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Agent Cormac #5
Line War
The Polity is under attack from a 'melded' AI entity with control of the lethal Jain technology, yet the attack seems to have no coherence. When one of Erebus's wormships kills millions on the world of Klurhammon, a high-tech agricultural world of no real tactical significance, agent Ian Cormac is sent to investigate, though he is secretly struggling to control a new ability no human being should possess ...and beginning to question the motives of his AI masters. Further attacks and seemingly indiscriminate slaughter ensue, but only serve to bring some of the most dangerous individuals in the Polity into the war. Mr Crane, the indefatigable brass killing machine sets out for vengeance, while Orlandine, a vastly-augmented haiman who herself controls Jain technology, seeks a weapon of appalling power and finds allies from an ancient war. Meanwhile Mika, scientist and Dragon expert, is again kidnapped by that unfathomable alien entity and dragged into the heart of to wake the makers of Jain technology from their five-million-year slumber. But Erebus's attacks are not so indiscriminate, after all, and could very well herald the end of the Polity itself ...
496 pages, Paperback
First published March 18, 2008
131 people are currently reading
1710 people want to read
About the author
Neal Asher
150 books3,055 followersI’ve been an engineer, barman, skip lorry driver, coalman, boat window manufacturer, contract grass cutter and builder. Now I write science fiction books, and am slowly getting over the feeling that someone is going to find me out, and can call myself a writer without wincing and ducking my head. As professions go, I prefer this one: I don’t have to clock-in, change my clothes after work, nor scrub sensitive parts of my body with detergent. I think I’ll hang around.
Source: http://www.blogger.com/profile/139339...
Source: http://www.blogger.com/profile/139339...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
August 4, 2018
Payoff. :)
That's what this novel is.
After so many novels, including short stories and asides like Brass Man, this novel combines everyone, all the good and the bad, together in a spectacular blow out of AI ships against each other, with Jain tech making a mess of envy and call to power across so many species, and the people in the Polity and outside of it (a gigantic Jain sphere of awesome tech, Dragon) included.
War. Big war. With even bigger tech and hidden programs, nasty old and new AIs, leftovers of the Prador war, agents of Earth Central, and even the leftovers of ancient aliens who lobotomized themselves to become invisible to the Jain menace. :)
Is it satisfying? Is it over-the-top big action and tech and explosions and even a Lovecraftian element of horror throughout the massive augments? Hell yeah. :)
I'm not done with this author in the slightest. I'm only getting started, even if Agent Cormac is done (so far). :)
That's what this novel is.
After so many novels, including short stories and asides like Brass Man, this novel combines everyone, all the good and the bad, together in a spectacular blow out of AI ships against each other, with Jain tech making a mess of envy and call to power across so many species, and the people in the Polity and outside of it (a gigantic Jain sphere of awesome tech, Dragon) included.
War. Big war. With even bigger tech and hidden programs, nasty old and new AIs, leftovers of the Prador war, agents of Earth Central, and even the leftovers of ancient aliens who lobotomized themselves to become invisible to the Jain menace. :)
Is it satisfying? Is it over-the-top big action and tech and explosions and even a Lovecraftian element of horror throughout the massive augments? Hell yeah. :)
I'm not done with this author in the slightest. I'm only getting started, even if Agent Cormac is done (so far). :)
February 16, 2024
”Damage?”
“Yes. Damage.
So, Line War, in which the pawpaw hits the fan. Or, more accurately, in which battalions of fans rampage willy-nilly through the pawpaw orchard. The last book in the Agent Cormac arc is an absolute delight of mayhem and intrigue.
”We’ve got a problem – there’s something else out here.”
The full cast, with the exception of characters who have met their demise (and not been resurrected in some way or the other) reconvene in Line War for the grand finale. If you have made it this far (and there is no reason why you shouldn’t have) you already know what the story is: extinction event, as Erebus and his fleet of Jain technology bears down on the Polity.
And over there, in the darkness at the utter limit of her perception, something tangled, hot and utterly alien encroached on reality.
But, things are not as they seem (when are they ever?) and the author sets the reader up for a fantastic curveball or two. Where the previous novels tended to deal with events from different viewpoints, sometimes in isolation, and even utilizing flashbacks, Asher here, quite literally, brings everything together. Expect a lot of revelations and expect a lot of carnage, as we are finally shown the big picture.
All in all a fantastic series, and a humdinger of a conclusion to the Ian Cormac sequence.
”Well, it has been a bit boring around here lately.”
“I can promise you, that is about to change drastically.”
“Yes. Damage.
So, Line War, in which the pawpaw hits the fan. Or, more accurately, in which battalions of fans rampage willy-nilly through the pawpaw orchard. The last book in the Agent Cormac arc is an absolute delight of mayhem and intrigue.
”We’ve got a problem – there’s something else out here.”
The full cast, with the exception of characters who have met their demise (and not been resurrected in some way or the other) reconvene in Line War for the grand finale. If you have made it this far (and there is no reason why you shouldn’t have) you already know what the story is: extinction event, as Erebus and his fleet of Jain technology bears down on the Polity.
