Okay, this is slightly better. Or maybe I'm just getting a little more patient in my old age.\n\nWhen we last left our hero, the mythically named Phaethon, he had learned that some of his memories had been erased—a choice he’d agreed to—and that if he ever recovered them, he’d be ostracized, broke, and lonely. While most people in the real world would choose to stay rich and popular, that doesn't make for much of a story. So, quicker than he can say 'My name is a metaphor,' it’s revealed he buil...

In the second installment of The Golden Age series, we pick up with protagonist Phaethon struggling to survive following his exile from society. The big, sweeping ideas are a bit fewer and farther between here. This isn’t entirely unexpected, as the world-building, backstory, characters, and much of the plot were already firmly established in the first book. The trade-off is that the storytelling in The Phoenix Exultant by John C. Wright feels a bit richer, and we are introduced to a wider array...

I picked this book back up just to finish it, though I’m not sure if it was out of pride, dignity, or just plain stupidity. At least now I can say, with full confidence, that this is the absolute worst garbage I have ever read—and I’ve read my fair share. Maybe Mr. John C. Wright lost his mind, or perhaps he just felt like laughing in his readers' faces; whatever his intention, this anti-literary mess—so poorly conceived, structured, and executed—is a parody, a farce, a mockery. Everything good ...

I absolutely loved the first installment of this trilogy, The Golden Age. It was fantastic sci-fi—imaginative, serious, and incredibly consistent. Unfortunately, The Phoenix Exultant by John C. Wright was a major disappointment. The way the female lead turned the protagonist into an almost idiotic puppet nearly ruined the entire book for me. It really feels like John C. Wright struggles with writing compelling female characters. What a massive letdown after such high expectations! If you are loo...

This is the second novel in John C. Wright’s trilogy set in the far-flung future. The first 150 pages aren't too bad, but then the author falls back into those excruciatingly detailed, mind-numbing, and pointless descriptions that make reading The Phoenix Exultant such a chore. He also tries to weave a romantic subplot into the story, but it comes across as nothing more than sappy. I’ve already bought the third book in the series, but I’m honestly hesitant to even crack it open. Much like the fi...

5 Stars Wow, even though the first two novels in the Golden Age Series by John C. Wright are incredibly different, they are both equally amazing for distinct reasons. The first book, The Golden Age, is a challenging piece of hard science fiction that unfolds like a mystery, slowly revealing the mind-bending inventions of a far-future society. The Phoenix Exultant, the second book in the series, shifts gears into an intimate quest as our hero, Phaethon, fights to reclaim his precious spaceship w...

2.5 - 3 stars. Wow, I was really disappointed with this one, especially considering how much I had enjoyed its predecessor. In many ways, The Phoenix Exultant by John C. Wright just didn’t feel like a true continuation of the first book in the series. One of the major stumbling blocks for me was that I just couldn't believe the way Wright handled the character voices in this volume. Considering the mannered, baroque setup of the first book, I found the dialogue here to be way too colloquial—and ...

Exiled from everything he knows, Phaethon travels to Ceylon and joins a band of outcasts. His goal: reclaim his ship, The Phoenix Exultant, and track down those responsible for his downfall. That is, of course, assuming the Silent Ones don't find him first. The Phoenix Exultant picks up exactly where The Golden Age left off and immediately kicks things into high gear. Not only is it a tighter, shorter read than its predecessor, it is also much easier to follow since John C. Wright already establ...

4.5 to 5.0 stars. This book continues the story that began in The Golden Age and will conclude in The Golden Transcendence, proving to be one of the most unique and well-crafted science fiction trilogies to hit the shelves in a long time. The back-cover description—and many professional reviews—compares this series to the works of Roger Zelazny, A. E. Van Vogt, and Cordwainer Smith. While I don't disagree with those comparisons, especially regarding Zelazny and Smith, I would have to add Jack Va...

Every time I pick up The Phoenix Exultant, I find myself asking: why am I not reading this faster? I should be devouring it, as this is the most intricate world I’ve ever encountered in a book. My habit of putting it down for days at a time is truly taking away from the experience. I’m having a hard time keeping track of some of the Sophotechs, Invariants, and other characters of the Oecumene, or even remembering their specific stances. I’ve never had this problem with a book in my life, which s...