Perhaps the Stars
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- Create Date：2021-10-23 09:51:11
- Update Date：2025-09-13
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- Author：Ada Palmer
- ISBN：1786699613
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Summary
The final instalment in Ada Palmer's award-winning， critically acclaimed Terra Ignota series。
The long years of near-utopia have come to an abrupt end。 Peace and order are now figments of the past。 Corruption， deception， and insurgency hum within the once steadfast leadership of the Hives， nations without fixed location。
The heartbreaking truth is that for decades， even centuries， the leaders of the great Hives bought the world's stability with a trickle of secret murders， mathematically planned。 So that no faction could ever dominate。 So that the balance held。 The Hives' facade of solidity is the only hope they have for maintaining a semblance of order， for preventing the public from succumbing to the savagery and bloodlust of wars past。 But as the great secret becomes more and more widely known， that facade is slipping away。 Just days earlier， the world was a pinnacle of human civilization。 Now everyone？ Hives and hiveless， Utopians and sensayers， emperors and the downtrodden， warriors and saints scramble to prepare for the seemingly inevitable war。
The long years of near-utopia have come to an abrupt end。 Peace and order are now figments of the past。 Corruption， deception， and insurgency hum within the once steadfast leadership of the Hives， nations without fixed location。
The heartbreaking truth is that for decades， even centuries， the leaders of the great Hives bought the world's stability with a trickle of secret murders， mathematically planned。 So that no faction could ever dominate。 So that the balance held。 The Hives' facade of solidity is the only hope they have for maintaining a semblance of order， for preventing the public from succumbing to the savagery and bloodlust of wars past。 But as the great secret becomes more and more widely known， that facade is slipping away。 Just days earlier， the world was a pinnacle of human civilization。 Now everyone？ Hives and hiveless， Utopians and sensayers， emperors and the downtrodden， warriors and saints scramble to prepare for the seemingly inevitable war。
Reviews
Yev
，
Was it worthwhile to read this tetralogy？ Yeah， overall， I suppose so。 The narrative didn't go how I'd prefer， but it's consistently interesting if nothing else。 In every book there's a considerable focus on experimentation in narrative style。 Despite that most of the time I was more annoyed than intrigued by that， it was still worth reading。The narrative generally stayed at the periphery of the action， which made sense， considering the events that occurred and the narrator。 Although this was a Was it worthwhile to read this tetralogy？ Yeah， overall， I suppose so。 The narrative didn't go how I'd prefer， but it's consistently interesting if nothing else。 In every book there's a considerable focus on experimentation in narrative style。 Despite that most of the time I was more annoyed than intrigued by that， it was still worth reading。The narrative generally stayed at the periphery of the action， which made sense， considering the events that occurred and the narrator。 Although this was a change of pace from where most books are in the middle of whatever was going on， I found that reading daily field reports and similar wasn't a preferred method of engagement for me。It was definitely a strange experience reading about people who had forgotten how to wage war and were reading monographs about how to do so and establishing best practices to have humane internment camps。 They wanted to wage war against each other without killing anyone。 Overall their conflict was so sterile that it seemed alien to me， though that was certainly for the best for those involved。There were two extended psychological horror scenes and they were probably the highlights of the book for me， especially the first one。 For several pages the narrative is presented entirely though a data log， which I don't remember if I've seen before， or if I have， it wasn't anything noteworthy to me。Unfortunately， which is something I write all too often， I was still unable to feel particularly invested in any of it， which as with every book， limited my enjoyment。 As with the previous books， I wasn't able to appreciate the classical age references， because my reading of classics is negligible。I was indifferent to the ending。 It works well enough for the context， though I would've preferred something more decisive。 My main problem with it was that after four books it felt lacking in consequence， though that's probably a personal and cultural issue。 。。。more
Ashley
，
A fascinating brilliant mess of a book。
Tanya
，
