Customer Reviews

Heretics: Apotheosis: Book Two

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This story keeps moving along nicely. This series really has it all, AIs, genetically engineered tigers, Roman Catholics, and WAR!!! The characters continue to develop well and the plot is well thought out. The dialogue isn't to bad either, science fiction can sometimes tend to get lost in the technology and forget about the character interaction but that isn't an issue here. The book does end in a mean cliffhanger so make sure you have book three on deck. The only issue I have with this book is a highly disturbing GE human/GE tiger sloppy, sweaty sex/wrestling scene that has burned into my brain and is unfortunately still with me today, but don't worry I'll get over it.

I like action. I like suspense. I like drama. And increasingly, I like S. Andrew Swann. He knows how to write all of these into his plot, and he does it deftly, smoothly, and never lets the writing get in the way of the story.

Heretics is the second book of Swann's Apotheosis trilogy (apotheosis means "the exultation of a subject to divine level"). While facing the risk of succumbing to "middle book syndrome," Swann manages to keep the action on the edge, heighten the danger, and pull out an ending that, while appropriately leaving the situation more grave than at the beginning and tee-ing off the starting point for book three (the appropriately named Messiah), still follows a story arc that makes the read a satisfactory experience.

Nevertheless, Heretics still is a middle book, and at the end, its main function is to move the plot to the dénouement, and it just barely stays away from middle book syndrome. We are introduced to a few new characters, learn more about our antagonist Adam, and watch the known universe crumble before his claim as the one true god. Adam, the nanobot entity possessed of a more than slightly insane artificial intelligence, has assumed divine status. He begins each planetary invasion with a perfunctory demand of its inhabitants that they worship him by joining in his restructuring of the universe on a molecular level. "Live forever," he promises, "or be destroyed." Using technological powers that mankind universally considers "heretical," he swoops through the universe remaking worlds in his own image, an image that is composed of entirely nanobots and networked artificial intelligence. It is Terminator, Battlestar Galactica, and Michael Crichton's Prey all in one, and on a scale spanning many galaxies. It is horrifying, a destruction by our own creation, and Swann pulls no punches.

Adam never develops far beyond the villain and with good reason. He's just the bad guy, and we readily accept that he is arrogant, evil, and non-human. The people we care about--our heroes--are who we begin to see grow and develop in the furnace of their fight for survival. In Heretics, Swann shows his characters begin to step out of themselves, grow, and connect with each other. That said, it is important to note, that Swann writes with more focus on action and plot than on internal character development. Even as the characters grow, brood, agonize, and struggle, the struggle is more against the larger than life threat to humanity, the caricatured Adam, not the inner man's transcendence of himself. Rather, their transcendence emerges as self sacrifice for the greater good of human survival, not unlike Joseph Cambell's "Hero of a Thousand Faces." We don't get too close to them--just close enough to care, to see what we expect of a hero, and then it's back to the action. And you know what? It works great. It's space opera, and it's exactly what I expected when I picked up the novel.

With a villain everyone can hate and fear, heroes that everyone can empathize with, and a dire situation that pits both heroes and villains in a "Hail Mary" fight to the death, I enjoyed flipping the pages of Swann's novel. I finished the last page of Heretics, set it down, and immediately picked up Messiah (book three, which came out just this year) and started reading. I had no desire to put off the conclusion to the Apotheosis, and I look forward to seeing the finish of the story.

A cautionary comment on content: One scene in the book bothered me. At one point, the mutant tiger begins a relationship with one of the humans (also mutated, but not quite like him) characters. While there is only brief description, there is foreplay and reference to a sexual relationship. This is science-fiction, and perhaps interspecies romance has a place there, but it was the sexual description that was a bridge too far for me. I just didn't buy the interspecies love affair thing. Fortunately, the scene is brief, short, and not reoccurring.

I've always enjoyed S. Andrew Swann's books and this one is no exception. Interesting, good action, good plot, good characters. I've got the first 2 books in this series and can't wait for the 3rd--Kindle reader, so hopefully the publisher won't punish me for that and make me wait longer then the paperback release!!

Heretics by S. Andrew Swann is the second book in a trilogy.
The trilogy is about an A.I. (Artificial Intelligence)
rising to godhood. This book takes place in the future. All
around space. Although he considers himself "Humanity's
savior", the A.I. kills all not willing to join him. The
A.I. has a lot of advances on humanity, like he uses black
holes to destroy humanity.

This book was a very good book.
Although it was not the best book, it was action-packed, and
full of violence; just what a 12-18 year old male wants.
It's a long book and about the future.


Reviewed by a young adult student reviewer
Flamingnet Book Reviews
Teen books reviewed by teen reviewers

There are at least three entities vying for domination of all the human colonies: The Eridani Caliphate, the Roman Catholic Church and the Race Mosasa the AI created by aliens. However, Mosasa is lured into a trap and destroyed by Adam another AI. Adam demands allegiance as a God with a plan in the making since before the Confederacy collapsed two centuries ago. His loyal followers can mentally leave their bodies increasing the threat he will succeed.

The AI uses force to convert his congregation because those who fail to cast off their flesh are killed. Adam begins execution of his plan by destroying man-made wormhole technology deploying the same energy that destroyed the Xi Virginis galaxy. He follows that with the conversion of the homeworld of the Caliphate, the planets Salmagundi and Terra is next. However, some species plan to fight Adam as a diverse group including a genetically altered sentient tiger and humans, the Roman Catholics and others set in motion the counterinsurgency.

In the second Apotheosis science fiction tale (see Prophets), S. Andrew Swann writes a super space opera with incredible technological battles and well developed characters starting with Adam and those who oppose the AI. Adding to the feel of a realistic future is the political in-fighting between adversaries fearing the loss of power more than reaching consensus on what to do as doomsday counts down. Loaded with action, fans will not want to put down this terrific twenty-sixth century (Terran calendar that is) thriller.

Harriet Klausner

S. Andrew Swann's Heretics picks up where Prophets left off, so you won't have to wait long to find out what happened to our erstwhile mercenaries, scientists and spies. The characters gain a bit more depth in this volume, thus adding to my list of characters that intrigue me and whose fates I care about. There are also fewer blocks of static information, although there's still a degree of over-repetitiveness in the way information is conveyed.

The main attraction is an even greater degree of what we saw in Prophets: i.e. an incredible knot of tangled webbing meticulously played out through far-flung actions and devastating consequences. Science fiction concepts are integral to the plot developments rather than tacked-on window dressing. The religious and philosophical questions intermix freely with the science fiction in rather fascinating ways, providing plenty to think about. And just when you think you know what's going on or what will happen next, there's always something new to keep you glued to the pages. Certainly I can't wait to start in on the final book in the series (Messiah). Make sure you read Prophets first.



[NOTE: review book provided by publisher]

this is one of the best books i have read in a long time just what i was looking for when i bote the set can not wate till the therd book comes out buy this book it is great