This was a fascinating book. What happens when the Jesuits wind up being first contact with an alien civilization? This is the book that frames it's story around answering that question.
And so the book is about faith. But it's not preachy at all; we have here men of the cloth who generally look at the world head-on and do the right things. That's a treatment of religion that I can get behind, since I'm not asked to believe the superstition, I'm just asked to treat the practitioners with respect and use their works as the basis for how I'm to judge them.
The story is told in two narrative paths, separated by time. It's an interesting choice, and mostly works, once you get used to it. It does allow the "future" narrative to heavily foreshadow and hint, which Russell works as hard as she can without giving everything away. Ultimately, I don't think it worked as well as she would have liked, though.
This was a very enjoyable book, though. I'm glad I found it on the "trade" shelf at work.
4 of 5 stars.
And so the book is about faith. But it's not preachy at all; we have here men of the cloth who generally look at the world head-on and do the right things. That's a treatment of religion that I can get behind, since I'm not asked to believe the superstition, I'm just asked to treat the practitioners with respect and use their works as the basis for how I'm to judge them.
The story is told in two narrative paths, separated by time. It's an interesting choice, and mostly works, once you get used to it. It does allow the "future" narrative to heavily foreshadow and hint, which Russell works as hard as she can without giving everything away. Ultimately, I don't think it worked as well as she would have liked, though.
This was a very enjoyable book, though. I'm glad I found it on the "trade" shelf at work.
4 of 5 stars.
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