。。。before I've sweated out my term as oarsman on Apollo's flagship， I must lead Utopia to some new world untouched by Distance， where the very oars and sails we use to battle grim Poseidon are undreamed。 [loc。 12074] The long-awaited （and long） finale of the Terra Ignota series。 （Too Like the Lightning， Seven Surrenders， The Will to Battle。） I will not attempt to summarise the tetralogy here， except to note that it's set in a 25th century that thinks it's small-u utopian but has elements of dysto 。。。before I've sweated out my term as oarsman on Apollo's flagship， I must lead Utopia to some new world untouched by Distance， where the very oars and sails we use to battle grim Poseidon are undreamed。 [loc。 12074] The long-awaited （and long） finale of the Terra Ignota series。 （Too Like the Lightning， Seven Surrenders， The Will to Battle。） I will not attempt to summarise the tetralogy here， except to note that it's set in a 25th century that thinks it's small-u utopian but has elements of dystopia。 There are gods （some more Present than others） and monsters （oh， Mycroft）， a World War and an ideological war conducted simultaneously， a villain in an underground lair （hmm， more than one of those）， reversals and twists， blurred identities， mythic resonances， metamorphoses and miracles， space elevators， and -- regrettably -- spreadsheets， which have not yet gone extinct。 The war subtracts two of the key technologies that society relies on: the car system， which had made it possible for individuals to live and work anywhere in the world with at most a two-hour commute， and the tracker system， which connected （and monitored） everybody。 Chaos， in the form of riot and prejudice， ensues， and old alignments and alliances shift and change: the calming influences aren't necessarily those one might expect。 The twin toxicities of gender and religion are further explored， and some of the limitations of the various approaches to both acknowledged。 The existence and treatment of Servicers is also addressed， and by the end of the novel there are credible expectations of a better world。 Or worlds。 Not all endings are happy， but happiness is not necessarily the point。 There were some conclusions that weren't wholly satisfying （Madame， reminiscent of Lady Macbeth; Thisbe; Ráðsviðr）， and some developments -- those relating to the narrative voices， and the various Readers who interrupt and interrogate the primary narrative -- which felt slightly rushed: but the latter might simply be because I raced through the novel and missed foreshadowing。 Conversely， it was cheering to spot a resonance or reference before it was made explicit。 There's a lot of the Iliad here， as well as its in-universe sci-fi reimagining by Apollo Mojave （which was read and reimagined， in turn， by an impressionable adolescent）。 Apollo never， thankfully， got as far as the Odyssey， which is mirrored in Mycroft's tale。 I cheered when Helen was revealed， and teared up at Odysseus' dog。 。。。Perhaps the Stars is a densely-written， complex， philosophical novel which I suspect I'll be assimilating for some time。 It doesn't answer all the questions I hoped it would: it doesn't neatly tie off all the threads。 But it is profound and provocative， tragic and triumphant and， literally， marvellous。 Thanks to NetGalley for the advance review copy， in exchange for this honest and unbiased review which I'm posting out of sequence for publication day！ 。。。more
Andrea
，
Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for an ARC。A satisfying conclusion to the stunning quartet， Perhaps the Stars continues Terra Ignota's interrogation of human nature， reality and God。 If you've made it this far in the series， you'll like this one too。My only qualm is that it took me about 25% of the book to get my head back into this world。 The dramatis personae at the beginning is entirely insufficient and the Wikipedia articles unhelpful。 If you want to do this series right， reread the other boo Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for an ARC。A satisfying conclusion to the stunning quartet， Perhaps the Stars continues Terra Ignota's interrogation of human nature， reality and God。 If you've made it this far in the series， you'll like this one too。My only qualm is that it took me about 25% of the book to get my head back into this world。 The dramatis personae at the beginning is entirely insufficient and the Wikipedia articles unhelpful。 If you want to do this series right， reread the other books beforehand。 I look forward to doing that and appreciating even more。 。。。more
Paul Mcguire
，
I received an early copy in exchange for an honest review。 Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Forge。 It isn't until chapter 11 that we get to find out what happened to Mycroft after we confirm near the end of book 3 that he is still alive。 Everyone presumes him to be dead because they haven't had contact with him in months。 But is he really alive？ Up to that point we explore a number of different ways that the war disrupts various technologies that the characters have learned to rely on for decades。 Pa I received an early copy in exchange for an honest review。 Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Forge。 It isn't until chapter 11 that we get to find out what happened to Mycroft after we confirm near the end of book 3 that he is still alive。 Everyone presumes him to be dead because they haven't had contact with him in months。 But is he really alive？ Up to that point we explore a number of different ways that the war disrupts various technologies that the characters have learned to rely on for decades。 Palmer instills negotiations between world leaders the same feeling of weight and urgency of a typical battle thanks to the fully realized characters built over the last three books。There are multiple chilling clashes， some with weapons， others clashes of egos， others battles of wits and wills。 Through all that， Palmer manages to masterfully weave in themes from earlier books in a way that rivals Erikson's meticulously crafted Malazan series。 This is one series that I expect I will return to in years to come。 It benefits greatly from multiple reads。 Perhaps the Stars stands out with how it deals with the consequences of the war for the hives involved。 Few books explore the aftermath of war and the ways society chooses to punish those involved。 Some of the punishments were surprising in their brilliance。 I was kept guessing until the end how key tensions would resolve。 You will not want to miss this thrilling conclusion。 。。。more