And over there, in the darkness at the utter limit of her perception, something tangled, hot and utterly alien encroached on reality.
But, things are not as they seem (when are they ever?) and the author sets the reader up for a fantastic curveball or two. Where the previous novels tended to deal with events from different viewpoints, sometimes in isolation, and even utilizing flashbacks, Asher here, quite literally, brings everything together. Expect a lot of revelations and expect a lot of carnage, as we are finally shown the big picture.
All in all a fantastic series, and a humdinger of a conclusion to the Ian Cormac sequence.
”Well, it has been a bit boring around here lately.”
“I can promise you, that is about to change drastically.”
March 26, 2025
Now this is how you stick a landing! Asher ties together all the various threads and subplots contained in this sprawling series with wit and panache all the while delivering a pulse-pounding, action fueled tale. I mentioned in my review of the first Agent Cormac book Gridlinked that this series is what made me a huge fan of Asher; that, and the books he also wrote in the oughts, such as The Skinner.
So much going on here, with Cormac, Dragon, the Brass Man, Orlandine, the Polity AIs all facing a new 'line war' instigated by rouge AIs who have 'mastered' Jain tech and seek to destroy the Polity. What Asher does so well concerns the masterful pacing, killer action sequences and mystery that underlies the events as they occur. Is Jain tech just irresistible? It has been the downfall of at least three alien civilizations after all, each of which (we suppose) thought they mastered it, harnessing its pros and mitigating the 'traps'. Do the Polity AIs think they can also master this? Maybe so...
Granted, this is not 'deep' science fiction that will leave you pondering for days/weeks/years about the meaning of life and the future, but then, that was never the intention. I suppose you could call this a pulp masterpiece, although that might be doing it a disservice. I can see why Asher felt the need to continue in this universe, and he certainly left room, but after another 10 books or so, I think he ran out of steam. Nonetheless, this series rocked! 4.5 action-packed stars, rounding up!
So much going on here, with Cormac, Dragon, the Brass Man, Orlandine, the Polity AIs all facing a new 'line war' instigated by rouge AIs who have 'mastered' Jain tech and seek to destroy the Polity. What Asher does so well concerns the masterful pacing, killer action sequences and mystery that underlies the events as they occur. Is Jain tech just irresistible? It has been the downfall of at least three alien civilizations after all, each of which (we suppose) thought they mastered it, harnessing its pros and mitigating the 'traps'. Do the Polity AIs think they can also master this? Maybe so...
Granted, this is not 'deep' science fiction that will leave you pondering for days/weeks/years about the meaning of life and the future, but then, that was never the intention. I suppose you could call this a pulp masterpiece, although that might be doing it a disservice. I can see why Asher felt the need to continue in this universe, and he certainly left room, but after another 10 books or so, I think he ran out of steam. Nonetheless, this series rocked! 4.5 action-packed stars, rounding up!
October 11, 2011
Finally I've come to the last Agent Cormac book, Line War, and up to now it's been a ride of ups and downs. The first two books, Gridlinked and The Line of Polity, were rather enjoyable, but they did have their issues. After that came Brass Man and Polity Agent, both of which upped the stakes and delivered some really great sci-fi. Now with Line War the story comes to a conclusion, and while it ends the series as a whole I always had that niggle of a doubt in my mind that it might not be as spectacular as I hoped. All totally unfounded of course, as Line War not only closes the series in style, it is one of the best books I've read in quite a while.
Line War picks up where Polity Agent left us, with Erebus, the rogue melded AI with Jain tech at its disposal, a serious threat to the Polity and starting to make attacks on certain Polity systems on the Line. Orlandine, a haiman (AI-Human meld), is still hiding from the ruling Polity AI's with her Jain tech research, but soon is enlisted by Fiddler Randal (a ghost in Erebus' machine) in a plot to destroy Erebus once and for all. Fiddler Randal doesn't stop there and also recruits Mr Crane, the deadly and legendary brass Golem along with Vulture, a former warship AI, into his plot. Dragon is back and on its own quest to stop the Jain tech from spreading through and destroying the Polity with the help of Mika. And then we have Ian Cormac, agent of Earth Central Security, whose developing underspace sense is helping him in many surprising ways.
First things first. Line War is the fifth and final Ian Cormac novel, so in all honesty there is really no point reading this novel if you've not read at least most of the previous ones. It's also a direct sequel to Polity Agent, feeling very much like the second half of one big novel, so again rules out anyone reading a understanding what's going on here if you've not read that one. If you're a fan of Neal Asher's work and have been following the Ian Cormac series since its beginnings then you are going to very much enjoy what is on offer here!
Polity Agent left us with many unanswered questions about Erebus, Jain tech, Orlandine, Dragon and Cormac, so one of the things I was really hoping to see here was answers to these plot threads. What I got was all of this, and more, but delivered in such a fashion that made it all very satisfying.
