'Cowl' by Neal Asher is an epic time travel adventure that explores new rules and physics governing time travel. The book delves into the distant future and primordial past, featuring a wide range of characters, a nasty villain, and a unique monster. The plot revolves around pursuing the nemesis Cowl through generation-spanning plots and twists, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The narrative is described as labyrinthian and engaging, featuring intriguing ideas and a satisfying ending.
The story is a brain-numbing time travel action thriller that incorporates intense physical laws and a theory of time displacement. The plot covers billions of years, featuring a satisfying villain and a compelling cast of characters. Despite its complexity, the book comes together with a surprising twist that adds to the overall enjoyment of the story.
Genres:
Tropes/Plot Devices:
Topics:
Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book contains high content warnings due to violence and dark themes.
From The Publisher:
With Cowl, Neal Asher, acclaimed author of Gridlinked and The Skinner, has created a powerful time-travel novel for the 21st Century, a violent thrill ride that will leave you breathless
In the far future, the Heliothane Dominion is triumphant in the solar system, after a bitter war with their Umbrathane progenitors. But some of the Umbrathane have escaped into the distant past, where they can position themselves to wreak havoc across time and undo their defeat. The most fanatical of them is the superhuman Cowl, more monstrous than any of the creatures outside his prehistoric redoubt.
Cowl sends his terrifying hyperdimensional pet, the torbeast, hunting through all the timelines for human specimens. It sheds its scales - each one an organic time machine - where its master orders. Anyone who picks one up is dragged back to the dawn of time, where Cowl awaits. Then the beast can feed, growing ever larger . . .
In our own near-future, Tack is one of U-gov's programmable killers. When a scale latches onto him, his doom seems inevitable, but the Heliothane have other ideas: they can use Tack against Cowl. Tack is no stranger to violence, but the Heliothane, hardened in their struggle for humanity's very existence, have much to teach him. He will need it all for his encounter with Cowl.
Once one of Tack's targets, Polly escaped with her life when a torbeast scale snatched her. Now, like Tack, she must learn fast as she is dragged back to Day Zero. To cheat death again, she will have to help him save the human race.
Reader Stats (1):
Want To Read (1) |
What can you read after
Cowl?
About the Author:
Neal Asher's first novel was Gridlinked. He has since won acclaim for The Skinner, The Line of Polity, and Cowl. He lives in Chelmsord, Essex, England.
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.