Alex Sarll
，
Staggering， ambitious， ridiculous， heartfelt， opaque; the most emotionally exhausting read I can remember。 It's hard talking about a book concluding a series comprising the most impressive novels of the past decade， when not nearly enough people have read the damn things。 Palmer's prose， for instance， and the reversals in the narration， are as big a part of her achievement here as the astonishing world-building – but if I were to comment on any differences there may or may not be between the nar Staggering， ambitious， ridiculous， heartfelt， opaque; the most emotionally exhausting read I can remember。 It's hard talking about a book concluding a series comprising the most impressive novels of the past decade， when not nearly enough people have read the damn things。 Palmer's prose， for instance， and the reversals in the narration， are as big a part of her achievement here as the astonishing world-building – but if I were to comment on any differences there may or may not be between the narration here and that perverse 18th century voice in earlier volumes， it would be a terrible spoiler both for those who have been reading the series， and for those lucky ones who have the whole thing still to come。 Or even to explain the structure of the series， in which Too Like The Lightning gave us a seductive 25th century near-utopia; Seven Surrenders exposed its secrets and flaws; and The Will To Battle set it toppling。。。I've just given away some of the secrets of the best books of the past 15 years， but without doing so， how to say any more of this one than 'This is a science fiction book which is very good'？ Not that I intend to give away too many of its secrets， you understand， and even if I did it would be a struggle; the series has always been a bugger to explain， sometimes even to follow， though it's important to note that this is the confusion of a real and solid and populous world， rather than any failing on the part of its maker and teller。 Besides， the last time I tried to explain exactly what had me so animated in terms of the immediate plot， I got as far as 'so there's a toy soldier who's been brought to life， and an invisible lion， and a character who may be God'， and realised I sounded like I was describing a particularly fevered dream。 That even with all three of those character summaries being painfully incomplete。。。 Little wonder if half the people on whom I've pressed Too Like The Lightning bounced off， and others couldn't get on with the series' subsequent wanderings。 Even here， I suspect some will feel the series has finally gone too far。 Palmer always knew that 'Show， don't tell' is advice for amateurs， but there are sections here which are barely even telling so much as notes of things we probably should be told。 And the very ending looks at a number of widely mocked endings， then goes one louder。 Yet for me at least， these were entirely fitting， the only way this could or should be told。So yes: Perhaps The Stars is indeed the story of the ensuing war – at once the return of something which seemed finally to have been banished from the world， and a horribly new phenomenon。 Because nation states are vestigial in Palmer's future， most people instead pledging allegiance to various Hives according to preference and temperament – meaning that against the broad geographical axis of historical conflicts， this is something more like world civil war。 As ever， Palmer's background as a historian means she can get the little details of a future era just right – the way a symbol which began as a way to signal neutrality can itself become a sign of alignment as the context changes; the resurfacing of old hatreds when people's backs are against the wall， paired with humanity's horrible gift for finding whole new bigotries。 Factions and alliances become progressively more tangled， leaving almost everyone standing with those they can't abide， and the apparently noble casus belli – whether to preserve the greatest civilisation humanity has ever known， or remake it as something hopefully even better – ends up down in the mud， because war is war， and humans are humans。 Yet not entirely in the mud; enough of the players have been shaped by nobler motives and better worlds that whatever compromises may be forced， whatever dreadful prices paid， Perhaps The Stars feels like it operates on a much larger scale than our own grubby age。 Whenever I turned from this account to the news， reality seemed a very thin and unconvincing sort of thing in comparison。 And for all that describing a book as unputdownable is a standard term of praise， I did turn away， even beyond the pauses obliged by things like work and life and sleep。 For all that I've been impatient for this much-delayed book since， what， 2018？， there were multiple times when， looking at the book I've been most anticipating for so long， I couldn't quite bear to read on， so invested am I in the whole shebang and so terrified of what was about to happen。 Although it could have been worse; I'm really glad it didn't arrive last year。 