All the main characters in Line War are back from previous installments in the series - Cormac, Mika, Dragon, the AI Jerusalem, Orlandine, and my particular favourite, Mr Crane. The focus of the novel is not so much on one character, but on many of them and showing events across the Polity. Line War is a big book, but it is the characters that take us through all that happens, each with their own personality and goals, but they fit together well and each and every one of them is a joy to read. Erebus and Fiddler Randal are the two new main characters, and while each of these is intertwined with the other, they provide a viewpoint that vital to the story. Erebus is single minded in it's quest to destroy the Polity, while the ghost in the machine Randall counteracts it in various ways throughout. The interactions between these two were spot on, showing just what was needed in such a way that worked extremely well.
Cormac's quest was also good, but in the grand scheme of the story it wasn't as front line as I expected. Don't get me wrong, what we see through his actions is great, but it was the other characters that I came to enjoy so much more while reading Line War. Dragon's tale takes you to the places you want to see, Orlandine shows us that just because you're wanted by the Polity it doesn't mean you don't want to help, and Mr Crane demonstrates silent destruction in everything he does, but this time with added sanity. It's all great, and as a culmination of the whole series it delivers everything you could possibly ask for.
With any series the question is always present on how it will all finish. Will it being it's crowning glory, or the one thing that can ruin such a huge story? When asked about ending the series Neal had this to say:
Main aim with Line War was a twist and no deus ex machina ... and lots of explosions.
I won't be giving anything away by saying I came away from Line War, and the series as a whole, completely, thoroughly and immensely pleased. I saw everything I wanted to see and had answers to questions I wanted answering. While not all stones were left unturned, the ones that mattered specifically to this series were addressed, and done so with flair.
Is this the end for the Polity novels? Certainly not - the currently published Spatterjay series takes place 500 years after Line War, while Hilldiggers another 200 years after that, as well as the 20-years-later novel The Technician. In between all this there is plenty yet to explore, and only Neal's imagination and willingness will decide what, if anything, we see next time.
On a final note, the Cormac series is perhaps one of the best overall examples of sci-fi I've had the pleasure to read. It's got action, adventure, intrigue, alien menaces and a whole host of other things that just hit the spot for me as a reader. Neal Asher: without a doubt the most entertaining science fiction author writing today. Well done, sir!
Line War picks up where Polity Agent left us, with Erebus, the rogue melded AI with Jain tech at its disposal, a serious threat to the Polity and starting to make attacks on certain Polity systems on the Line. Orlandine, a haiman (AI-Human meld), is still hiding from the ruling Polity AI's with her Jain tech research, but soon is enlisted by Fiddler Randal (a ghost in Erebus' machine) in a plot to destroy Erebus once and for all. Fiddler Randal doesn't stop there and also recruits Mr Crane, the deadly and legendary brass Golem along with Vulture, a former warship AI, into his plot. Dragon is back and on its own quest to stop the Jain tech from spreading through and destroying the Polity with the help of Mika. And then we have Ian Cormac, agent of Earth Central Security, whose developing underspace sense is helping him in many surprising ways.
First things first. Line War is the fifth and final Ian Cormac novel, so in all honesty there is really no point reading this novel if you've not read at least most of the previous ones. It's also a direct sequel to Polity Agent, feeling very much like the second half of one big novel, so again rules out anyone reading a understanding what's going on here if you've not read that one. If you're a fan of Neal Asher's work and have been following the Ian Cormac series since its beginnings then you are going to very much enjoy what is on offer here!
Polity Agent left us with many unanswered questions about Erebus, Jain tech, Orlandine, Dragon and Cormac, so one of the things I was really hoping to see here was answers to these plot threads. What I got was all of this, and more, but delivered in such a fashion that made it all very satisfying.
All the main characters in Line War are back from previous installments in the series - Cormac, Mika, Dragon, the AI Jerusalem, Orlandine, and my particular favourite, Mr Crane. The focus of the novel is not so much on one character, but on many of them and showing events across the Polity. Line War is a big book, but it is the characters that take us through all that happens, each with their own personality and goals, but they fit together well and each and every one of them is a joy to read. Erebus and Fiddler Randal are the two new main characters, and while each of these is intertwined with the other, they provide a viewpoint that vital to the story. Erebus is single minded in it's quest to destroy the Polity, while the ghost in the machine Randall counteracts it in various ways throughout. The interactions between these two were spot on, showing just what was needed in such a way that worked extremely well.
Cormac's quest was also good, but in the grand scheme of the story it wasn't as front line as I expected. Don't get me wrong, what we see through his actions is great, but it was the other characters that I came to enjoy so much more while reading Line War. Dragon's tale takes you to the places you want to see, Orlandine shows us that just because you're wanted by the Polity it doesn't mean you don't want to help, and Mr Crane demonstrates silent destruction in everything he does, but this time with added sanity. It's all great, and as a culmination of the whole series it delivers everything you could possibly ask for.
With any series the question is always present on how it will all finish. Will it being it's crowning glory, or the one thing that can ruin such a huge story? When asked about ending the series Neal had this to say:
Main aim with Line War was a twist and no deus ex machina ... and lots of explosions.
I won't be giving anything away by saying I came away from Line War, and the series as a whole, completely, thoroughly and immensely pleased. I saw everything I wanted to see and had answers to questions I wanted answering. While not all stones were left unturned, the ones that mattered specifically to this series were addressed, and done so with flair.
