Note: This review contains spoilers.

“All civilizations move to an accommodation of their past atrocities. Some do it by acceptance, some by forgetting.” In Alastair Reynolds’ new novel Inhibitor Phase, this is also true of individual characters. The first-person protagonist, Miguel de Ruyter, has a past which is not known to anyone in his current life, including himself. His situation is well developed before he and the reader begin to learn the truth. Due to sufficient time spent without that foreknowledge, I began to identify with Miguel, and so was taken along on his ride through several wild life-transitions.

In spite of his declared intention that this be a stand-alone novel, this novel does fit into the shared universe and story-line of Alastair Reynolds’ larger body of work. The Inhibitors are a galaxy-wide post-organic distributed machine race whose goal is to confine intelligent life to individual planets, in order to enable life-preserving interventions during a crisis 3 billion years in the future when the Milky Way will collide with Andromeda Galaxy. They achieve this by exterminating civilizations as they emerge into the interstellar arena. Reynolds has set a few stand-alone novels in the Revelation Space universe, but this one is set in time after Absolution Gap (2003), third of a trilogy, and after eighteen years extends the Inhibitor story-line to a fourth book. If you come upon the book as a stand-alone, you can read it and make sense of it, but will miss out on the fact that Reynolds is returning to, and extending, some previously established characters, concepts, and events.

In the novel, we follow first-person protagonist Miguel de Ruyter, who is a leader among a community of humans hiding from the Inhibitors on an airless and barely inhabitable planet. The narrative is chronological and single-track (not always the case with Reynolds), as eventually his experiences take him into the wider conflict with the Inhibitors. However, there is a minor but important subplot set centuries earlier, in a human/post-human conflict on Mars. This ties to a 2000 short story by Reynolds entitled “The Great Wall of Mars.” The story is background to several Revelation Space novels, and can be found in his collection Galactic North (2006).

As enthused as I was to enjoy the dizzying astrophysical travel, desperate conflicts and personality braiding of Reynolds’ style of space opera, I grew somewhat dissatisfied with the ending. This seems to be a pattern for me, as I had a similar response to the ending of his Poseidon’s Wake (2015). It is as if his writing style is more suited to endless plot turns than conclusion. “Kind of a big deal not to have mentioned that” Pinky observed. “Glass never concealed any part of it. You just didn’t ask the right questions of her.” So, Glass has been carrying around a pivotal secret weapon and a merged Slug personality throughout the novel and that is only exposed in the heat of the final battle? This comes close to Deus ex machina. And “They have a name for themselves, but it would break our sanity to utter it. Call them slugs.” So, just saying their name out loud induces insanity? That sounds like a magic incantation. There is room for a fifth novel, although the setting and the Inhibitor story-arc would of necessity evolve further.

I read an Advance Reader Copy of Inhibitor Phase, by Alastair Reynolds in ebook, which I received from Hachette Book Group (Orbit) through netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review on social media platforms and on my book review blog. This new title is scheduled for release on 12 October 2021.

This was my first time reading a story in the Revelation Space universe, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Turns out that I was able to follow along just fine, and really enjoyed this book a lot. What a fantastic read! I will definitely be checking out the other books in this series. Highly recommended for sci-fi fans who like compelling characters and mind-blowing adventure. Good stuff!

Inhibitor Phase is a long waited continuation of the Revelation Space series and fans will not be disappointed. Not only does Reynolds bring back the inhibitors, he continues to develop many of the characters into new roles not seen before. New readers will find it easy to pick up the title and start reading without prior knowledge of his prior works. Previous readers will love the story-line continuation and answers to some of the plot twists. More background material is presented such as the background of the nestbuilders and how humanity acquired weapons to combat the inhibitors. Readers will also discover what happened to the post inhibitor destruction of Chasm City. The book is more action oriented than the author's previous works, making it a fast read. Its an enjoyable read that Revelation Space series fans will love. New readers can about why fans love Alastair Reynolds's works.

This is a must-read for any Alastair Reynolds fan. The "wolves" are a maniacal hive machine bent on killing all other sentient life in the known universe. Humanity has dwindled down to several small pockets of survivors. The book focuses on one such cluster of 5,000 humans who have found refuge on the interior of an asteroid. It's a great addition to the Revelation Space universe, and I'm looking forward to the sequel.

Inhibitor Phase by Alastair Reynolds
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This new book by Reynolds is going to be slightly difficult to review. If you haven't read any of the previous novels in the Revelation Space universe, or the short stories or novellas, then you might have a perfectly fine time with the read.

It takes us on a long trip through time and space, letting us still feel the horror of the Melding Plague, passing through the time of Chasm City and through the ruins of Yellowstone back when it used to glitter in The Prefect and heads us right through the Wolves and the self-replicating ancient horror that is destroying all sentient life, more than touching on the events in Redemption Ark and Absolution Gap and sending us through Galactic North, as refugees and later as a kind of resistance front.

The writing is tight and the story is nearly perfect.

