The Causal Angel by Hannu Rajaniemi

With The Quantum Thief, Hannu Rajaniemi set a new standard for science fiction that dared to imagine a post-human future. With its sequel, The Fractal Prince, he successfully built on his narrative foundations to add a greater depth to his characters – not least the gentleman thief Jean le Flambeur – and an added strength to his ideas. So it’s something of a relief to report that the trilogy’s conclusion, The Causal Angel, doesn’t disappoint. 

Following closely on after the cataclysmic events that brought the second book to a close, Rajaniemi expertly shapes a novel that, while requiring concentration and a good memory, continually rewards with its ideas, imagery and heart-felt tale of one man’s determination to do the right thing in order to remain true to who he once was. 

Certainly The Causal Angel can feel a daunting read – jumping into this novel is certainly not recommended without having read the first two – in part thanks to Rajaniemi’s continued strict adherence to ‘show, don't tell.’ Yet the succinctness of his prose and the thrillingly bizarre breadth of his ideas remain true delights and, perhaps best of all, he gives us something that is a genuinely satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. [Paul Cockburn]