Century Rain

Almost a solid 4-star read for me. The concept and world-building are just so damn cool. If it weren't for a few eye-rolling moments having to do with character motivation... For instance, the lovey-dovey stuff after the sphere falls on Floyd in the German factory scene just seemed suddenly grafted on. Not to mention that he is described as BLEEDING COPIOUSLY FROM HIS HEAD! Instead of getting all kissy-face with him, perhaps Auger should have done something else? Like, maybe try to STAUNCH THE BLEEDING?!? I'm not sure what Reynolds was thinking there. I don't have a problem with them falling in love, that seemed a likely eventuality from long before they actually met. It was the circumstance where they first expressed their affections that rang a dissonant note. Ah well... thankfully, most of the book is filled with better-written scenery and is therefore pretty darn brilliant.

Conceptually, the stuff Reynolds has dreamed up is rather mind-boggling:

• Archaeological digging in the midst of nanobot 'Furies'? Check!
• A noir detective murder whodunit mystery? Check!
• Wormholes leading to ALS's (Anomalous Large Structures) - a galactic subway system! - all left behind by technologically advanced but unknown creators? Check!
• Political intrigues between factions of humans still alive after the nanocaust? Check! (hrmm... who to trust? who to trust?)
• Off-Earth habitats in the year 2266 interacting with Earth in 1959? Check! (nope, not by time-traveling - this whole part is just beautifully imagined.)
• War-babies? Check! (oh man, were they ever a nice creepy touch!)
• A super-duper secret planet-killing weapon mystery that needs to be solved before the world goes nano-boom? Check!
• A Hollywoodish carspaceship-chase in wormhole space? Check!

All in all, I really liked this book. It was a great first Reynolds for me. I just wish some of the romantic aspects had been handled with a skosh more elegance.