Review of 'The Naked God'

The Naked God by Peter F. Hamilton
3rd book in the 'Night's Dawn Trilogy' series

The final volume in the epic Night's Dawn series. Joshua Calvert is sent on a mission across the galaxy in search of the “sleeping god” where he first visits the off-limits Tyrathca home-world then continues on to a ring habitat occupied by the Mosdva (a race related to the Tyrathca). Quinn Dexter continues his murderous campaign of destruction on earth as the population inevitably succumbs to possession. Louise Kavanagh and her sister Genevieve are holed up in the Ritz in London as they seek Dexter to fulfill their promise to warn him of an impending threat. The campaign to liberate the planet of Mortonridge takes an unexpected turn when a group of possessed take a city into another dimension. In the Valisk habitat already removed to yet another dimension the residents are attacked by creatures that feed off of the energy they contain. We learn that possession is not really all that good for the possessor either as it appears to lead to cancer developing in the host bodies. Al Capone is having problems of his own as he tries to hold his burgeoning empire together while Kiera Salter continues her campaign to grab it from him. Things do not look all that great all round…It goes without saying that not everyone will come out of this intact.

As is common in these novels we get all of the perspectives on each of the dilemmas posed which makes the resolution all that more difficult. The characters we have been following for several thousands pages finally come into their destiny.

Often difficult to follow this final volume does try to draw a close to this magnificent saga. The pacing does seem a bit slow at times with the pages going by so quickly with only 100 pages to go you wonder how all of the threads will be tied up. I feel this is not altogether successful with the ending striking me as a bit too easy. Of course, that does not make it any less dramatic.

I will certainly be looking at reading more of Hamilton despite the difficulty in trying to prop up the massive volumes in my lap when trying to read…Perhaps this is more suited to Kindle…

Rating: “It is OK but I have some issues”

Review Date: 2013-12-22

Genre: Science Fiction

Publication Date: 1999

• The Reality Dysfunction (Book 1)
• The Neutronium Alchemist (Book 2)

• Fallen Dragon
• The Neutronium Alchemist (Book 2 of Night's Dawn Trilogy)
• The Reality Dysfunction (Book 1 of Night's Dawn Trilogy)