Helpful Score: 1
Louise Marley does it again---sucks you into a different world and makes you think of it as completely real and logical. This novel flows even more cleanly than the TERRORISTS OF IRUSTAN or THE GLASS HARMONICA. A really good read!
This was a fascinating and engaging book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The introduction and growth of Oa was fascinating to follow along with, and the character of Isabel is wonderful. The moral issues presented are nicely interwoven with the plot, never overshadowing it but always there, in the background, where you can't ignore them. All it all, it is a beautifully crafted story!
This was my first Louise Marley book, and I liked it A LOT. I'm an atheist, so I was a bit bothered by the whole "let's talk morality in terms of Catholicism" bits. Plus, I couldn't really relate to the main character all that much seeing as she was a Catholic priest while I'm an ex-Catholic. However, the fact that an atheist did love this book says a lot about how well written it is, full of interesting characters, great writing, good plot.
Louise Marley is a good writer and I liked that this book was very character driven, while still managing to have some good world building. But I couldn't actually enjoy it because the overall theme of the book was white Catholic missionaries saving primitive Africans* from their evil superstitions while claiming the natural resources of their world for themselves. So gross.
* = Literally, the people of the planet are African and primitive. The original colonists came from Mali and in spite of every other colony that's mentioned being technologically advanced, these people live in grass huts and use tools made only from wood and stone.
* = Literally, the people of the planet are African and primitive. The original colonists came from Mali and in spite of every other colony that's mentioned being technologically advanced, these people live in grass huts and use tools made only from wood and stone.
I loved this book, as I've loved several other books I've read by Louise Marley. She creates very believable, human characters and heartfelt relationships - in this case a woman on a spiritual path (the order of Mary Magdalene) on another planet whose primary fault and virtue is her own capacity to love. Her relationships with the strange ageless girl Oa is very moving, as is the portrayal of Oa's world of immortal children. Meanwhile, as she seeks to protect the children of this world, greedy industrialists seek to exploit the world for its energy sources, and those who seek the secret of immortality treat the children as guinea pigs. Yes, you may have heard a similar story before, in its many variations (such as in Avatar) but Marley's conception and writing are quite original, and very touching. You will truly care for the main characters, as I did. And the child Oa is memorable.
I loved this book, as I've loved several other novels by Louise Marley. She creates very believable, human characters and heartfelt relationships - in this case a woman on a spiritual path (the order of Mary Magdalene) on another planet whose primary fault and virtue is her own capacity to love. Her relationships with the strange ageless girl Oa is very moving, as is the portrayal of Oa's world of immortal children. Meanwhile, as she seeks to protect the children of this world, greedy industrialists seek to exploit the world for its energy sources, and those who seek the secret of immortality treat the children as guinea pigs. Yes, you may have heard a similar story before, in its many variations (such as in Avatar) but Marley's conception and writing are quite original, and very touching. You will truly care for the main characters, as I did. And the child Oa is memorable.
I had a hard time putting this one down. The mystery involving the child and what or who she is was what kept me engaged in the story. Isabel was an intriguing character as well. You know her but you still feel theres parts you'll never see. You even feel sympathy for the "bad" characters.
