# Judas Unchained

![Book cover of Judas Unchained](/books/covers/judas_unchained.jpg)

by [Peter F. Hamilton](/books/authors/peter_f_hamilton/)
Book 2 of [Commonwealth Saga](/books/series/commonwealth_saga/)
Awards: [2023 Favorites](/blog/favorite-books-of-2023/)
★★★★☆

## Review

The sequel to [_Pandora's Star_](/books/pandoras_star/), _Judas Unchained_ continues right where the last one left off, but with the
action ramped up to 11. The various storylines and loose threads come together
one by one until it's the good guys racing against the bad guys for the fate
of the universe.

But the story isn't perfect. One part that falls flat is the fact that
multiple characters begin worrying about humanity's plan to genocide the Prime
aliens, the same aliens who have launched two genocidal campaigns against
humanity (and one successful genocide against another species). It doesn't
feel realistic to be concerned about the moral high ground as millions or
billions die.

With a little knowledge of [Chekhov's Gun][gun], I could see how the ending
had to unfold with a few hundred pages to go, but I still found it thrilling.
The strong conclusion makes up for the other failings, making this book an
equally entertaining part of [_Commonwealth Saga_](/books/series/commonwealth_saga/).

[gun]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chekhov's_Gun

## Reviews that mention _Judas Unchained_
- [_All These Worlds_](/books/all_these_worlds/)†
- [_A Desolation Called Peace_](/books/a_desolation_called_peace/)
- [_The Dreaming Void_](/books/the_dreaming_void/)
- [_Endymion_](/books/endymion/)
- [_The Evolutionary Void_](/books/the_evolutionary_void/)
- [_For We Are Many_](/books/for_we_are_many/)†
- [_Hyperion_](/books/hyperion/)
- [_Lords of Uncreation_](/books/lords_of_uncreation/)
- [_Not Till We Are Lost_](/books/not_till_we_are_lost/)
- [_On Basilisk Station_](/books/on_basilisk_station/)†
- [_Pandora's Star_](/books/pandoras_star/)
- [_Starquake_](/books/starquake/)†

† _Mentioned via a link to the series._

## Related Books
- [_Pandora's Star_](/books/pandoras_star/) by [Peter F. Hamilton](/books/authors/peter_f_hamilton/) --- ★★★★☆: I couldn’t put Pandora’s Star down! It is a sci-fi book that reads more like a thriller. There were always new mysteries that just a few more pages promised the answers to.
- [_Night Without Stars_](/books/night_without_stars/) by [Peter F. Hamilton](/books/authors/peter_f_hamilton/) --- ★★★☆☆: Night Without Stars is the second book in The Chronicle of the Fallers. It is action packed, with great pacing, and complex characters. It is my new favorite Peter F. Hamilton book.
- [_The Abyss Beyond Dreams_](/books/the_abyss_beyond_dreams/) by [Peter F. Hamilton](/books/authors/peter_f_hamilton/) --- ★★★☆☆: The Abyss Beyond Dreams starts off The Chronicle of the Fallers, another series in Peter F. Hamilton’s Commonwealth universe. Though billed as space opera, it often reads more as urban fantasy since most of the story occurs on the planet Bienvenido inside the Void where steam engines are their most advanced technology.