Brilliant science-fiction!! Totally absorbing! - Rated 
I've read most of Alastair Reynolds's SF novels and enjoyed them all, but "House of Suns" is exceptional, even by his high standards. It is VERY close to being the perfect book: truly a story that you can immerse yourself in. Its power makes you feel as if you are in that world, living the experiences of the characters and feeling their emotions. It is an immense experience!
Reynolds's science is not only tremendously creative, it becomes wholly believable through his skilful writing, so that this extraordinary tale, told over a span of tens of thousands of years, following characters that have been alive for millions of years, becomes as natural as popping down the road for some fish `n' chips!
The stunning science would be no good without a good yarn to tell, and Reynolds excels himself on "House of Suns". Keeping the story in a pacey "first-person" format, he alternates the viewpoint between the two main characters, as well as filling in some introductory background from the perspective of a third person during the preamble to each f the book's parts. Of course, the beautiful twist is that these three people are - it could be said - one and the same, as they are "shatterlings" - cloned versions of the original (but the original also continues as a clone of itself).
The amorous involvement - a taboo, given their cloned origin - between the two central characters adds extra spice to the unfolding tale.
I'm not going to reveal details of the plot - I always view that as a "spoiler" - suffice to say that this is the best SF book I have read for about 30 years! It also scored a first - the emotional intensity of the finale was such that I was close to shedding a tear or two!
It is not quite "perfect": in terms of its own self-consistency, the scene-setting that leads up to the finale doesn't quite ring true, there's a bit of conveniency there. However, Reynolds does such a good job overall that it is easy to forgive this small aspect - a stunning and extremely enjoyable book!!
Excellent, with minor reservations - Rated 
I have just finished reading House of Suns, which is the first - and certainly not the last - of this author's books that I have read. It is quite a long book (consistent with the span of its vision, perhaps) and does indeed start quite slowly - I think it was around page 150 when I started to see a plot emerging! Nevertheless, the pace gradually accelerates, and a truly fascinating work emerges by the end.
I've read a fair amount of sci-fi and there are certainly echoes and ideas that are similar to some other writers. Banks has been mentioned, although Reynolds is less quirky (without wishing to denigrate either side of the quirkiness gap). I certainly see similarities to Arthur C. Clark and Charles Sheffield (one of my favourite sci-fi authors).
I loved the breadth of imagination and the galaxyy- and universe-wide scope of the book. The hints of space war, while focusing on the personal events, together with the reader's gradually unfolding understanding of the environment and story gel together very well, and the ending is generally superb.
I do still have a couple of issues with the book - not serious ones, but where I feel the whole book could have been improved. Firstly, the three-way first person narrative is quite confusing. This is ok once you unravel it, but there is not enough difference in the perspectives and writing style of Campion and Purslane to make this a feature rather than an annoyance. It does grant the author a two-camera way of telling the story, but third person narrative allows multiple cameras and is less confusing.
Secondly, the background narrative of Abigail's story was interesting, but I felt that it needed to be woven into the main story more at the end. Without wishing to write a spoiler, there is a revelation late in the book about the composition of the Gentian shatterlings (which contrasts with that of the Marcellins) which I really wanted to see resolved, but wasn't. OK, this is Reynolds' story and his choice how to tell it, but it felt like a major lacuna.
In the end, though, a thoroughly fascinating and enjoyable book, and I look forward to reading more of his works.
Should have been brilliant - Rated 
This really should have been an amazing book, this is the first I have read from Reynolds and probably won't be my last simply due to his terrific ideas. His imagination is astounding, probably the most creative per page count book I have read so far. There are some issues however, his preference for absolute realism (no faster than light) had it's advantages but it also comes with some drawbacks, the main being that so much time passes, civilisations rise and fall in the space of a few sentences, there is no real emotional attachment to what happens in the time frame of events we watch unfold. So the Line (civilisation) could be wiped out, what does it matter... not a fat lot in the great scheme of things, unfortunately this is what the no faster than light travel made me feel. Of course some well fleshed out characters could counter balance this, no such joy here either, the main 2 characters are really quite dull despite being in love, some more emotional attachment, friction between the two wouldn't have gone amiss. I understand that they are clones of the same person but I thought there would be multiple facets of this personality manifesting in the clones. Many of the supporting characters were much more interesting.
The game Palatial was brilliant, I just wish it had more bearing on events later. There is an interesting character early on who dies far too soon... massive info dumps at the end of the book left me more confused than anything. Synchromesh, stasis, time dilation etc was really well written and used.
Overall a very up and down book, brilliant ideas let down by poor characterisation and lack of emotional attachment. I'm not sure how to resolve the issue of no faster than light though.
His Best Yet - Rated
As suberbly inventive as ever but keeps the story moving better than Reynold's early works.
My favourite Alastair Reynolds book. - Rated
Alastair Reynolds has, for me personally, created the most enjoyably far flung hedonistic technological future universe series of stories that I have read. The ever-present contrast between incredible/lethal technology and human spirit/emotions, coupled with the very palpable tension between humanoid races and sinister agents (of familiar humanoid corruptability) makes the "Revelation Space" story threads a fascinating read for any sci-fi fan. Reynolds has created a succession of extremely good books - punctuated here and there by a couple which are frankly too long, complex, and (gasp) boring.
But I have to say - amongst the gems of Reynolds crop of interwoven settings, characters and situations, House Of Suns is the story that shines brightest. It is, in it's own guise, a simple love story, surrounded by carnage and adventure and a pretty strong message about prejudice and the ability to see others for who they are, and not what they are (The Machine races). Deep? Not really - a good adventure but the morals are there for sure.
(Some spoiler) The plot builds at a satisfying pace and pretty the internal strife amongst those in House Gentian just gives an edgy chaos to the already shaky situation that the survivors find themselves in. I loved the sectioning - rather hilarious to find all of the thin sheets of human still able to communicate openly - and the slightly unsettling appearance and actions of Hesperus to begin with add a sense of distrust and suspicion. Ultimately the true nature of the old Machine races comes to the fore and our unlikely golden hero saves the day - and our lead characters.
I literally had misty eyes at the end of this book - and whilst it maybe doesn't have *quite* the same interplanetary warfare and destruction that some other books have - the action is very well used in terms of being absolutely centred on individuals and thus the tension is top notch in bits (Purslane and Hesperus hiding in Silver Wings' ship bay from Cadence and Cascade).
1000 years sleeps and wormholes later - the ending of the story - I don't know - some ardent sci fi fans may have though it to be a little contrived, maybe a little sentimental. But I absoutely loved it - perhaps just because it was a little unexpected (not Campion and Purslane's imminent reunion - but Hesperus' sacrifice - and the emotional response that took from me!).
All in all - a tremendous sci fi adventure - and my favourite Alastair Reynolds book to date.
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