Use of Weapons

I embarked on reading this book with a certain degree of trepidation. "Consider Phlebas" holds a special place as one of my all-time favorite Sci-Fi novels. I firmly believed it was a perfect piece in its own right, and thus, I saw no need to explore further into that particular world. However, under the pressure from my friends, I reluctantly began delving into a few other books, and this one happened to be the first after "Consider Phlebas".

It has to be said that the book was very well-written. The prose was engaging, and the story had the potential to be truly captivating. However, as I reached the end, I was left with a sense of disappointment. Frankly speaking, the ending was rather stupid. I simply couldn't fathom why this book had been recommended to me as being better than "Consider Phlebas".

One of the major drawbacks of this book was the excessive amount of exposition and explanation. It was evident that the author had written it with an Earth-bound modern-day audience in mind. This was in stark contrast to "Consider Phlebas", which seemed to be written for someone who was a part of that fictional world. In "Consider Phlebas", the notes and afterword served a purpose, only explaining the more obscure historical aspects that people within that world might not have been familiar with. Otherwise, the book treated the reader as if everything that happened should be more or less familiar in concept, even when it was completely insane by Earth standards. In this book, however, the situation was even worse. There was direct insight into the Mind's communications, which made them seem like petulant children. I felt that I should never have been able to understand the communication between Minds, much less be privy to it. There was one truly awful line in the book that went something like: "lol there once was a planet that killed people with electric chairs BUT GET THIS they also banned 'cruel and unusual punishment' loloolololololol". This line almost made me put the book down right then and there.

I am almost sorry that I read this book at all. However, now that I've somewhat tarnished my knowledge of the Culture, I might as well continue reading. I guess I have no other choice but to see where this journey takes me.

I am only listening to Peter Kenny narrated audiobooks this month to celebrate my birthday :}

It's a special month for me as I celebrate my birthday. And what better way to mark this occasion than by indulging in the wonderful world of audiobooks narrated by Peter Kenny. His voice has a certain charm and authenticity that brings the stories to life in the most captivating way. Whether it's a thrilling adventure, a heartwarming romance, or a thought-provoking mystery, Peter Kenny's narration adds an extra layer of depth and emotion to the listening experience. I find myself completely immersed in the stories, forgetting about the outside world and just enjoying the moment. It's like having a personal storyteller right by my side, taking me on a journey through different times and places. This birthday month is going to be filled with countless hours of listening pleasure as I explore the vast collection of Peter Kenny narrated audiobooks.

Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks is quite a challenging book to get through. It follows another adventure of the absurdly named Special Circumstances agents, along with their often-times amusing and always fascinating drones and AI personalities. This time, we follow the adventures of Sma (whose full name is quite a mouthful), her drone Amtiskaw, and Cheradenine Zakalwe, a mercenary with a seemingly insatiable thirst for violence and a grim past.

The story is told using two different timelines. The forward timeline follows the events as Sma and Amtiskaw begin searching for a missing Zakalwe, who is needed for a final assignment of the utmost importance to the Culture's mysterious end goals. The other timeline explores Zakalwe from his penultimate assignment to his past. Through these two timelines, Mr. Banks manages to further depict how the Culture attempts to permeate its principles throughout the Universe and also to explore the conflicting character of Cheradine Zakalwe.

While, eventually, I found Zakalwe to be fascinating, it wasn't always the case. After a few chapters into the flashback timeline, I was confused and a bit enraged that Mr. Banks decided to continue focusing on Zakalwe when we have far more fascinating characters such as Sma, Amtiskaw, and the crazy spaceship Xenophobe. However, the twists at the end answer my numerous questions on Zakalwe as well as the meaning behind the title of the book quite stunningly. I just wish Mr. Banks had spent more time exploring the other characters and the Minds behind the Culture. Three books into the series, and we barely have a glance at the Minds. Overall, it's a bit of an uneven story and plot with a truly shocking ending. I give it 3.5 stars, rounded up.