By Orson Scott Card

A seed of hope, caught in a web of lies.

On Lusitania, three species struggle to coexist; the native pequininos, the ancient buggers, and the human colonists. Between them stands the ever adapting Descolada virus. The pequininos need it to survive, but the humans and buggers must work tirelessly to keep it under control. Driven by fear, Congress has launched a Fleet to contain the virus at any cost. Now that fleet is drawing near, the virus shows signs of breaking free, and Jane, their only advantage, may soon be unmasked.

Characters remain a cornerstone of the series. Han Fei-tzu and Qing humanize the faceless Congress; representing their diverse perspectives even as they undermine those views with harsh criticism. Fortunately they are not alone. Relationship driven conflicts invest every scene with tension, building towards an inevitable tragedy, and the revelation of each character’s role in bringing it about.

Summaries emphasize the characters’ inner struggles, punctuated with intense debate, as each character is called to advocate their position. Issues range from faith and obedience, to morality vs survival, and even the nature of free will and the soul. Scenes are richly personal, but leave the story fragmented. Scenes overshadowing the main plot, reducing it to little more than an afterthought, resolved out of necessity, instead of culminating in a strong catharsis.

+Strong Characters
+Strong Ideas
*Strong scenes, weak plot
*Strong tension, slow pacing
-Anticlimactic resolution

3/5

Next Time…
Children of the Mind
2017/03/30

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