Review: Thought-provoking and exciting
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 22, 2013
Known Afterlife is more than just a fantasy-science fiction novel in the vein of Orson Scott Card, it's also a surprisingly deep exploration of the role of religion in society, and it's refreshing to see a take on this that isn't heavy-handed or evangelical, primarily because we get two very different takes on it, which keeps one viewpoint from dominating.For most of the novel, we're following two separate stories, one about a Guardian fighting to protect his arboreal world known as "The Provider."  This narrative feels like a fantasy along the lines of Avatar, with a lush world full of creatures and magic dominated by nature.  The second storyline is about Stalling, a successful businessman on the planet Antium, where the overly rigid Church of Salvation is in control.  Stalling uses his vast resources to break the planet free of the stifling control of the Church.The genius of the novel is how it shows the two sides of the same coin.  On The Provider, Copeland presents the positive aspects of spiritual exploration, while the Antium, he demonstrates the dangers of organized religion.  The end result is an earnest look at how religion is neither intrinsically good or evil, but can be used for both purposes.All that's fascinating, but I haven't even touched on the story yet, which is alternately exciting and engrossing.  I sometimes wish the novel didn't bounce back and forth between both worlds because I would be enjoying the story I was reading, and suddenly we're in a (literally) completely different world, but that's a testament to how great a story Copeland weaves.  (And sometimes it pays to leave the audience hanging a bit.)  At times I was wondering if the two would even intersect.  Rest assured they do, in a very satisfying way at the end.Intelligent and thrilling, Trey Copeland's novel is definitely worth checking out.