Divergence cover art

Divergence

The Heritage Universe, Book 2

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Divergence

By: Charles Sheffield
Narrated by: Geoffrey Howard
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About this listen

 For millennia, humankind and the other intelligent races have studied the bizarre and unfathomable constructs of the legendary beings known as the Builders. But for all that study, they are still no closer to figuring out who - or what - the Builders have been, or where they have gone. Then, on the world called Quake, in the midst of the violent planetary upheaval that is Summertide, a small group of humans and aliens witness the culmination of all those years of watching and waiting: the planet Quake opens up, and something comes out - and it looks as if, at long last, the discovery of the Builders themselves is at hand.

All her life, Darya Lang has dreamed of finding the Builders, whose artifacts she has single-handedly cataloged for the rest of the universe. Troubleshooter and adventurer Hans Rebka has his own dreams of unraveling the mystery of those artifacts. To Louis Nenda and the Cecropian Atvar H'sial, the Builder artifacts represent a once-in-a-lifetime shot at untold wealth. And close behind them come the others: Councilor Julius Graves, who does not trust anyone else to make first contact unassisted; the slaves J'merlia and Kallik, who crave only a reunion with their masters; and the embodied computer E.C. Tally, charged with finding out just what the rest are up to.

The trail that begins at Quake leads to unexpected Builder artifacts full of traps for the unwary and answers for those who know how to ask the questions. But the biggest question of all will remain an enigma, while their search unleashes the greatest threat to civilization ever imagined...

©1991 by Charles Sheffield (P)2000 Blackstone Audiobooks Fantasy Fiction Science Fiction

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All stars
Most relevant  
whilst Book 1, Summertide, was engaging and had plenty going on, this felt far more static, dull and indeed humourless and gruesome in places. Not recommended.

I enjoyed Summertide Book 1 .. this not so much...

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The story picks up the pace very nicely, building effortlessly upon the premise developed in the first book Summertide. But this is a darker tale than its predecessor.

The narration is well suited and feels calmly authoritative throughout, and compliments the delivery of the science, although this features less prominently this time out.

The story repeats, and expands upon its successful formula, diligently crafting a close and atmospheric setting populated by a cast of diverse alien characters thrown together by circumstance and diverging self-interest. The pace is always carefully considered, slowly building the brooding intensity and then jolting the reader with single sentences. The alien protagonists are accurately described and easy to visualise, and the nature of the Builders and their motivations are further explored, although these are more complex than perhaps you were expecting. It all adds considerable depth and intrigue to a story that keeps you guessing,

The ending played well, though also presented an "oh my god" type moment, causing me to change the schedule of my book list to get to the next instalment ahead of time.

I liked it.

Dark and atmospheric

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