Revenger is equal parts mysterious and entertaining

“Bit late for misgivings now.” I put a hand on hers, wondering why it had fallen on me to comfort her, not the other way around. “You wanted adventure, Adrana. Don’t be too sorry when it happens.”

 “That’s the wonder and frustration of it, Arafura – fifty million prizes, and we’ll never know most of them before our time is done.”
“Our time,” I said with a little shiver. “You think it will end?”

One of the things I most like about Reynolds’ writing style, and which really adds great enjoyment for me, is the way he names things. His vision of humanity throughout the universe is wonderfully illustrated through the way his humans name their surroundings*, their societies*, and of course the way they refer to aliens*.

Still, the most astounding thing to me is the way Reynolds builds a rich, rare, and gripping universe and backs it by history, society, and science – and introduces it to us through a narrative that never gets bogged down by the weight. It’s like he’s performing some kind of magic, and I’m looking forward to reading more of his work with an eye to his worldbuilding (perhaps 2018’s Elysium Fire).

The past is all we have. The least we can do is make the most of it.

*This would be the perfect place to provide examples, but the risk of spoilers is just too great. Please accept my apologies – or throw caution to the wind, jump into the comments, pop up a SPOILERS disclaimer, and tell me your favorite “Reynoldsisms”!