Prador Moon: A Novel of the Polity, Book 1
By: Neal Asher
Narrated by: David Marantz
Series: Polity, Book 1
Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
Release date: 10-22-13
Publisher: Audible Studios
Genre: Alien, Military, Space Opera
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.
Publisher's Summary
Neal Asher takes on first contact, Polity style. This original novel recounts the first contact between the aggressive Prador aliens, and the Polity Collective as it is forced to retool its society to a war footing. The overwhelming brute force of the Prador dreadnaughts causes several worlds and space stations to be overrun.
Prador Moon follows the initial Polity defeats, to the first draws, and culminates in what might be the first Polity victory, told from the point of view of two unlikely heroes.
©2006 Neal Asher (P)2013 Audible, Inc.
Review:
The Polity is the Earths’s societal government entity that is led by AI with humans often integrated. Polity has been in space but over many years only found one other intelligent species. Now they have met another – the Prador.
The Prador are a species comfortable on land and in the sea. They resemble standing shrimp with a hard carapace and crab claws. They have technologically advance ships that appear to be undefinable as they proceed to annihilate worlds. The creatures themselves are led by Captains who breed children who are the soldiers. Only the best of the young live to become Seconds or Firsts and the Captain will kill and sometimes devour those who don’t make the grade.
Vortex is a First Child of Captain Immanence. When he leads a party of Prador to a meeting with the Polity he has no intent of friendship. Instead, he and his smaller soldiers attack the human and partially human hosts leaving a bloody room.
Jebel is a Polity, enhanced-human soldier who has been fixed with AI technology and parts. He suffers under the initial attack of Vortex, but lives to face the enemy again.
Moria is a brilliant scientist, technician, who has been promoted to a level beyond her capability to understand the gate technology she is tasked to study. The only way to manage is to accept augmentation in the form of AI nano tech inserted to connect with her own brain synapses. After surviving the aug installation, Moria begins to advance in her understanding to a point where she is able to comprehend the gate technology that will allow new leaps in space travel. Can she use her new knowledge to help stop the Prador?
Captain John Varence remembers vaguely when he was once only human, now he is mostly AI on (or part of) the ship Occam Razor. They have been in stasis for years but now awaken to the call of danger. They are ready to fight the Prador and make the first successful blow against the impenetrable Prador ships. But they can’t fight the enemy alone.
These three characters and their comrades must find a way to work together if they want to keep the Prador from taking out another Polity world.
This book jumps quickly into an alien bloody attack. There is plenty of action that moves the story along. The Polity characters are interesting although shallowly developed. On the other hand, Asher gives more depth to the Prador species. The world building is creative. There is some political commentary twisted into the story but that can be overlooked if the reader chooses.
The story is entertaining but did not pull me into committing to the Polity world of space sci fi. I will probably get another Asher title at some point, but I am not rushing. Space Opera fans should check out other reviews and consider reading/listening to this title.
Audio Notes: The narration by David Marantz is mixed. At times I thought Marantz was doing a good job delivering the energy with the underlying excitement and humor of the text. Other times I cringed at the mispronunciation of terms. Still, I am glad I had the chance to listen to this audio from the Plus Catalog.
Source: July 2021 Audible Plus Catalog. This qualifies for 2022TBR, 2022Audiobook, and 2022Alphabet goals.
