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The Arc of the Universe #2
The Search
The Agantzane—masters of a vast interstellar alliance known as the Consensus. Who are they? Where do they come from?
Together with his re-animated son, Conor, Regan Quinn resumes his epic journey, outwitting enemies and forging alliances with enigmatic races before finally coming face to face with the elusive Agantzane. At stake—the future of Humanity!
Together with his re-animated son, Conor, Regan Quinn resumes his epic journey, outwitting enemies and forging alliances with enigmatic races before finally coming face to face with the elusive Agantzane. At stake—the future of Humanity!
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 20, 2014
1 person is currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
Mark Whiteway
29 books50 followersMark Whiteway (1959- ) lives in rural West Sussex, England, near the former home of H G Wells. The Lodestone series of novels is built around the concept of negative matter-an extension of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 6, 2016
Regan Quinn was back, but something else had changed in him. He was with his son Conor, who was actually reanimated after he died in the first book. Things got a lot more complicated after he saved his son from enemy camp, gained new but unlikely allies, became "Shade" and had caused trouble with the Agantzane also known as the Consensus, the manipulators of interplanetary fealty or alliance.
I loved the continuation of the Arc of the Universe. I thought this one's more action-packed and heart-stopping. Afraid of the further consequences that his death touch could inflict, Regan, together with his new friends Zothan and Vyasa must find the Agantzane to straighten everything out. The suspense in every page was killing me.
The last part also had me breathless, I thought I wouldn't be able to recover. An ending reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet?? Believe me, the suspense almost killed me.
“All the world’s a stage,” Ximun went on. “Isn’t that what your Shakespeare said in another of his plays? I’m sure you know the ending of Romeo and Juliet. It would seem that humans form close bonds—so close that one cannot live without the other. Your son is no more. I now leave you to enact the final scene. Farewell, Quinn. I do not think we will meet again.”
Mark Whiteway surely had a way surprising his readers, leaving them in awe of the beauty of the universe. The worldbuilding is outstanding and I found myself totally captivated by it.
I loved the continuation of the Arc of the Universe. I thought this one's more action-packed and heart-stopping. Afraid of the further consequences that his death touch could inflict, Regan, together with his new friends Zothan and Vyasa must find the Agantzane to straighten everything out. The suspense in every page was killing me.
The last part also had me breathless, I thought I wouldn't be able to recover. An ending reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet?? Believe me, the suspense almost killed me.
“All the world’s a stage,” Ximun went on. “Isn’t that what your Shakespeare said in another of his plays? I’m sure you know the ending of Romeo and Juliet. It would seem that humans form close bonds—so close that one cannot live without the other. Your son is no more. I now leave you to enact the final scene. Farewell, Quinn. I do not think we will meet again.”
Mark Whiteway surely had a way surprising his readers, leaving them in awe of the beauty of the universe. The worldbuilding is outstanding and I found myself totally captivated by it.
September 3, 2016
The second Arc of the Universe book reunites us with Regan Quinn and his son Conor who are a bit at ends with the Agantzane, who control the interplanetary allegiance known as the Consensus. Their desire for the truth and justice sees them travelling with intent, meeting all kinds of different life forms along the way and getting into interesting situations.
I've really come to enjoy the writing style of Mark Whiteway. From the first page, he has mastered the ability to quickly reintroduce the characters and get going with the story. All of them have a good level of development and it's easier to sympathise with them in the bad moments and cheer them on when things are going well.
Science Fiction is a difficult genre to write in because you've got to strike a good balance between description and action. Whiteway does a superb job at educating the reader enough to understand the different alien lifeforms and planets, but not too much so we are still able to just enjoy the journey which we get taken on. Some examples include the chattering contraptions rolling along the floor, the flash masks and beams crisscrossing the darkness.
It all makes for another excellent read.
I've really come to enjoy the writing style of Mark Whiteway. From the first page, he has mastered the ability to quickly reintroduce the characters and get going with the story. All of them have a good level of development and it's easier to sympathise with them in the bad moments and cheer them on when things are going well.
Science Fiction is a difficult genre to write in because you've got to strike a good balance between description and action. Whiteway does a superb job at educating the reader enough to understand the different alien lifeforms and planets, but not too much so we are still able to just enjoy the journey which we get taken on. Some examples include the chattering contraptions rolling along the floor, the flash masks and beams crisscrossing the darkness.
It all makes for another excellent read.
November 27, 2021
Strange, inventive... Twists and turns unforseen.
