enemy that just won’t stop. The Saints of Salvation is the finale to this trilogy, started in Salvation (review) and continued in Salvation Lost (review), and ends this saga in the way only Hamilton can.

Beware spoilers for Salvation and Salvation Lost ahead…

A couple of years has passed since the end of Salvation Lost, and Ollie and Lolo are living amongst the survivors in London while the Olyix continue to their attempts to break through the shield covering the city. All the survivors know is that they’re safe at the moment, but nobody knows how long it will last, and they know there is nothing that can be done when the Olyix finally break through to save humanity for their God at the End of Time. Horatio is still here too having decided to stay on Earth to help where he can rather than leave with Gwendoline to join their son, Loi, aide to Yuri Aster who is part of the inner group working on a greater plan to defeat the Olyix. And the plan continues, with the group – Alik, Callum, Yuri, Kandara, and Jessika – working now with Neána knowledge and relentless hope that they can save humanity. But the realisation that this will be a long and drawn out conflict is now clear, and a long-term plan to defeat the Olyix once and for all begins to form.

In the future Dellian is recovering from his encounter with the Olyix, his mind slowly returning to normal with Yirella’s help, and with it the realisation of what he saw in the visions he was given. Humanity of the future also realise that they have gravely underestimated the Olyix, and the tricks and traps they were setting are far from new, with other groups having used them in their lures. The Olyix are prepared for this tactic, and their overwhelming force is brought against humanity in these battles. But now the Morgan and its crew have a new ally in the entity that once was Ainsley Zangari, and after tens of thousands of years fleeing, the final fight against the Olyix enclave is within their grasp…

I think the first thing that springs to mind when thinking about The Saints of Salvation is how unexpected much of the novel was. There was obviously an idea of where things were going, but Hamilton manages to subvert pretty much every expectation in delivering this finale. The main aspects of this are the revelations that came at the end of Salvation Lost, where the group of humanity that we have been following on the Morgan discover that while they’ve been following the plan, they are far from the first to do so and a lot has been happening in other parts of the galaxy over the millennia. This really seeds the story for what follows, and Hamilton is quite refreshing in his approach to telling the story without delving into every detail, as is often his style. Don’t get me wrong, I would have loved to hear more of some of these things, but the narrative works well with this approach.

Hamilton also manages to weave the two storylines together remarkably well considering the time differences between the two. Plenty has been laid out in the earlier novels with regards to the Olyix and their enclave, and the plan humanity has to deliver vengeance to them, but the way things play out is exceptional. It’s not often that my expectations are not only exceeded, but completely blown out of the water, but that is simply the case with this finale. While Salvation and Salvation Lost were about the back story and build-up, The Saints of Salvation is all about the payoff. However, when you put the three novels together it’s clear that this is simply one big story, and the Salvation Sequence is perhaps Peter’s best yet, and certainly his most accessible.

While I thoroughly enjoyed The Saints of Salvation, it isn’t without its faults. I said earlier that not delving into every detail worked well, and this is the case… to an extent. There are some aspects here that seem to be leading to some exciting places, though by the end of the novel remain unresolved. I think this may be the first time where there’s been a definite, even blatant, unresolved thread from Hamilton, though it’s quite clear that a return to this universe is very likely – Hamilton has said as much himself at the end of a recent interview – and it would be a very welcome one.

Suffice to say that I thoroughly enjoyed The Saints of Salvation, and the Salvation Sequence as a whole. It’s a relatively svelte trilogy compared to his previous series, but it certainly packs a punch, and it’s one for Hamilton fans and newcomers alike. In fact, this will be my first recommendation to anyone new to Hamilton’s work going forward.

In short, the Salvation Sequence shows a writer that is the master of his genre, delivering everything expected, and more. Highly recommended.