But. Nearly halfway through, I kept getting this nagging feeling that I had read this before. I was really enjoying everything about Glass, but just seeing Clavain return made me wonder how he was involved in all this. Mind you, I loved him in the earlier books and while I didn't read them when they came out, I did read them almost a decade ago, so maybe I was thinking that my memory was messing with me. That may still be the case, of course, and I would have to re-read the other books I mentioned again, side-by-side with this new one, to see the real differences, but I'm pretty sure that I just read a pretty extensive re-write of Redemption Ark and Absolution Gap. A lot must have been cut out and even more was tightened up, turning Inhibitor Phase into ... dare I say it ... a superior product.

Am I just imagining things? I don't think so. Of course, it could be a combination of all the short stories and novellas and novels wrapped up in my head, re-formed into THIS, a fully coherent, streamlined tale of the extras, and I'm just tripping.

Either way, I enjoyed it. Maybe less than I thought I would because so much of it seemed so damn familiar, but I still enjoyed it. After all, I enjoyed all the others, too.


Even though I spent a lot of time on this issue, I should mention that the Revelation Space series, as a whole, is something REALLY huge and amazingly detailed for any kind of SF comparison. Indeed the complicated and subtle distinctions between what we call people, be they cyborgs, half pig-half human, uploaded minds, ocean intelligences, slugs, or so much more, is perfectly offset by the pitfalls of tech, enhanced by blood-as-physical-weapons, universe-devouring nanotech, and such large-scale constructions that would have sent Niven or Clarke into conniptions.

This SF is on another scale from most. My problems or praise with it are only expressed in a comparison with Reynold's other books.

Definitely worth the read.

I was excited to read a book by Alistair Reynolds, since I've been seeing his books for a long time but hadn't read one yet. I was a little reluctant to jump in at the tail end of a series, but he promised it was not required to read the previous books and it's true. There was no problem understanding what was happening, and I don't feel like I missed out on anything, except for maybe why Warren cared so much for Pinky's regard. And I guess everything to do with Nevil. I do feel like there were probably some major spoilers for the first books, so if you've got the time, read the whole series! This was a very interesting story, with some original characters, technology, and storytelling. The pacing is quick and doesn't get overly bogged down with background. There's a tendency toward suicide missions, but also a sense that death might be narrowly averted. Towards the end it feels like death isn't quite as permanent as it used to be, though I'm trying not to give anything away. In the instances where the narrator switches to another character, the voice changes not at all, which felt jarring. These minor things didn't take away from what I felt was a very well told and interesting story, and I will be glad to read additional books by this author!

Great science fiction book. Will be buying the rest of his books in this universe. Recommended for those who enjoy hard science fiction.

Inhibitor Phase by Alastair Reynolds(Revelation Space)- An excellent Revelation Space novel, with all the cool and outrageous ideas we expect from Alastair Reynolds, and all the tension, excitement, and unexpected happenings that make Revelation Space such a mind-blowing experience. I'm not going to give you chapter and verse, but If you've read the others in the series, you won't be disappointed. Also, if you haven't read the others, this book can be a standalone introduction to that series. Yes there are some references to previous books and stories, but not to the detriment of this story. You may find you want to continue the story starting here! Enjoy!

This packed a punch! I was into the story and the characters from the getgo. Reynolds has a way with creating characters who pull at your heart and leave you questioning everything.

Inhibitor Phase, though linked to at least five other novels as well as novellas and shirts in Reynolds’ Revelation Space Universe, was designed as a stand-alone novel at least according to the preface. It succeeds quite well on its own without necessarily needing more background but there are big broad hints that there’s hundreds of years of history lurking in the background.

It opens in a far off hidden corner of the universe where the last remnants of the human race have burrowed into caverns on a lonely planet, hoping beyond hope that they’ll escape the notice of the wolves. No signals, no radio are allowed to escape because of fear of detection. And, any prospecting craft must be swiftly dealt with.

We are barely given a glimpse of the ferocious wolves who have devoured the known universe, but they are not what you’d expect as Reynolds lets us readers know that life out there among the stars comes in many forms, some very unexpected.

Without giving too much away, the story is a grand adventure with a Gandalf like figure, glass if you will, gathering warriors and weapons for the great battle with the wolves. Almost like a Dungeons and Dragons Game, our not-so-merry crew has to go to different spots and gather these fearsome weapons, each of which requires adventures among hulking spacecraft, rescuing giant pig people from being the wrong kind of guests at a giant barbecue, and fighting off aquatic creatures.

All of these adventures are in secret to avoid detection from the ever-present wolves who are ready to react at the first sign of human life.

Reynolds is a gifted storyteller and this one engages the reader from start to finish on the edge of your seats so they say.

It’s also a universe where sentient life is anything other than you expect, often self-replicating or half genetically designed or machine-altered and consciousness is something possessed by many.

