ISBN: 0-671-55952-4 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com
An exciting space adventure with three-dimensional characters in a background of odd but self-consistent alchemy.
Reviewed by David on November 24, 1998
Genre: Science Fiction (Space Opera, Weird Science)
Synopsis: In a space-faring civilization where a single woman is increasingly disenfranchised, the star pilot Silence Leigh is defrauded from her inheritance by a greedy competitor. Forced to ally with two men, Silence is dragged into a deadly political struggle, and is tantalized by the hints of the legendary Earth, as well as the dread and the glory of Magi's power.
Full Review: Scott builds a fascinating universe. In what could be our own future, mankind turns away from technology in favor of the more capable discipline of the Magi's Art: an alchemical system build on Platonism. The Magi, capable of manipulating the Ideas (in Heaven), and forcing Forms onto the raw chaos (in Hell), enable the far-flung civilization to travel between the stars and manipulate knowledge.
Silence Leigh is a well crafted character, intelligent and courageous without being improbably perfect. The supporting cast is suitably solid, providing plausible relationships for Silence. The world with its own political struggles, greed, and the use of slightly archaic but correct vocabulary resembles some of Vance's creations; but Scott's universe is more defined and the characters are more varied and realistic. (On the other hand, Scott is not nearly as good at satire as Vance). One of the most refreshingly pleasant attributes of this novel, and its sequels Silence in Solitude and The Empress of Earth, are the adult characters. Silence seems to be in her late twenties: she is sensible without being stolid, and avoids the all-too-common pluckiness endemic in teenage heroines.
The best part of the novel (and the trilogy) is the solid and plausible system of Magi's Art, achieving the nearly impossible goal of plausible interstellar travel using music and incantations.
Overall: 7; Plot: 6.5; Characters: 6.5; Style: 7; World-building: 7; Originality: 7.5;
Copyright date 1985, Baen Enterprises (Baen), April 1985, Mass market paperback, 339 pages
ISBN: 0-671-55952-4 Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com