Agonizing and mesmerizing, a devastating and extraordinary achievement, as well as dizzyingly unsatisfying, given where it ends ... Exordia is structured and paced like Book 1 of a series.
A major accomplishment that seems to me to belong in a recent stream of titles where metaphysics and physics converge ... A deft treatment of realpolitik shenanigans, apocalyptic scenarios and the aforementioned quasi-mystical speculative elements ... My only quibble, a small one, is the length of the book. At 500+ pages, it’s just a bit overwhelming.
Dickinson brings the same richness of characterization that made his Baru Cormorant series... so compelling, but this one reads like a Michael Crichton thriller on psychedelics—in a good way.
Exordia’s first act is its most successful. Anna and Ssrin’s initial interactions are personal, hilarious and thought-provoking. Once the broader storyline kicks in, however, it can be a struggle to keep up, so impenetrable are some of Dickinson’s ideas ... While some may wish it spent as much time with its characters as it does exploring its many fascinating ideas, Exordia is undoubtedly impressive.
This doesn’t necessarily make for easy reading, but there’s no denying the intelligence in the writing ... While the characters aren’t necessarily likable, the way they wrestle with doing the right thing versus doing the hard thing is authentic and thought-provoking.
