Home :: Books :: Audiocassettes  

Arts & Photography
Audio CDs
Audiocassettes

Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Investing
Children's Books
Christianity
Comics & Graphic Novels
Computers & Internet
Cooking, Food & Wine
Entertainment
Gay & Lesbian
Health, Mind & Body
History
Home & Garden
Horror
Literature & Fiction
Mystery & Thrillers
Nonfiction
Outdoors & Nature
Parenting & Families
Professional & Technical
Reference
Religion & Spirituality
Romance
Science
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Sports
Teens
Travel
Women's Fiction
The Call of Earth (Homecoming Saga, Vol 2)

The Call of Earth (Homecoming Saga, Vol 2)

List Price: $16.95
Your Price:
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Very well written, compliments the series well
Review: First of all, this is a great book. While it's practically impossible to read unless you've read the one before it, that's how it is with most series'. The characterazations, both of good characters and "villians" are supurb, and the plot is both epic and believable. It continues almost exactly where book one left off, right after Nafai kills whats-his-name for the Oversoul. This story immediatly begins on a darker note as several new characters enter the story, and the Oversoul's true intentions begin to become clear... Anyway, I won't say anything else because I just can't bring myself to spoil it for you, but trust me, this is an awesome series! One thing that did bother me about though was while this series seemed to take an interest in the rights and interests of women, it seemed to take the other side halfway through the book, which was quite annoying. Besides that though this was a great book that I recommend to any sci-fi fan.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Nafai continues to listen to the voice of the Oversoul
Review: I was fortunate that when I read "The Memory of Earth," the first volume in Orson Scott Card's "Homecoming: Harmony" series that I had the next, "The Call of Earth," on hand. Things were just getting interesting when the opening book of the five-volume series concluded, as young Nafai was following the dictates of the Oversoul, the benevolent super computer that has been watching over humanity since it arrived on the planet Harmony, 40 million years after the supposed destruction of Earth. But the Oversoul is breaking down and needs to heed the call of the Keeper of Earth and return for repairs.

The Oversoul has been responsible for keeping mental blocks in place that prevent humans from engaging in warfare and other lesser activities. But as the computer grows weaker, Moozh, a great warrior intent on flouting the will of the Oversoul, has raised an army using forbidden technology and is ready to attack Basilica, home of Nafai and his family. However, taking actions to stoop Moozh only delays the effort to get the Oversoul back to Earth.

While the quest to return to Earth is the driving story of the novel, the main appeal of "The Call of Earth" is the interaction between the main characters. Nafai's position as the Oversoul's chosen spokesperson makes him somewhat bolder in expressing his affections for Luet, the object of his affections, but puts him at odds against his older half-brothers Ellemak and Mebbekew, who are murderously jealous about the new order. These stories will remind you of Old Testament tales of prophetic visions and brothers bent on killing brothers, and the book's ending will have the same sort of biblical resonance.

The Harmony part of this series concludes with the third volume, "The Ships of Earth," before moving on to the two Homecoming books. This is a lesser series by Card, but still reasonably interesting, mainly on the strength of the characters and the matriarchal society in which they live that allows for the selective use of technology. It seems to me that when Card writes a series the tempo slows down considerably; this time around he also seems particularly adept at prolonging the inevitable as long as possible.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Nafai continues to listen to the voice of the Oversoul
Review: I was fortunate that when I read "The Memory of Earth," the first volume in Orson Scott Card's "Homecoming: Harmony" series that I had the next, "The Call of Earth," on hand. Things were just getting interesting when the opening book of the five-volume series concluded, as young Nafai was following the dictates of the Oversoul, the benevolent super computer that has been watching over humanity since it arrived on the planet Harmony, 40 million years after the supposed destruction of Earth. But the Oversoul is breaking down and needs to heed the call of the Keeper of Earth and return for repairs.

The Oversoul has been responsible for keeping mental blocks in place that prevent humans from engaging in warfare and other lesser activities. But as the computer grows weaker, Moozh, a great warrior intent on flouting the will of the Oversoul, has raised an army using forbidden technology and is ready to attack Basilica, home of Nafai and his family. However, taking actions to stoop Moozh only delays the effort to get the Oversoul back to Earth.