Is this the end for the Polity novels? Certainly not - the currently published Spatterjay series takes place 500 years after Line War, while Hilldiggers another 200 years after that, as well as the 20-years-later novel The Technician. In between all this there is plenty yet to explore, and only Neal's imagination and willingness will decide what, if anything, we see next time.
On a final note, the Cormac series is perhaps one of the best overall examples of sci-fi I've had the pleasure to read. It's got action, adventure, intrigue, alien menaces and a whole host of other things that just hit the spot for me as a reader. Neal Asher: without a doubt the most entertaining science fiction author writing today. Well done, sir!
August 27, 2009
Meh... I don't know. I absolutely loved 'Gridlinked' and 'The Line of Polity' but this one didn't really hit the spot I thought. The plot is great, of course, the final showdown between Polity and Erebus couldn't be anything but. Also, Mr Crane. You can't miss with a character like that.
I think the reason this book didn't sit so well with me was because, in an attempt to suspend my disbelief, Asher constantly managed to do the opposite, by means of over-explanation. I haven't got the book to hand, so can't quote, but an approximation of the scenes that annoyed me would go something like:
[Character:] does something amazing. There could be a small problem/obstacle. But because [character:] has this or that Jain-assisted ability, the problem/obstacle is removed. Again. And again. And again.
This happens ALL THE TIME in the Orlandine story-line, and everytime I'd think 'whoa, awesome that she can do that' my awe was dispelled because Asher immediately explains why she can do this. The phrase "through her Jain somethingorother, Orlandine could..." is so overused, it had started to grate before I was half-way through.
I also felt Dragon was under-written, his motives even more obscure than usual, and his personality faded somewhat.
'Line War' is a good read, but not as great as I'd expected.
I think the reason this book didn't sit so well with me was because, in an attempt to suspend my disbelief, Asher constantly managed to do the opposite, by means of over-explanation. I haven't got the book to hand, so can't quote, but an approximation of the scenes that annoyed me would go something like:
[Character:] does something amazing. There could be a small problem/obstacle. But because [character:] has this or that Jain-assisted ability, the problem/obstacle is removed. Again. And again. And again.
This happens ALL THE TIME in the Orlandine story-line, and everytime I'd think 'whoa, awesome that she can do that' my awe was dispelled because Asher immediately explains why she can do this. The phrase "through her Jain somethingorother, Orlandine could..." is so overused, it had started to grate before I was half-way through.
I also felt Dragon was under-written, his motives even more obscure than usual, and his personality faded somewhat.
'Line War' is a good read, but not as great as I'd expected.
August 10, 2018
The final Agent Cormac book was easily the best, bringing the vast scope of this series into sharp focus. The earlier books suffered at times from too many minor characters and not particularly necessary "retroact" flashbacks. In Line War we are presented with a gripping action SF that tied up all the loose ends and explained everything we ever wanted to know about the alien Jain tech, complex AI's, alien "makers" and "Dragon" entities, Polity schemers, android golems, human/AI hybrids and war drones and even finally the introduction of my favourite alien race to hate - the Prador.
Almost every entity has a "grey" morality being neither good or bad just fighting for survival. If you are keen to start the series feel free to play the Neal Asher drinking game where you have to do a shot each time a character is introduced and dies a violent death in the same chapter. This is a marvellously disturbing universe and it is a pleasure to watch Asher grow as writer as he completed it.
Almost every entity has a "grey" morality being neither good or bad just fighting for survival. If you are keen to start the series feel free to play the Neal Asher drinking game where you have to do a shot each time a character is introduced and dies a violent death in the same chapter. This is a marvellously disturbing universe and it is a pleasure to watch Asher grow as writer as he completed it.
November 17, 2013
Not really a full five stars, but enough fun that I rounded up.
I guess I can't get enough of AIs running 20-mile-long spaceships while always seeming to speak with on eyebrow raised and a half-smile.
You really have to have read the earlier books to enjoy this one.
The whole series is huge in scope, and this volume's no exception. There are quite a few major characters on stage. Millions, possibly billions of people are killed, planets blown up, etc. and in the midst of all this there's room for a few individual stories.
Asher tests the suspension of disbelief sometimes, especially when a giant AI is posed a question and hesitates before answering. It's been made abundantly clear that each AI can easily run thousands, maybe millions of subprocesses at once, firing a vast array of weapons while doing U-space calculations and choosing new wallpaper for the fifteenth sub-bridge. The questions weren't that tough.
There's a lot of "Who did that?" and "what the heck is he/she/it it up to?" in this, mostly well handled.
I can't really fault Asher for doing what almost every author does: making the key characters invulnerable. One or two peripheral players come onstage enough to become familiar, then get snuffed - but not many considering the mayhem that pervades this book.
This book gradually leads us through all the explosions to a series of moral issues, many having to do with how we might operate in a universe where unmodified humans are very much a minority. There's also a bit of thought about how "the greatest good for the greatest number" works when it might involve decisions such as sacrificing a couple of solar systems.
