Eversion

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Coade spends a good deal of time wondering about it, then double-guessing himself, and then actively trying to figure out, what exactly might be going on. And in the distant future, he is the doctor aboard a spaceship investigating a mysterious artifact in space. The narrative follows doctor Silas Coade, who has disturbing dreams and a habit of dying and then continuing the mission on another vessel and in another timeline. It didn’t give all the information so as to lose the sense of wonder, but enough to answer the burning questions and resolve the central journey.

Instead of opening in one of Reynolds’ future worlds, the action starts on a sailing vessel, the Demeter, in a stormy sea off the coast of Norway in either the late 18th or early 19th centuries. It is replaced by an exploratory steamer working the coast of Antarctica, with similar characters and circumstances, but more sophisticated technology. There was a lot of exposition dumping towards the end, and some of the characters seemed to get lost in the narrative, but I didn't mind because I was too invested in the story. In fact, the first chapter of Century Rain was included after the conclusion of this novel as a teaser.Then the scene shifts to the Antarctic, another fifty years or so in the future, and then it goes beyond that. Bit by bit, Silas learns the truth of the story he thought he was the author of, and of his own identity. The time and technologies shift in each case, but we always encounter the same set of characters in a series of narrations by Dr. Having had mixed feelings on Reynolds’ Revelation Space Trilogy — fascinating concepts, plots, and a few great characters tinged with stilted writing and excruciating pacing — my expectations going in were reasonably moderate. Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was part mystery, part adventure story, part historical fiction, part science fiction, and always mind bending, the story twisting this way and that, which is no surprise, considering its title. Overall, Reynolds paces things well and builds the mystery at the same time as giving clues that will allow some to enjoy a sense of achievement in getting ahead of the narrative - it's a beautifully constructed novel and never fails to keep the reader engaged. One thing that, frustratingly, isn't fully explained is the eversion of the title - I can't sensibly describe what this refers to without giving too much away, but it's pretty much presented as a given without the reason for it happening being explored. When disaster strikes, the Demeter meets the same fate as others ships that have attempted this doomed quest.The friendship that develops between the two is one of the high points of the novel, as is the conflicted relationship between Coade and the sharp-tongued Ada Cossile.