A Hole In the Sky cover art

A Hole In the Sky

Arkship Trilogy, Book 1

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A Hole In the Sky

By: Peter F. Hamilton
Narrated by: Elizabeth Klett
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About this listen

From New York Times best-selling author Peter F. Hamilton comes his first audio original, A Hole in the Sky, Book 1 in the Arkship Trilogy.

Sixteen-year old Hazel lives in the Daedalus, a starship that is flying in search of a new world. The ship has been traveling for 500 years, searching for a world to settle in after having to abandon its last world. Everyone on board Daedalus lives a very simple existence in farming villages. The age of machines supplying their needs was lost during a mutiny 500 years ago. The captain regained control of the ship after a huge struggle. Now, with finite resources, everything in the habitat is Cycled, including humans, who essentially are suicided at 65 so they don't deplete the biosphere's resources.

Hazel encounters the Cheaters, people who refused to Cycle, who tell her the Daedalus has been damaged and its atmosphere is leaking away. When her brother has a paralyzing accident which condemns him to be Cycled since he can no longer be productive, Hazel runs off with him to join the Cheaters. While with the Cheaters, she discovers that much of what has been told to the people living on Daedalus for the last 500 years is untrue, and soon, Hazel is in a thrilling race to help repair the ship and help the people of the Daedalus.  

©2020 Peter F. Hamilton (P)2021 Tantor
Fantasy Fiction
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OK so the headline is a little harsh but this is not the Peter F Hamilton I know and love. The story was just interesting enough to carry me to the end. Having read the RAMA book series (Arthur C. Clarke/Gentry Lee) and listened to Earthsearch (James Follett) on the radio, this story was familiar territory; familiar enough that it did not excite me sufficiently with new ideas or grand spectacle to be more than averagely good.

The narrator did not have the range for characters or emotion I have come to expect from the star performers of Audible. They read clearly and had a light voice which was good for the main character, but did not have the variety which some readers have to make their reading feel like a full cast. Also the accent - a clipped and at times slightly plumy English accent - distracted me as it evoked a 1940's romantic film more than a sci-fi novel.

Derivative story read without dramatic range

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As far as I am aware this form of speech ended shortly after the Second World War!
Talk about “got a plum in Er gob!”
Ruined an already poor storyline
Echos of HG’s Time Machine anyone?
Instead of Moorlocks breeding and munching on docile humans it’s aliens...

Sorry but that is awful narration!

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Sadly I didn’t find this story as good as PFH’s usual work. Possibly it was the first person narration style he used for this book. That was worsened by the narrator - I would say she probably could do very good narration - but this story just wasn’t suited to her very clipped and precise english accent - probably better suited for period dramas than sci-fi novels.

Average story and narrator not suited

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From reading the description it is obvious that this book is targeted at teenagers, not PFH's usual reader - I'm amazed people didn't see that. I bought it knowing that and therefore what to expect; for a book aimed at teenagers it is very good indeed. The trope is perhaps similar to Hunger Games (female protagonist discovers things, has to put the workd to rights, whilst dealing with affections of suitors) - but accept it for that and it is as exceptionally well written as usual.

It must be hard to change your style as a writer - the number of negative comments for this show that people get upset when challenged; props to PFH for trying it. Don't be one of the people who can't deal with a new style. It's not *that* different - interesting plotlines, reasonable characterisation (a little teenage-narrow - to be expected), good action, some genuinely tense moments, original ideas and surprises. Read it as a good lightweight story.

If I were a teenager I'd have loved it; as an adult knowing what I was getting it was still very good.

Narration though is as bad as the other reviews say, I'm afraid :-(

An intentional change of style, don't dismiss it!

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Awful, awful, awful performance.. it must be a joke right? How did this person get this gig?

The story is ok but it’s utterly ruined by this performance. I’d find something else if I was you!

Is everyone in the future comedically posh?

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