All in all, a great ride.
I guess I can't get enough of AIs running 20-mile-long spaceships while always seeming to speak with on eyebrow raised and a half-smile.
You really have to have read the earlier books to enjoy this one.
The whole series is huge in scope, and this volume's no exception. There are quite a few major characters on stage. Millions, possibly billions of people are killed, planets blown up, etc. and in the midst of all this there's room for a few individual stories.
Asher tests the suspension of disbelief sometimes, especially when a giant AI is posed a question and hesitates before answering. It's been made abundantly clear that each AI can easily run thousands, maybe millions of subprocesses at once, firing a vast array of weapons while doing U-space calculations and choosing new wallpaper for the fifteenth sub-bridge. The questions weren't that tough.
There's a lot of "Who did that?" and "what the heck is he/she/it it up to?" in this, mostly well handled.
I can't really fault Asher for doing what almost every author does: making the key characters invulnerable. One or two peripheral players come onstage enough to become familiar, then get snuffed - but not many considering the mayhem that pervades this book.
This book gradually leads us through all the explosions to a series of moral issues, many having to do with how we might operate in a universe where unmodified humans are very much a minority. There's also a bit of thought about how "the greatest good for the greatest number" works when it might involve decisions such as sacrificing a couple of solar systems.
All in all, a great ride.
January 26, 2015
This was my least favorite book in the Ian Cormac series of polity novels. It felts abrupt to me as he pulled together all the many threads started throughout the series. The plot was well telegraphed which removed some of the tension earlier in the series and the action was less compelling than the first several books. The biggest problem was how different the characters seemed in this book than in previous ones. These changes were justified by plot points but it was still unsettling to have fundamental changes to long standing characters in the last book of a series
Having said that's still highly recommend the series to anyone interested in good space operas. I am planning on reading the rest of the polity world novels. I think that the Technician is the next one.
Having said that's still highly recommend the series to anyone interested in good space operas. I am planning on reading the rest of the polity world novels. I think that the Technician is the next one.
April 16, 2010
Oo! Released slowly and out of order in the U.S.--start with Gridlinked, if you're interested--a few more of British SF author Neal Asher's books have recently turned up in the Kindle store. I was stoked to get ahold of the conclusion to the Agent Cormac series. I was surprised by how it wrapped up!
December 9, 2008
Continues in the Polity series, and raises quite a few questions about the way AIs are running things.
I think it opens up a whole new avenue of stories for future books. And I am looking forward to them.
I think it opens up a whole new avenue of stories for future books. And I am looking forward to them.
June 4, 2024
A fitting finishing for a series of very good books! Mr Asher has a pace of writing that makes it enjoyable and a universe very well constructed. Also de development of characters like Cormac and Dragon and very interesting!!!
January 11, 2021
A wholly satisfying conclusion to the Agent Cormac series.
Line War provides that payoff that makes me look forward to returning to the Polity Universe sometime soon.
Line War provides that payoff that makes me look forward to returning to the Polity Universe sometime soon.
October 30, 2023
If you've been paying attention to my ratings, you can tell that I've gradually enjoyed Neal Asher's epic space opera series/universe the further into it I have gone. By the time of the release of Line War, he has refined his craft and delivered a thrilling conclusion to the Agent Cormac series. It was honestly everything I had hoped it would be and more.
Neal Asher started off the series and his career with rather robotic characters with little distinction in their voice. Ironic, actually, since most of the characters are robots, or rather, AI. But even the human characters felt stiff and lacking of personality. I'm not sure if it's a tribute to his growth as a writer, or that I've spent 5 books with some of these characters (well, the ones that survived this far) and so I've just gotten to know them more. For Agent Cormac, this is actually his 6th feature book since Asher went back and wrote his origin story in Shadow of the Scorpion. Since I'm reading the Polity Universe chronologically, this makes it his 6th.
By this point, our mythical hero has become the stuff of legend. People live into their 100's with ease in this universe thanks to the technological advancements and even with Cormac being around awhile, it hasn't slowed him down. It was fun reading this series and hearing other characters either become fearful or in awe whenever his name is mentioned. Agent Cormac is basically James Bond hundreds of years into the future where aliens and AI rule space. He's gruff, gets the ladies, has numerous sidekicks that are expendable, crafty, impossible to kill, and has a ton of juicy weapons at his disposal. It's been a pleasure to read his exploits throughout the series.
The most pleasant surprise came at the end of this fantastic read. A bunch of connections and callbacks are made to various points in the series and I felt like Sherlock Holmes was explaining this grand conspiracy with red yarn connecting the pictures of people and events. I was shocked at a number of the revelations and, particularly, the foreshadowing and depth of plot that Asher had placed in seemingly innocuous moments peppered throughout the five books. It's done so well that I think a second readthrough would be quite enjoyable and, really, what more can you ask for in a series of books? When the reader wants to do a re-read almost immediately, that's the mark of a great series, even if some of the books are not as good as others. The ending has to land and Line War concludes with a bang in the most satisfying of ways.
