A Hole In the Sky

Arkship Trilogy, Book 1

By: Peter F. Hamilton

Narrated by: Elizabeth Klett

From New York Times best-selling author Peter F. Hamilton comes his first audio original, A Hole in the Sky, Book 1 in the Arkship Trilogy.

Sixteen-year old Hazel lives in the Daedalus, a starship that is flying in search of a new world. The ship has been traveling for 500 years, searching for a world to settle in after having to abandon its last world. Everyone on board Daedalus lives a very simple existence in farming villages. The age of machines supplying their needs was lost during a mutiny 500 years ago. The captain regained control of the ship after a huge struggle. Now, with finite resources, everything in the habitat is Cycled, including humans, who essentially are suicided at 65 so they don't deplete the biosphere's resources.

Hazel encounters the Cheaters, people who refused to Cycle, who tell her the Daedalus has been damaged and its atmosphere is leaking away. When her brother has a paralyzing accident which condemns him to be Cycled since he can no longer be productive, Hazel runs off with him to join the Cheaters. While with the Cheaters, she discovers that much of what has been told to the people living on Daedalus for the last 500 years is untrue, and soon, Hazel is in a thrilling race to help repair the ship and help the people of the Daedalus.

©2020 Peter F. Hamilton (P)2021 Tantor

Definitely not the authors best work.

PFH has some magnificent stories and is one of my favorite authors. This series has a great concept, but the characters are constantly saying and doing things that make no sense at all. There’s practically none of the wit and attention to detail that I love about PFH’s stories. I’ve listened to the first two books in the series and this one seems phoned in. I won’t be continuing the series.

i just couldn't finish

maybe (most likely, to be honest) it's just me, but i couldn't finish this book. I tried. the narration is alright, but th story is sooo boring, easy to predict, no surprises. the characters are of the typical Hamilton cardboard cutouts, no depth to them. i tried many of Hamilton's works from different series but i always regret wasting money on it. :(

Great story

Enjoyed very much, can’t wait to see where it goes. Great performance as well, highly recommend

If you like jurvenile writing and YA story...

Wish I'd skipped this one, honestly. The writing is subpar and feels like the product of an earnest and inexperienced undergrad. The story is just a bit too tired, too already done, too YA. Ugh. There are good writers writing good stories, and Hamilton sometimes, is in that ballpark. Not this go, however. Read Tchaikovsky or Corey, or ... you get it.

Yes, a departure for PFH, but still awemazing!!

I was absolutely looking forward to this audiobook from the moment I heard it was coming. I purchased it upon the release date but took a few days to start it. By that time, there were plenty of reviews up that were absolutely blasting it, as a YA, and not up to his usual brilliance. I am a hardcore Hamilton fan, and stripped of any expectations in this day and age, the book was great. The tension built slow at first, but proceeded to cripple me, and had to stop a few times just to catch my breath. For me, I recognize that as my level of engagement hitting its peak. I credit that to a combination of, the worldbuilding, the characters, and the performance melding into pure enjoyment.

Life aboard the Daedalus from the perspective of Hazel, the main character starts off with a preparation for a teenagers "coming of age" event that is always conciding with what's called a cycle day, which is when adults around the age of 60, or those who are branded "cheaters" are put to rest, or recycled, in order to keep population down and to provide materials to keep the habitat functioning. Or so the inhabitants of this generational ship have come to believe.

Hazel, Knows that this isn't right, and is compelled to find out what is really happening on this ship. Why have things become this way, why haven't they reached their planet yet, why is the captain withholding all the important details of this centuries, and centuries long voyage?

Hamiltons genious shows itself in the precarious situation these humans have been living and are about to go through. Secrets of the ship, as well as answers to questions that arise are intricately built, and revealed here and there, but seem to result in more questions.

Once a part of The ships AI is awakened, the tension is taut and my curiosity and interest were hitting the stratosphere.

I agree that a story from a younger person's perspective is different for him, but I appreciate PFH'S work as art, however he decides to convey that, I'm a fan, and this did not let me down in any way, and I'm am going to be impatient for the next book. We'll done to the narrator, she was spot on, and hope she continues the story with Peter. Don't let the negative reviews decide for you.