The Saints of Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton

It’s always a special day when a new novel by the Space Opera Master, Peter F Hamilton, arrives on the shelves and yesterday Macmillan published The Saints of Salvation, the final novel in the excellent Salvation sequence. I’m delighted to post this review as part of the blog tour. I rarely do blog tours these days but an exception had to be made for a novel by one of my very favourite authors, whose Pandora Star remains my all-time top science fiction novel. The Saints of Salvation completes the journey begun in Salvation and continued in Salvation Lost. You wouldn’t really want to start a trilogy with its conclusion so I do recommend you read the first two books beforehand. This review assumes you’ve had the pleasure.

Time has passed – in the near future and the far distant future – and the Olyix plot to cocoon all of humanity to offer up every human soul to their god at the end of times is revealed. The astonishing plan by the saints to foil this plot is now underway and the two timelines are coming together as they converge on the Olyix. This is thoroughly exciting stuff especially as the few remaining cities of Earth are on their knees, their shields failing, sabotaged by Olyix agents. No longer can people step through a portal to new worlds and safety, now they are stuck where they are, separated from their families, while, in the skies above, fighter ships must make terrible decisions about whether to destroy enemy vessels, crammed full with human hostages. Stakes have never been higher.

The Saints of Salvation is, arguably, the most exciting of the three novels as events reach their climax. Less time is spent on character interaction. We know who these people are now and we know how driven they are. It’s good to see them again. I particularly enjoy the far future thread with Dellian and Yirella and this contrasts well with the continued tale of Ollie who is scrambling to stay alive in what remains of London in the near future.

The story widens even further in The Saints of Salvation. We emerge into a universe that is even bigger than before, a time scale that is even more immense, and plans and conspiracies that stretch beyond the understanding of our characters, our heroes, and our saints.

Peter F Hamilton is a genius in creating jawdropping concepts, strange beings and astonishing worlds and ships. He shows this yet again and the result is another all-consuming and involving story. Each of the novels is different, the scope widening with each, the sinister menace, insanity even, of the Olyix increasing. This is a novel of apocalypse and salvation and it could not be more engrossing or thrilling. I can’t wait to see where we’re taken next.

Other reviews
Pandora’s Star
Judas Unchained
Great North Road
The Reality Dysfunction (Night’s Dawn 1)
The Neutronium Alchemist (Night’s Dawn 2)
The Naked God (Night’s Dawn 3)
The Dreaming Void (Void Trilogy 1)
The Abyss Beyond Dreams (Chronicle of the Fallers 1)
Night Without Stars (Chronicle of the Fallers 2)
Salvation
Salvation Lost

Space opera at its most operatic is a symphony of scale - vast civilisations; interstellar distances, fates of worlds and stories that span millennia. In Peter F Hamilton’s Salvation Sequence starting in Salvation and then Salvation Lost has been an epic tale of a near future high technology earth being confronted with galactic civilisation of religious fanatics keen on converting all lifeforms into cocoons to meet their God in the far future at the end of time. Finally, in The Saints of Salvation this final battle begins as Earth’s future generations take the fight back to the enemy’s home world. Prepare for science fiction on a truly galactic scale.

We have two timelines in this story. In the early twenty third century Earth has managed a breathing space from the Olyix invasion but at a huge cost. Those living in the remaining cities are protected behind massive shields while outside though the seas are boiling; mountains have been flattened by enemy warships and their agents slowly infiltrate each city and are bringing each city down one by one. In space some bodies are preparing new weapons to try and liberate humanity but also prepare for a mass exodus to the stars. A team comprising the five core characters that started the tale off in Salvation now board a hijacked Olyix starship to try and find the enemy’s core location to plan a counterattack. In the far future humanity has spread across the galaxy ever fleeing Olyix attacks but appeared to have stalled; now a group led by the smart and tactical Yirella arrive at a unusual solution to jumpstart the counterattack for what everyone hopes to be the last battle.

