Earthborn

Rating:
Summary: Open Your Mind And This Book Will NOT Fail You
Review: I find that I am extremely embarrassed to read the poor reviews and complaints that this novel has received. If I have to read many more mindless complaints like, "What happened to Nafia, Rasa, Issib, and the rest of the original characters?" I might go insane. There is not doubt that Card did an excellent job sculpting those characters, but if you take a step back and think about it, the point of the story was never their journey, but the moral and behavioral interactions between humans, and later the other two sentient species occupying earth. In light of this information, the fifth book does nothing but pierce deeper into the heart of these issues while at the same time the reader is able to enjoy Card's masterful characterization all over again. If you were enthralled by how deep Elemak's irrational hatred went, then you will wonder how Card was able to up the anti in creating the character Akma. If you loved the honor, kindness and humility of Nafia, Issib, the compassion and intelligence of Luet, Hindush, and Rasa, then THERE IS NO WAY YOU WILL NOT LOVE THIS BOOK. IT IS BY FAR THE BEST OF THE SERIES. Plus there is still one of the original characters, and you get the privilege of knowing her like never before. IF YOU VALUE MEANINGS TO STORIES AND ENJOY CAPTIVATING SAGAS YOU CANNOT PUT DOWN, THEN TAKE A GANDER AT THIS BOOK.

Rating:
Summary: Earthborn--Great Religious Book
Review: I found this one of the best religion books written. I have it on my bookcase next to The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. To be honest I found the earlier books in the series only moderately interesting, mostly for amusement value since they parallel the Book of Mormon. This book also does, but examines issues of what it means to sin, and responsiblity for ones actions. I personally found it a very moving book.

Perhaps it fails as his best science fiction, but it succeeds for me as one of his best religion books.



Rating:
Summary: Inexplicable, Tedious, and Just Plain Bad
Review: I have no idea what Card is about. The first four volumes of the series had high and low points, but did pull you into the plot and the characters. What this volume is about is a puzzle to me. An almost entirely new set of characters is introduced, the societies presented are not related to the societies in the previous volumes, the motivations of the actors and actions seem like a sociological treatise, and, frankly, I was unable to stir up interest in either chaacters or plot. I am lost to understand what Card is trying to do, except to throw in an unrelated volume to stretch what is an otherwise decent series. Other reviewers have argued that Card's plot and focus is consistent in a broad sense. I understand that arguement, though I do not agree with it. But, even if there is a broader plot, Card simply doesn't deliver it in this volume. This last volume strikes me much like the Riverworld series ... it continues in terms of turning out pages and rolling down the river, but the pages don't lead to anywhere. This book, in my mind, is the epitome of the typical Card seies ... a slow paced, but engaging start. A well wrought world and society. Careful and lengthy character development. Threads that are well woven and all accounted for. Then, a seeming loss of steam or interest or skill with an anti-climatic resolution. This volume exceeds even the typical Card resolution. It would have been better for both audience and author if Card had stopped before writing this volume. It is, perhaps, the worst science fiction I have read by a major author.

Rating:
Summary: I read the first few pages and gave up
Review: I have to say first that Card is a wonderful writer. I become consumed with his books and his characters. I couldn't put any of these books down until I was done and then I ran for the next book. However, Card is not the best at endings. Ender's Game was a wonderful book but the climax of the book just sort of petered.

The ending of the fourth book was disappointing in itself. To have this book appear while still reeling from the ending of book four was even more disappointing. It was obvious that the series ended with book four. Why this book bears the "Homecoming" name is beyond me. It should have been named "Homecoming's Shadow".

I read the first few pages and realized there was no reason to continue since I was still interested in the unsatisfactorily resolved conflict between Nafai and Elmark. I had no desire to start another storyline and was a bit angry that the previous one had ended in such disappointment after such wonderful development. After all, I had invested much time in these books. You know the sound a deflating baloon makes as the last bit of air escapes and it falls to the ground? That's how I felt when I started reading this book.