Alastair Reynolds has taken up the mantle left by Iain M. Banks' passing in my opinion. Right now Mr. Reynold's is writing the best space opera today, Inhibitor Phase was such a fantastic romp through an adventurous spacial landscape that had me on the edge of my chair the entire time. If you love your SF with a ton of mystery, lots of intrigue, and top notch tech ideas, then pick this one up immediately. And then when you are finished go and read all of Alastair's books because his catalog is simply outstanding! Larger review in the coming weeks over on the blog.

Alastair Reynolds brings us back to the Revelation Space universe with the magnificent Inhibitor Phase. It’s a story about sacrifice, redemption, rebirth and basic human bonds of friendship, love and loyalty that builds to a powerful conclusion.

It starts with an extreme situation and doesn’t let up. Humanity’s last small settlements are hiding out from the devastating alien Inhibitors, swarming black cube robots bent solely on the annihilation of advanced technology among all species in the universe. The people of Sun Hollow, a community of a few thousand living underground on a desolate planet, detect an incoming spaceship that threatens to arouse the Inhibitors that can overcome all human weapons.At all costs, that ship and its human passengers must be destroyed before getting too close and focusing Inhibitor attention on the hidden survivors. It’s a grim task that falls to Miguel de Ruyter, Sun Hollow’s leader.

He sets off on a suicide mission, but strangely the ship seems to self-destruct and he rescues the sole survivor in a cramped ejection capsule. That survivor turns out to be a woman calling herself Glass who was never on board that ship but on a trip of her own to find Miguel. Using superior technology that overwhelms Sun Hollow’s defenses, she compels de Ruyter to go with her on a years’ long mission to find the one weapon that holds out hope of destroying the Inhibitors. It requires a painful break with his family and the only life he has known, but Glass leaves him no choice. Too much is at stake.

Glass’s spaceship, Scythe, takes Miguel to the planet Yellowstone and Chasm City, broken down long ago by the Melding Plague then hit by Inhibitors, where they find essential crew members. These include Scorpio, known as Pinky, a leader among the hyperpig chimera race of humans. In Chasm City they have to descend to a hellhole known as the Swinehouse to retrieve an essential stone of powerful alien properties and liberate dozens of the intelligent pigs from certain slaughter.

But that’s just for starters. They have to travel through the photosphere of a star, descend to the planet Ararat and there swim in an ocean teaming with the alien Pattern Jugglers. This is a hive mind race that has accumulated knowledge from all races in the universe and includes the memories of Nevil Clavain who has special knowledge about the Incantor and about Miguel’s past. There they also encounter a race of merfolk, a human-seal adaptation to a water world, that may be able to give a new home to the refugee hyperpigs. Then it’s on to Charybdis, the most intimidating planet of all, a gas giant where a symbiont race may survive that holds the key to Incantor technology.

I’m skimming the surface here to give you an idea of the range of adventures without spoiling the essential elements of the story. Each stage of the journey uncovers new, almost insurmountable problems. Reynolds offers detailed and cogent explanations for each exotic technology the crew finds and has to use to achieve the next goal. The bonds among the crew are tested to the breaking point over and over, and accomplishing each task requires incredible sacrifice. We can never forget that it’s humanity’s fate at stake in the face of an implacable foe.

Inhibitor Phase is an enormously satisfying adventure that works on many levels. It’s about sacrificing personal safety for the sake of humanity’s survival and about the resilience of the species even when forced to change forms to live under drastic conditions. Most of all it’s about the rebirth of individuals, humanity and even technology that in some forms takes on a life of its own. One great line captures that theme of human continuity: You don’t have to be human to be people. The consciousness, inventiveness, and the bonds that hold communities together survive no matter the changes in appearance or the complexity of merging minds.

I have no idea if Reynolds intends to continue the story of the fight against the Inhibitors, though the ending of the novel sets up the next step. As a fan, I’d love to see it but even on its own, Inhibitor Phase is an unforgettable book.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley.

I haven't read an Alistair Reynolds book for a while, an I'm not sure why as I liked his early books. I really enjoyed this book. The pacing of the story is very good, a little bewildering to start as the layered plot takes a while to unfold. If you're looking for a simple linear story, with the same characters and viewpoints, you may be disappointed. I won't add spoilers, but it's a story of redemption ultimately , amidst a familiar plotline of big bad aliens want to eliminate the human race. This is proof that a character driven story with a layered plot can work well on familiar patterns.

Definitely a good book to read.

Set in the Universe of the REVELATION SPACE Series, INHIBITOR PHASE is not a Sequel, but an addition. You don't read Alistair Reynolds lightly; close perusal reveals not just "hard Science" aspects (an astrophysical, xenobiological, quantum physical education) but issues of psychological, philosophical, metaphysical import. Author Reynolds builds not just "worlds," but species, characters, interactions: even the ship "Scythe" has personality, character, and yes, Sentience.


Readers of the Revelation Space Universe will not want to miss INHIBITOR PHASE.

Another Reynolds book, another massive hit!! One of the best science-fiction author alive today! Such a complexes universe that he has build over the years. Like always this book contain a solid plot, great characters development, massive world and this is just a must read for every science-fiction readers out there!!