Polity Universe
Prador Moon - 7.5/10
Shadow of the Scorpion - 7.0/10
The Technician - 8.0/10
Agent Cormac
Gridlinked - 7.5/10
The Line of Polity - 8.0/10
Brass Man - 8.5/10
Polity Agent - 9.0/10
Line War - 10/10
Neal Asher started off the series and his career with rather robotic characters with little distinction in their voice. Ironic, actually, since most of the characters are robots, or rather, AI. But even the human characters felt stiff and lacking of personality. I'm not sure if it's a tribute to his growth as a writer, or that I've spent 5 books with some of these characters (well, the ones that survived this far) and so I've just gotten to know them more. For Agent Cormac, this is actually his 6th feature book since Asher went back and wrote his origin story in Shadow of the Scorpion. Since I'm reading the Polity Universe chronologically, this makes it his 6th.
By this point, our mythical hero has become the stuff of legend. People live into their 100's with ease in this universe thanks to the technological advancements and even with Cormac being around awhile, it hasn't slowed him down. It was fun reading this series and hearing other characters either become fearful or in awe whenever his name is mentioned. Agent Cormac is basically James Bond hundreds of years into the future where aliens and AI rule space. He's gruff, gets the ladies, has numerous sidekicks that are expendable, crafty, impossible to kill, and has a ton of juicy weapons at his disposal. It's been a pleasure to read his exploits throughout the series.
The most pleasant surprise came at the end of this fantastic read. A bunch of connections and callbacks are made to various points in the series and I felt like Sherlock Holmes was explaining this grand conspiracy with red yarn connecting the pictures of people and events. I was shocked at a number of the revelations and, particularly, the foreshadowing and depth of plot that Asher had placed in seemingly innocuous moments peppered throughout the five books. It's done so well that I think a second readthrough would be quite enjoyable and, really, what more can you ask for in a series of books? When the reader wants to do a re-read almost immediately, that's the mark of a great series, even if some of the books are not as good as others. The ending has to land and Line War concludes with a bang in the most satisfying of ways.
Polity Universe
Prador Moon - 7.5/10
Shadow of the Scorpion - 7.0/10
The Technician - 8.0/10
Agent Cormac
Gridlinked - 7.5/10
The Line of Polity - 8.0/10
Brass Man - 8.5/10
Polity Agent - 9.0/10
Line War - 10/10
May 6, 2008
Neil Asher's "Line War" is a solid conclusion to a brilliant series, but don't read it until you have read the previous four books in what should be (but isn't) called the "Ian Cormac" series. Asher tries to fill in the background for the reader who hasn't read the other books, but frankly he does not succeed and it doesn't work particularly well as a stand-alone story.
On the other hand,"Line War" is a great success as the final book in a series, nicely tying off many story lines and largely providing satisfying and mind-expanding explanations for the unresolved puzzles in the previous books. If I had not read the other books, I would have given this one 3 stars, but as a sequel that I'll read again, it gets 5.
At times the action gets a little chopped with multiple story lines going on at the same time, and there are some minor continuity flaws with some of the earlier books, but nothing too serious. I read the book until deep in the night, then the following morning was unable to complete getting up until I had finished it.
Grand-scale science-fiction set in a future that bears some similarities to Iain M. Banks' Culture novels, but sufficiently different to be suprising and interesting.
On the other hand,"Line War" is a great success as the final book in a series, nicely tying off many story lines and largely providing satisfying and mind-expanding explanations for the unresolved puzzles in the previous books. If I had not read the other books, I would have given this one 3 stars, but as a sequel that I'll read again, it gets 5.
At times the action gets a little chopped with multiple story lines going on at the same time, and there are some minor continuity flaws with some of the earlier books, but nothing too serious. I read the book until deep in the night, then the following morning was unable to complete getting up until I had finished it.
Grand-scale science-fiction set in a future that bears some similarities to Iain M. Banks' Culture novels, but sufficiently different to be suprising and interesting.
December 29, 2021
Definitely worth reading if you've read the Agent Cormac series to this point. My negatives aren't many: A bit longer than needed, some of the human/haiman characters are written with less warmth than usual, and in particular I'd have liked to know more about how Cormac was feeling at times. After this, I'm about Jain teched out, so I'm hoping it doesn't feature nearly as prominently in his further works.
And maybe it's a niggle, but something with Asher in general I've noticed so far is the overlong chapters. Goodness, how many shifts of points of view and plot does it take to warrant a chapter break with him? Typically I read a chapter here and there; only so much free time. This volume seemed even worse than some of other Cormac books that I'd have to find a spot I could call a stopping point mid-chapter because the chapters often just go on and on.
Overall though, I've really enjoyed and been satisfied with the Cormac series. I'm pretty sure I like the Culture universe a bit more than the Polity universe, but Asher's writing has kept me about as excited as Banks' so far. Since I'm reading the Culture books only occasionally because there will sadly be no more, it's been great to have another universe that feels similar to me that I could dive into.
