LIGHT OF IMPOSSIBLE STARS / AUTHOR: GARETH L. POWELL / PUBLISHER: TITAN BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Anyone who has read the first two instalments of Gareth L. Powell’s Embers of War trilogy will have been eagerly looking forward to the finale, and the year between novels has certainly felt like a long one. At last the wait is over, and Light of Impossible Stars reunites readers with the Trouble Dog and her crew. It’s as if they’ve never been away; right from the start, Powell throws us back into his universe as the characters are given a brief chance to regroup and remember the fallen, before being thrust into action by a plot that rockets along.
Credit must go to the author for weaving so many concepts together into a coherent whole. New characters and expansive ideas fit in as if they were there right from the start, interacting seamlessly with those already established. It’s a fantastic read, Powell’s prose punchy in one chapter and almost poetic in others as he offers varying points of view, telling an epic story on a personal level. As for that express train plot, you’ll get no spoilers here; suffice to say that the stakes are high, the crew are physically and emotionally battered and the odds are nigh on impossible. Powell’s influences are evident but he’s never a slave to them, adapting them to suit his own purpose and throwing in several surprises that make it a delight from start to finish.
Light of Impossible Stars is a fitting end to a superb sci-fi trilogy that has seen its author grow from strength to strength, never sacrificing character in favour of plot concepts. Rather than tell it in a series of weighty tomes, Powell has distilled the story into what is important, ensuring it doesn’t suffer from its fast pace and still gives the reader moments of poignancy as well as food for thought. Like its predecessors, it is wonderfully crafted and – although it comes to a satisfying conclusion – there’ll always be room for more Trouble Dog, Sal and Nod in our lives. We’re looking forward to seeing what this shining star of science fiction delivers next.
