Adversary

Rating:
Summary: SIX STARS-- holy **** May is brilliant.
Review: The breathtaking conclusion to the Saga of Pliocene Exile,
we are confronted by three principals-- King Aiken Drum, former misfit; Elizabeth Orme, former psychic, now ohmbudsperson of the Many Colored Land; and Marc Remillard, felled leader of a Rebellion against a 22nd century galaxtic civilizatio.

I cannot emphasize my admiration for May's writing. Her style is vivid, smooth, alive. In this book, Remillard takes center stage, the most provocative character in sci-fi. He is Milton's fallen Lucifer-- brilliant, driven, obsessed to the point of cruelty-- ultimately noble, self-sacrificing-- in this way he is reborn

But don't think that May ignores her other characters. They continue to evolve, gaining substance, soul. I never found myself saying "No, that doesn't fit"-- she makes this incredibly complex work while remaining true to the personalities of her characters and the scenario she has created.

The tension in this book is less about epic battles with armies of thousands (although there is that here), as in Nonborn King, and more about a war of wills, manipulations of chess pieces on a board by the principals. Somehow, the story gets still deeper, then comes to a satisfying, appropriate conclusion.

IMO, the best sci-fi series ever written.

Rating:
Summary: Armageddon - Pliocene style
Review: The end is nigh, Night is about to Fall. The ogreish Firvulag plot amongst themselves, eager to fight the Final Battle and defeat their Foe once and for all. The elfin Tanu, finally united under their new Golden King, are rapidly changing traditions that have stood for millenia. The scattered Lowlives, once renegade humans hiding in the woods, are forming a third power block, using technology smuggled from the future and the deadly bloodmetal, fatal to the alien races. And high above them all, in her self imposed isolation, reluctant planetary guardian Elizabeth Orm bears the burdens of three races on her tired shoulders.

The signs are all around, the portents fulfilled, the NightFall war is coming, and with it, the Adversary - Marc Remillard, Paramount Grand Master Psychic. Rebel. Monster. He was one of the most powerful minds in the future, before he turned against everyone he loved, and led thousands in a war against the peaceful Galactic Milleu. His actions caused the deaths of millions, and he fled through the time gate, hoping to restart his plans with a six million year head start. The Tanu and Firvulag call him The Adversary, but his own people know him as Abaddon - the Angel of the Abyss.

His dreams for humanities future led him into its past, and know he stands on the brink of the abyss, torn between his humanity and his destiny mistaken about both.

Rating:
Summary: A severe dissapointment
Review: This series can be divided up into two parts, both on entirely different ends of the quality spectrum. I got the Many Colored Land and the Golden Torc in a two-volume hard cover edition for 25 cents at a garage sale. After reading and finding that they were two of the best fantasy/sci-fi books I had read I decided to buy the next two. These were the worst dissapointments I have ever had with any series. Usually if the first few books in a series are spectacular at least the next ones are decent and readable. These were neither. I found myself putting down The Non Born King half way through and reading the prologue of the next one to see if I had missed anything interesting. I hadn't. And the next one was just as bad if not worse. At least I can read the first two again

Rating:
Summary: THE WHOLE SERIES DESERVES 10 STARS! EXCELLENT!
Review: What can I say about this final book (though not the end)in a wonderfully creative series, I am amazed at Julian Mays ability to create such a rich and complex world ! the characters are unique, well defined and feel real, you are able to immerse yourself in their world so easily that you are thankfully distracted from your own very mundane exsistance!

There is so much to this series that it is difficult to summarise adequately the sheer originality and creativity that went into this scifi/fantasy classic! I shall instead leave that up to you, to follow the misfits of Human society and dare to travel to the Earths distant past and be part of an adventure like none other, this series is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, you wont regret making this a fine addition to your collection! SIMPLY BRILLIANT!

Rating:
Summary: THE WHOLE SERIES DESERVES 10 STARS! EXCELLENT!
Review: What can I say about this final book (though not the end)in a wonderfully creative series, I am amazed at Julian Mays ability to create such a rich and complex world ! the characters are unique, well defined and feel real, you are able to immerse yourself in their world so easily that you are thankfully distracted from your own very mundane exsistance!

There is so much to this series that it is difficult to summarise adequately the sheer originality and creativity that went into this scifi/fantasy classic! I shall instead leave that up to you, to follow the misfits of Human society and dare to travel to the Earths distant past and be part of an adventure like none other, this series is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, you wont regret making this a fine addition to your collection! SIMPLY BRILLIANT!

Rating:
Summary: 'Series' isn't quite the word.
Review: What I really want to do is review the whole series. It seems to me that it really is impossible to talk about one of the nine books separately, far much more than in other series. Common complaints in the other reviews are lack of full explanation, lack of sufficient denouement. But in this case, I don't think that applies. This is a NON-LINEAR series! The denouement for the Adversary, for example, is scattered through the Galactic Milieu trilogy, especially Magnificat. Conversely, much of the denouement of Magnificat can be gleaned by reading bits of the Pliocene Saga which talk about what is thought of the Rebellion twenty-seven years after. To fully appreciate these books, you have to read them all, then go back and look through them again, examining Rogi's conversations with the 'Family Ghost' and other places. These books don't follow one after the ot! her in a neat orderly manner. It's an unusual way to write a series, but if you've read some interviews with Julian May, you'll know she didn't write the books in a chronological manner, but kind of planned all nine at once.

One reading will never do these books justice. I would suggest reading the Pliocene Saga as a sequel to the Galactic Milieu books, because that really is what they are. May just happened to publish them first. Since I read the Milieu first, I cannot imagine how anyone can fully appreciate Nonborn King and the Adversary without knowing about Marc Remillard first.

That reminds me . . . there is one area where the cross-referencing lets me down. I want to know more about Marc and Elizabeth's work in Duat, more about that not-insignificant gap of six million years we have missing out of Marc's life! But I think at this late date I have to give up hope.