Inhibitor Phase

As you might guess from the title, this is a new novel in the Revelation Space universe. It's set later than any other novel in the series, at a point where the Inhibitors have done most of their work, and what's left of humanity is just a few scattered and concealed enclaves trying to lie low. It starts off as a standalone, but (very mild spoiler) it wouldn't be a terrible idea to refresh yourself on the other books before reading.

I really enjoyed this. The usual Reynolds preoccupations of identity and transformation are to the fore, along with the body horror and cosmic awe you'd expect from an RS book, but he's also kept the breakneck pace of the Revenger series- this one fairly rockets along. Best of all, it opens up a whole new section of the timeline for exploration, so I hope the return to this universe is more than a passing fancy. It's good to be back.