Review by Booklist Review
Modesitt's latest fantasy (after Endgames, 2019) is not the average good versus evil story. Readers are introduced to Corvyn, a personified Raven, who remembers all of humanity's falls from grace. Humanity exists among different lands governed by Hegemons, some of whom are godlike, though each is of a different religious persuasion. When Corvyn becomes aware of mysterious black images burned into the holy places, he must determine the power source to prevent another fall, for the images are surely a portent of evil, and he worries humanity will not recover. What follows is an epic journey across the lands as Corvyn pursues this power to the final conclusion, rekindling friendships and coming to the aid of society's unwanted along the way in a messiah-like fashion. Modesitt Jr. is a prolific sf and fantasy author, and fans of his work will want to read his latest novel. While it does get off the ground slowly, the connections Corvyn forms along the way make the journey well worth following.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Modesitt (the Saga of Recluce series) explores the nature of belief with this dense, thoughtful work. Corvyn is an immensely powerful air spirit: sometimes man, sometimes raven, always wry. In the millennia since the Third Fall of humankind destroyed the Earth, Corvyn has tried and failed to stop multiple subsequent Falls from Grace on the planet called Heaven, which is home to the gods and personified philosophies of every human religion. When a mysterious power etches the image of a trident into the sanctums of numerous holy sites on Heaven, as well as into the wall of Corvyn's own study, he sets out on an enthralling expedition to discover who's responsible, and how--or if--he can stop them from triggering yet another Fall. Through Corvyn's investigation, Modesitt displays his formidable talent for worldbuilding, incorporating a multitude of belief systems into the fabric of Heaven's society. The heavy doses of philosophy make this cross-genre novel a slow but enriching reading experience; fans of thought-provoking speculative fiction will be hooked. (July)
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Review by Library Journal Review
With his stories already nominated for Hugo, Nebula, BSFA, Sturgeon, and World Fantasy honors, debut novelist Rosenbaum (The Ant King and Other Stories) returns with The Unraveling, which dreams up a far-future, distant-galaxy, rigidly structured society where individuals have multiple bodies and staid-gendered Fift and bail-gendered bioengineer Shria wind up in the midst of an eyebrow-raising art spectacle. Salvatore's Relentless closes his "Generations" trilogy with Zaknafein reunited with son Drizzt Do'Urden and reconciled to life's unpredictability (100,000-copy first printing).
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A philosophical wrangle culminates in a lethal real-world confrontation, with creation itself in jeopardy. On planet Heaven, where everything has religious connotations, the 10 major human religions--most of them identifiable, if sometimes in unfamiliar guise--have their own territories, known collectively as the Decalivre, each ruled by a hegemon. Religions with fewer adherents have their own villages of belief, and there are skeptic areas, too. Hegemons and lesser authorities wield powers derived from an ability to manipulate reality at the quantum level. Harmony is enforced by surveillance satellites, directed-energy weapons, and beings such as Corvyn, who functions as a sort of policeman, conscience, and judge. He remembers untold past civilizations destroyed by religious strife. So when an unknown power burns the image of a black-flamed trident into the holy places of the Decalivre, Corvyn recognizes both a challenge and a threat. To determine what's going on, he tours the cities, interviewing hegemons or their delegates. Some prove accommodating, others hostile; some fence verbally, others attempt violence. Corvyn himself must traverse the Sands of Time, a type of hell where almost anything can happen. Religion and belief are thorny topics, but Modesitt tackles them and the passions they inspire with impressive skill and respect and a deep knowledge of holy books, religious commentaries, mythology, and much besides. Indeed, it's a venture quite unlike anything this talented and versatile writer has attempted before, notwithstanding that he's earned recognition in various science-fiction and fantasy modes by always offering clear, concrete explanations of how and why things work. What readers will take away depends largely on what they themselves bring along. Certainly the work feels uncommonly subtle and, tantalizingly, not altogether finished. The premise, ultimately, may just be too obvious. Absorbing and thoughtful yet not entirely rewarding. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
