The Recollection

Firstly, I love this cover. It's eye-catching and the palette works so well. It made me stop and read the title and premise.
I've never read anything of Powell's before, though I've seen and heard of him through other readers and enthusiasts in the genre so I jumped at the chance to read this.
I finished this in 2 sittings - stopping only due to work. 
I enjoyed that this was a space opera with womholes, ships, and the light-hearted nature that this sci-fi brings, but the characters were believable and had the same trials and tribulations as the rest of us. They're relatable and smoothly written with motivations that I felt myself sympathising with, but most importantly - they grow through the novel and develop and change.
A few plot points had me re-reading sections to check I hadn't missed things as they felt as though they curveball'd a little, but easily forgivable as the writing was sharp, lean, and engaging. The time span of the novel and the different characters was perfectly executed.
This won't be the last Powell novel I read. Definitely a new fan! 
I received a copy of this ARC from the publisher - thank you Rebellion and Gareth PowellThis is the second novel I've reviewed on Netgalley.

This book was a really good time. I know this is the anniversary edition, but I had never read Powell before, and even now, this book feels fresh. It isn't what I would call 'hard' science fiction, but the action is entertaining and accessible. The plot is initially presented in a way in what at first feels like 2 separate storylines, that later merge into one. The characterization makes the reader care about the outcomes, and the antagonist is suitably powerful to make the reader feel that the stakes involved are large.

To me, the writing feels a bit like Scalzi and Wendig, though with less comic relief, as well as Peter Hamilton, who has a series with an antagonist similar to the one in this story. I think fans of both mass and hard sci-fi should give this book a shot, as this author has a catalog that will be a lot of fun to explore. This will be a great entry point into that.

Driving across galaxies in a Land Rover

Interstellar zombies (but are they?)

Lost Hope, Found Love

Two perspectives, one story, perfectly meshed

The fate of the universe in the balance

This, this is what space operas should be, vast arcing plotlines, travel across time and space, huge stakes, but underpinned by characters that you can relate to on a personal level. It's not easy to get the balance between the huge breadth of a story like this, it's too easy to look at the massive events going on and get focussed on those to the exclusion of all else, thinking that such events will be enough to wow the audience.

But it isn't, what matters is what we can relate to. Characters that care for each other, over centuries and light years, the bonds of family and what it means to love people with all your heart, to be willing to travel those distances to make sure that those people are safe and happy, and to know that given the choice, you'd do it all again.

This is what Space Opera should be.

The thing about dual narratives is that just as I’m getting into the swing of the story, I find myself yanked away and into another scenario with a completely different set of characters. It means that I need to bond closely and quickly with the main protagonists so that I don’t find being pulled between two storylines too jarring. And initially, I didn’t care all that much about either Ed or Katherine. So it took me a while to get into the story.

However, as the action kicked off and they both got caught up in different elements of the narrative, I also became invested and was able to relax into the world. I really liked the idea of the arches and why they suddenly appeared. Powell ensured that we were immersed in the worlds he spun, providing a vivid backdrop to the characters. And this is important as the stakes stack up, because these worlds are put in major peril.

I can’t claim that you’ll get the quirky originality of the Ack-Ack Macaque series – the tropes Powell explores in this space opera adventure are as cosily familiar as a late-night cup of cocoa. However, the story is written with flair and conviction, so that by the time we arrive at the climactic denouement, I didn’t want to put this one down. I’m intrigued to discover if this is going to continue as a standalone, or if Powell has plans to make it the beginning of a series – there is certainly plenty of depth in the worldbuilding that would sustain several more books with these characters. Either way, this is a solidly entertaining science fiction space opera adventure recommended for fans of the genre. While I obtained an arc of The Recollection from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

I missed "The Recollection" the first time around, so now I have to live with the fact that I lost out on 10 years of this story residing in my head! I loved the characters and Gareth L. Powell's writing. The plot is extremely enjoyable with plenty of shock moments. The settings are perfect, and some left me hoping the book would revisit them. This was a very fast read that I wish it had lasted longer!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

When his brother disappears into a bizarre gateway on a London Underground escalator, failed artist Ed Rico and his brother’s wife Alice have to put aside their feelings for each other to go and find him. Their quest through the ‘arches’ will send them hurtling through time, to new and terrifying alien worlds.

Four hundred years in the future, Katherine Abdulov must travel to a remote planet in order to regain the trust of her influential family. The only person standing in her way is her former lover, Victor Luciano, the ruthless employee of a rival trading firm.

Hard choices lie ahead as lives and centuries clash and, in the unforgiving depths of space, an ancient evil stirs..

I’ve been waffling about books since way back in 2010. In that time, there have been a fair number of novels I’ve wanted desperately to read but, being a one-man band, I just didn’t have the opportunity to fit them into my busy schedule. The Recollection by Gareth L Powell is one such example. When I spotted that a 10th-anniversary edition was forthcoming I realised I finally had the chance to atone for my most grievous omission and read the book.

Centuries from now, Katherine Abdulov is the black sheep of her family. A series of bad decisions have left her in the middle of nowhere attempting to re-ignite what is left of her career as a starship’s captain. Her only choice, increasingly risky jobs that offer large rewards if you manage to live long enough to collect them.

Meanwhile, in the present-day, mysterious gateways have started to appear all over the world. When Ed Rico’s brother, Verne, disappears through one immediately after a particularly heated argument, Ed realises he needs to make things right. The only way to do that is to take a leap into the unknown and follow his brother.

Chapters alternate between Katherine and Ed’s story, and as the plot reveals itself, you begin to see how their respective journeys are destined to converge.

What of the Recollection itself? Well, it is a malevolent entity driven to subsume us all. A race against time begins, humanity has to fight back or die. All this makes for a genuinely exciting read. Characters are forced to make difficult choices for the greater good. This may sound horrible, but I kind of like to see my protagonists suffer a bit. It can help flesh out and humanise a character. If done well, as in this case, it adds real depth to a story.

Tonally I think The Recollection feels like a stripped-down version of Peter F Hamilton’s Night’s Dawn series. I should stress that this is the highest of compliments. I rate The Reality Dysfunction et al as some of the best science fiction I have ever read. The only real difference is that Powell’s novel is a standalone work while Hamilton’s is space opera of truly brain-melting size. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of both approaches. They each have their place. Sometimes I’m looking for a book so large I can get utterly lost in it, while other times I prefer something a bit leaner.

A quick internet search reveals that not only has Gareth L Powell written a science fiction trilogy that I must read, but he has also co-authored a novel with one Peter F Hamilton called Light Chaser. Even better, it is due out in August of this year. Talk about cosmic synchronicity. Here I am waffling about two brilliant authors and then, within minutes of jotting down my thoughts, I discover they’ve collaborated on a book together. It’s almost as if the internet is listening to every idle thought in my head and acting upon it. How very terrifying and yet marvellous at the same time.

The more ancient amongst you may remember, way back in the day, I made no secret of my fondness for Powell’s Ack-Ack Macaque trilogy*. It is pleasing to discover that The Recollection is just as good. I’ll happily admit part of me would be keen for the author to revisit this universe again in the future. I wouldn’t be averse to following Katherine on more adventures. If you are looking for a sci-fi read with plenty of twists and turns, then look no further.

The Recollection is published by Solaris and the anniversary edition is available from 27th April. Highly recommended.

My musical recommendation to accompany this novel is the suitably ambient electronica of the soundtrack to Archive by Steven Price. It all sounds very futuristic and science-fictiony, so feels like a good fit.

*C’mon! a gun-toting, cigar-smoking, banana daiquiri devouring World War II monkey fighter ace. How can you not love that?