The Terrorists of Irustan

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: "The Terrorists of Irustan" is a novel set in the future on a planet distant from Earth, but it has a rather timeless, almost present-day feel to it. Comparisons with the Middle East are hard to ignore.

Irustan is a planet where women have no rights whatsoever. The story interweaves the tales of two women: Zahra, a "medicant" (doctor), who lives on Irustan, and Jin-Li Chung, a woman from Earth who works on Irustan and who is masquerading as a man. When Zahra becomes sickened, frustrated, and horrified by the abuse she sees happening around her, she takes matters into her own hands.

Character development is excellent here, and the plot moves briskly along. At times this story is gut-wrenching and hard to take, but it's nevertheless a real page turner.

Rating:
Summary: an enjoyable book, with a few problems...
Review: basically a good book, the kind i couldn't put down once i was halfway through. the culture presented was a complex religious society that superficially was meant to resemble islam (but really wasn't, perhaps deliberately to avoid offending?) the problems i had were with the characters. when people are socialized into a society, even one that oppresses them, they usually believe in it. too many of the female characters reacted to the society in which they were born and raised as if they were 20th century american women. i also really did not like the final scene, when qadir, and seemingly half of the planet's population had a miraculous conversion.

all that aside, i really did like the book. once i got past my character concerns, i could not put it down--i still wanted to see how it would all work out.

Rating:
Summary: Great writing but an equivocal story
Review: First; I must say I really, really love Louise Marley's writing. It has such feeling. She can capture the physical sounds, scents, tastes of a strange world so well. (Her wonderful Trilogy Sing the Light, Warmth, and Receive the Gift is out of print which is sad because it's an excellent set of sci fi novels. )

I hurried to get Irustan as soon as it hit the shelves. I wasn't so enamoured with it as with the Trilogy. While it is written well, and frankly I couldn't put it down, I questioned the actions of the protagonists (I won't say what they did, I don't want to create a spoiler for anyone reading this) but even though the women in the book are oppressed, I don't think they had the right to do what they did. However, the leader does accept punishment for her actions.

Irustan is of course drawn from cultures on Earth that oppress women (similar to Tepper's Singer from the Sea) Even with this derivation, however, there is a lot of originality. However it is not as original as Atwood's Handmaid's Tale nor Tepper's Singer from the Sea.

Should you read it? Yes, because Marley is a fresh, welcome new science fiction writer of great talent. Is it her best work? I think not.

Rating:
Summary: The Terrorists of Irustan
Review: I found this book to be similar in many respects to Margaret Atwood's A HANDMAIDS TALE, and several books by Sherri S. Tepper. An excellent read, a book I plan to add to my library of women writers whose message is insightful and thought provoking.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful, and darkly realistic
Review: I picked this up at the library on a whim and found I couldn't put it down. Other reviewers have covered the plot summary, so I won't elaborate on that. I will say that the powerful emotions evoked by the darkly realistic tale kept me awake and thinking. Midway through the book, the events play out somewhat predictably, but the focus of the book is, rightly, not so much about the plot as it is about making the reader think. A powerful story, it reminds one of how women have been treated throughout the ages, first as property and later, as lesser citizens until today, when such repression still occurs in parts of the world. Yet it's such a well-written book that I'd recommend it even to the non-feminists among us. It's a story of one woman, one character who fights against her world in order to change it. The author has fashioned a masterly portrayal of the protagonist that will be remembered by the reader long after the book has been put down.

Rating:
Summary: Heartbreaking and beautifully written
Review: I picked up this book because the author wrote to my sf/f book group to introduce herself. I wanted to see what her books were like, and now I intend to seek out more. I expected the book to be like "The Handmaid's Tale," but, though the themes were similar, I thought Marley's writing was more full-blooded than Atwood's (perhaps because she is more familiar with the science fiction genre). The book is beautifully written--Marley has a distinctive writing voice--and ultimately heartbreaking. I did cry at the end. The characters are subtly and fully drawn. Although not without a few small faults (I didn't quite buy Qadir's conversion), I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading thoughtful, thought-provoking science fiction.

Rating:
Summary: captivating and compelling
Review: I started reading Marley's latest book in the evening, and before I knew it, I was still reading at 1 AM. This is a complex and wonderful story, one that succeeds in angering, saddening, and uplifting the reader all at the same time. I highly recommend it!

Rating:
Summary: An amazing change
Review: I was amazed at the texture and background of this book. I've read science fiction, fantasy and horror most of my life. I started young with the Astonshing Stereoscope. In my experience, most writers draw on Western European themes. A few extraordinary writers do pull from Asia or Russia. This is the first time I have read a book with Middle Eastern backgrounds. I really enjoyed the newness. The characters are well developed and their actions make sense. The tragic climax and the hopeful ending were emotionally charged. I highly recommend this very different reading experience.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible...
Review: I was skeptical when I first read the plot description for "The Terrorists of Irustan", but Marley pulls it off successfully. Towards the end, this novel becomes a real page-turner. I sped through the final hundred pages in one sitting. Even though the actual plot events are somewhat predictable, each scene is developed with such care that I couldn't stop reading.

The planet of Irustan is a rigidly religious society where women hold no political power and are frequently abused or even killed by their husbands. Of course, we know that there are places on Earth right now where such conditions aren't fictional, but Marley brings the situation to life by taking us inside the head of the female main character. Zahra, a medical professional (medicant) in the main city on Irustan, must treat injured women on a daily basis. The author does a wonderful job of showing her frustration and her determination to fight back against society. Unfortunately, most of the minor characters are largely ignored, but the overall effect of the story is still powerful. I won't explain what Zahra does, but I will say that Marley's analysis of her emotional state throughout the book makes her one of the most memorable characters that I've ever encountered in a science fiction novel. And although there are a few loose threads that don't get tied up at the end, the conclusion is still a powerful scene in its own right. Pick up a copy of "The Terrorists of Irustan"; you won't regret it.

Rating:
Summary: Meaningful and suspenseful
Review: I was skeptical when I first read the plot description for "The Terrorists of Irustan", but Marley pulls it off successfully. Towards the end, this novel becomes a real page-turner. I sped through the final hundred pages in one sitting. Even though the actual plot events are somewhat predictable, each scene is developed with such care that I couldn't stop reading.

The planet of Irustan is a rigidly religious society where women hold no political power and are frequently abused or even killed by their husbands. Of course, we know that there are places on Earth right now where such conditions aren't fictional, but Marley brings the situation to life by taking us inside the head of the female main character. Zahra, a medical professional (medicant) in the main city on Irustan, must treat injured women on a daily basis. The author does a wonderful job of showing her frustration and her determination to fight back against society. Unfortunately, most of the minor characters are largely ignored, but the overall effect of the story is still powerful. I won't explain what Zahra does, but I will say that Marley's analysis of her emotional state throughout the book makes her one of the most memorable characters that I've ever encountered in a science fiction novel. And although there are a few loose threads that don't get tied up at the end, the conclusion is still a powerful scene in its own right. Pick up a copy of "The Terrorists of Irustan"; you won't regret it.