While the quest to return to Earth is the driving story of the novel, the main appeal of "The Call of Earth" is the interaction between the main characters. Nafai's position as the Oversoul's chosen spokesperson makes him somewhat bolder in expressing his affections for Luet, the object of his affections, but puts him at odds against his older half-brothers Ellemak and Mebbekew, who are murderously jealous about the new order. These stories will remind you of Old Testament tales of prophetic visions and brothers bent on killing brothers, and the book's ending will have the same sort of biblical resonance.

The Harmony part of this series concludes with the third volume, "The Ships of Earth," before moving on to the two Homecoming books. This is a lesser series by Card, but still reasonably interesting, mainly on the strength of the characters and the matriarchal society in which they live that allows for the selective use of technology. It seems to me that when Card writes a series the tempo slows down considerably; this time around he also seems particularly adept at prolonging the inevitable as long as possible.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: I was ready to get out of the car.
Review: Listened to this book while travelling. I have read and listed to the Ender's Saga. In between finishing those early books and starting the Homecoming series I discovered OSC's LDS affiliation. While there was not much overt influence in the Ender's books parallels were endless in this volume. Rather than look at L. Ron Hubbard I would rather compare this cross-genre influence to C.S. Lewis or Madelyne L'Engle and their sybolic Christian references. Pleasant driving drivel.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Second in the series.... A Little slow off the mark
Review: My congratulations to Card on a fine work. This whole series is very good. He has created an entire civilization and society with rules and laws. The amount of detail is incredible. However, if you didn't start at the first book, it takes a while to catch on. Also, if you don't read the books in order or even soon after each other, the relationships of all (and there are a lot) the characters to each other and to the plot becomes a little hazy.

I would have given this one four stars except for the fact that the story is so complex and you can't just leave the series for an extended period and then start again and hope to understand what is going on.

Card remains one of my favorite authors.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Lack of creativity
Review: Orson Scott Card is Mormon, and if we didn't know it before, now we do--he based the entire plot of the Homecoming series on the Book of Mormon. It's so pathetic that I am speechless.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: OSC has done it again. This book is truly one of the best book's I have ever read. If you liked Ender's Game then you should like this as well. In a way there are parallels between Ender and Nafai.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: ...I thought Mormons had stricter moral standards than this.
Review: Pleasant enough writing, but I was deeply disturbed when two thirteen-year-olds wed and consummated their marriage, despite the fact that pretty much everyone in the book, the thirteen-year-olds included, felt they were far too young to marry. If the characters and cultural setting supported it or viewed it as normal, I would have less difficulty with it, but it was considered just as unhealthy in their culture as it is in ours. Clearly, the marriage was necessary for reasons of paralleling the religious story Card is retelling, but it was just as clear that the very being of the story and the characters opposed it.
Three stars instead of four, because this was so painfully and clumsily executed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Oversoul is Pleased Again
Review: The second book in Orson Scott Card's Homecoming series is another work of art. I can't wait to read the next book. I didn't really like what happened to Basilica in the epiloque, but the addition of General Moozh's character was a very enjoyable part of the book. Nafai's adventures get better and affect more people and Luet's part in the story is well told out and adds much to the overall story. A good example of why Orson Scott Card's books are always a must read for me.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: ...I thought Mormons had stricter moral standards than this.
Review: This is an all around excellent book. An incredible cast of characters, a great plot, plenty of crazy twists and turns, and dialect that brings it all to life. While all of the characters from the first book play a big part in this one too, the new character, General Moozh, puts this book on a diferent level. It's going to be hard for the rest of the series to live up to expectations if General Moozh isn't replaced by someone as likeable. However, this books leaves off with the Earthbound party just leaving Bascilica, so the rest of the serires should hold some great excitement. This book was enhanced by the abundancy of dreams, in my opinion. It brings a somehow more serious and meaningful prospective to the whole story. I just hope that the rest of the series can live up to such a high standard.
One question: What scene is the cover of the book depicting??


<< 1 2 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates