The Dragon Never Sleeps

Glen Cook

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A distant future where a tyrannical force of super ships, the Guardships, police Canon space to maintain humanity's hold on the worlds within. The story follows the missions of one of the Guardships, the VII Gemina, and its crew who have been recreated and reborn over and over. The plot spirals into a universe where ancient superships battle against ancient alien rebels, all while questioning the laws that govern them. The book is a standalone novel with a fast-paced and chaotic story that keeps readers entranced in a weird and strange future.

The book delves into a conflict in a distant future where Guardships, living ships with evolving AI, enforce peace in Canon space. However, they face enemies believed to be exterminated, weird aliens, and power-hungry nobles willing to do anything to gain power. The story is filled with twists and turns, fast-paced battles, and a complex narrative that leaves readers questioning the fate of characters. Despite some chaotic elements, the book offers a great story that is recommended for fans of military science fiction.

Characters:

Characters are depicted with layers of moral ambiguity, often undergoing transformations, although their convoluted names can add confusion.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is dense and complex, focusing on present conflicts while providing limited backstory, resulting in a chaotic but engaging narrative.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot features a complex interplay of multiple factions, focusing on conflicts involving a House, an alien force, and various branches of humanity, all set against themes like greed and survival.

Setting:

The setting takes place in a distant future where advanced civilizations exist under the control of powerful Guardships amidst themes of societal stagnation.

Pacing:

The pacing alternates between fast and chaotic moments, occasionally slowing down, but generally keeps readers engaged throughout.

Lady Midnight drifted through the perpetual twilight of Merod Schene DownTown, tall, brittle as leaf gold beaten translucent. Her lavender eyes darted from one nest of gloom to the next. Her slim, pal...

Notes:

The story is set in a distant future where a tyrannical force of super ships called Guardships maintain peace.

Guardships are described as living ships, powered by evolving AI and manned by immortal crews.

The narrative features multiple factions, including a house ruled by a megalomaniac and an alien following a strict code of honor.

Characters often experience cloning and regeneration, losing their memories of prior lives.

The book is known for its complexity, with many characters and a rapidly unfolding plot that can be confusing.

Battles are described in brief sections rather than detailed accounts, contributing to the fast pace of the story.

There are themes of greed, war, peace, and survival woven throughout the narrative.

The author, Glen Cook, is also known for his Black Company novels, though this work has a standalone style.

Readers have found the book dense and lengthy, feeling like more than its stated 449 pages.

The climax and resolutions in the story can feel anticlimactic and random to some readers, leaving them unsure about character fates.

The novel raises questions about the implications of cloning and the stagnation of humanity, but does not delve deeply into those issues.

Despite mixed feelings, many readers appreciate the book for its storytelling and character depth.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Triggers/content warnings include themes of conflict, violence, mental coercion, and psychological manipulation.

From The Publisher:

For four thousand years, the Guardships have ruled Canon Space—immortal ships with an immortal crew, dealing swiftly and harshly with any mercantile houses or alien races that threaten the status quo.

But now the House Tregesser has an edge: a force from outside Canon Space offers them the resources to throw off Guardship rule. This precipitates an avalanche of unexpected outcomes, including the emergence of Kez Maefele, one of the few remaining generals of the Ku Warrior race-the only race to ever seriously threaten Guardship hegemony.

Kez Maefele and a motley group of aliens, biological constructs, an scheming aristocrats find themselves at the center of the conflict. Maefele must chose which side he will support: the Guardships, who defeated and destroyed his race, or the unknown forces outside Canon Space that promise more death and destruction.

What can you read after
The Dragon Never Sleeps?

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