Beyond the Hallowed Sky cover art

Beyond the Hallowed Sky

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Beyond the Hallowed Sky

By: Ken MacLeod
Narrated by: Elliot Chapman
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About this listen

When a brilliant scientist gets a letter from herself about faster-than-light travel, she doesn't know what to believe. The equations work, but her paper is discredited - and soon the criticism is more than scientific. Exiled by the establishment, she gets an offer to build her starship from an unlikely source. But in the heights of Venus and on a planet of another star, a secret is already being uncovered that will shake humanity to its foundations.

Science fiction legend Ken MacLeod begins a new space-opera trilogy by imagining humankind on the precipice of discovery - the invention of faster-than-light travel unlocks a universe of new possibilities and new dangers.

©2021 Ken MacLeod (P)2021 Hachette Audio UK Fiction Hard Science Fiction Science Fiction Space Exploration Space Opera Solar System Interstellar

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Critic reviews

"An exceptional blend of international politics, hard science, and first contact." (Michael Mammay, author of the Planetside series)
All stars
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Engaging idea, started well . Great narration
Found it hard to follow in places and unresolvrd ending annoying.

Rollacoaster.

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... and an unfinished story to be continued in the next book. Anxiously awaiting this next instalment.

A great imagination

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I really wanted to like this from the write up but I just felt it pondered a bit and I never really got 'into' it. The first few chapters seemed promising but it just didn't deliver the excitement and intrigue and 'sci-fi feel I wanted. I guess I won't be buying the others in the series. This could just be because it's not really my tipe of sci-fi.

A bit lacklustre for me

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A good read but I felt the story to be a bit fragmented. Personally I had a number of interruptions in the reading so it might’ve been my own fault. I’m considering a re-read when things quiet down a bit

A good read

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like many, I found it a slow starter but it picks up pace and my interest from about a third way in. the finish is abrupt and I thought disappointing until I realise it's the first part of a trilogy. immediately downloaded the next book.

interesting ideas and well narrated. there are a wide range of required accents and he does the full justice if some of the Scottish accents are, like real life, hard to follow sometimes!

perseverance is rewarded

thank God it's a trilogy

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This is not a standalone story, so it ends rather abruptly. It also feels very old fashioned, like stories from the 50s where a rocket to the moon is built in a backyard.

Still the world building is impressive and the plot rattles along.

Old fashioned

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My first Ken MacLeod book and I was expecting hard sci-fi but got a grand whimsical near future story with some sharp observations and political satire but there was no overarching plot or threat that drove the story on. However, a very enjoyable story with some great characters so I’m in for the ride and will get the next book. Elliot Chapman does a good job with a range of accents but for those that live/have lived there some of his Clydeside pronunciations are a wee bit quirky.

Interesting

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Great story. Slow at first and needed a bit of replay to understand it. Great second half. It gets faster and faster. Narration excellent except for one word - what do you call a soldier that fights for pay?

Just one word

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