Project Hanuman is an ambitious standalone space opera written by Stewart Hotston, published by Angry Robot Books. A novel that plays with the difference of scales between empires and individuals, showing the last day of a vast empire and how the weight of its chance to rebirth falls on the shoulders of three individuals; all to weave an adventure that will not only take us to explore a peculiar universe, but to also explore many notions and ideas about the nature of existence.

The Arcology is the biggest, most advanced empire, covering light years of space and with trillions of inhabitants, taking advantage of being the only group that can manipulate matter itself, information; a galactic utopia where most people live online. Prab is one of those few, printed herself into a physical world, acting as an Interlocutor between the Arcology and those outside.
One evening after a call with her family, she notices all the endless communications and power stopping; her world, Siraja's Reach is silent for the first time. An alert requires her to do her job, finding an Arcology ship and its pilot, Kercher, a prisoner of the Arcology forced to be in a body ready for battle; the Arcology is under attack from a force that seems to have access to the same tools that made them so powerful, and these three are the only way to save what's left of the Arcology.

In comparison with other space operas, I kinda found the characterization to be rather plain; at the end, Prab and Kercher are just playing their role in the novel, representing ideas and ways to interact with reality. They are excellent conduits for driving discussions about notions such as existence, ending and the own nature of those concepts, all while they are trying to find a new place the Arcology can exist, a mission neither of them asked for.
Hanuman's arc is quite a bit more interesting, not only because of the imagery associated but also showing the struggle of the individual to not be homogenized by the pressure of the empire (in this case, the data from the Arcology).

Hotston's worldbuilding is rich and imaginative, using the adventure of our characters to explore really different cultures and ways of living, all while weaving a journey of galactical proportions, full of battles and impressive moments. Even so, it is impossible to forget that this is a book about ideas, discussing notions taken from Indian mythology blended together with classic sci-fi.
The pacing is excellent, fast but not too much, allowing slower moments to take over when the tension is at its highest points, making this a compulsively readable book, as you are invested in the destiny of the characters and the Arcology.

Project Hanuman is a bold and imaginative space opera novel, a perfect read if you are looking for big ideas that envelop a thrilling adventure. I'm sure this won't be the last Stewart Hotston novel I read!