Rating:
Summary: I read the first few pages and gave up
Review: I have to say first that Card is a wonderful writer. I become consumed with his books and his characters. I couldn't put any of these books down until I was done and then I ran for the next book. However, Card is not the best at endings. Ender's Game was a wonderful book but the climax of the book just sort of petered.

The ending of the fourth book was disappointing in itself. To have this book appear while still reeling from the ending of book four was even more disappointing. It was obvious that the series ended with book four. Why this book bears the "Homecoming" name is beyond me. It should have been named "Homecoming's Shadow".

I read the first few pages and realized there was no reason to continue since I was still interested in the unsatisfactorily resolved conflict between Nafai and Elmark. I had no desire to start another storyline and was a bit angry that the previous one had ended in such disappointment after such wonderful development. After all, I had invested much time in these books. You know the sound a deflating baloon makes as the last bit of air escapes and it falls to the ground? That's how I felt when I started reading this book.

Rating:
Summary: Worst of the 5.
Review: I just finished reading the last book of this series. I'm happy with the series as a whole, Earthborn was a bit disappointing for me. This book takes places many generations after the original Nafari and Elemeki. So, only Shedemai and the Oversoul are returning characters.

There are many questions spawned from the first books that are never answered. Especially the BIG one, which if you've read the first four, you'd understand. As with the first four books, character development is good and you quickly take sides on who you like and who you don't.

Overall, not a bad book, but not strong in comparison to the others.

Rating:
Summary: A Great & Thoughtful Book
Review: I normally don't write reviews, but I don't agree with some of the other reviewers. I really enjoyed this book. Of course I'm biased. I also love the Book of Mormon which very clearly inspired the characters and plot of this book (see Mosiah 7-27). I thought this book was worth reading for its own sake, but it was very interesting viewing the Book of Mormon and our own society through the unusual lens that Card has crafted. There are a huge number of fascinating details to be observed and thought about here. His world is so vividly realized that it was quite easy (for me) to imagine the "history" between volumes 4 and 5. This book has real people (humans, angels, & diggers) with real problems that we can relate to in fascinating settings. Others of his books are too brutally frank about violence and sexual themes for comfort, but this one was relatively light, much more so than the first four books in the series (enough so that I bought this book, but checked the others out of the library).

I was left yearning for more. Card is easily one of the best writers that I have ever read. I hope that he inspires many others to go and do likewise. I loved the Homecoming series. I am also enjoying his Alvin Smith series quite a bit.

Rating:
Summary: Free speech: bad, fundamentalism: good
Review: I read the four books before this waiting for the big payoff, the finale to end it all. What do I get? A moralistic treatise with the o-so-subtle theme of the hatred in the heart of atheists.

This book takes place 500 years after the rest, all the interesting characters are dead. On earth there are two nations. In one an atheist named Akma begins preaching hatred. The keeper's final decision? Kill him. Why, because he's a blasphemer.

And speaking of big payoffs, we never fin out what the keeper is. It has something to do with magma flows and magnetic fields (yes I know it's supposed to be God) that influence people's minds. I think about a paragraph is spent on explaining this.

Believe me, Orson Scott Card has much better books than this.

Rating:
Summary: A little too moralistic & patronising.
Review: I wanted to like this. I really enjoyed the previous 4 books, but this one left me feeling cold. The blatant moralising was a bit too much. Shouldn't the characters be allowed to make up their own minds? A disappointing ending to an otherwise original and entertaining series

Rating:
Summary: A disappointing ending to a riveting series
Review: I was disappointed by Earthborn. Yes, it has the grand sweep, the fascinating characters, the Search for The Meaning of Life. But as I was reading it I got the sense more and more that I was being preached to, that Card was trying to fashion a sci-fi New Testament. Now, I agree with a lot of his messages: the destructive competitiveness of men, the power of bonds of family and friendship, things that are worth striving for (honor, honesty), etc. But ultimately the story falls flat because of the deus ex machina ending; the principal antagonists (Akma, Mon, Aronha) do not "find the light" in their own world, in their own way. Instead, it is kicked in their teeth by The Keeper that they were wrong. And that flies in the face of what Card is preaching: that we need to achieve goodness through free will.