Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Solaris (13 May 2010)
ISBN-10: 1906735646
ISBN-13: 978-1906735647
Copy: Reading Copy sent by the publisher
Reviewer: Yagiz
On the brink of perfecting the long sought-after human/AI interface, Philip Kaufman finds his world thrown into turmoil as a scandal from the past returns to haunt him and dangerous information falls into his hands. Pursued by assassins and attacked in his own home, he flees. Leyton, a government black-ops specialist, is diverted from his usual duties to hunt down the elusive pirate vessel The Noise Within, wondering all the while why this particular freebooter is considered so important. Two lives collide in this stunning and innovative space-opera!
The previous generation had been born into a time of war, a time when every human territory had been caught up in a lumbering conflict which monopolised resources and attention. Towards the end, few people if any could remember what the War was about, it was simply a fact of life. Eventually the conflict ground to a stuttering conclusion, only one side dominated the 'unified' government: the United League of Worlds. Now, despite the peaceful years, the known universe is not the safest place, especially not for our protagonists who find themselves chasing after a rather special vessel.
The first pages of a book have always been very important for me. It is almost like the first impression that I get when I meet someone. And it is a great satisfaction to be gripped by a book from the first page and not being able to let go until the last one. The Noise Within was such a book. It has a great start, with the reader finding herself right in the middle of the action.
Not only The Noise Within starts fast but the author also manages to keep the pace of the story at a very high level throughout the book, which was glued to my hands. I pretty much read it in one sitting.
Another strong side of the book is its characters. I really liked the protagonists. Whates has created a number of very interesting characters who come alive through the pages. Divided in multiple threads, the story takes different flavors and fragrances with each main protagonist: Philip, Leyton, Kyle and Kethi.
I also found the setting very captivating. Not only the history of the known universe but also the various planets, various technologies such as AI or union of organic and artificial life tickle the reader's curiosity. The details such as wric (wrist-information center), shimmer suits, intelligent gun unit, computer generated reality and the concept of "partials" improve the story's sense of completeness and create a satisfying degree of background. The story never becomes absurd and the futuristic concepts remain still familiar and believable.
The Noise Within is one of the best sci-fi books that I've read in recent years. It ticked all the boxes for me and left me looking forward to the next installment. I'm expecting great things from this space opera series.
Plot: 9
Characters: 9
Style: 9
Overall 9.5/10
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