Book Review: Machine Vendetta

This year I'm keeping track of what I read. Whether I enjoy the book or not, I'll post a blurb and brief review. Most will be speculative fiction in some form—genres I gravitate toward in my own writing. Today, it's Machine Vendetta by Alastair Reynolds.

A thrilling tale of deadly conspiracies and old enemies that refuse to die. Panoply is a small, efficient police force, dedicated to maintaining the rule of democracy among the ten thousand disparate city-states orbiting the planet Yellowstone. Ingvar Tench was one of Panoply's most experienced operatives. So why did she walk alone and unarmed into a habitat with a vicious grudge against her organization? As his colleagues pick up the pieces following her death, Prefect Tom Dreyfus must face his conscience. Four years ago, when an investigation linked to one of his most dangerous adversaries got a little too personal, Dreyfus arranged for Tench to continue the inquiry by proxy. In using her, did Dreyfus also put her in the line of fire? And what does Tench's attack tell him about an enemy he had hoped was dormant?

When the first book in this trilogy was released way back in '07, I thought it was a standalone. So getting a sequel in '18 followed by this third installment last year has been quite a treat. Machine Vendetta avoids the pitfalls of the second book by bringing the overarching conflict full circle and focusing on the characters we care about most. It's a taut future-crime murder mystery with onion layers, solid plotting, plenty of action and intrigue, and few boring lulls. I've read all of Reynolds' books that take place in his Revelation Space universe, and this is one of the best—a satisfying end to an unexpected trilogy. One star deducted for Minty the Lemur, and for killing off one of my favorite characters. Because that's how I roll. Otherwise, a solid 4 out of 5 stars.