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Bone Silence Hardcover – 30 Jan. 2020

4.3 out of 5 stars 2,802 ratings

on any 2 Qualifying items | Terms

'A swashbuckling thriller - Pirates of the Caribbean meets Firefly - that nevertheless combines the author's trademark hard SF with effective, coming-of-age characterisation' GUARDIAN

'A blindingly clever imagining of our solar system in the far flung future' SUN

Return to the Revenger universe, for another thrilling tale set among the stars . . .
Quoins are accepted currency throughout the thousands of worlds of the Congregation. Ancient, and of unknown origin and purpose, people have traded with them, fought for them, and stolen quoin hordes from booby-trapped caches at risk to life and limb throughout the Thirteen Occupations. Only now it's becoming clear they have another purpose . . . as do the bankers who've been collecting them.
The Occupations themselves are another puzzle. The rise and fall of civilisation may have been unevenly spaced across history, but there is also a pattern. Could something be sparking the Occupations - or ending them? And if so, what could it be, lurking far beyond the outermost worlds of the Congregation?
The Ness sisters are being hunted for crimes they didn't commit by a fleet whose crimes are worse than their own. If they're to survive, and stay one step ahead of their pursuers - if they're to answer the questions which have plagued them - it's going to require every dirty, piratical trick in the book . . .
'By far the most enjoyable book Reynolds has ever written' SFX


From the Publisher

bone silence, alastair reynolds, space opera, revenger, science fiction, gollancz, space, pirates
bone silence, revenger, alastair reynolds, space opera, gollancz, science fiction
bone silence, alastair reynolds, revenger, gollancz, space opera

Product description

Review

Pirates in space, full of peril and high-jinks... This is a novel that's elegantly plotted, full of surprises and, as first time round, rip-roaring fun. ― SFX MAGAZINE

Reynolds is easily one of the modern masters of science fiction... addictive, page-turning stuff. ―
STARBURST

This is a story to break hearts and make you turn pages. It's great stuff; pick it up, you'll want to know what happens next. ―
SF AND F REVIEWS

Much of the fun of these books comes from the construction of a far, far-future space-opera... the mapping of Age of Sail tropes onto space travel is just the start... Nevertheless, at the centre of this
baroque masquerade party resides a sober consideration of what it might mean to go off adventuring, what it might cost. ― LOCUS MAGAZINE

About the Author

Alastair Reynolds was born in Barry, South Wales, in 1966. He studied at Newcastle and St Andrews Universities and has a Ph.D. in astronomy. He stopped working as an astrophysicist for the European Space Agency to become a full-time writer. REVELATION SPACE and PUSHING ICE were shortlisted for the ARTHUR C. CLARKE AWARD; REVELATION SPACE, ABSOLUTION GAP, DIAMOND DOGS and CENTURY RAIN were shortlisted for the BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION AWARD and CHASM CITY won the BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION AWARD.

You can learn more by visiting www.alastairreynolds.com, or by following @AquilaRift on twitter.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gollancz
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 30 Jan. 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 608 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0575090677
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0575090675
  • Item weight ‏ : ‎ 860 g
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16.6 x 5.6 x 23.8 cm
  • Book 3 of 3 ‏ : ‎ Revenger
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 2,802 ratings

About the author

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Alastair Reynolds
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Alastair Reynolds was born in Wales in 1966. He has a Ph.D. in astronomy. From 1991 until 2007, he lived in The Netherlands, where he was employed by The European Space Agency as an astrophysicist. He is now a full-time writer.

Photo by Robert Day [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
2,802 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book well worth their time and appreciate its gripping storytelling that brings the series to a satisfying conclusion. The language receives mixed reactions, with several customers finding the dialogue terrible. The character development and pacing also get mixed reviews.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

35 customers mention ‘Value for money’ 29 positive 6 negative

Customers find the book well worth their time and consider it a great addition to the series.

"...I really enjoyed this, and would happily re-read the series . Buy it, you won't be disappointed." Read more

"...The third book in this series is excellent in all aspects : character development; universe building; mystery revelation; pace and description...." Read more

"...How did that happen? It just goes to show that a decent author that can write well will keep you engaged and interested in a story, even if you..." Read more

"Always great books from this author . I love that it was hard science fiction without the magic of wormholes or warp drives...." Read more

32 customers mention ‘Story quality’ 24 positive 8 negative

Customers enjoy the gripping storytelling of this sci-fi tale, which brings the series to a satisfying conclusion.

"...The book was a great ending to the series ...." Read more

"...was very nasty indeed; the actors were different; the creativity of the universe was powerful and unique...." Read more

"...a decent author that can write well will keep you engaged and interested in a story , even if you think you don't like it...." Read more

"...still great, and act as you expect them to -- they just labour under an underbaked plot , and in the grand tradition of Reynolds novels, the ending..." Read more

6 customers mention ‘Entertainment value’ 6 positive 0 negative

Customers find the book enthralling, with one mentioning it becomes more engaging with each chapter.