The flying cars （such a key signifier of the future we were meant to have， and so a crucial fixture of the setting） are grounded， you see; "I have never been in a place before。 None of us has， not really， not like this。 We could always fly anywhere we wished in an instant or an hour。 Now I am in Romanova。 I will be in Romanova tomorrow and the next day。 I will walk these streets and only these streets， sleep on this sofa， eat from this shop"。 There's even something which seems very reminiscent of that life-sapping combination of long COVID and lockdown。 All of this in a book written pre-Event。 I can suspect the odd line like "faces all around me show much vigor this vampire year has drained from all of us" as reaction， added during revisions， though even there I could be wrong。 But dear heavens， it would have been a bit close to home in 2020， wouldn't it？ "I will not hope again。 Hope is the most dangerous thing。 Hope opens the armor inside us。" True， things are a little better now – though not so much so that I dare hope for a future like Terra Ignota， where yes， in this book all that is best about humanity stands under threat of destruction， but where at least we reached a point where we will have that much to lose。 In the end – and I suppose this could be construed as a spoiler， but like the gleanings of any mystical experience， the summary won't make the requisite impact unless and until you've shared the experience – the series reveals itself as addressing that biggest and oldest of problems， the intolerability of death and separation， and what it does to humanity that we must tolerate them nonetheless， and how remarkable it is that despite this we can still somehow bring ourselves to love。（Netgalley ARC） 。。。more
Bradley
，
There is no easy way to review this or the other three books in this cycle without first distinguishing the whole lot from all other SF。It is important to note that this one is smarter， denser， more deeply thoughtful， and planned out than most heavily world-built stories。 If you took your extensive knowledge of history of Romantic periods: from Humanists， Utopians， divine rights of kings， gender explorers， anarcho-libertarians， and more， mix them all up with futuristic tech and then set them all There is no easy way to review this or the other three books in this cycle without first distinguishing the whole lot from all other SF。It is important to note that this one is smarter， denser， more deeply thoughtful， and planned out than most heavily world-built stories。 If you took your extensive knowledge of history of Romantic periods: from Humanists， Utopians， divine rights of kings， gender explorers， anarcho-libertarians， and more， mix them all up with futuristic tech and then set them all up to tear their shared utopias apart over the span of the first three books， then you'll get Perhaps the Stars。War。 The third great World War， full of idealists that want to limit the damage as they fight for their ideals， the totally predictable slide into atrocities， plots within plots within plots， massive death tolls， and a huge cast of characters all following their values to their inevitable dooms。From the first book， Too Like the Lightning， where the future world is rocked with massive betrayals to its utopia core -- to Seven Surrenders which seemed to have an ultimate winner in the wonderfully intricate values battle -- to Will to Battle， which proves that politics never really ends until all parties are safely dead -- to Perhaps the Stars， where we live the horrors of war and their aftermath， including setting one's hopes ever higher -- I have to say this series is one of the most intricately interesting pieces of fiction I've ever read。The last book is a true capstone to the others。 One fair warning， however: because of the amount of love that had gone into these four books， I don't expect anyone to absorb all the goodies in these pages。 It is rich， dense， and deserves multiple readings。 It took me much longer to finish this simply because I had to absorb so much， and I'm generally a fairly fast reader。Fortunately， it is ALL very much worth it。 In a genre that generally attracts intellectuals and scientists and those who truly appreciate the imagination， this one rises to the very top of the intellectual chart。In a world of SF that seems interchangeable with itself， the Terra Ignota series aims for the stars。 。。。more
Eitan Sapiro-Gheiler
，
I received an ARC of this book from Tor in exchange for an honest review。 My review will include spoilers for the previous books in the Terra Ignota series， but I’ll note which parts also include spoilers for this book。Terra Ignota is a monumental undertaking that grapples with huge questions—what does it mean to do evil？ is creating a utopia possible， and can it be sustained？ does human nature ever change？ and perhaps most critically， why does the universe exists？ All of this comes on top of a I received an ARC of this book from Tor in exchange for an honest review。 My review will include spoilers for the previous books in the Terra Ignota series， but I’ll note which parts also include spoilers for this book。Terra Ignota is a monumental undertaking that grapples with huge questions—what does it mean to do evil？ is creating a utopia possible， and can it be sustained？ does human nature ever change？ and perhaps most critically， why does the universe exists？ All of this comes on top of a tremendously detailed world with its own byzantine legal system， tangled web of power brokers， and rapidly developing technology， including several intentional and occasionally very literal deus ex machinas。 The previous books have presented some answers to those questions by revealing Mycroft Canner’s crimes and motivations， probing the ways in which Madame subverted or failed to subvert the Hive system， and offering up a variety of possible causes of war as the society of the 2450s moved towards collapse。 However， Palmer pointedly refused to give an answer to the last question， leaving Jehovah Mason increasingly concerned about what terrible purpose the Author of This Universe might have for His creations。 Rest assured that Perhaps the Stars offers us an answer。 It’s a lot to ask even of a book this massive and complex—not for nothing is the “question of why” one of the driving forces of centuries of theology—but Palmer does not shy away from giving us an explicit， moving， and well-reasoned answer。 She also wraps up the various conflicts that finally boil over （the phrase “fractal war” is coined to describe the interconnected tangle of fault lines the world is broken along， and it works spectacularly well as a description） and gives us a bold resolution that may not satisfy everyone， but certainly leaves a lot to ponder in terms of who faces consequences for their actions and how those consequences are structured。 Perhaps the Stars is a long book， and that gives it time to be a war epic， several re-told Greek myths， a discussion of the politics of reconciliation， and an intensely personal drama。 At the start， it feels a little more burdened by the necessities of plot than Too Like the Lightning or even the intermediate books of the series （which benefits greatly from a re-read to keep everything straight） but there are enough philosophical asides and carefully-handled wartime issues to keep the reader going until the intense theological high points of the final quarter。 After taking a detour from the issues I found most interesting in The Will to Battle， Perhaps the Stars is a return to form for the series， and a conclusion that brings together all the big questions and shocking developments readers have come to expect。Four and a half stars out of five。Spoilers for Perhaps the Stars below！The presence and absence of Mycroft throughout this final book， after his untimely maybe-death at the end of The Will to Battle， is one of the strongest aspects of the book。 The shadow Apollo’s Iliad casts over the structure of the war looms large as the characters come to realize how Bridger’s influence hangs over the major events of the day， and nowhere is this made more personal than with Mycroft。 After toning down the magic and miracles in The Will to Battle， the reader is unprepared for Bridger to play such a major role in Mycroft’s perennial survival。 The hints are there， and cleverly placed—Sadcat， the Odyssey retelling， and the reappearance of Cato/Helen—but it is still devastating to watch the Ninth Anonymous surrender himself to the narrative， and to know that Saladin finally found a part of the world that was worth giving up his freedom。Also well-done， but perhaps less personally satisfying， is the fall-out of the war。 It is a bold move to impose peacetime justice on the crimes of war， and even bolder to have the presence or absence of crimes be self-imposed， but both are in keeping with the world and characters Palmer created。 For a Being like Jehovah Mason， nothing could be stronger than the individual’s promise， and no legalistic tricks can elide the fact that while times change， actions still have consequences。 Despite the promise of more pointed justice for those who committed the greatest crimes—Madame， Felix Faust—and the unfortunate ends met by some of the story’s main villains （looking at you， Perry-Kraye）， I still found myself wondering whether such a result would be enough。 Maybe Palmer truly believes that， in a better world， that would be enough。 Maybe the other， invisible reforms—to the Hive system， to the state of technology， to people’s attitudes towards religion and gender—are doing the heavy lifting。 Whatever the reason， I cannot bring myself to forgive and move on as easily as the gentler residents of Palmer’s imagined future。 Even more challenging to stomach is the fate of Utopia—to be ceaselessly driven forward， unable to pause or look back。 In Utopia， Jehovah Mason seems to find a worldview that is as implacable as his own—Apollo’s willingness to sacrifice this world to build a better one—and yet unacceptable， because despite being full of foreign concepts like pain and struggle， this world cannot be sacrificed。 It makes sense， then， for him to doom them to permanent exile， but （perhaps having absorbed some of Cato’s hero-worship） it pains me to see the only Hive focused on the future left unable to live in the present。 Maybe this is just the natural consequence of Utopia’s oath， which Jehovah Mason cannot but interpret literally。 Still， it is harsh to see society’s dreamers confined to their dreams。Perhaps the Stars leaves room for many more discussions， including of course the central theological question。 The presentation of that answer， in parallel with the re-wired Dominic， is a masterful scene， and one that I will think about for many months to come。 It is a joy to pick out all the little details in how the war is conducted， the Chekov’s guns that inevitably come off the mantel just in time （even when they were placed there several hundred pages ago）。 While the Terra Ignota series is not for the faint of heart， it certainly rewards close reading， careful thinking， and the careful investment of time to return to information-dense scenes time and time again。 Perhaps the Stars is a worthy conclusion to one of the most ambitious and philosophical science fiction series in recent memory。 。。。more
