A Coming of Age

Rating:
Summary: Very Enjoyable
Review: A Coming of Age has an interesting twist not seen in many Sci Fi novels, the fact that the children of the Planet are more powerful than the adults, in physical prowess at least, is quite interesting. His prose is quite good, if the villain is rather boring, and several plot changes make for a good ending.

Rating:
Summary: It's just fun seeing Zahn at work.
Review: I'm going to have to go with a five-star rating here despite the fact that it's a four-star kind of book; light reading that's not going to change your life. But the thing that's so special about this book is that I'd uphold it (particularly the first chapter) as a how-to for sci-fi authors: it's a great example of how to create a unique world without having to stop and (directly) explain things to the reader. I don't think Zahn ever states outright that "teekay" stands for telekinesis (TK), he just uses the phrase in context enough so the reader can figure it out within a few pages. The same approach is emplyed throughout the book - we eventually learn what we need to know in order to understand the story about the setup and history of Tigris, but it's blended seamlessly into the narrative and never feels like an interruption.

The narrative itself is interesting, if not brilliant. Per usual with this author, we get very competent prose and intelligent, likable protagonists. There are a few flaws here: the villain is pretty bland, the storyline is only barely strong enough to last 300 pages, and there're a few plot contrivances here and there. Plus for the first half of the book one basically has to take the author's word that the different story arcs have anything to do with each other. But since I've spent two whole sentances on flaws, I'll also have to mention that Zahn does a good job with most of his characters; I particularly liked the kids, Lisa and Tonio. And the central concept is a nice twist on the old "magical power that comes at a certain age" cliché.

I'm not an expert on Timothy Zahn - until about a year ago I only knew his Star Wars stuff - but I'd highly recommend A Coming Of Age along with any other Zahn you can find, since everything I've read so far from this guy has been top-notch.

Rating:
Summary: It's just fun seeing Zahn at work.
Review: With the exception of books by C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein, I hadn't read fiction of any kind--let alone science fiction--for several decades until I got hooked by Tim Zahn. This book takes an utterly imaginative premise--that, because of some mysterious occurrence in the past, humans are able to use telekinesis UNTIL puberty--and does wonderful things with it. How to control a society when the kids are immeasurably more powerful than adults? The characters are very real and likeable, both kids and adults (at least the good-guy adults). Both kids and adults end up having to deal with strong internal conflicts. There are cops and robbers, as it were. There are both up-tight and laid-back authority figures. And there's even a twinge of romance. In the end, the question is whether a preteen can save the world. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Rating:
Summary: Engaging, suspenseful, highly satisfying.
Review: With the exception of books by C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein, I hadn't read fiction of any kind--let alone science fiction--for several decades until I got hooked by Tim Zahn. This book takes an utterly imaginative premise--that, because of some mysterious occurrence in the past, humans are able to use telekinesis UNTIL puberty--and does wonderful things with it. How to control a society when the kids are immeasurably more powerful than adults? The characters are very real and likeable, both kids and adults (at least the good-guy adults). Both kids and adults end up having to deal with strong internal conflicts. There are cops and robbers, as it were. There are both up-tight and laid-back authority figures. And there's even a twinge of romance. In the end, the question is whether a preteen can save the world. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Rating:
Summary: Good, solid sci-fi
Review: Zahn pulls his usual mix of action and plot twists, though perhaps not quite as elegantly as in his later work. I enjoyed this book thouroughly (not quite as much as the Thrawn books, but it is better than Icarus Hunt) as it gives the reader insight into the child - adult power struggle as well as being a cracking good story. It's a book with thought put into it.