Bantam books, 1996. This is the second installment of the second series of the uplift saga. The previous book in this series was Brightness Reef . About 644 pages of densely packed words. I'm a slow reader and I definitely note that with this book, I do not feel like I was cheated on paper. I paid for a story, and by gum, David Brin delivers.
Chronicles the further adventures of Alvin, Huck, Sarah and the rest on the planet of Jijo. And there are a few surprises. But still we're no closer to understanding the truth about the origins of the wolfling species Homo Sapiens . I'm dying for the third installment. Btw, my recollection of where I read what is a little vague, but I think this series is tying in with the first. I haven't read about so many different types of aliens since Jack Chalker's Well of Souls pentology.
On the good side, we do discover why some of the races on Jijo ended up on a planet that was supposed to be fallow...especially since their presence there could bring about complete extermination not just of themselves, but of their entire races. The stakes are high and so's my curiosity. Come on, Dave, man...lay it on us.
Learning and knowledge and technology are either a 1) extreme sin, 2) mild sin, or 3) noble calling depending on which galactic philosophy one subscribes to. There are fundamentalist fanatics, heretics, and humble followers. I love the way these characters are continually faced with reevaluating their fundamental assumptions.
A fine tale, and one I hope I can finish reading this year some time! The title of the next book is supposed to be Heaven's Reach . It's not published yet, but it's already a definite on my list.
