Ratings12
Average rating4
15
Ratings12
Average rating4
Brass Man is the third novel in Neal Asher's popular Agent Cormac series. On the primitive world Cull, a knight errant called Anderson hunts a dragon, not knowing that elsewhere is a resurrected brass killing machine, Mr Crane, assisting in a similar hunt. Learning that this old enemy still lives, agent Cormac pursues, while scientist Mika begins discovering the horrifying truth about an ancient alien technology. Each day is a survival struggle for the people of Cull. Ferocious insectile monsters roam their planet, as they try to escape to their forefathers’ starship still orbiting far above them. But an entity with questionable motives, calling itself Dragon, assists them with genetic by-blows created out of humans and the hideous local monsters. And now the supposedly geologically inactive planet itself is increasingly suffering earthquakes . . .
Series
15 primary books17 released booksPolity Universe (chronological order) is a 17-book series with 15 primary works first released in 2001 with contributions by Neal Asher.
Series
5 primary books6 released booksAgent Cormac is a 6-book series with 5 primary works first released in 2001 with contributions by Neal Asher.
Reviews with the most likes.
The third Agent Cormac novel is a good read, though not a great one. The plot carries on from the earlier two books with pursuit of both Dragon and Skellor, although it seems to be quite a lot later (the characters are essentially immortal, after all). There's a significant focus on Mr Crane, much of it told in flashback to explain his origins and how he came to be the way he is. (Given the title and the picture on the cover, I'm not considering it a spoiler to say that he is in the book, despite having died back in the first one).
On the whole it works well enough, and its peppered with Asher's trademark monstrous and deadly wildlife - in this case, what appear to be giant arthropods. It wraps up a lot of storylines, while still leaving a few open. One does wonder, though, whether the insights into Polity culture at the beginning of each chapter are meant to be satirical or not. Hard to tell, although one hopes its the former.
