Pretty good

In a lot of ways, this is a far superior book to The Memory of Earth. The big baddie, Moozh, is a wonderful character, and really kind of the hero of the entire book. He's deliciously complex, brilliant, ruthless, but so human that you can't help but understand and even root for him a little.

Especially considering how rotten to the core Basilica is. The sequence with the two sisters and their errant husbands in the beginning was just awful. But brilliant of Card to be able to distill the rot at the heart of Denmark, so to speak, in a single, brutal interaction between sisters.

Nafai, unfortunately, is largely sidelined here and comes off as a bit more sanctimonious, partly because we see him from the perspective of other characters more often than in book 1. But the conversation between him and Moozh is one of the best and most compelling character conversations I've read in a long time.

Still, as much as I enjoyed this, I still can't help having this nagging feeling in the back of my mind. The idea of a supercomputer as God is highly problematic, especially as it becomes clear that it feels no qualms about manipulating humans and basically treating them like livestock (um... Matrix, anyone?) And the fact that most of the "faithful" people continue to treat the Oversoul as God even when they realize it's a human-made computer... it's very icky.

I can't help thinking that behind this really well-crafted far future parable, there's a writer who is profoundly aware of the manipulative nature of his own Mormon church. There's a sense that he's simultaneously honoring his church but also calling into question its entire mythology.

Or maybe I'm just reading into it. In any case, it's compelling.

Interesting and fun. This book uses the plot of just a chapter or so of the Book of Mormon and wisely turns it into a whole book. YES, this is fiction, but it is an interesting consideration on what might have needed to take place to put wives in the desert for the men who needed them. I especially enjoyed the interactions between the young Nyefy and the Oversoul; they teach so much that should be considered by us all. I don't enjoy the sewage that Card seems to think needs to be tossed into each of his books, but I understand the character development that we get out of it.

I'm still holding my breath for the cool action that was promised in The Memory of Earth to begin. Or the characters to undergo something profound.
It's not happened yet. Oh well, maybe in the next book.

I enjoyed the second installment of this series, though not as much as the first. I really see this book as highlighting the difficulties associated with change. The whole world within the book is changing. More specifically the unique social culture that defines Basilica is brought to question. Also the oversoul is the best god-like omnipotent character I have ever read about. The relationships between the oversoul and characters really highlight the role of guidance and individual choice that come into play during hard times. I will continue this series. I also listened to this book on tape.

I'm still very torn about this series. I like Card's writing style: we get a good perspective into the thoughts and motivations of many different characters. And the characters really are different - different in concerns, thought patterns, reflection and much more. But sometimes this is taken a bit too far - a little too much telling rather than showing of emotions feels a bit on the nose. It also reads like Card is trying to imitate C.S. Lewis's religious-allegory style, but replacing the mythological backing with a technological one. It doesn't work as well.

I do want to continue the story and look forward to reading the next book in the series, but I'm going to take a break to read a few different books first. Perhaps that is the best indication of my feelings for this title.

I read this book because a person I mentor was reading it and I felt I needed to keep up with them and discuss it. I definitely WILL NOT be reading any more. I am thoroughly disgusted with this author using a story from scripture with such vulgarity.

I discussed with my mentee why I will not be reading any more of this series. It was a good discussion about choosing good classics vs. something others are raving about that may not fit with our personal goals.

NOTE TO PARENTS: This book contains material I find inappropriate for youth and adults. It is crude and unnecessary.

I mostly feel the same way about this book as I did the first in the series, so I'm not going to write a complete review. It's a good enough story, but only if you don't focus on the weird religious implications like the fact that many people actually DO think an invisible, all-knowing being sends messages to them. The story would fit right in with the Old Testament....just with computers and satellites and hover-chairs added. Oh, and there is an ick factor involving child marriage.

3.5 stars
That didn't end up going at all where I thought it was going. It was a good read, but not great.

General Moozh was my favourite character for being so different from all the others, but perhaps he wasn't so different after all. There was a definite ending to some of the storylines, but I can see how others will continue in the next book, and I'm not sure I'll find it as enjoyable, but we shall see! Honestly these 300 pages could have been 100 - in the sense of it reading very quickly, and there being a lot of extra information that didn't seem useful at all, though may come up in later books.

