Book Review - THE SOLDIER by Neal Asher

(Title: The Soldier / Author: Neal Asher / Publisher: Night Shade Books / Publication Date: April 3, 2018)


In the year 2001 I was working as a bookseller at Borders.  One of the truly amazing things about my job at the time was that I was given the Fantasy and Science-Fiction section to shelf and maintain.  It became my section and for four glorious years, I got to read some phenomenal titles (at a pretty good employee discount might I add). It was during a marathon shelving session one day that I spotted an interesting-looking book called Gridlinked by then debut Science-Fiction author Neal Asher.  

The cover was absolutely stunning and the description on the back of the book hinted at "big idea" Space Opera with a compelling mystery at the heart of the story.  I bought the book immediately after my shift ended and took it home that very evening.  Let's just say that I completely devoured Gridlinked in about three days, I simply could not put it down. Any time I was able to steal five minutes here or there, I picked it back up and continued reading.  The reason why it clicked with me in such a way was that It reminded me a lot of my favorite Science-Fiction author Iain M. Banks.  

Like Iain's books, yes there were some heavy ideas and some really technical Hard SF involved, but it was also a very accessible story that was enjoyable to read. Since then, I've been a big fan of Neal Asher and have read many of his books over the past almost two decades now.  So when I discovered that he had a brand new series titled The Rise of the Jain out, the first book being THE SOLDIER, I jumped at the opportunity to request a review copy.  The review copy was received a few days later and I was more than ready to get down to business and spend some quality time with Mr. Asher's latest creation THE SOLDIER.

In the deepest of deep space, two previously warring races now exist on the edge of a knife in a very fragile peace pact that keeps both in an unsteady truce for the time being.  These two factions are the Polity, a human populated string of worlds and the crab-like alien Prador kingdom.  Separating the two is an accretion disc, a compact solar system that was designed by the Jain, a long-dead alien species.  The purpose of the accretion disc is a mystery but what is known is that inside it possesses the most powerful living technology ever conceived that has the potential to obliterate entire civilizations.  

Neither the Polity nor the Prador want the responsibility of being in charge of the accretion disc since any misstep in exploring its contents could mean the extinction of their worlds in the blink of an eye.  As a compromise, both factions agree to assign an impartial and independent third party to make sure that the accretion disc remains stable and is not allowed to expand and escape into the wider galaxy, since this would be utterly catastrophic.  Anything coming out of the accretion disc is to be destroyed immediately upon exiting.  Orlandine is part human and part AI and is the one who is eventually assigned the daunting task of manning the weapons platform located next to the accretion disc.  

As she embarks on her guarding and study of the accretion disc, she is slowly being influenced by her assistant Dragon that the disc could actually be an ancient trap set by the extinct Jain civilization that will inevitably spring upon its unsuspecting guardians at a specified time.  Orlandine doesn't want to believe that this could be true but Dragon is persistent in his theory.  Enter Angel, a maniacal android that has plans to attack the human Polity and is searching for a devastating weapon that can make this a reality.  In Angel's search it discovers and resurrects THE SOLDIER, a super weapon seemingly created by the long-dead Jain millions of years ago that may have escaped the accretion disc somehow. With THE SOLDIER in its possession, Angel can initiate a war that will make the previous battles between the Polity and Prador look like child's play.  

But there are more soldiers that are concentrated in and around the enigmatic accretion disc that may be able to counter their now weaponized colleague. As both the Polity and the Prador begin to realize that there are technologies long-sleeping that are deadly and are now being awakened by these third-parties, they see an opportunity to reignite the war between them and potentially use these soldiers to their advantage in a new war that would see them victorious once and for all.  Then something occurs that neither side expects and it suggests that the Jain may not be extinct after all.  Could it all have been the very patient plan of an ingenious ancient race that simply wanted everyone to think it was gone?  And to what purpose would the Jain have to remain dormant for so long only now to revive themselves?  What part do the Polity and the Prador play in this game of galactic conquest played out on the stage of the deepest recesses of space?  

Neal Asher just doesn't have the ability to write a book that doesn't have an abundance of complex technology, diverse alien species, mind-bending science, and just flat out entertaining story lines.  You really have to pay attention however, because the history that he provides and the back story are vital to what will eventually take place and to even have your mind wander for a page can completely lose you.  It's part of what I really like about reading a Neal Asher story, he's going to provide an immense amount of information and also a heck of a lot of action along the way.  You will never be bored with anything that he writes.  

THE SOLDIER is a wonderful beginning to another tremendous Space Opera series.  The mystery of the ancient Jain civilization is brilliantly delivered in such a way that the anticipation of the final reveal creates such a tension as I turned the pages.  That's the way great storytellers do it.  I feel like Neal Asher has gradually become one of the great writers of Space Opera today, right up there with the likes of Peter F. Hamilton and Alastair Reynolds (both British compatriots by the way).  THE SOLDIER had such an incredible balance of interesting alien technology and Military SF battle scenes that I was left totally satisfied by the end of the book.  

This is an incredibly deep read with many layers to be peeled.  If you are a fan of Space Opera, Hard SF, Military SF, or Science-Fiction that involves mysterious ancient alien races, this book will scratch all of those itches and then some.  Do run out and grab a copy of THE SOLDIER as soon as possible.  It is a terrific self-contained Science-Fiction story that also leaves much more to discover in future entries of the Rise of the Jain series.  Can't wait to see what lies ahead!

(My Rating: 9.5/10)