August 26, 2016
The second book of the Arc of the Universe series leaves the reader in a state of near-constant disorientation. Rest assured, dear reader, that this is not the product of poor writing, but of deliberate intent on the part of the author. Protagonist Quinn, lone human navigating the complex politics and alien cultures of the worlds-spanning Consensus, constantly has his assumptions challenged as he tries to understand what motivates members of many different species. Aware that he is part of plans he does not fully comprehend, his best hope -- and that of humanity itself -- lies in his ability to determine with whom his interests are best aligned as alliances and intrigue shift around him like the abilities of the mysterious Shade races that he inadvertently acquired.
With political machinations every bit as complex and robust as one might find in Game of Thrones, this book deserves a careful read to absorb the details, all of which are important. Author Whiteway does take care to describe how the many different aliens are (quite imaginatively) put together, but there are enough strange names and appearances that it can be difficult to keep track. Intended or not, this only adds to the reader's confusion and hence, ability to empathize with the sheer alien-ness into which Quinn has been thrust. After decades of encountering extraterrestrials in fiction, the idea can feel humdrum to the seasoned reader. By the end of book two, that same reader cannot but help being struck by how much of that jaded veneer is based on assumptions of human-like thinking. Revelations about the larger plot into which Quinn has been cast only serve to reinforce how nice it is that our enemies in real life, for all their flaws, are at least human in their flaws. For good or ill, these characters are anything but, and the result is a profound reflection on the nature of humanity itself.
Mind you, there's plenty of combat, space battles, warfare, assassination attempts, and other types of action to move the plot along; Whiteway manages to get deep while also going flashy. This is no plodding, self-important piece of claptrap! Rather, book two of The Arc of the Universe is a mosaic of secret plots and the very open consequences that result. It's the kind of book that, once finished, must be digested uninterrupted for best results. Take the time: this book is worth the investment.
With political machinations every bit as complex and robust as one might find in Game of Thrones, this book deserves a careful read to absorb the details, all of which are important. Author Whiteway does take care to describe how the many different aliens are (quite imaginatively) put together, but there are enough strange names and appearances that it can be difficult to keep track. Intended or not, this only adds to the reader's confusion and hence, ability to empathize with the sheer alien-ness into which Quinn has been thrust. After decades of encountering extraterrestrials in fiction, the idea can feel humdrum to the seasoned reader. By the end of book two, that same reader cannot but help being struck by how much of that jaded veneer is based on assumptions of human-like thinking. Revelations about the larger plot into which Quinn has been cast only serve to reinforce how nice it is that our enemies in real life, for all their flaws, are at least human in their flaws. For good or ill, these characters are anything but, and the result is a profound reflection on the nature of humanity itself.
Mind you, there's plenty of combat, space battles, warfare, assassination attempts, and other types of action to move the plot along; Whiteway manages to get deep while also going flashy. This is no plodding, self-important piece of claptrap! Rather, book two of The Arc of the Universe is a mosaic of secret plots and the very open consequences that result. It's the kind of book that, once finished, must be digested uninterrupted for best results. Take the time: this book is worth the investment.
August 31, 2016
Thrill Of Suspense In A Sci-Fi!!
“Conor had begged that they return home, and Quinn would have liked nothing better. However, he could not ignore the consequences for Humanity.”
My favorite sci-fi author is back with another jam-packed action adventure. Mark’s writing style is so amazing, being drawn in at page one is like one of the creatures within, it just doesn’t let go. He takes us to outstanding new worlds as his novels are laced with technology that is beyond comprehension yet somehow believable. In book two of this exciting series, Quinn, the human along with Conor a reanimated copy of his son who was killed, but despite being a copy is his son nonetheless, Vyasa the Harani female and Zothan the Nemazi are set to rip the mask off the Agantzane. The Agantzane is a powerful race that controls the interplanetary alliance Consensus who claims to stand for justice but in reality are unseen forces of murder and war. Whiteway takes his readers much deeper than a simple sci-fi. This outstanding novel has meaning, depth and richness like no other. Lovers of sci-fi won’t want this story to end. However, with the thrill of suspense even those seeking a great read will be amazed. Step into Whiteway’s world and book two of “The Arc of the Universe” you won’t be disappointed!
“What’s life without a little risk?”
“Conor had begged that they return home, and Quinn would have liked nothing better. However, he could not ignore the consequences for Humanity.”
My favorite sci-fi author is back with another jam-packed action adventure. Mark’s writing style is so amazing, being drawn in at page one is like one of the creatures within, it just doesn’t let go. He takes us to outstanding new worlds as his novels are laced with technology that is beyond comprehension yet somehow believable. In book two of this exciting series, Quinn, the human along with Conor a reanimated copy of his son who was killed, but despite being a copy is his son nonetheless, Vyasa the Harani female and Zothan the Nemazi are set to rip the mask off the Agantzane. The Agantzane is a powerful race that controls the interplanetary alliance Consensus who claims to stand for justice but in reality are unseen forces of murder and war. Whiteway takes his readers much deeper than a simple sci-fi. This outstanding novel has meaning, depth and richness like no other. Lovers of sci-fi won’t want this story to end. However, with the thrill of suspense even those seeking a great read will be amazed. Step into Whiteway’s world and book two of “The Arc of the Universe” you won’t be disappointed!
