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Jason Carroll, an ex SAS man, kills people for money. A hard man of action, who gets splattered by a bus... The shame of it all. Carroll certainly thinks so as his spirit hangs over his dead body and he enters the tunnel of light. Not only does Carroll have the shock of discovering that he's dead, but also he finds that there is an afterlife, anathema for an irreligious man like him. And besides, where did that bus disappear to?
But the world Carroll finds himself in is not
Heaven. For there are many men there like him, warriors from all periods
of Earth history, condemned to fight each other for Eternity. In many
ways, this scenario is reminiscent of 60s' telefantasy. The warriors from
different time periods could come from “The War Games” in “Doctor Who”, and
Carroll being forced to use raw materials to create modern weapons seems much
like the trials faced by Kirk in the classic Trek episode of “Arena”.
However, I think this theme probably has more to do with Neal Asher's love of
and practice of the martial arts. What I also liked was the appearance of
various gods who I find fascinating, like Anubis and Kali.
Carroll desires to escape the vicious killing
field and free his colleagues, a desire in which he is aided by the mysterious
figure of the Clown, who is himself incarcerated. This is where the whole
book seems to enter Asher's universe more fully, and where his imagination
really shines through. So, whilst the beginning might seem quite
conventional, the resolution is certainly not, as Carroll discovers the truth
real behind the game and the Clown's world.
Authortrek rating:
7/10.
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Visit our Neal Asher page,
for a Neal Asher biography, Neal Asher bibliography, Neal Asher short
stories, and interviews |
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