And maybe it's a niggle, but something with Asher in general I've noticed so far is the overlong chapters. Goodness, how many shifts of points of view and plot does it take to warrant a chapter break with him? Typically I read a chapter here and there; only so much free time. This volume seemed even worse than some of other Cormac books that I'd have to find a spot I could call a stopping point mid-chapter because the chapters often just go on and on.
Overall though, I've really enjoyed and been satisfied with the Cormac series. I'm pretty sure I like the Culture universe a bit more than the Polity universe, but Asher's writing has kept me about as excited as Banks' so far. Since I'm reading the Culture books only occasionally because there will sadly be no more, it's been great to have another universe that feels similar to me that I could dive into.
February 22, 2013
Enjoyed, but not as much as previous books in the series.
I found the first half of the book to be bogged down by so many explanations of what things look like, how the AIs transmit information and the intricacies of battle. In the prior volumes Asher had managed to give me feel of these things without it being whole swaths of passages just describing things. Found Orlandine and Cormac more cold and remote than before and less easy to connect with as characters. Luckily the AI characters filled in the gap there. Arach, Mr Crane and even Jerusalem provided the personality (and quips!) I wanted to get somewhat invested in the story.
All in all the this series has been a very enjoyable experience. Interesting characters with a plausible, rich world and enemies that aren't just one dimensional cut outs to fight against. Just wish the finale had been as great a read as some of the previous books.
I found the first half of the book to be bogged down by so many explanations of what things look like, how the AIs transmit information and the intricacies of battle. In the prior volumes Asher had managed to give me feel of these things without it being whole swaths of passages just describing things. Found Orlandine and Cormac more cold and remote than before and less easy to connect with as characters. Luckily the AI characters filled in the gap there. Arach, Mr Crane and even Jerusalem provided the personality (and quips!) I wanted to get somewhat invested in the story.
All in all the this series has been a very enjoyable experience. Interesting characters with a plausible, rich world and enemies that aren't just one dimensional cut outs to fight against. Just wish the finale had been as great a read as some of the previous books.
November 9, 2012
A worthy conclusion to the Ian Cormac series. Asher has grown a lot through this, the series started as a campy-but-fun Culture-meets-007 romp with a pinch of military SF added (ticking all if my guilty pleasure boxes), but in Line War it finishes on a truly epic note, asking the kind of questions on humanity and the implications of advanced to godlike technology which make SF into such an interesting genre, while ramping up the badassery of the earlier books to unseen levels. Seriously, the Cormac, Mr. Crane and the war drone scene will put a grin on your face. Oh and space battles. Lots and lots of awesome space battles. Best in the series.
September 29, 2013
A hard series to describe. Definitely quite slow at the start, but picked up to a decent pace by the end.
January 14, 2014
was good, was a bit too large in scale for periods, missed out all the cormac action with his tenkian blade
November 28, 2018
wasn't feeling the series that much in the beginning, but in hindsight it all was all good build-up, feels like I sprinted through the last two
January 8, 2021
Solid finale to a great series. Excited to explore the rest of the polity universe.
October 31, 2022
La polity subi toujours l’attaque de l’IA mélangée a la technologie meurtrière des Jain, pour une rencontre finale entre les forces d’Orlandine, d’Erebus, Dragon et Cormac dans ce dernier tome haut en couleur.
Et quelle CLAQUE que ce dernier livre de la saga Agent Cormac !! J’ai juste adoré ce livre - notamment les derniers chapitres, qui mettent vraiment en lumière le pouvoir et les capacités de Earth Central, et les manigances de tout ce petit monde. Une très bonne manière de conclure la saga, qui se lit honnêtement superbement bien et dont on ne fatigue vraiment pas ! Un gros coup de coeur et trop trop hâte de lire la suite des écrire d’Asher.
March 14, 2020
I'm very sad that I've now reached the end of the Agent Cormac novels. But this was an excellent send-off! I don't feel I can really give a proper review without giving a lot of spoilers, but I will say that I never expected what happened at the end, and the telling of the whole story was enthralling and very hard to put down!
Having first read The Transformation Series as my intro to Asher, and then jumping onto the newest series Rise of the Jain (which was actually a prequel to Transformation), it has been a pleasure to go back to the beginning chronologically and get the story of what happened before those series. And I have to say, Asher is such a masterful writer that jumping into the Polity storyline halfway through chronologically was no problem whatsoever for me as far as making me wonder what happened to lead to those points and events. But honestly, now that I've started from the beginning, I pretty much think I HAVE to go back and read Rise of the Jain and Transformation again before moving on to the Spatterjay series of stories. But first I need to read The Technician standalone novel just to keep it chronological.
Read anything by Asher and you will not be disappointed.
Having first read The Transformation Series as my intro to Asher, and then jumping onto the newest series Rise of the Jain (which was actually a prequel to Transformation), it has been a pleasure to go back to the beginning chronologically and get the story of what happened before those series. And I have to say, Asher is such a masterful writer that jumping into the Polity storyline halfway through chronologically was no problem whatsoever for me as far as making me wonder what happened to lead to those points and events. But honestly, now that I've started from the beginning, I pretty much think I HAVE to go back and read Rise of the Jain and Transformation again before moving on to the Spatterjay series of stories. But first I need to read The Technician standalone novel just to keep it chronological.