“What’s life without a little risk?”
September 19, 2016
“…when he looked into Conor’s eyes, science, reason, even the implacable logic of the universe itself burned away.”
His writing crosses the boundaries of sci-fi into a realm all to real and depictive of humanities long standing conflict between what is justice and what is warfare. A truly gifted writer, Mark Whiteway was able to conceptualize the most complex nature of emotion and politics. I do not find myself in the today’s Sci-Fi literature quite often, but when I do find that I am missing components of literature that I enjoy most: moral depth and character dimension. This is until I found The Arc of the Universe series. I find myself going back to chapters and rereading, just so that I can fully digest the complexity of Quinn’s adventures.
Be not afraid of book of the Arc of the Universe: Book one left you heart broken. There’s an even more exciting and fantastical path that lies ahead. And, believe you me; you will not be able to put this one down.
His writing crosses the boundaries of sci-fi into a realm all to real and depictive of humanities long standing conflict between what is justice and what is warfare. A truly gifted writer, Mark Whiteway was able to conceptualize the most complex nature of emotion and politics. I do not find myself in the today’s Sci-Fi literature quite often, but when I do find that I am missing components of literature that I enjoy most: moral depth and character dimension. This is until I found The Arc of the Universe series. I find myself going back to chapters and rereading, just so that I can fully digest the complexity of Quinn’s adventures.
Be not afraid of book of the Arc of the Universe: Book one left you heart broken. There’s an even more exciting and fantastical path that lies ahead. And, believe you me; you will not be able to put this one down.
September 8, 2016
Finding a great book isn’t that easy. I love Mark Whiteway books as he is one of my favorite authors.
The moment I heard that the Arch of the Universe book 2 was out, I had to request for a copy.
Reading book 1 made me long for the continuation as the story really thrilled me. The intriguing and fascinating scientific story of Regan Quinn and his son Conor is further divulged in this second piece.
Quinn and his allies’ quest to demand for justice and seek help from the Agantzane is demonstrated in a more real manner and the way Mark fixes the puzzles is just AMAZING!
The inclusion of Zothan and Vyasa in this second piece is something to be happy about. I’d keep reading…and reading this book over and over again!
”Gripping the blade in both hands, he pointed the blade at his chest, closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and prepared for the final thrust.”
The moment I heard that the Arch of the Universe book 2 was out, I had to request for a copy.
Reading book 1 made me long for the continuation as the story really thrilled me. The intriguing and fascinating scientific story of Regan Quinn and his son Conor is further divulged in this second piece.
Quinn and his allies’ quest to demand for justice and seek help from the Agantzane is demonstrated in a more real manner and the way Mark fixes the puzzles is just AMAZING!
The inclusion of Zothan and Vyasa in this second piece is something to be happy about. I’d keep reading…and reading this book over and over again!
”Gripping the blade in both hands, he pointed the blade at his chest, closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and prepared for the final thrust.”
September 14, 2016
I have been reading books by Mark Whiteway for a long time, among them the books in the Arc of the Universe Series, including this one. In this book the story of Quinn and his artificially regenerated copy of his son Conor continue. As with all of the authors books, I absolutely found myself enthralled by this work. It was very human and painted a world in which I could understand and relate even though it dealt with science fiction as a topic. The aliens were not so alien that I was completely lost and bored, and it takes a talented author in order to write science fiction this way. I really recommend Mark Whiteway's books for anyone looking to get into a new science fiction series with compelling and complex characters that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you read.
August 25, 2016
Edge of your seat sci-fi
I didn't read the first book of the Arc of the Universe, but I was able to read this one without having to read that one first. The best sequels are those that can stand alone, as well in conjunction with its predecessor. Whiteway is an excellent writer and the story and dialogue, as well as characters have a great interaction with each other. The story unfolds as they travel through the universe and not only interact with each other but enter the impossible as the moon disappears. Very intriguing. I'm a sci-fi nerd and I really enjoyed reading this book.
I didn't read the first book of the Arc of the Universe, but I was able to read this one without having to read that one first. The best sequels are those that can stand alone, as well in conjunction with its predecessor. Whiteway is an excellent writer and the story and dialogue, as well as characters have a great interaction with each other. The story unfolds as they travel through the universe and not only interact with each other but enter the impossible as the moon disappears. Very intriguing. I'm a sci-fi nerd and I really enjoyed reading this book.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews