Jessica (HDB)

First off, a shout out to Grim for being so darn patient with me while I was reading this! We were meant to be doing a buddy read, but I was slow. Gridlinked was the first full length Sci Fi book I've read in roughly 4 years. I had forgotten how much you really need to slow down, and absorb the world you're being immersed in. While it took me a little longer to read than I expected, this book definitely reminded me of why I miss Sci Fi in all of its gorgeous, complex glory.

The Polity universe is a thing of beauty. A world rich with myths, legends, and the type of technology that makes you wish you lived there. It took me a bit to firmly seat myself inside this world. I loved the little intros at the beginning of each chapter, pulling background information from books that Polity inhabitants had written. I appreciated the fact that Neal Asher never felt the need for infodumps. There was never a point where I felt buried under information necessary for me to understand the story. Instead, it was laid out slowly and intentionally. While that meant it took me a little longer to settle, it also meant I never wanted to stop reading.

On to Ian Cormac, our main character and a thoroughly fascinating person. Hands down, Cormac was my favorite part of this story. His background was rich, and he felt like a real person to me. Following along as he dealt with his addiction to being gridlinked, watching as he had to relearn how to read social cues, it made him a person I could get behind. Best of all, every other character in this first story was just as detailed. These were characters I could love, or loathe, as the story dictated. 

So why the three star rating? Mainly, it's me not the book. I'll admit that there were a few grammatical errors that drove me a little batty, but mainly this is just me getting comfortable with the vast space that is Sci Fi. That being said, those of you who already read this genre will likely love this series. One thing I do know? I'll be going on to the next book! The ending was perfect, but also prompted me to read more. That, is a beautiful thing.