Notes of Interest:
I got this book because it was an Amazon First Read offering with Prime. I used to be an avid science fiction fan and originally wanted to write science fiction. But I got discouraged when I realized not everyone is cut out to be an Isaac Asimov, and turned my attention toward my other literary love: fantasy. I’ve been in a life-long romance with it ever since. But on occasion, I miss sci-fi stories and will reach for one. So, I went into this with no expectations or skepticism … pretty neutral ground for escapism literature.
What could have made it better for me:
There were a number of technical errors that drew me out of the story, especially in the beginning. These were mostly grammar-related missing commas, to be exact. But either those faded or the story absorbed me more toward the middle and end. It wasn’t a big distraction the further I went in.
The other thing that kind of lowered my enthusiasm at one point may be debatable in terms of whether it could be done better or not. There is a period of darkness in that transition between Edmon being a peace maker and a killer that stretches on for several chapters. And I noticed that my mood was sinking with his mood. The good thing about this is it means those sections of the story were effective in conveying his spiral down. But the fact that I almost made me lose interest in the story isn’t good. Perhaps it could have been shorter? Or perhaps I just wasn’t enjoying reading such a depressing passage. Either way, I definitely wanted him to get out of the dungeon and be a nice guy again — SOON! But it’s understandable why he became hard and cold the way he did after enduring those kinds of experiences for so long.
What I liked about it:
Looking through my notes on this book, I’ve realized that most of my favourite points were quotes. This is unusual for me because, while I love a good pearl of wisdom, when I read fiction I’m usually more about the adventure … and so is the book. Adventures don’t often drop a lot of pearls of wisdom that make you think deeply while you’re along for the wild ride. But this one had more than average. Here are some examples.
“Humanity’s savageness is what makes it civilized,” he answers. Do all people from Meridian think this way? I wonder, “Technology, trade, computers, space travel,” he goes on. “All are products of competition and conflict.”
“Meditate to master the self,” he says. “You can master nothing until that’s mastered. So that’s the only end worth anything.”
“Without apology or tenderness, he tells me that knowing my limits is more important than pushing them.”
“Wars are petty things. They rob men of dignity, turn them into meat and guts.”
And “Religious fervor often brings out the violence in the human soul.”
There are more, but I appreciate when fictional stories meant for escapism can also give me something deep to roil around in my head on many levels. So, I considered this a big plus for the book’s depth. There is also the fact that the plot itself tackles some pretty tough topics within the human experience, like racism and supremacy, “might is right” philosophies, and what becomes of a civilization that is built on the backs of exploitation of others. Dividing the planet into a day side and night side reminded me a little of H.G. Wells’s Time Machine, in which humanity had divided (devolved over the ages) into two distinctly separate kinds of society — the childlike prey vs. the monstrous predators — since they were incapable of co-existing without the strong taking advantage of the weak. The difference in this book is that it’s not too late and sets the stage for a revolution, which I’m almost certain is coming in a later book.
Another thing I liked about it was the base concept presented so far with the world building in terms of putting humanity into space on other planets. Not much is said about this, but I have a feeling more exploration of the concepts will take place in the other books in the series. It’s off to a good start, at least.
The cast of characters is diverse, which is a plus. And I love the mingling of the various “past” earth cultures into something new. I tend to love stories that explore that kind of thing, guessing at how culture might continue to evolve and blend in the future or in alternate time lines, compared to our past and present. I have trouble deciding whether this is a character-driven story or a plot-driven story because it is told in first person present through Edmon’s eyes and is a dynamic character, but the plot is heavier in terms of who is doing the pushing. This book almost feels like a prequel with something bigger coming.
Finally, I love the way the author pulled the themes together regarding music. Music as a warrior theme doesn’t usually happen. At. All. … So to have a main character who is a music lover and charismatic artist rejecting martial arts, only to be drawn into the area time and time again against his choice to the point where his “freedom song” ends up being a tragedy (which I will say nothing more about because … spoilers), is unique. And then to package such a story with each chapter falling back to the theme of musical terminology that is appropriate to the movement of the plot … I’ve just never seen anything done like that before and thought it was very well executed, binding the whole work together as one whole “concert” of sorts.
Recommendation:
I really enjoyed this book overall. I have not read the rest of the series yet, but would definitely be open to it. It was a nice escape from my fantasy back into sci-fi. And for it to touch on social issues the way it did, is (in my opinion) the best kind of sci-fi, reminiscent of works like Star Trek, which put real social issues under a distant lens to help us step back and take another look from a more objective point of view. If you like speculative fiction with a layer of depth on social issues, or if you enjoy epic science fiction, you might enjoy this book, too.
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Top reviews from other countries
Richard G. Monson
Good story but not great.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 29, 2017
Dastardly of Suffolk
Very slow and ponderous beginning
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2017
Yasmin Bull
Wow, this read really sucked me in
Reviewed in Australia on August 8, 2017