Bitten by Books
Heaven’s Fall picks up in the series after the human refugees on the Near Earth Object Keanu eject all the Reivers (their dangerous robotic enemies), killing many with a virus created by Keanu’s organic machinery. Some escaped to Earth, and have taken over most of the planet, including what used to be the United States.
Rachel Stewart was fourteen when she was picked up by a NEO-made vesicle and transported to Keanu. She has lived the last twenty years in Keanu, married and has a fourteen-year-old daughter, Yahvi, with fellow Earth refugee, Pav. Rachel has lost much to the ongoing conflict with the machine species, the Reivers, also known as Aggregates, including her father, NASA astronaut, Zack Stewart. Now, she is part of a team that is going back to Earth to see if she can put the Aggregates out of commission. Her timing is crucial, since the Aggregates are building a device that might end with global extinction.
Heaven’s Fall starts out a slow read. There is a lot of assumed knowledge from the first books, so this is not a good book for a person new to the series to start reading. However, readers who have finished the first two books will appreciate catching up with Rachel and the other inhabitants of Keanu.
This book is an interesting mix of human drama and science fiction. The colonists of NEO have developed a workable society and are adapting to life on this alien-designed asteroid. There are still some questions about how it came to be and the Earth’s role in the ongoing conflict between a few different alien races. Earth has now become another planet to be used up and destroyed by the Reivers.
Yahvi’s point-of-view is interesting. While her parents were born on Earth, she was born on Keanu, and her first visit to Earth is confusing. She is more of a Keanuian (a term I made up) than an Earthling. She finds Earth unlikable, and that is partly due to the stress of being a fugitive from the existing human governments (which are merely puppets of the Reivers). Yahvi’s view is very much that of a teenager, and at times, she is not very likable. Overall, none of the characters really stand out at leads, since each point of view adds something crucial to the table.
It is hard to rate this book. The beginning is too slow and it is confusing with some of the terminology, especially since there is a point-of-view of one of the Aggregates. After the first half, the story picks up and it becomes more suspenseful. However, the ending does feel a bit rushed, and a crucial explanation is left unanswered.
This trilogy could easily continue with more books, based on how it concludes. I think there are many more unanswered questions about Keanu, the Architects, the Reivers, and the Sentries (another alien race inhabiting Keanu), and what will become of the humans who now live in Keanu.
Book Stats:
- Paperback: 560 pages
- Publisher: Ace; Reprint edition (July 29, 2014)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0425256200
- ISBN-13: 978-0425256206
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Books in the Heaven’s Shadow trilogy in the order they should be read:
Heaven’s Shadow
Heaven’s War
Heaven’s Fall
Review Overview
Overall Rating
Total
Summary : It is hard to rate this book. The beginning is too slow and it is confusing with some of the terminology, especially since there is a point-of-view of one of the Aggregates. After the first half, the story picks up and it becomes more suspenseful. However, the ending does feel a bit rushed, and a crucial explanation is left unanswered. This trilogy could easily continue with more books, based on how it concludes. I think there are many more unanswered questions about Keanu, the Architects, the Reivers, and the Sentries (another alien race inhabiting Keanu), and what will become of the humans who now live in Keanu.