Hopefully it won't take me as long to get around to book 3 as it did for between books 1 & 2.

Card continues to impress me. This book continues the story started in "The Memory of Earth," detailing the tension between the pressure of high-stakes dramatic events in the lives of many characters and the directions they receive from their god, the caretaker computer system called the Oversoul, which knows best what they should be doing. Do they act out of their own knowledge, or trust the Oversoul to know what's best, even if the actions seem counter-productive, or even foolish?

Broadly speaking, the setting reminds me of Cherryh's Hammerfall - in that there is apparent inspiration from Exodus, and a vast non-human power that communicates with its people in the desert. The writing and style of storytelling reminds me much more of "The Song of Ice and Fire," though Card manages to develop and present similar ambitions, passions and jealousies of nuanced characters in about a fifth of the length that Martin does.

Here's what happens:

The Oversoul sends dreams to the people it has caused to be in the city of Basilica, trying to convey both direction and a sense of urgency. At the end of the last book, Nafai had slain Gaballufix, but his army of disenfranchised outcasts is still in the city. Fearing reprisals against everyone involved, Nafai's mother Rasa sends away the faithful gate guard, Smelost, who let Nafai out of the city. She thinks quickly and writes a note of introduction to the warrior nation of Gorayni. Smelost flees from the city and heads north. Gaballufix's steward, Rashgallivak, attempts to lead the mob and consolidate control of Basilica, but the teenaged raveler Hushidh both prevents him from taking Rasa's monstrous daughters Sevet and Kokor (who seem to be monomaniacally obsessed with getting the upper hand over each other) and destroying his hold over the mob. So the mob runs rampant through the city. In the north, Smelost arrives and conveys the information of unrest in Basilica to the Gorayni's greatest general, nicknamed Moozh (a diminutive of his much longer name, which also has a meaning of "husband"). Moozh stages a scene in which he kills the imperial spies that were set to watch him, pins it on Smelost, and kills Smelost as an assassin. Then he picks a thousand men from his army and they quick march south through the desert to take Basilica. In the desert, Nafai's older brother Elemak, jealous of his kid brother's prominence in his father's attentions, shares the dream he had, in which he and all the men of his family had new wives. Nafai and his father correctly interpret this as direction from the Oversoul, and they sneak back into Basilica to fetch wives. Meanwhile, the mob and the city guard fight a pitched battle, and looting and destruction abound in the city. In the midst of this, Moozh arrives and ingratiates his way into the city guard's trust, offering to help. Quickly he takes control of the city, killing all the mob and seizing control of key points in the city. Nafai and his brothers arrive at Rasa's house and take refuge there, quickly pairing up with their intended betrotheds with the Oversoul's help. Moozh recognizes Rasa as the only real threat to his control of the city, and he tidily manages that situation by discrediting her and setting her up as a villain in the public's eye. She is confined to house arrest, but since everyone is there already, this only helps the Oversoul's plans. She marries her wards and her (husband's) sons, and then Moozh arrives to inform them that Hushidh (who is intended for Issib, the only son to remain in the desert) will be his wife, thus consolidating his control over the city. But at the last, the Oversoul's plans all come together, and Moozh is convinced to let them all go into the desert as he takes control of Basilica, shepherding the City of Women in its final years.

Card has always been an impressive writer, and this book is very, very well done.

Continuación directa de La memoria de la Tierra, no tan bueno como aquel, sobre todo porque este segundo libro de la “Saga del Retorno” meramente continúa, por momentos con poca audacia y dando vueltas sobre sí mismo, lo que el primero había “creado” (las comillas son por El Libro del Mormón, Orson).

