Salvation Lost by Peter F. Hamilton – A book review

To say that Peter F. Hamilton’s books are on the large scale is very much an understatement. He has the ability to conceptualise human development over millennia and excels in deep world building that is based narratively in the modern day.

Salvation Lost is the second book in the Salvation sequence. It focuses on the fall of mankind as the seemingly harmless Olyix reveal their true intentions and enact a total invasion of Earth and her planets. The story told follows two timelines separated by thousands of years and whilst this may seem confusing it actually helps give both stories a certain nuance of anticipation.

Hamilton creates deep and fascinating space operas with dazzlingly inventive technology but if you have read a few of his other series then you will be familiar with the tested hero, the millionaire humanitarian and the alien. The same is true for this book.

Middle books are difficult as they cannot excite too much so something is left for the ending and they need to build on the first. This book instead doubles down on the reveal of the last book and carefully leads the reader through the consequences and lays the groundwork for the resolution.

If this book has any real weaknesses then it would be some of the sub plot, whilst the following of a group of London criminals added he perspective of ordinary people down in the streets it did at seem a little excessive but allowed Hamilton to insert his sex scenes.

The books strength is its scope. The way that Hamilton weaves events into each other is masterful and he has an amazing knack for creating incredible technologies and fully realising them. He makes their development believable and is able to contrast the awe of them with their limitations and uses them as part of the stories vehicle.

Peter F. Hamilton isn’t always an easy read, you need to concentrate when reading him and i would suggest you read one book following the other but this is not always possible. His work is always a good read and his ideas are mind blowing.