" Tremendous fun , what an imagination Reynolds has and a great tale with more credible events than most adventure stories...." Read more

"...This final chapter in the Revenger series is enthralling and at least up to his usual standard...." Read more

"...collection of mini-worlds proceeds to get stranger and more entertaining with each chapter ...." Read more

"Excellent storey - two great books that make interesting and page turning reading throughout - a must for sci-fi readers" Read more

7 customers mention ‘Character development’ 4 positive 3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book, with some finding them excellent while others say the story and characters were not to their liking.

"...I cared about the characters ; the uber-baddie was very nasty indeed; the actors were different; the creativity of the universe was powerful and..." Read more

"Well how odd, I found the story and characters not to my liking , it's kind of "Pirates of the Caribbean" meets "Star Trek"...." Read more

"...The characters are still great , and act as you expect them to -- they just labour under an underbaked plot, and in the grand tradition of Reynolds..." Read more

"...The antagonist is such a bad villain I was surprised he was not wearing a topper, opera cape and twirling his moustache whilst tying the sisters..." Read more

6 customers mention ‘Pacing’ 3 positive 3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book.

"...: character development; universe building; mystery revelation; pace and description ...." Read more

"...The ending was good but seemed a little rushed and left a number of hanging threads." Read more

"... Well paced and good characterization but the story felt a little curtailed. Worth a read anyway" Read more

" A little rushed in parts but at least it answered the questions most readers will have had from the first two books." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Language’ 0 positive 4 negative

Customers find the language of the book problematic, with multiple reviews criticizing the dialogue as terrible.

"...I also found some of the language a bit iffy ... or "piratey" me hearties. But it is well crafted and I wanted to keep reading it...." Read more

"...It is poor writing ...." Read more

"...The dialogue is clunky and feels like padding. Strip it of the endless yapping and there might be a story in there. It's really bad." Read more

"...A lot of the dialogue is terrible ...." Read more

Alastair Reynolds continues his current form with Bone Silence
5 out of 5 stars
Alastair Reynolds continues his current form with Bone Silence
Alistair Reynolds is still by far my favorite author and he has continued his form, which rebooted with Revenger, in Bone Silence. A friend once said to me that Alistair Reynolds struggles to know how to write an ending and, disappointingly, I think this is still true with Bone Silence. This trilogy has the constant unanswered questions which drew me into and kept me hooked on the Revelation Space stories. There is a kind of answer at the end and a bit of a twist which, if I’m honest, left me underwhelmed. The answer lacks detail and explanation of the reasons and then the Ness sisters ride off into the sunset and Reynolds announces that he’s done with the pair. That aside I loved Bone Silence and the entire trilogy. Each book is different and describes different aspects of the universe in which it is set. The characters are diverse and interesting and the story wide, far reaching and mostly unpredictable. The sisters' respect for each other is clear throughout, but like real siblings there are tensions and fights. There is a lot more to this universe and so much scope for expansion. I’d love Alistair Reynolds to return to it some day and expand this story, fill in some glossed over gaps and detail and tell some of the other stories, even if the cliched seafaring language did irritate me throughout.
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 February 2020
    Well we have finally come to the end of the Revenger trilogy.
    i'll be sad to see the back of the Ness twins.

    The book was a great ending to the series. I was rushing through the last half of the book late at night desperate to find out what happened at the end.

    This was a interesting / different series for me. the first few chapters of book 1 had a slight YA feel to it, and some of the pirate like language that continued through the series just felt slightly weird and offputting but the rest of it totally outweighed that one slight thing.

    I loved the wide sweep of their universe and would love to come back and explore it later in other maybe stand alone books.

    I really enjoyed this, and would happily re-read the series. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 March 2023
    The usual shape for a series of novels is the diamond. Book One takes the reader and starts to spread out, introducing all manner of character and canon, building worlds, and exposing mysteries. Book Two accelerates towards the widest part of the diamond, equal revelation and resolution, offering the summit point, where the wider arc is revealed and the tension is wound up. Book Three sees that tension unleashed as the tale rushes towards its tempered end, mysteries being solved, character stories completed, and everything tidied up nicely.

    Not so this book, or this series. I scrolled off the final Kindle page really disappointed, almost a sense of loss, but more of that later.

    The third book in this series is excellent in all aspects: character development; universe building; mystery revelation; pace and description. I really enjoyed it as a maturing in both the tale and the writing. I cared about the characters; the uber-baddie was very nasty indeed; the actors were different; the creativity of the universe was powerful and unique.

    So why I am disappointed when I enjoyed it so much, and I cannot reiterate that fact: it may start off as somewhat Young Adult but it soon soars into a wonderful grown up experience. My issue is that it is a book of two halves in a series that is by no means complete and worse, leaves the reader with so many questions that are unanswered in a universe of amazing potential. So many questions. I hope that the author continues if not the adventures of the Revenger crew then some other exploration of his broken solar system, the history of the processions, the aliens, and what lies further out, demanding the quoins for their own sinister purposes.

