In Endless Twilight (Forever Hero Trilogy, Vol 3)

Rating:
Summary: Protecting the Planet
Review: In Endless Twilight is the third novel in The Forever Hero trilogy, following The Silent Warrior. In the previous volume, Gershwin rebuilds a scrapped Federation scoutship into a yacht, liberates a cruiser pack of nuclear weapons, and retires from the ISS as a Commodore. He interrupts a conclave of the top Guild officials with a tachead and leaves only a scattering of individual assassins, whom the Empire removes. He also overthrows a local government that has been interfering in one of his special corporations.

In this novel, Gershwin contributes to a revolution on Byzania to protect his house trees project. The success of that mission leads him to concentrate on psywar, preparing the populace for a radical change of viewpoint. He backs alternate technology and libertarian publications, solicits relevant papers from outspoken intellectuals, and promotes political movements which advocate more social freedom. He finds that some societies have a serf mentality, incapable of desiring freedom.

The Empire finally decides to eliminate Gershwin, but they can't find him. Three Imperial squadrons are dedicated to searching for him but have little success. However, they do move against the OER Foundation.

Eventually Gershwin returns to Old Earth, infiltrating through an Imperial squadron, and lands his scoutship for the last time. He starts wandering the continents, giving summary justice to malefactors and encouraging personal freedoms. He builds a small cabin in the green woods and settles in for the centuries.

Highly recommended for Modesitt fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of political subversion, complicated scheming, and personal combat.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Rating:
Summary: I Really Wanted To Like This One...
Review: In this, the final volume of The Forever Hero trilogy, the once and current devilkid Gerswin ultimately brings down the bloated Empire after much subvervsion and some ship-to-ship as well as hand-to-hand combat.

Coming off the previous two books of this trilogy I kind of knew what to expect from this final volume...a lot of mediocre combat scenes as well as some shallow political intrigue (at least from the point of view of the writing). I was not disappointed. Modesitt shows little creative depth in this book, and indeed, in the entire trilogy. His plot jumps around so much that the only constant in this book is Gerswin himself...no other character sticks around for even 50 pages. Also, this third volume has nearly none of the -- for lack of a better word -- compassion Gerswin imparts on several characters in the previous volume...The Silent Warrior. But the book isn't all shallow political and military/mercenary meanderings. The book did have some redeeming value, the end to the trilogy (the last 30 pages or so) did end somewhat...fittingly. [Warning: The last 30-40 pages hold at least two scenes that may not be appropriate for kids under 12-14.]

The volumes of this trilogy were the first works I had undertaken by Modesitt and I have to admit I am somewhat disappointed. For all of Modesitt's prolificacy of writings I was expecting a more mature, thoughtful read...instead what I ended up with was only slightly above a "shoot 'em up" story designed for the early teen reader. I can't tell you for certain that I will never read any of Modesitt's works again...but his stuff is certainly no longer high on my list of must-reads.