Read anything by Asher and you will not be disappointed.
February 19, 2010
The first two Cormac books, although linked, stand on their own. The other three, however, are tightly connected, forming a whole set. Thankfully the last one closes down most threads and although open-ended, gives a reasonable conclusion, and hints that the series stops here.
I confess I was relieved when it ended, as the series had become bloated and a bit unwieldy, with some scenes and imaginative settings, but padded with too much pointless description and repetition.
In this book happen many more things, humans, though Humanity still is mostly irrelevant for big events, take front stage to control events, or rather former humans, as it is one of the premises of the series is that only post-humans (and AIs, and aliens...) can affect the future. A consequence of the setting.
What is really different in this book from the two preceding ones is that Asher recovers the two pillars of Space Opera, awe and action. We can identify with some of the action and be awed with some locales and science. And in the end that is why I read Space Opera.
I confess I was relieved when it ended, as the series had become bloated and a bit unwieldy, with some scenes and imaginative settings, but padded with too much pointless description and repetition.
In this book happen many more things, humans, though Humanity still is mostly irrelevant for big events, take front stage to control events, or rather former humans, as it is one of the premises of the series is that only post-humans (and AIs, and aliens...) can affect the future. A consequence of the setting.
What is really different in this book from the two preceding ones is that Asher recovers the two pillars of Space Opera, awe and action. We can identify with some of the action and be awed with some locales and science. And in the end that is why I read Space Opera.
February 6, 2020
Spoilers or whatever. I DNF this book for one reason. There is a character in it that is supposedly a code artifact, a ghost in the machine as it were. This character terrorized the main villain in a way that was exciting and fun. It was yet another amazing character from Neal Asher, an author who seems to dream up a new and vastly interesting and entertaining character every time he goes to sleep. So I'm enjoying the book greatly. The action scenes are superb, writing top notch, all that normal stuff Asher is known for (funny how 'normal' for Asher is 'I wish I could write like that' for most authors). Then I get to the DNF part. The ghost in the machine, the code artifact, turns out to be the goddamn conscience of the villain. It's so not what I wanted that I stopped reading at the end of the sentence in which the conscience outs itself. Still have like 120 pages or so left in the book. I will never pick it up and finish it.
January 2, 2020
While this final (?) chapter took a bit more effort because of the number of threads, I only gave it four stars, not because of any lack of enjoyment on my part, but I know the ADHD readers will suffer.
Loved it; the development of Mika, the return of the treacherous King, bad ass Golem, wicked enemies with appalling capabilities that set even Cormac back on his heels were all as well-written as I have come to expect from Neil Asher, and the added bonus of another superbly written, deeply conflicted female character overcoming treacherous plots and seeking redemption for past crimes simply made it better.
Old friends and enemies, startling and not-so-startling revelations, and a darkly hilarious end for an otherwise invincible authority figure all combine to make this another stellar Asher read.
Loved it; the development of Mika, the return of the treacherous King, bad ass Golem, wicked enemies with appalling capabilities that set even Cormac back on his heels were all as well-written as I have come to expect from Neil Asher, and the added bonus of another superbly written, deeply conflicted female character overcoming treacherous plots and seeking redemption for past crimes simply made it better.
Old friends and enemies, startling and not-so-startling revelations, and a darkly hilarious end for an otherwise invincible authority figure all combine to make this another stellar Asher read.
October 29, 2016
The triumphant yet somewhat mysterious conclusion to this plot arc, as tight scripting gives way to inadequately justified motivations, strange reversals, and, most vexingly, no real justification of what was so unusual or significant about the particular characters that became so special. The entire book smells a little like a hunt for a sufficiently grand conclusion to wrap the story up; methinks Asher got a little tired of this particular series. Worth reading if you're attached to the characters, probably not otherwise.
May 21, 2017
Okay, this one has five stars. To get the best out of the books, you should read the whole series. In fact, you probably need to read the whole series. If you want the answers to the questions left hanging as you read the previous books, then this is where you'll find them. It's because all the loose ends are tied up that this one gets the big 5.
Neal Asher has created a believable future, with 'science fiction' that feels like 'science fact'. This is hardcore sci-fi. AI, Aliens and irascible war drones. Recommended.
Neal Asher has created a believable future, with 'science fiction' that feels like 'science fact'. This is hardcore sci-fi. AI, Aliens and irascible war drones. Recommended.
October 23, 2011
A good finale to the Ian Cormac series. A thoroughly fast-paced tale with the final showdown with rogue AI Erebus and its Jain-enhanced army. The puzzling entity that is Dragon is also pursuing its own agenda and Mr. Crane is finally pushed too far. In the middle of all of this is Ian Cormac, a "man" with new abilities...maybe, he's still not sure.
November 25, 2019
Asher writes complex plots with ensemble casts and stories that rely on knowledge of things that happened in previous books. Plus, Asher assumes his audience can keep up and keeps the explanations to a minimum. All I can say is this is a terrific series -- one of the best in science-fiction -- and that it should be read in order for maximum enjoyment.
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