Amanda Lorge
，
**This review is based on the ARC/unreleased proof provided to me from Netgalley and the publisher**Perhaps the Stars perfectly concludes the Terra Ignota series。 There are long stretches of the book dedicated to philosophizing rather than delving deeper into the plot and characters， but if you've made it this far in the series you already know what you're signing up for in this book。 Fans of the previous books won't be disappointed with how this book ties up loose ends and finishes on a satisfy **This review is based on the ARC/unreleased proof provided to me from Netgalley and the publisher**Perhaps the Stars perfectly concludes the Terra Ignota series。 There are long stretches of the book dedicated to philosophizing rather than delving deeper into the plot and characters， but if you've made it this far in the series you already know what you're signing up for in this book。 Fans of the previous books won't be disappointed with how this book ties up loose ends and finishes on a satisfying， positive note for a series that explores much of the dark nature of humanity and society。 。。。more
Maja
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** thank you kind Netgalley for giving me a chance to read this masterpiece， to me who never reviewed anything on Netgalley before， to a stranger， thank you **WHAT WOULD A UTOPIA LOOK LIKE？ When the overcast retreated on the fourth night， I looked up at the returning stars and found them， for the first time in my life， not beautiful。 How near it is， Apollo。 How near that black and airless ocean where no sailor can tread water， nor stranded vessel hope to catch a fatty fish or thirst-easin ** thank you kind Netgalley for giving me a chance to read this masterpiece， to me who never reviewed anything on Netgalley before， to a stranger， thank you **WHAT WOULD A UTOPIA LOOK LIKE？ When the overcast retreated on the fourth night， I looked up at the returning stars and found them， for the first time in my life， not beautiful。 How near it is， Apollo。 How near that black and airless ocean where no sailor can tread water， nor stranded vessel hope to catch a fatty fish or thirst-easing drizzle。 Terra Ignota book quartet was finalized with ‘Perhaps the Stars’ where we finally see how World War III would unfold。 Mind you， this is a very specific circumstances-driven World War， which is not really a reflection of what might happen to us， but an idealization of sorts， a “I wish us humans were on that level of rationality and pacifism”-type of war narrative that is happening in far future with actors we cannot imagine being present to help us in our Present – i。e。 an actual God from another dimension， resurrection potions， etc。， etc。 Free Speech， that old tool of plutocracy， the intoxicating， rosy blossom under whose petals parasite lies can breed and multiply until they devour all the garden。 None of us wants that。 I hope none of us wants that， but there are still Free Speech zealots in this day and age， and they’re just the type to have communications tech， to build a radio or study Morse code， and volunteer to join our network as a link and pass on 。 。 。 death。 I loved the first book of the series， ‘Too like the Lightning’ from the first chapter years ago when I read it first。 I loved it the second time around a month back when I re-read it。 I loved the endless senate discussions of books two and three， and I loved the tame war with insane plot twists in book four。 Terra Ignota is not one of the best science fiction series I read， it is THE best and I feel it’s grossly underestimated。 After that， time lost its line a while。 Patches of painful light and strange voices alternate in my memory with dreams of wandering salty shores， or shadowed woods， or searching in a tiny boat， alone in that vague but absolute despair that dissolves the illusion that time can be measured。 BUT THE BEST ASPECT OF THE BOOK（S）？It’s Mycroft Canner。 I said it when I read ‘Too like the Lightning’ years ago， and I’ll say it again: Mycroft Canner is one of my favourite characters in fiction！ He’s a monster and a killer （I know the book tried to give him Reasons for being Good， but in my eyes， he is neither Good nor Evil， he’s Insane。 Anyway， the eye of the beholder and all that…） that takes us through the complex narrative of first three books and now finally the last book which deals with the actual war we’ve been getting to for years now。 But perhaps you are angry with me？ Expecting a thousand apologies for my long absence？ No。 What would such apologies mean， reader， between we two who know each other now so well？ This time around we see the narrative from both Mycroft’s and his Successor’s perspective， which was a genius idea because we finally saw Mycroft’s sometimes muddled point of view and then got the “objective” account of what really happened from his Successor。 We got to see Mycroft observing the Outside， which gave us extra depth to Mycroft’s character。 I will admit， though， his name – Mycroft – always gave me ideas about him being behind it all; behind the Seven-Ten list theft， behind the deaths and the War。 