Refugee

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding work about the thin line between good and evil.
Review: A child and his ordinary peasant family are forced to flee their home planet after a chance encounter with a higher class citizen. The child, aptly named Hope, is quickly exposed to the indifference of evil, in the form of roving bands of space pirates. The atrocities in the story are awful and fascinating, and the problems Hope encounters frequently seem to have no good solutions. And yet we come to understand him and cheer him on, though some will say "I wouldn't do that!" By the end of this book your feelings may change, as Hope's were forced to. This book will stay with all who read it, and it is by far the best in the series. Mesmerizing.

Rating:
Summary: WOW, What a good book!
Review: A very compelling read, not for the rape and violence, but for the plot

Rating:
Summary: The horrors described in this book are real
Review: After defending his sister's honour against a young nobleman Hope and his family have to flee Callisto. Their goal is the promised land of Jupiter. On their way they are betrayed by greedy human traffickers, attacked, again and agian, by pirates, turned back by a suddenly xenophobic Jupiter, before finally given refugee status.
Mr. Anthony has, and I think very well, captured the plight of the very real refugees that roam the world of today. I think I recognize all the incidents described from news reports. The Jupiter of the book is a thinly disguised USA. It could be Germany, Sweden, the UK, or any other western country that promises as safe haven, but grows xenophobic when they did not anticipate the flow of refugees fleeing from dictators, corruption, poverty, disease, and war. Often fleeing from situations created by the countries they are fleeing to!
So, even if the reading is grisly sometimes, it is no imagination. This book is actually very political. These are the experiences that will influence the future tyrant.

Rating:
Summary: A depressing, self indulgent book
Review: Anthony uses this book to expose the reader to as many horrors as he can imagine. The problem is that his imagination is limited. After the umpteenth pirate attack on the main character's ship, the rape and murder of his friends and family begins to become laughable. "Oh, another pirate attack, whoop dee doo!" you might think once you reach the mid point of the book.

Anthony also puts in frequent rationalizations for pedophilia, incest, rape, and murder. My problem is not specifically that I disagree with his ideas but rather the clumsiness with which he presents them. The lover of the main character tells him the story of her childhood when she was a prostitute but makes it clear that the man with whom she slept until age ten was a good man, just different. If, perhaps, that character had been a part of the book and shown the reader that he was a good man, it would have been okay. Instead, Anthony violates the fundmental "show, don't tell" rule of fiction.

If you can forgive all that, the writing style is simplistic. While reading the book, I hoped it was intentionally written simplistically to reflect the fact that the supposed author of the narrative is fifteen. However, the later books continue in the same style. If the book had otherwise been enjoyable, this would be a minor point, but given that the content of the book is unappealing, the lacking in style is damning.

Rating:
Summary: A depressing, self indulgent book
Review: Anthony uses this book to expose the reader to as many horrors as he can imagine. The problem is that his imagination is limited. After the umpteenth pirate attack on the main character's ship, the rape and murder of his friends and family begins to become laughable. "Oh, another pirate attack, whoop dee doo!" you might think once you reach the mid point of the book.

Anthony also puts in frequent rationalizations for pedophilia, incest, rape, and murder. My problem is not specifically that I disagree with his ideas but rather the clumsiness with which he presents them. The lover of the main character tells him the story of her childhood when she was a prostitute but makes it clear that the man with whom she slept until age ten was a good man, just different. If, perhaps, that character had been a part of the book and shown the reader that he was a good man, it would have been okay. Instead, Anthony violates the fundmental "show, don't tell" rule of fiction.

If you can forgive all that, the writing style is simplistic. While reading the book, I hoped it was intentionally written simplistically to reflect the fact that the supposed author of the narrative is fifteen. However, the later books continue in the same style. If the book had otherwise been enjoyable, this would be a minor point, but given that the content of the book is unappealing, the lacking in style is damning.

Rating:
Summary: Space opera
Review: Hidden in the humongous pile of pun laden Xanth fluff, the discerning reader can find good Piers Anthony books, Refugee is the first volume in the Bio of a Space Tyrant series and is easily some of the best work Anthony has ever done. If you like intelligent space opera, then look no further.

Rating:
Summary: Emotions Run Deep
Review: How could you deny the fact that Piers Anthony touched a nerve with this book. The drama, denial, courange, and triumph in the book are enough to keep anyone flipping pages. I loved reading this book, and I look forward to continuing this enthralling series!

Rating:
Summary: Piers' best writing!
Review: I loved the Bio of a Space Tyrant series. Refugee was one of the most affecting/haunting books I've ever read. It is not for the weak stomached. There is much violence in this book, but it's not about the violence it's about the human will to survive. The first four books in this series, Refugee, Mercenary, Politican and Executive are excellent page turners. The fifth Statesman is good but not quite the same level, a little anticlimatic. But don't miss out by not reading at least the first four!

Rating:
Summary: Piers' best writing!
Review: I loved the Bio of a Space Tyrant series. Refugee was one of the most affecting/haunting books I've ever read. It is not for the weak stomached. There is much violence in this book, but it's not about the violence it's about the human will to survive. The first four books in this series, Refugee, Mercenary, Politican and Executive are excellent page turners. The fifth Statesman is good but not quite the same level, a little anticlimatic. But don't miss out by not reading at least the first four!

Rating:
Summary: An epic space saga about love, redemption, and survival.
Review: I think the book cover says it best...one day Hope Hubris would be the most powerful man in the solar system, but first he was a refugee.

Would love to hear from other Refugee fans or anyone who enjoyed the Space Tyrant series. I am conducting some research and would appreciate your input.