Review: Very good - with one exception
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 2, 2012
It is an interesting book in many ways. To be blunt, I find the ending to be an easy cop-out to avoid taking things to their natural conclusion. And that's the only reason why I don't rate it 5 stars to be honest.This book is a first-contact book, but it's much better thought out than most other of the genre. There are logical reasons why there hasn't been much if any contact before, and there are logical reasons why when contact is established, it's found that the universe is filled with life and other sentient species.I found the science parts to be just enough to make it believable, and I have real respect for the care the author has taken in making the world seem logical and plausible. In addition, he doesn't turn to magic or 'just how things are' in order to solve something which can't be solved in any other way. Except - of course - for the end, which I'll get back to.The politics of earth are logical as well. I see some have reacted badly to the US being perceived as the 'bad guys' - but to me, the US here are the good guys, they simply can't trust the bad guys on earth and the natural conclusion to that, is that things get worse not better. But, I don't see it as the fault of the US or the western nations - I see it as a natural conclusion of the tension between nations, and that some of the 'bad' states simply can't be trusted. Normally, this sort of politics don't work for me in science fiction, but here - it does. Because the author doesn't condemn unnecessary, instead he logically points out the differences where they are, and let the logical conclusions happen - even when they are bad.And I do enjoy the characters, and how they interact and what their abilities let happen.But ... the end feels forced. The author does resort to 'magic' or 'faith' or 'God' or whatever you want, to let it happen. And ... I feel that everything is wrapped up too neatly.(SPOLER ALERT)It simply feels to me like the author took parts of the ending of watchmen and tried to make it work but without the emotional impact or the vilification of an outside source. It feels too easy to me, and how everything is neatly fixed and everyone falls in line, through what in my eyes is basic manipulation. People simply don't change their minds that fast, and I have a real hard time believing that the majority of the aliens would change their opinions that fast when they don't have the incentive that humanity does).(SPOLER END).In the end, I give it 4 stars and I recommend checking it out. I don't think it's for everyone ... but I do think it's worth checking out.