I wanted him to be the final Villain， the one that only pretended to be good， that lied， that cheated， that worked a plan which was in place ever since his two-week killing spree years ago。 I wanted Mycroft to be the ultimate Mega-mind behind every little thing， holding the reigns， pushing and pulling actors… He did do all that in a way， but not as a Villain because he ended up being the Hero。 Which is fine。 Just fine。 Totally OK。 Mycroft， our Odysseus finally come home。 Time and distance make us ghosts to one another even when we’re still alive and here， but while it makes us ghosts it doesn’t make us nothing。 Humans are so amazing that we can love somebody far away， or in the past， or future， somebody whose name we may not ever know， but love is no less real or powerful because you’re not together breathing the same oxygen。 But yes， the Illiad and Odyssey references。 The Greek mythology。 The whole package was very satisfying。 I loved how old-fashioned World War III in ‘Perhaps the Stars’ ended up being， how hard and clumsy and real。 There were so many sides and developments and complications， I am awed at the work that must have gone into it to accomplish that level of complexity。 We got to see everything: from new forms of communication when the wires and telephones failed， to the use of bicycles when all the flying cars broke down。 We saw endless confusions of allegiances and battles and Hives and heroes and villains。 I will not be moved from where I stand except by victory， which will be mine in death as much as life！ For if I live， I live to keep my Almagest， and if die， the pyre my friends and Empire erect for me will burn on in incessant fires of war， in grind of wheels， in drums， in every instrument of vengeance， until my will is worked as absolutely in my death as if I held the chisel in my hand to carve my law into humanity！ The discussions about using lethal weapons were really interesting。 This is where I wish the Human Species got to in the future。 A war fought with teaser-guns， a war fought under laws that forbid killing， violence， theft， etc。 A Peaceful War。 I’d rather have the chance to give my life to fix the thing than have no way to fix a thing that so needs to be fixed that I’d give my life for it。 The Philosophy， though， is the best part of the quartet！ Hobbes with his Leviathans and that one scene in the previous book where Spinoza’s work is used as a torture device。 Divine！ I mean， I am no philosopher。 I read philosophy only as a hobby and most of it is from Instagram accounts about the Stoics。 I never read Spinoza or Hobbes or de Sade， but the books were written so expertly that you don’t have to read them。 There are numerous depths if you are familiar with these philosophers， but in general， the books can be enjoyed without that extra knowledge。 But once you finish them， you’ll wish to know what Spinoza said that was so horrible to serve as a weapon。 I know I do。 These aren’t suicidal thoughts。 They’re meta-suicidal thoughts， fear that I might become suicidal， pre-horror that this long grind will break me， make me betray so much。 The me that I am now is horrified at the very thought of suicide， or dying at all really， but I can tell that me is changing， like I’m dough being extruded through a tube， and who knows what weird shape will spew out the other side。 Every time the nausea peaks and I beg inside for the sedation to take hold， my welcome off-switch， the fear hits me: what if the self that spews out of this a month from now would beg like this for the off-switch that never ends？ In short， I love smart books and this is It。 Will recommend to everyone I meet if our conversations ever steer to books （which I’ll make sure they do。） The depths and death， and then perhaps the stars。 。。。more
Joey Valdez
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Perhaps The Stars completes the Terra Ignota tetralogy’s grand and meticulous design into its climatic battle for the future of utopia。 Equal parts Ursula Le Guin and Homer， Ada Palmer’s final offering from the world of Romanova and Mycroft Canner explores the hardships of peacekeeping， difference， and upholding the standard of perfection for our imperfect species at a time when the real world faces these issues more directly than ever before。 With a message of hope and possibility， Perhaps The Perhaps The Stars completes the Terra Ignota tetralogy’s grand and meticulous design into its climatic battle for the future of utopia。 Equal parts Ursula Le Guin and Homer， Ada Palmer’s final offering from the world of Romanova and Mycroft Canner explores the hardships of peacekeeping， difference， and upholding the standard of perfection for our imperfect species at a time when the real world faces these issues more directly than ever before。 With a message of hope and possibility， Perhaps The Stars delivers a poetic chemical reaction of thrilling action and political philosophy that fans of its predecessors will be eager to discuss。 。。。more
Jess
