Name: Light Chaser
ISBN: 9781250769824

Gareth L. Powell

Peter F. Hamilton

Amahle is a Light Chaser – one of a number of explorers, who travel the universe alone (except for their onboard AI), trading trinkets for life stories. But when she listens to the stories sent down through the ages she hears the same voice talking directly to her from different times and on different worlds, and comes to understand that something terrible is happening, and only she is in a position to do anything about it. And it will cost everything to put it right.

Light Chaser

Shona Tiger

Finished reading this within hours 😅 Because, of course, Peter F. Hamilton is my favourite author, and I’m a complete fangirl. But also because this was a quick, undemanding, fun read. Also because the main character’s name is Amahle, which I’ve decided has to be Zulu/Ndebele (a beautiful name, in those languages).

It was a little bit uneven. I always wonder how authors co-write fiction: is it alternate chapters? Felt a little like it was, especially when I got to the crux of the action.

But, it was a good read. Amazing world-building in such a short book (– loved it when Amahle “went back” to different worlds, a bit like a time traveller). And the love story at the heart of it is cute. Also appreciate that there’s a definitive end, and although the book is mostly a flashback, I didn’t feel cheated at all by the fact that we’re told what happens right at the beginning.

So, a quick, fun read for fans of science fiction, kind of space opera, and it satisfied me even though it’s not really hard sci-fi. Recommend!

Janice Hopper

I liked some of the concepts of this book: giant spaceships that make thousand year rounds among the settled planets, recording memories and trading goods.

I was less enchanted by the problem that arises, and the solution to it. TBH, I got to the explanation for why the light chaser was getting messages from different people all saying the same thing, and I said to myself "SERIOUSLY???????" Then I closed the book and walked away for a while. I did come back to it and told myself not to eye-roll. And it was ok.

Still: big ideas are good.

Sahi K

More of a 3.5 but I’m rounding up. 

A space opera sci-fi novella isn’t actually my kind of book, especially written by two authors known for their very hardcore science fiction series. So, I don’t even know why I bought this one but I guess seeing many lovely reviews by bloggers I follow made me wanna give it a try. 

And it turned out to be such a fascinating one. Told through the eyes of a loner pilot who has been alive for thousands of years traveling across planets and collecting memories, this story spans worlds and centuries and even lifetimes. The authors use the story within a story format to take us through the lives of many characters and how they all tie up to our main characters’ destiny. Love that survived across lives, reincarnations, extremely sentient AI, a highly evolved species that can control the destiny of the universe, and a lonely pilot who finally decides to do something about it - this little novella has it all and if you aren’t looking for too much detailed world building and are ready to suspend disbelief, I’m sure you will have fun reading this one.