Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating sf-Would make a great movie
Review: Among the Thousand Cultures that make up the galaxy, earth already has a decadent reputation for misusing things. The latest movement on earth involves what most other worlds would say are the misuse of the recordings of the psypyx. Most of the worlds relish sharing their minds with the recordings of the deceased, but on earth the push is to place the recordings into games as virtual toys. The outrage among the Thousand Cultures and the earthlings' ignorance of this reaction could lead to war.
Girault Leones vowed never to work for the Office of Special Projects, especially with Shan, because their last disastrous collaboration led to the destruction of the planet Briand and his own divorce from Margaret. However, circumstances makes Girault realize never say never because he knows the galaxy needs him to influence the decisions on earth. He volunteers to try to keep the planet from taking actions that could lead to war.
The third Thousand Cultures tale, THE MERCHANTS OF SOULS, is an exciting science fiction tale that contains several intriguing premises especially the concept of sharing brain cells. The story line is overloaded so pivotal events are passively discussed between characters as having happened rather than actively described. Still, John Barnes shows why he is an award-winning author by making his futuristic realms seem authentic while fostering some novel ideas. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating sf-Would make a great movie
Review: Among the Thousand Cultures that make up the galaxy, earth already has a decadent reputation for misusing things. The latest movement on earth involves what most other worlds would say are the misuse of the recordings of the psypyx. Most of the worlds relish sharing their minds with the recordings of the deceased, but on earth the push is to place the recordings into games as virtual toys. The outrage among the Thousand Cultures and the earthlings' ignorance of this reaction could lead to war.
Girault Leones vowed never to work for the Office of Special Projects, especially with Shan, because their last disastrous collaboration led to the destruction of the planet Briand and his own divorce from Margaret. However, circumstances makes Girault realize never say never because he knows the galaxy needs him to influence the decisions on earth. He volunteers to try to keep the planet from taking actions that could lead to war.
The third Thousand Cultures tale, THE MERCHANTS OF SOULS, is an exciting science fiction tale that contains several intriguing premises especially the concept of sharing brain cells. The story line is overloaded so pivotal events are passively discussed between characters as having happened rather than actively described. Still, John Barnes shows why he is an award-winning author by making his futuristic realms seem authentic while fostering some novel ideas. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Another Noble Barnes Effort
Review: Another wonderful read by John Barnes. His books are always enjoyable and fun to read and never take themselves too seriously. ... it was quite good and told an interesting story, although I will say the ending was a little too silly for me. Don't read this book without first having read, "A Million Open Doors" and "Earth Made of Glass", in that order. These books introduce us to the world of the 1000 Cultures and Giraut Leones, the first person protagonist of all the novels. They are also enjoyable stories, set in a very believable futuristic world. Anyone who doubts Barnes "predictions" for Earth 900 years from now, just has to watch a kid play X Box or talk to those people who live in their role playing computer worlds. Barnes just takes this desire of people to want to live in a fantasy world to its logical conclusions. I enjoyed this book very much and can't wait for the next one in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Another Noble Barnes Effort
Review: Another wonderful read by John Barnes. His books are always enjoyable and fun to read and never take themselves too seriously. ... it was quite good and told an interesting story, although I will say the ending was a little too silly for me. Don't read this book without first having read, "A Million Open Doors" and "Earth Made of Glass", in that order. These books introduce us to the world of the 1000 Cultures and Giraut Leones, the first person protagonist of all the novels. They are also enjoyable stories, set in a very believable futuristic world. Anyone who doubts Barnes "predictions" for Earth 900 years from now, just has to watch a kid play X Box or talk to those people who live in their role playing computer worlds. Barnes just takes this desire of people to want to live in a fantasy world to its logical conclusions. I enjoyed this book very much and can't wait for the next one in the series.
