Adiamante

Rating:
Summary: A story of conflict and great responsibility.
Review: Adiamante seems to follow the underlying theme that most of Modesitt's works incorporate. Once again there is found a people who wish nothing more than to be left alone, yet are forced to protect themselves at great price. Modesitt continues to write of the inherent lack of understanding by most people. There are those characters that will not listen to reason. They must go their own course untill they are forced to act differently. The main characters cannot, by their very nature, act in a pre-emptive manner for any reason. Modesitt's developement of the ideas expressed in the "Paradigms of Power" and the "Construct" work excellently with this theme. All in all a good read and I look forward to the next book sent forth.

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Summary: Old Earth...
Review: After ten thousand years, after the Flight, the rise as well as fall of the Rebuilt Hegemony and the Chaos years demi and draffs have learned a peaceful way of life. They have set up rules that allow this, rules that can't be broken no matter what the cost. Into this Utopia come the cybs, their thoughts mired in the past, they want vengeance. Can Earth's people defend themselves when they are not even allowed to show mistrust because even THAT would be looked at as a threat under the principles they live under? Or will the cybs realize that just because the Earth seems backwards to them DOES NOT mean the demi and draffs don't have weapons of their own?
A book that forces you to think. A book that will never be outdated and will always have important issues for us to deal with about violence, power and social ethics.

Rating:
Summary: Mature and thoughtful fiction
Review: How would you run a planet if you were truly Grown Up? Having set up a society you like, how would you defend it without losing your soul? I'm careful about what I read these days. Don't have time for adolescent knock-over-the-empire stuff any more. This is the kind of fiction that you read SF for when you get past that stage. Modesitt does a fabulous job with this. He posits an Earth struggling to clean up the toxic residues of old societies and old wars. Some residues are left in place as reminders. The inhabitants understand, but the people from Gates just don't get it. The blurb on the back cover from the New York Times is dead on: "morally persuasive and emotionally wrenching." Read this book.

Rating:
Summary: The Earth is a Dangerous Place
Review: I believe Modesitt is trying, with this book, to get the readers to look around at the world today for what it is. His Cybs (in a very Vulcan manner) can view only the literal facts and are not able to deduce the power they are facing.The Demi's use near telepathic powers to communicate and control their planetary powers, much as secret societies use hand signals and sign language to control, subjugate, and enforce their will on others. I would rate this book as enlightening as Orwell's 1984 for its ability to demonstrate how much power is available to be wielded by "the Demis" and how they choose to use it.

Rating:
Summary: The Earth is a Dangerous Place
Review: I believe Modesitt is trying, with this book, to get the readers to look around at the world today for what it is. His Cybs (in a very Vulcan manner) can view only the literal facts and are not able to deduce the power they are facing.The Demi's use near telepathic powers to communicate and control their planetary powers, much as secret societies use hand signals and sign language to control, subjugate, and enforce their will on others. I would rate this book as enlightening as Orwell's 1984 for its ability to demonstrate how much power is available to be wielded by "the Demis" and how they choose to use it.

Rating:
Summary: A flat out excellent book
Review: I was on my way to Switzerland in the airport and found myself caught with nothing to read. I went into a nearby book store looked in science fiction and found this as the only book. It didn't look like a crowd pleaser, no #1 bestseller or anything, but I bought it anyways. On the plane I was quickly wrapped up in one of the most entertaining books I had ever read, after page 80 or so I couldn't stop, I just had to go on, what was going to happen, how come the cybs were so stupid, why didn't the demi's kick their butts, I had all these questions pounding my brain when I put it down that I had to pick it back up, if you are looking to be thoroughly entertained, buy this book. The only downside to it are some of the beliefs, they are extremest, true, but in a time and place of this sort maybe extremism is need. I don't know, but the book captured my attention and towords the last pages I was filled with emotion. I thouroughly enjoyed this book and encourage anyone th! at has the chance, to read it.

Rating:
Summary: A daring work of utopia
Review: If you are at all interested in thinking about and exploring Utopias, this book is a must. Unlike much other speculative fiction about utopias, Modesitt dares to explain the rules of his utopia in a thoughtful and engaging story. I truly enjoyable read, I would recommend this book to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating reading
Review: In this novel, Modesitt has managed to convey the feeling that, if we would just be honest with ourselves about our very human motivations and faults, we could have a society that works for the benefit of the overwhelming majority of its citizens. While I don't agree with all the premises of the political situation in the novel, I found myself agreeing with him that all power, political , military, or otherwise, should have a price attached. Beyond the philisophical implications, it's an excellent book. Read it, and come to your own conclusions about whether Modesitt's right or wrong.

Rating:
Summary: Haunting Idealogy
Review: The true litmus test is whether a book is remembered or forgotten, and this book is not easily forgotten. I read this over 5 months ago, and I still find myself mulling over the demi ideology. I love the idea that if you want to have power in society, you must pay society for the privilege.

Rating:
Summary: One that will make you think...
Review: This book is an excellent example of what makes science-fiction so appealing to me : timeless questions and ideas, put in a different perspective, so that a new understanding may be found.

Power vs responsibiliy, and what make a society stable ? Food for the thought, packaged in a good action plot.