And so it ends.

A direct sequel to Lost Souls, we finish up with Victor (etc) and his nanomachine replacements out in Montana.

It’s kind of cool seeing the rugged, individual, hyper-“American” characters fight back. It’s a bit much at times, but I enjoyed it.

For a conclusion to even two books, let alone five… it’s fine? It does tie up most of the threats. But on the other hand, it’s all build up and … just ends. I’m not a fan of that. And barely any of the monsters/big bads from the first three books come back… Just Erika and Jocko. Of all the things to keep… why Jocko?

Anyways.

Worth finishing once I’d come that far, but it really is the sort of series you could probably finish at the first book and not miss mutch.

Onward!

All of my notes while reading. Potential spoilers:

Suddenly, it seemed to him that the flakes of falling snow did not take light from the streetlamp but, instead, were illuminated from within their crystalline structures, as if they were shavings of the lost moon, each filled with its measure of the lunar glow. The longer that Deucalion lived, the more magical he found this precious world.

If that is not poetic hyperbole, it’s mildly disconcerting.

Not only for the people of Rainbow Falls (who were evidently being slaughtered), and not only for the future of humanity (which might hang in the balance), but also for Chakrabarty Syndication (which had not yet been incorporated but which would one day dominate the AM landscape), Sammy staggered toward the Sequoia. He intended to drag Mason Morrell out of the SUV or be clubbed senseless in the attempt.

(Parentheticals!)

This does not mean that the Builder has been killed. They cannot be killed. They are invulnerable to disease and injury. Neither does it mean that this Builder is malfunctioning. Victor does not believe the Builders are capable of malfunctioning, for their design is perfect and their construction program without flaw.

This absolute certainty is wearing thin…

This is expected. Resistance is futile. Even now, Builders by the score are emerging from their cocoons, and the next, more violent, phase of the conflict is beginning. Soon they will emerge by the hundreds. They are indestructible, unstoppable, and their rapidly increasing numbers will soon ensure victory in Rainbow Falls, after which they will spread out anonymously through the country and then the world, a plague of death growing geometrically in virulence day by day.

The plan is weird. Set up outside of town, render plant and animal life. Build up hundreds of Builders first.

“He’s like a Broadway producer,” Michael said. “He found some backers.” “Backers with deep pockets,” Carson said. “So deep they might as well be bottomless.” Deucalion said, “Even if these new creations can be defeated, and even if he can be killed, perhaps we ought to be worried about the reaction of his backers when they get no return for their investment.”

Is this going to come up again? We’re 2/3 through the 5th book.

He was bigger than Buster Steelhammer, the wrestler, and his hands were so large he might have been able to do disappearing tricks with apples the way magicians did with coins.

Fun callback.

On a nearby gurney, the naked body of a replicant struggled to rise as Victor burned, but shuddered and fell back, dead. Until now, Deucalion had not realized that this particular Communitarian was a duplicate of the President of the United States.

That’s President Moneyman to you. Also, 🤷 Also, that’s it? They just all shut down again?