Customer Reviews

Diamond Mask

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love this series of books, and when I got my Kindle, I was looking forward to re-reading them on the new toy. But I cannot understand why the publisher is releasing the 1st book (Jack the Bodiless) after books 2 & 3, and why books 1 & 3 are $7 but book 2 is $18. That's just absurd. For a book that is over 15 years old, why do they find it necessary to rip off faithful readers? Also, why won't they make Intervention available? Publishers attitudes about e-book marketing are incomprehensible to me. I know, I'm just whining. But really!

It was Julian May's novels of the Pliocene Exile that first introduced me to her concepts of metapsychic powers and the Galactic Milieu. I enjoyed them very much--but hesitated for some time before checking out any of the prequels of the Galactic Milieu Trilogy; I doubted they could be nearly as good as the others, lacking the hilarious antics of Aiken Drum. And now I must confess to being a convert! Aiken or no Aiken, _Diamond Mask_ and its predecessor won me over thoroughly.

Imagine it: in the not-too-distant future, humankind has learned that there really *is* life out there; moreover, that life down *here* is richer than was once thought. Psychic gifts have finally been recognized, and are being trained to their highest potential. New technology has made nearly everything we have today obsolete, and death has almost been conquered thanks to such miracles as genetic medicine and rejuvenation tanks. However, some things never change... and the tendency of mankind to get into messes is one of them. These ideas appeared in _Jack the Bodiless_, and continue to be brought to life by May's grand talent in this sequel.

_Diamond Mask_ doesn't only have an intriguing premise and fabulous writing; it is also possessed of a plotline that's deliciously chilling without being frightening enough to give one nightmares. The metapsychic monsters Fury and Hydra introduced in _Jack the Bodiless_ are still on the loose and as horrifying in their power--and their mystery--as ever, tangling now with entirely new characters. Enter Dorothea Macdonald, a lady as interesting in her own right as any Remillard... and another legend introduced the Saga of the Pliocene Exile. While I can't say the Blessed Illusio was quite as I imagined her, it was certainly a pleasure to learn her story. I look forward to its continuation in _Magnificat_.

If the book has a flaw, it's that it's too short: more information about Dorothea's early life would have been welcome; likewise, I wouldn't have minded a bit more insight into Jack and Marc's working relationship... or the lives of the various Remillards... or--well, all right, so it would have been nice to get more detail on any number of things. Still, _Diamond Mask_ is a delightful page-turner that I'd thoroughly recommend to series fans and those new to May's Milieu (though the latter may wish to read _Jack the Bodiless_ first) alike.

Diamond Mask was wonderful for its introduction of Dorothea McDonald, the newest paramount grandmasterclass operant who comes practically out of nowhere to become one of the strongest characters of the whole series. Her incredible journey, and all the relationships she forms along the way are done in classic May style - ie with tons of colorful details, suspense, mystery, and humor, and a heck of a lot of heart. And there's enough Remillard mixed in there to feed that Jones. I am proud to say I now have only "Magnificat" to go before I am finished with all nine of these demanding and rewarding Julian May books, having read the four books Saga of Pliocene Exile, followed by the Surveillance, the Metaconcert, Jack the Bodiless, and most recently, Diamond Mask. You may wonder which one I have enjoyed best. Although it appears that each book theoretically could stand on its own, all of the books really are - like minds in a metaconcert - parts of a greater whole. Thus, they should all be judged together as one whole epic tale, and not compared to each other as separate parts. Having said that,however, I think Jack the Bodiless was the best so far. I recommend that everyone start with either "The Many Colored Land" or "The Surveillance" and proceed in order therefrom. All nine books are a big commitment, and the reading is sometimes tough and slowgoing, but the sacrifice pays off in spades. Too bad I only have one more book left - I may have to reread the whole series. It's the kind of thing that you just don't want to end. Get Julian May a Regen-Tank. And long live Aiken Drum!

Diamond Mask continues the Galactic Milieu trilogy which starts in Jack The Bodiless. If you have not read that book and the preceding series (The Saga Of The Pliocene Exile and Intervention) then you should not read this book. It is a well thought out and interesting book on its own, but it holds far more value when viewed in context with it's predecessors.

Diamond Mask is once again told as the recollections of Rogi Remillard, though for the most part this device dissolves into standard storytelling except when Rogi is directly involved. The book primarily focuses on Dorothea MacDonald (aka Diamond Mask). Her childhood, early life and her connection to the Remillard family through the entities Fury and Hydra (and later through Jack) are explored in this book. The development of her mental abilities and her major role in the Galactic Milieu takes center stage for most of the book. Fury and Hydra also become more of the focus of the book as Diamond Mask is heavily influenced by them in her childhood and in her later adult life.

