As a massive fan of Paolini’s Eragon series, I was excited to see what could happen when he released a science fiction book and fractal noise lived up to those expectations.
Paolini’s world building through this is phenomenal and keeps the reader interested throughout.

Alex is a scientist on the spaceship Adamura. After the tragic death of his wife, Alex signed up to do survey work alongside the other crew members.
None of them were expecting to find signs of alien life in the form of a 50 kilometre-wide hole in the surface of an uninhabited planet called Talos VII.
A number of the crew are sent to the surface on a mission to discover more about the strange hole.
Who made the hole?
What is its purpose?
What will the crew find on the surface?

I read and enjoyed To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, which is set in the same universe as this book, so I was looking forward to reading this prequel. I have to admit that I read TSIASOS a few years ago, and couldn't remember much of the plot, but that didn't hamper my enjoyment.
It took me a while to warm to Alex, and I never really felt that I fully connected with him - Alex having lost his wife, and being deep in his grief from the start made me feel sorry for him, but it also made it hard to know him as a character because he practically was only grief.
Out of the other characters, Chen was probably my favourite. I felt sorry for him and found him relatable at times.
The interactions between the character were interesting, especially as the situations got more and more stressful.
The setting of Talos VII was interesting, and the concept of the hole was unique.
The plot was good overall, but while the book wasn't very long it did start to drag a little as it felt like not much was happening. The existential and religious questions were interesting, but did get a little repetitive after a while.
I would read more books set in this universe.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini serves as a prequel to To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, focusing on the discovery of a mysterious anomaly on the planet Talos VII. The novel delves deeply into the psychological struggles of the protagonist, Alex Crichton, and the crew’s tension-filled mission. Paolini effectively creates a sense of atmospheric tension and isolation as the crew navigates the harsh environment, facing both physical and psychological challenges.

While the book excels in its character exploration and philosophical themes, the pacing was slow, and some interpersonal conflicts felt forced. Additionally, the ending might seem anticlimactic to some readers but for me it was okay. Overall I recommend this book to those who enjoy deep character studies.

Ever read a book and at the finish wondered what it was all about?

When I finished this I thought, what have I just wasted my time on.

I kept reading hoping something might happen, but no such luck.

4 people walking and arguing throughout the story.

None of the characters were likeable and I suspect the author was depressed when writing this.

As you might have guessed this was not an enjoyable read for me.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars was great, but it felt to long in places. Fractal Noise was better. I felt that it gives more to the world and story in general. It definitely makes me want to continue this universe. There are a lot of unique ideas in here. This series reminds me why I love science-fiction so much.

Christopher Paolini returns to the Fractalverse with another great space opera. (You do not need to have read other Fractalverse books before you read this).
So, it's the 23rd century and a group of scientists are studying a strange hole that has appeared on a planet while battling their own inner demons. It's tense, volatile and immersive and I can't wait to see what other part of the Fractalverse gets explored next.

Having loved To Sleep in a Sea of Stars in addition to Eragon I was so excited to return to the Fractalverse with Fractal Noise. Following an exploration team after they discover something making a sinister sound the mission goes wrong in several ways.

I loved the premise of this story and seeing how each individual coped with the difficulties thrown their way was interesting and engaging.

For those who like audiobooks I would also highly recommend the audio for this one as the sound effects enhance the reading experience considerably.

Looking forward to more from the author.

Christopher Maolini has a great awy of weaving science in to books but still making it understandable. He is great at building worlds and Characters and i expected no less from Fractal noise! I enjoyed everysecond of this i just wish it had been a little bit longer

I'm much more of a fantasy fan than sci-fi, but having loved Paolini's Inheritance series and also devouring To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, I was very excited about this one and it didn't disappoint. I cannot wait to see more of the Fractalverse as Paolini releases it.

Why the three stars I hear you cry ? And to that I say because its redeemable quality was the fact that it was a novelette by SCIFI genre standards and for that I am very grateful - can we have more short sci fi adventures please. That aside, even though it was short it was a slow burn for me and very one track minded , let’s go on a digging exploration adventure in space , that’s it, not even worth writing a postcard to the moon colony you just left to embark on this haphazard “adventure”. I wanted more monsters and less two dimensional characters who barely go me through to the end of the story.
I think this book has tipped me over the edge of my SCIFI slump - I’m going to be giving them a miss for a while until something else tickles my proverbial space related fancy, somewhere in the not so distant future.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of the ebook version of this story, #netgalley #fractalnoise

I really enjoyed this prequel to To Sleep In A Sea Of Stars - it captures the atmosphere perfectly, especially with the sound effects that are in the audiobook!

