The Fractal Prince

I loved [b:The Quantum Thief|7562764|The Quantum Thief (Jean le Flambeur, #1)|Hannu Rajaniemi|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327950631s/7562764.jpg|9886333] and The Fractal Prince brings more of the same good stuff. You get to know the Earth and the Sobornost. A bit of backstory is appreciated, but still everything is exposed as a wild ride through fantastic technologies and stories. If possible, this second book is even more poetic than the first one.

I would love to discuss more about this book, but it is hard while avoiding spoilers. The concept of the Aun is fascinating. Imaginary friends set loose. Also universal human aspects?


I had a hard time grasping the full implications of the twist at the end of book one. (That the Kingdom of Mars was faked by the Zoku.) I thought I would just march on and surely everything would be clearer through the lens of the second book.

The second book has an ending like that as well!


The identity of Jean le Flambeur is revealed! Twice. Two different identities. (The All-Defector and the Flower Prince.) From book three it appears neither is correct. Madness!

The journey continues and it is a fun filled adventure. Two intertwining narratives drive the book. One from Earth and it's post techno apocolyptic jinni wildcode self and the other the Thief & Mieli as they plan a heist for Pelligrini.

The universe that is being built here from the Planck level up is just amazing to me. I don't know how the author does it. Most of the time I can barely comprehend how you keep a host of characters cohesive enough to write a great book but this--a real solid grasp of science/technology and mindwarp it into a fractal imager or potential and possibility. I had to slow my roll a number of times and ponder the meaning and implication of certain statements. What a universe. Thank goodness there is a wiki out there to help clarify some things.

Poetic, multilayered, memetic story viruses, and more. The book picks us back up right where we left off and as another fantastical romp that will leave you awestruck at the end and like a hawking blackhole you're ready to eat up the next one in your path because if you don't.. you'll be missing out.