Rating: 
Summary: Inane, thin and predictable
Review: John Barnes can do better. Rambling plot threads, links to concepts in previous books not explained for a new reader to this series. I was unable to connect to the characters, and thus finally gave up at page 200 (out of 400) after many attempts to pick it up again, threw on the fire. Sorry John
Rating:
Summary: Possibly the most important series going in SF now
Review: John Barnes has written books that appeal to a variety of tastes, but this 3rd entry in a projected 5 book series ought to attract readership from a wide audience. I hate to say that I doubt this, given the popularity of Trek, * Wars, B5, etc., and the prejudice of "serious mainstream" readers against SF. I strongly encourage anyone with an interest in the future of humanity to read these books! Start with "A Million Open Doors": the series goes uphill from there (and I am amazed that Barnes keeps upping the ante). Anyone who thinks that hard SF can't have a heart will find that the emphasis is on the interior emotional life of the viewpoint character. Bravo to John Barnes!!
Rating: 
Summary: Worth reading for Barnes fans....
Review: My biggest problem with this third installment in the Giraut series was the nebulous plot. Initially Barnes spends a majority of the prose characterizing Occitan's unique culture and the friendship between Giraut and his psypyx/dead jovent friend Raimbaut who's been revived, ostensibly to testify before the Council of Humanity about the potential 'abuse by entertainment' of these stored souls, essentially attempting to grant citizenship to them. Fine and dandy. The second half of the book seems to focus almost exclusively on the inexplicable young love between Raimbaut and Laprada, a member of the Council and a freshly recruited OCP agent to boot, as well as a chronically depressed, bipolar mess of a person. This whole plot 'twist' seemed contrived and muddled to me. It overshadows the supposed climax of the book, which in its entirety, takes place in a mere twenty pages at the conclusion of the book. Very hurried, and nothing like the Caledony story seen in A Million Open Doors, for example. Overall, while I can't say that this book was a disappointment (I did buy the uncorrected proof before it actually came out in hardback!), I would consider it the weakest of the three. The Thousand Cultures is a fasinating milieu, and other Barnes efforts such as Candle proove that he's one of the most creative sci-fi authors out there. Let's hope he uses this book as a stepping stone for bigger and better things for Leones in the future!
Rating:
Summary: Worth reading for Barnes fans....
Review: My biggest problem with this third installment in the Giraut series was the nebulous plot. Initially Barnes spends a majority of the prose characterizing Occitan's unique culture and the friendship between Giraut and his psypyx/dead jovent friend Raimbaut who's been revived, ostensibly to testify before the Council of Humanity about the potential 'abuse by entertainment' of these stored souls, essentially attempting to grant citizenship to them. Fine and dandy. The second half of the book seems to focus almost exclusively on the inexplicable young love between Raimbaut and Laprada, a member of the Council and a freshly recruited OCP agent to boot, as well as a chronically depressed, bipolar mess of a person. This whole plot 'twist' seemed contrived and muddled to me. It overshadows the supposed climax of the book, which in its entirety, takes place in a mere twenty pages at the conclusion of the book. Very hurried, and nothing like the Caledony story seen in A Million Open Doors, for example. Overall, while I can't say that this book was a disappointment (I did buy the uncorrected proof before it actually came out in hardback!), I would consider it the weakest of the three. The Thousand Cultures is a fasinating milieu, and other Barnes efforts such as Candle proove that he's one of the most creative sci-fi authors out there. Let's hope he uses this book as a stepping stone for bigger and better things for Leones in the future!
Rating:
Summary: Poor characterization and plot intriguing prognositication
Review: Notions of nihilism, ultimate entertainments, and cyber consciousness are touched upon from an slightly unusual perspective. Despite being focused on the characters, there is little character development , except for the protagonist, and the book ends without us having much sense of who they are and why they matter. Even with regard to the protagonist, although we get a lot of biographical detail there is less reality to this character that other authors masterfully develop in a paragraph.
Rating:
Summary: Science Fiction Without the Science
Review: The plot summary for this book is very misleading. Folks looking for an in-depth discussion of the "psypyx" and various scenarios involving the misuse of recorded personalities should look elsewhere. Instead, Barnes has created a less than impressive, highly predictable, space soap opera set against a very loosely defined sci-fi backdrop. Interested in reading about the pain of a messy divorce? Enjoy reading about bi-sexual threesomes? Find the endless rehashing of "Romeo and Juliet" a thrill? Waiting anxiously for a futuristic version of "Days of Our Lives?" If so, Merchants of Souls is the book for you. 352 pages of boredom awaits!
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