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Ancestral Night (2019)

by Elizabeth Bear

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: White Space (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
5953239,967 (3.66)58
"Halmey Dz and her partner Connla Kurucz are salvage operators, living just on the inside of the law...usually. Theirs is the perilous and marginal existence--with barely enough chance of striking it fantastically big--just once--to keep them coming back for more. They pilot their tiny ship into the scars left by unsuccessful White Transitions, searching for the relics of lost human and alien vessels. But when they make a shocking discovery about a long-thought-dead alien species, it may be the thing that could tip the perilous peace mankind has found into war"--… (more)
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» See also 58 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 31 (next | show all)
Enjoyable, but VERY LONG. Could have used a firmer hand in the editing. ( )
  ledonnelly | Mar 11, 2024 |
Elizabeth Bear is my new hero. I am now a SF fan. ( )
  jazzbird61 | Feb 29, 2024 |
2.5 stars

Interesting technical/sci-fi concepts and some fun characters, but way, way, too much repetitive inner dialogue to the point that the book could be about half the size and not lose any plot. Plus if I can't have an action-driven space opera I at least want dynamic characters, and this book had neither,

Disappointing after the terrific premise, and as a fan of Ms. Bear. ( )
  TashaBookStuff | Jan 13, 2024 |
This novel had a lot of the same strengths as the Culture series by Iain M. Banks, but it was more focused, with a first-person narrator instead of a sprawling cast. Speaking of the main character, this was probably the best portrayal of trauma I've read in a while. The protagonist's deep dark secret from the past gains another layer of complexity when combined with her more subtly traumatic origin in a cult-like environment. The character-driven and idea-driven parts of the story seemed slow at times, but maybe that's just because it's summer. I wish I had time to add the whole book to Goodreads, quote by quote, which is usually how I show my appreciation. For now, this review will have to do. ( )
  soulforged | Jan 7, 2024 |
I wanted to like this book- has several very interesting ideas- interesting aliens, decent world building, passable technology, and lots of discussion about important themes such as the struggle to balance personal freedoms with societal upkeep and obligation. However, it is the nearly constant inner dialog about those larger freedom issues which dominate and become, well, just too much. Like a broken record, the first person narrative seldom leaves the same inner conversation... to the point that I didn't care how the book ended and quit before I go there. ( )
  keithostertag | Nov 27, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 31 (next | show all)
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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Elizabeth Bearprimary authorall editionscalculated
Okoye, NnekaNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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This book is for Jon Singer.
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The boat didn't have a name.
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"Halmey Dz and her partner Connla Kurucz are salvage operators, living just on the inside of the law...usually. Theirs is the perilous and marginal existence--with barely enough chance of striking it fantastically big--just once--to keep them coming back for more. They pilot their tiny ship into the scars left by unsuccessful White Transitions, searching for the relics of lost human and alien vessels. But when they make a shocking discovery about a long-thought-dead alien species, it may be the thing that could tip the perilous peace mankind has found into war"--

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Book description
Haimey Dz thinks she knows what she wants.
She thinks she knows who she is.
She is wrong.

A routine salvage mission uncovers evidence of a terrible crime and relics of a powerful ancient technology, just as Haimey and her small crew run afoul of pirates at the outer limits of the Milky Way and find themselves both on the run, and in possession of ancient, universe-changing technology.
When the authorities prove corrupt, it becomes clear that Haimey is the only one who can protect her galaxy-spanning civilisation from its potential power - and from the revolutionaries who want to use it to seed terror and war. But doing so will take her from the event horizon of the super-massive black hole at the galaxy's core to the infinite, empty spaces at its edge. Along the way, she'll have to uncover the secrets of ancient intelligences lost to time as well as her own lost secrets, which she will wish had remained hidden from her forever . . .
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