To give you a feel of how big this story goes an enthralling heart-racing alien invasion of London is just an early chapter. This story isn’t holding back Hamilton in both timelines unleashes truly awe-inspiring ideas of technology both biological and physical. In the twenty third century it’s starships that can destroy aliens and a tense tale of humans having one single advantage on the Olyix that they’ve learnt to intercept the Olyix groupmind reminiscent of WW2 and the enigma machine being cracked. There is a much better resolution of the London gang story I wasn’t too sure about in the previous book but this time it has an emotional depth. This part of the tale has the feel of a last stand – not everyone can get out and we know Earth itself is doomed. Sombre but stunning.

The far future tale as Yirella and her fleet make the final battle though is SF on a truly different scale. Armadas on both sides in tens of thousands, technology that goes easily past simple physical technology and raises questions of consciousness, evolution and controlling the powers of time itself. Here a weapon isn’t just powerful it can be a star itself. That’s the scale and yet pleasingly Hamilton adds in some humanity to each storyline. We get a gut-wrenching look at the people left behind in London making desperate choices; then we follow the people we know the future will call the Saints on a likely final mission with no return and ultimately in space Yirella has to tackle her elders and betters to get agreement on its time to stop running. Impressively we also get an insight into the Olyix and see they too have used the millennia since Earth’s conquest to raise their powers to godlike status. Pleasingly and through some smart science fiction speciation we get to see the two storylines smartly merge which was unexpected but felt incredibly satisfying pulling the trilogy together

This was an awe-inspiring read. It has been a long time since I’ve read a story that really stretches the scale of what the universe can cover and what humanity could evolve into. More action than philosophy it still raises some intriguing questions on what we are capable of. Hamilton concludes this tale but leaves an option for future adventures in the same universe. If you fancy spending your next lockdown touring the entire galaxy and its future, then this is a perfect trilogy to curl up with this winter.

Another outstanding book by Peter F. Hamilton - not been disappointed yet.

This wide-ranging, multiple time-line story brings to an end (or does it) the millennia-long struggle against those who came as friends - not at all predictable, and some great plot twists: you’re never sure what will happen next.

The story carries on the previous two books format of multiple characters over two different time-lines, but does so in a way to minimise confusion (mostly -one small niggle is that if you haven’t read the previous books recently, some of the references are lost on you - for me, it was the ‘Katos")

However, only a minor whinge - perhaps provide a "previously on West Wing" summary? I read this (thanks, NetGalley for the ARC) in a week, sometimes staying up to midnight because I just couldn’t put the book down.

PFH is by far my favourite sci-fi writer. Actually, cannot even name who would be the distant second (maybe Vernon Vinge). However, I am not an unconditional fanboy: I hated Misspent Youth and - much to my shame - never finished Night's Dawn, gave up during the last book.

Now - somewhat unexpectedly - I find myself in a tough spot: I promised a honest review easily as it never occured to me there is any chance to give anything less than 5 stars. However, having finished Saints of Salvation, I walked away with the impression that, while the book provides a real good closure to the main story and a few twists along the way, it falls a bit short of the masterpiece status I expected. Simply put, PFH has raised the bar so high with his own books - including the first two in this very series - that cannot be always surpassed. There is still a very strong finish, but those who have read the Void & Fallers series, know that he can bring his amazing ideas to even more amazing conclusions.

So what do I think exactly? Let's find out.

---Spoiler-free summary---

The present time plot picks up two years after the events of the second volume. The humans and the the assessment team are preparing for the ultra-secret mission outlined in Salvation Lost. We get nail-biting thrills and terrific battles both on Earth and in space, superb stuff, really. We also continue following story of Horatio and Ollie: their viewpoints keep the story grounded, providing a welcome view into the life of besieged London. I have always loved the Earth chapters, as they ground the story in a world, that has been so vividly realized in the first book.

Then, we have the far-future storyline, where Yirella and Ainsley are the lead characters now, Dellian is relegated to the background. They are recovering from their harsh awakening at Vayan and now trying come up with new schemes against the - even more powerful - Olyix. In this storyline Yirella and Ainsley bonds together and takes matters into their own hands in an unexpected way. I touch on this part more in the spoilery part of the book.