Another focus of the book is Marc Remillard and his continuing development and increasing influence on the Galactic Milieu. This along with the growing rebellion against the Milieu is one of the main subplots to the book that get explored further in Magnificat, the third book in the series.

The characters are once again well thought out and though many years are skipped at times to move the story along it keeps us focused on important events instead of boring details. The pacing of the book is quick and the events revealed are momentous and it leaves you itching to get to the next book in the series.

This is everything a second book in a series should be. It is holds up well on its own, but it also neatly links up the preceding and following books in the series.

May's work is fantastic. I've never been a sci-fi fan. In fact I pretty much detested it. That is, until I read this book. This book was required for a class called "Female Heroes in Speculative Fiction" and I thought, "Oh boy, sci-fi, ick." I was pleasantly surprised. May masterfully develops her universe of characters into a riveting plot. She keeps your interest even to the last line where she drops a bomb, devastating all you thought you ever knew. To keep your sanity you must therefore read the next book. I can't wait to read all of the Galalctic Milieu and hopefully the Pilocene Exile as well. If you like to think, enjoy losing yourself in a good book, and relish being enthralled with superior writing, you owe it to yourself to read Diamond Mask.

This is a magnificent and intriguing publication. It is written with a magnificent sense of prose, and I literally devoured it in a few sittings. The journey of Dorathea Macdonald as develops into a paramount operent is filled with tragedies, loves, and denial. To be concise, its a great book!

Julian May has written a magnificent series spanning 6 million years. The series is so enjoyable, so well-crafted, and engaging. Not for the meek, this series of books is what I like to call PSY-fi, or psychological fiction. she writes in depth of the human psyche, and isn't afraid of using big words. I admit I struggled the first time I read these books, but I found I did understand what I was reading, and loving it!

This is the 3rd set of these books I have acquired, as the first 2 series have been stored in attics, and eves, and are not easily accessible. I have found it easier to spend the money to order the series again, whenever I have wanted to revisit her world for another read. Enjoy!

The being known as Fury is still at work, and an obvious target is Dorothea MacDonald, perhaps the most powerful operant human alive. She lives quietly on the Scots planet Caledonia. When whe tells Fury to get lost, the Milieu discover her as well, and when she enters the Metapsychi Institute, she meets Jack Remillard. They realise they are meant to be together, as Jack is the only other human with her power level.

A rebellion is brewing, and Caladonia is part of it. The rebels need more power, and Marc Remillard is someone they are interested in. It seems that the two brothers will be on opposite political sides.

"Diamond Mask" follows the adventures of the alternatingly lucky and luckless Remiellards and their friends (human and otherwise), starting when Jack is a teenager and continuing to almost the start of the Metaphysic Rebellion. The main event in this volume is the introduction of Dorothea McDonald, who we first see as a child when her mother is murdered my Hydra. I will posit that the characterization in "Diamond Mask" is magnificent, as it is in any Julian May novel. Everybody is entirely real, rounded, and has motivations that make sense.

This is good, of course. However, once you have created a cast of worthy characters, the question becomes: what are you going to do with them? Truthfully, the answer here is: almost nothing. The first half of the book contains only one plot event. The second half is only a minor improvement. Everything moves at an achingly slow pace. Passages covering Dorothea's background and upbringing are particularly irritating, because often times they're not even focused on the character. We get pages and pages of mechanical details on how to harvest air plants on Caledonia. Exucse me, could we get back to the story, please?

Another issue is the forshadowing, of which there is far too much. For instance, the narrator informs us early on that Hydra does successfully carry out the murders in the Hebrides. Then seventy pages are spent building up to the grand murder scene ... but we already now what's going to happen! Perhaps the publishers demanded a trilogy when May only had enough material for a duology. But consider, "Jack the Bodiless" already gave us substantial information about two storylines: the Metaphysic Rebellion, and the struggle against Fury and Hydra. At the end of "Diamond Mask", the rebellion hasn't yet started and Fury is not yet defeated. In short, we've run through 434 pages and not gotten any closer to the goal line. The problem is not that the writing is bad (it's good) or that the individual scenes are decently engaging (they are), but rather that we're flying in a holding pattern while the real story doesn't advance at all.

May wrote an excellent series of books, and this book is a fastastic example of her work. SHe takes you through Diamond's development as a power from her childhood to her successful accomplishments as a planetary leader. It is worth the purchase (but read Jack the Bodiless first to understand more fully).