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!
Rating: 
Summary: A very human story
Review: Unlike the other reviewers of this book, I found the obviously deeply personal involvement in the plot of this book to parallel the attitudes and observations of our hero, Giraut. There is a deep synergy, to me, between the writing style, the character's emotions, and the plot of the book. Very different from the first book of the series and similar in style to the second, I was amazed at the depth and clarity provided by the dual personalities in the main character and the time spent reviewing what made the protagonist who he was. Certainly not typical sci-fi, it may be hard-to-swallow for a person looking for futuristic adventure. As existential fiction, however, it seemed right-on.
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