Later the focus shrinks down to the remaining two plotline: the Saints and Yirella & Co. From this point forward the book is entirely focused on taking the fight the Olyix enclave's doorstep. It is a more straightforward story, grander in scope, having plenty of battles of both ships and wits, with the Olyix fighting back, of course. Without going into specifics, there is a retaliation which displays nicely how the fate of a person may carry more emotional impact than the destruction of a planet (this is just a metaphor, no planets get destroyed, ...or yes...who knows?:).

This being the last book of the trilogy, we get a closure to the Olyix storyline in a way that is sort of expected. At the same time, several aspects remain wide open. I was surprised, as PFH have always closed his series completely so far. That's not the case here. Reading the last few chapters, it is very clear he is not done yet with Olyixverse.

Overall, I believe this is a fantastic series. It is not a character-driven story: we get glimpses of decent characters (Callum, Gwendoline, Horatio), but there is no Edeard (Void) or Angela (Great North Road) level of characterization in there. Plot dominates this trilogy from start to finish. That's fine. I personally loved the first book the most, with its elaborate world-building, the criminal investigations and wonderfully executed 'wolf in the fold' concept, with perhaps the most shocking cliffhanger I have ever read. However, I acknowledge others may feel differently, and for some the first book may have been too slow and they may prefer the more action-packed volumes. That being said, the whole trilogy is excellent, so grab it and start reading. Still 5 stars :)

---Further thoughts with mild spoilers---

At one point in the book Yirella goes rouge, and together with Ainsley, she guerrilla-starts a new human civilization, hoping this new society can bootstrap itself up to a level where they have a chance against Olyix. Sure, I get how very special circumstances they had, considering its special location; the best human technology available as a starting base; the presence and cooperation of Ainsley (a super-advanced entity) and time pressure to advance. But, still, in earlier books it was stated several times, that humans have plateaued. And then, all of a sudden they cracked a lot of magical technology, that brought them up to be a real challenger. Yes, PFH does his best to elaborate how the unusual circumstances made this possible, but after spending several books being afraid how superior and invincible the Olyix were, it was a very sudden change to have something that actually kicks Olyix ass fairly easily. I understand this was necessary to be able to to close the trilogy with a win. Still, I guess your enjoyment of the final book will be down to this single plot element, how well it resonates with you.

The other aspect I have been slightly disappointed about is the role of the assessment team. Yes, they go on their mission, and it is engaging to follow them on their once-in-the-history roadtrip to the other side of the galaxy, but ultimately I was hoping that their arc factors more heavily into the endgame. This is acknowledged even by themselves at the end of story when they discuss how the humans managed to find another way. So they provide an interesting viewpoint, but in fact are not contributing that much to the final outcome. I have not expected this considering how well PFH weaves his threads together in a natural and satisfactory way in his other books.

Finally, as I said earlier, it is obvious that PFH will return to this universe and he is holding back stuff. We are teased about the message from the future - which has been first mentioned in Salvation Lost. We have an old-new plot seed about seeking the Sanctuary. We still don't know much about Neana, Angelis and Katos races including how the Factory was coming together, and how it dissolved. We are also very mildly teased that Jessica may have some additional hidden purpose after all. So, a lot of plot hooks left open on purpose. For all these reasons, it is hard to view the last book as a complete closure: it ends the Olyix conflict, but at the same time it is a new beginning for a galaxy we still barely know. Naturally, I am looking forward to have more books in this universe, but at the same time I was expecting few more answers at the end of the series.

A really minor note is there are some editing inconsistencies: in second book the portal missiles are called "callumites", while in the last book they are "calmissiles". In the last book there is a single occurence of Olyix "Redemption" ship, but they are never referred again, so I guess they should be "Resolution" ships. I indicated this to publishers, hopefully gets fixed in the print edition.