    Highly Recommended.

    Fleecy Moss, author of the Folio 55 SciFi fantasy series (writing as Nia Sinjorina), End of a Girl, Undon , 4659, and Mudborn now available on Amazon.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 June 2021
    Well how odd, I found the story and characters not to my liking, it's kind of "Pirates of the Caribbean" meets "Star Trek". I also found some of the language a bit iffy... or "piratey" me hearties.

    But it is well crafted and I wanted to keep reading it. How did that happen? It just goes to show that a decent author that can write well will keep you engaged and interested in a story, even if you think you don't like it. That deserves 5 stars in my opinion... Arr.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 January 2021
    Look -- I like the Ness sisters; I love the plot and writing of pirates in space; I love the whole concept of this trilogy. Why, then, must the third novel in the series be so... mediocre?

    "Oh, here's a new villain -- he'll torment the sisters for 3/4 of the novel, whilst doing very little threatening personally; you have no personal investment in this faceless villain; also, his resolution leaves you lacking--"

    "Revenger", the first novel in this series, held such, such promise with the characters; the fact the latter two novels just job that off in favour of "lmao, piracy? No, all the action is going to take place on orbitals!" really sours the mouth. Stallis vs Bosa is not even a remote contest, one of those is a compelling villain and the other is a childish expy of "oops, all edge."

    The characters are still great, and act as you expect them to -- they just labour under an underbaked plot, and in the grand tradition of Reynolds novels, the ending is a complete pull out of nothing that adds so little to the overall setting. How it's considered a "grand reveal" is beyond me. Reading this trilogy every "twist and turn" I could utterly guess at from the foreshadowing laboriously dropped into the plot.

    It's fine. The trilogy, sadly, peaks with Revenger; it's a real shame for a grandiose and intriguing setting.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 March 2020
    Always great books from this author. I love that it was hard science fiction without the magic of wormholes or warp drives. Well paced and good characterization but the story felt a little curtailed. Worth a read anyway
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 September 2021
    Alastair Reynolds' great strength is as a world builder, and the world of Revenger is strange indeed. An essential part of this series is seeking reasons for the way things are, or appear to be. While this third volume contains some answers, there are many more questions. There is plenty of scope for more if he wants. The protagonists, the Ness Sisters, are not the finest chacterisation and ring somewhat theatrical at times, but I believe this is labeled as a "young adult" novel, and writing for that label may account for that. The bottom line is that this a gripping yarn, and a definite page-turner. I, for one, hope Reynolds has more to come for this universe.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 May 2020
    As with the others it can be somewhat slow at times but it’s a more gritty (and realistic) kind of sci-fi than some shallower novels where everything is always bright, new and sparkling technology-wise.

    The ending was good but seemed a little rushed and left a number of hanging threads.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 August 2024
    Tremendous fun, what an imagination Reynolds has and a great tale with more credible events than most adventure stories. I read it slowly because I didn't want it over too quickly. May the Ness sisters ride again.

Top reviews from other countries

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  • David Hultgren
    5.0 out of 5 stars Spännande bok
    Reviewed in Sweden on 21 November 2022
    Spännande avslutning och en välskriven trilogi
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  • Kat
    5.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing and idiosyncratic effort by a top SF author
    Reviewed in the United States on 13 May 2023
    This trilogy is very different from Reynolds other books, especially the Revelation Space universe. There’s a deliberate choice to create characters, vessels, modes of speech, voyages and battles reminiscent of the Age of Sail. Overall he succeeds.

    The sailing spaceships (sunjammers) he creates operate across a complex Solar System, millions of years in our future, where the original eight planets have long since been demolished and their matter used to create thousands of orbiting habitats.

    The second book hints at, and the third book develops, an existential threat to the extant civilization far larger than the tale of murder and revenge set out in the first book.

    Not my favorite by this fine author, but far better than most of the schlocky space opera that’s most SF these days, and interesting to observe the effort Reynolds makes to construct his world and its history.
  • George
    5.0 out of 5 stars A rollicking ride for old dads and their daughters
    Reviewed in Canada on 15 November 2024
    I really enjoyed this series and recommended it to my daughter - she devoured them! We really enjoyed the space pirate theme and the special space pirate lexicon that went with it.
  • Ein Kunde
    5.0 out of 5 stars Trilogy that starts small, but is picking up pace and ends great
    Reviewed in Germany on 15 April 2020
    While I didn't like the first one, Revenger, too much (What is that all about? Ness sisters not very sympathetic), things improved in Shadow Captain to come to a really epic end in Bone Silence. Chapeau!
  • Peter Eerden
    5.0 out of 5 stars An series to savour though hopefully not ended.
    Reviewed in Australia on 16 February 2020
    I have so much enjoyed the Ness Sisters adventures and author Alastair Reynolds has again given us epic sci-fi histories I can only be in awe of. I am hoping a follow up series will further explore monkey relationships with aliens and how they all transected within the whale ship and its spindle worlds. AWESOME!