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Terra Ignota is very dear to me， and so whether my opinions of the series' conclusion were glowing or otherwise， they could never be impartial！ I was so excited to receive a review copy - I've been anticipating it for a long time now， and had adored the previous three installments （I had been mid-way through a re-read before I found out I'd gotten an ARC of this one）。It's hard to discuss Perhaps the Stars without reflecting on Terra Ignota as a whole - and there is so much to say about the serie Terra Ignota is very dear to me， and so whether my opinions of the series' conclusion were glowing or otherwise， they could never be impartial！ I was so excited to receive a review copy - I've been anticipating it for a long time now， and had adored the previous three installments （I had been mid-way through a re-read before I found out I'd gotten an ARC of this one）。It's hard to discuss Perhaps the Stars without reflecting on Terra Ignota as a whole - and there is so much to say about the series！ I'm on a mission to get more people to read it， so that I can talk about it endlessly， and hear other thoughts too。This installment differed in some ways from the previous three - there was a lot more plot， and we were hearing voices other than Mycroft's far more frequently。 I found seeing this universe unfold， suddenly not within Mycroft's head， to be quite jarring at first - but I became equally attached to other narrators in time。 I'm always more drawn to characters， rather than plot - but despite the novels occasional play-by-play of the actual warfare， and events therein， rather than the more personal slant Mycroft always gave， I absolutely adored this book。 Just before the mid-way point， the narrative really started to kick in - plot points occurred which made me gasp， and I ended up staying up past my bedtime， on multiple occasions， for "just one more chapter"。 （The irony here being that some of the chapters are monoliths！ Although I raced through it， this is not a quick book - I can't wait for my physical copy to arrive （I definitely haven’t cancelled my pre-order！） so I can see what a doorstopper it is。As previously in Terra Ignota， however， this book isn't just gripping because of the plot - there was a philosophical discussion near the end which literally made me have to put the book down and have a little think。 I love that this series has that effect - it achieves what the best of sci-fi does， encouraging you to think， to reflect on the present and dream of the possible future。 Of all weeks， this one was a good one for me to have read Perhaps the Stars I think - I feel like I needed this， and the small burst of hope and inspiration it's given me。Thanks to Macmillan / Tor and Netgalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Lori
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This is The book of most anticipated and wonderful to learn only a few more months。
Henk
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Curious to see how everything turns out in this last part of Terra Ignota ⭐️ 🚀 🗺
Asher
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In some ways， it's hard to review this book without talking about the plot because there's so damn much of it and it's so damn compelling。 Worry thee not， noble reader， I shall endeavour to shield you from the smallest spoilerous detail。 Look， if you're reading the final volume in a series， you've enjoyed the rest enough to keep reading; I believe this will be especially true of Terra Ignota given how integrated these four volumes are。 Thus， gentle reader， the question you want answered is not " In some ways， it's hard to review this book without talking about the plot because there's so damn much of it and it's so damn compelling。 Worry thee not， noble reader， I shall endeavour to shield you from the smallest spoilerous detail。 Look， if you're reading the final volume in a series， you've enjoyed the rest enough to keep reading; I believe this will be especially true of Terra Ignota given how integrated these four volumes are。 Thus， gentle reader， the question you want answered is not "should I pick up this book，" but instead "does this live up to what has come before？"I'm very pleased to report that it does。 The intricate worldbuilding continues， managing to feel like it is simultaneously incredibly inventive and also an obvious conclusion that we could have thought of if only we had given enough hours to the task。 The narration from the end of The Will to Battle continues， bringing a delightfully new perspective to events。 The theology is maybe my favourite theology that I've ever gotten from a novel and has， for the first time ever， made me think about real-world theology differently。 Questions are answered that you， dear reader， were thinking about and that haven't occurred to you。I have， at the time of this review， read this book twice in its entirety and more than that in my favourite parts。 I first read it in a frantic weekend and then， a couple months later， reread it at a more leisurely pace。 I can report that it works well either way: the plot is driving， explosive， and utterly compelling so you don't want to put it down; the prose and world and characters are enjoyable and thought provoking so that you want to take your time with it and really savour and think。 I will， no doubt， read this again this year。 I don't need to talk about the specifics for you， kind reader， to understand that 2020 was a traumatic and grief-filled year， and this was a book that helped me through one of its darkest moments。 I think it will likewise bring joy to you。 。。。more
Vanessa Perry
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Can't wait pls Can't wait pls 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Perhaps the Stars
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Perhaps the Stars&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Perhaps the Stars&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0