Este segundo capítulo de las desventuras de Nafai y su familia introduce a un nuevo personaje, interesante, rebuscado, con algunos altibajos: el general Moozh, quien a través de una enredada maraña de motivaciones llega con su ejército a Armonía para ejercer la función de tirano que la muerte de Gaballufix dejó vacante. Al mismo tiempo, la narración deja de lado por completo a dos personajes importantes del primer libro: Volemak, el Wetchik, y el hermano paralítico, Issib. Una pena, porque la relación y los diálogos entre Nafai e Issib eran de lo mejor, y la misión de Volemak en el desierto era una de las más atractivas promesas narrativas (supongo que habrá que esperar al tercer libro para ello).

La organización de la narración es bastante interesante. Cada capítulo se inicia con el sueño visionario de alguno de los personajes, para luego desenvolverse hacia una escena que no es soñada. Hay un sueño recurrente que varios experimentan, sobre dos seres, unos alados, otros como ratas, que queda sin explicación y prepara lo que vendrá. La narración se centra mucho más en los personajes femeninos de la historia: Rasa, sus hijas y sus sobrinas. Algunas de las líneas son interesantes y están bien desarrolladas. Otras son bastante estúpidas, como la relación entre Kokor y Sevet. En definitiva, se plantean algunas cuestiones llamativas, pero se pierde y deja de lado la posibilidad de profundizar y complejizar temas que ya eran interesantes, así como las personalidades de los personajes más atractivos, como Nafai, Luet o Elemak. Un ejemplo: Nafai había cometido asesinato bajo la coerción del Alma Suprema y esto parecía que iba a traer grandes contradicciones y complicaciones a su personalidad, pero nada, absolutamente nada sucede al respecto, y el tema apenas es mencionado.

Algunos puntos flojos son que la historia no parece avanzar, sino dar vueltas sobre sí misma y quedarse a la espera de lo que está por venir. Si en mi reseña de La memoria de la Tierra llamé a esa novela “una especie de prólogo de 350 páginas”, en este caso La llamada de la Tierra podría pensarse (siendo malvado) como una nota al pie de 350 páginas, una historia bastante irrelevante a nivel general, que lo único que hace es sumar un problema al principio de la novela (la llegada de Moozh) y se encarga de resolver esa situación durante todo su desarrollo, sin avanzar en nada en cuanto a la misión migratoria de Volemak o la relación de los personajes con Alma Suprema, incluso en su conocimiento del destino que esta les depara. La trama también tiene momentos flojos e inverosímiles, normalmente justificados por las manipulaciones que Alma Suprema ejerce sobre los personajes. Hay también una cierta cantidad de momentos “cursis” que producen la sensación de estar leyendo a un autor novato y adolescente que recién escribe sus primeras palabras. Espero no estar siendo demasiado cruel con el buen Orson, uno de mis primeros amores del género ciencia ficción, pero creo que muchos aspectos de este libro dejan bastante que desear, y en general uno se queda con una sensación de vacío o falta que el primer libro no producía.

Tiene sus muy buenos momentos. La conversación final entre Nafai y Moozh es uno de ellos, una escena atrapante que mantiene un buen nivel de tensión y produce unos diálogos bastante inteligentes. Quizá citar un fragmento pueda dar una idea de esos buenos momentos que deja La llamada de la Tierra:

n  “Si quisiera dudar, podría dudar hasta el cansancio. Pero en algún momento una persona debe dejar de cuestionar para empezar a actuar, y en ese punto es preciso confiar en alguna verdad. Debes actuar como si algo fuera cierto, así que escoges aquello en lo que más crees, vives en el mundo en el cual depositas más esperanzas. Yo sigo al Alma Suprema, creo en el Alma Suprema, porque quiero vivir en el mundo que ella me ha mostrado.”n

I've been listening to these books on Audio and I can't remember if it was this book or the next, but I had to keep the ear phones in and not play it aloud. I would not have wanted my children and would have even been embarrassed if my husband had heard had heard me listening to certain moments in this book! It was very sexual in nature. I'm not sure if it was to show how low some of these people were (there was an instance of a woman cheating on her husband with her sister's husband--was descriptive) and other scenes that I was surprised at. Perhaps it's because this is a LDS author? I don't know if that's fair of me to hold him to a higher standard, where I may not think twice if it was someone else. I think that's precisely why I noticed these sexual references (many of them were quite crude) so much the more, because I do.