An intensely wonderful prequel to Paolini's previous sci-fi novel 'To Sleep in a Sea of Stars', where he has absolutely managed to recapture what made the first book so brilliant.

It has such an interesting and unique plot with excellent pacing which kept me super engaged throughout. It is incredibly emotional, raw and beautiful. I absolutely love this genre and this was no exception, i will definitely be reading more from this wonderful author

I am quite conflicted about this book, becase it was a really great story and i enjoyed the premise of it. I could feel the thud every 10.6 seconds, and imagined what they may have felt like if it had have been me.

It was an interesting story, it deals primarily with grief as the main character lost his wife. It was interesting because his wife seemed to have some sort of implant that recorded her whole life visually as seen through her eyes, and when she dies she wills her husband the entire recordings. As part of his grieving he watches the recordings and in ways she never leaves him. I feel as this was the most interesting part of the story.

I couldnt understand the relevance of the turtles or why the story ended the way it did, unfinished, and unexplained. Would have liked an ending where the relevance of the hole was determined and what the turtles signified because i am left with so many questions.

Good, but unfinished.

This was a new read for me from an author I haven’t read before. I have gone into this not reading the original story and knowing this is a prequel book.
I really enjoy a Sci-Fi book and the description of this book really pulled me in.
Unfortunately for me this book just did not pull me in. I usually find that if it doesn’t catch my attention with the first few chapters then it usually isn’t for me.
I felt the plot to be really slow and at points there was just too much predictability.
The book follows Alex as he struggles with his grief after losing Layla. Looking for a new challenge Alex signs up for an expedition where he ends up on a barren planet called Talos VII.
I will definitely give another one of this authors books a read in the future as I have heard amazing reviews.

Thank you to Netgalley, Publisher and the author for and advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Had to be a DNF for me. I managed to get through TSINASOS but for some reason just could not get into fractal noise

Absolutely loved jumping back into this future world that Christopher Paolini created, it was an interesting read and thanks to the publisher for letting me be a part of their blog tour!

I would say, if you are a bit worried about starting the giant TSiaSoS, you could very easily read this book as a standalone, or read it first if you want to start small. There's nothing in this that would confuse you or make you not understand what was happening, everything in it is well explained, so you can definitely read this first if you want to jump into something smaller to begin with!

I'll admit, I am a bit rusty in my sci-fi reading, so quite a bit of the terminology went over my head, but it was still a smooth read and I really didn't want to put the book down after starting it was so gripping. I think that the writing was so good, because even if you aren't the best with sci-fi terminology you can still pick up the plot and read along, and if you are a sci-fi buff then you'll love it too!

Amazon Summary
On the planet Talos VII, twenty-three years before the events of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, an anomaly is detected: a vast circular pit, with dimensions so perfect that it could only have been the result of conscious design. So a small team is assembled to learn more – perhaps even who built the hole and why. Their mission will take them on a hazardous trek to the very edge of existence.

For one explorer, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. For another, a risk not worth taking. And for xenobiologist Alex Crichton, it’s a desperate attempt to find meaning in an uncaring universe. But every step they take towards that mysterious abyss is more punishing than the last. Ultimately, no one is prepared for what they will encounter.

My Review
I love to sleep in a sea of stars so much and had high hopes for this book, it didn’t let me down. I was hooked right from the start. The world building is amazing and so detailed. I love all the characters and how they develop through the book. Another great book from Mr Poaolini

A Brilliant first contact story! A crazy descent into madness, a mission that gradually begins to go wrong. The four main characters were all unique particularly in terms of their flaws. The pressure and tension which builds made for a very claustrophobic atmosphere. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

A most warm welcome to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me the chance to read "Fractal Noise" by Christopher Paolini in exchange for my honest review.

Perhaps the greatest sci-fi book I've read this year by far. Paolini brings the reader back to the Fractalverse by telling us the story of what happened at the expidition on Talos VII through the eyes of Alex, who is a xenobiologist grieving for his tragically deceased wife.
The familiar pattern of discovery and everything going sideways is a classic Paolini prose in this page turning prequel to the equally amazing "To sleep in a sea of stars", as Alex's crew decides to investigate an anomaly found on Talos VII and brave the hardships and dangers that go hand and hand with such an andeavor.
Alex amidst the journey not only braves the cruelty of outerspace but also the animosity of humanity, but also finds purpose and closure in his grief as the journey builds up to the last few pages that leave the reader at the edge of their seat, grasping for words to describe the final act of the book.