Customer Reviews

The Hidden Worlds

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

 

 

My one word description of THE HIDDEN WORLDS? Tense.

The novel starts when a ship is lost at sea, thus dooming Linnea's village that depends on it for its survival. Linnea and her family evacuate the village, going to an overcrowded city where jobs are scarce. Then, Linnea's sister tells her of a family secret in the form of a mysterious cylinder. Linnea takes the secret to a government bureaucrat with whom she has become friendly, and together they hatch a scheme to use the secret as leverage against the Pilot-Masters to compel them to renew a trade contract with her world.

In short, she wants to bribe them.

Well, it turns out that the government bureaucrat has just the thing she needs to get to Nexus, and it has been waiting for someone in her family to claim it for years. It is a labor contract. With Iain. Who has no idea of its existence.

By the end of the novel, I was still not sure of the motives behind the labor contract storyline. But then, neither does Linnea, so I can hardly quibble with that.

I found Landon's prose utilitarian, in keeping with the gritty story. Her writing was entirely transparent and her dialog flowed effortlessly. I would call it a character-driven story, except that term usually relates to the protagonist and his or her motivations. The characters who drive this story are definitely the villains. Throughout much of the story, the protagonists seem like driftwood in a maelstrom, almost powerless to resist the forces around them. Through the self-sacrificing actions of those around them, they finally find a way to prevail, at least in a small way.

Some nits: the Pilot-Masters live under a set of birth restrictions that I found unrealistic. The plot does address this discrepancy, but it still leaves much a mystery. I can hardly find fault with that, since this book is the first of a series. I must be patient. I'm also interested in finding out why a society of men would agree to the restrictions that they live under, not to mention why women would agree to be shut out, entirely. And as other reviewers suggest, the brutality was often difficult to get through.

However, the absolute excellent pacing of the writing made the novel dang-near impossible to put down, and it earns this review four stars.

As for the contents of that mysterious cylinder? At the end of the novel, it is still a mystery.

What a joy discovering this book was! I enjoy good science fiction, but frankly it is hard to find works in this genre that don't come off as shallow and/or formulaic. The Hidden Worlds is most definitely neither! It is very rare to find a science fiction story that provides real insights into the human condition, but Kristin Landon has done so in spades. All the characters are three-dimensional; even the villains have levels and depth to them. The hero, Iain, is flawed but noble; appealing yet frustrating. But it is the heroine, Linnea, that really holds your attention. There are no trite happy endings here, and yet the reader is left with the sense that Linnea represents the triumph of the human spirit over all odds.

What is really remarkable is that, for all that depth, The Hidden Worlds is a page-turner of the highest magnitude. I lost several nights of good sleep because I just HAD to find out what happens next. Indeed, I still feel that way, and I greatly look forward to what Landon comes up with next.

Finally, I have to give big kudos to Landon's imagination. It is not easy to invent worlds that seem vivid and real, particularly worlds in the future. So often when reading science fiction these days the reader is left with the sense of "been there, done that." Believe me, you will not feel that way while reading The Hidden Worlds.

The thing that stands out the most for me in this book was the underdeveloped character motivation. She's brought to his home as (essentially) a slave, sleeps with him, and then suddenly there's a bond so strong they'll sacrifice all that has mattered to them up to this point in order to share an uncertain future. There was plenty of action/activity, but emotionally, there was no build-up in between to get us from Introductions to Self-Sacrificing Soulmates. It felt like there was a huge chunk missing.

The characters' ages also struck a discordant, inconsistent note for me, in particular Iain. He was surprisingly passive, dependent, and naive for someone in their mid-30s. I couldn't see why she'd be interested in a guy who seems a little high-maintenance. And at 19, she seemed like she'd be a little young for him, so it also felt a little...uncomfortable.

Since this is the only book of hers that I've read, I'm guessing that some of the undescribed details of this dystopia (like the Cold Minds) are explained elsewhere in another book. Sadly, this book didn't leave me motivated enough to find out.

While I usually read a few reviews before purchasing a book from an author I have not read before I generally like to read additional reviews after reading the book as well in order to see how my opinion stacks up with the general consensus. I was a bit surprised at the lack of consensus on this book, as it was one of the more straightforward and clearly written novels I have read in quite some time. Given the wide ranging reviews I thought it useful to give an idea of what type of book this is (or is not).

It is not hard sci-fi: Readers expecting insights into the technological future or a story driven by future technologies will be disappointed. This is a story about a group with a secret, and their desire to maintain that secret, and it happens to take place in the future. The basic plot could easily take place today - just substitute a modern company with a monopoly and a corporate secret known only by a few.

It is not an explosion ridden, escape-a-minute adventure: People are at the center of the story, and the trials are mostly psychological, not physical.

It is not a bodice-ripper: I really dislike romance thrown in for the heck of it and/or dominating the story and I would have dropped this book in a second if that was the case. Yes, there is a strong romantic element - it is one of the main motivations for the protagonists - but I found it contributed to and helped move the story rather than dominate it.

Is there a lot of abuse? There are several places where acts of sexual and other physical/mental abuse are implied. It helps define the protagonists and why they act like they do. But none of it occurs "on camera" - a mistake in my opinion, as I think at least of glimpse of what actually happened may help readers feel a stronger connection to the protagonists.

What is good about this book? Definitely the writing style. Clean and crisp, rarely does a word seem out of place. The pacing is very good. Textbook examples of foreshadowing. I've read a fair bit of sprawling sci-fi and fantasy lately and those authors (and their editors!) should take some lessons from Ms. Landon. All in all it was very refreshing to read someone who has good ideas for stories but can also communicate them effectively to the reader.

What is not to my taste? For me the book is a tad too one-dimensional. The plot is transparent and could have used another layer of complexity - more "wheels within wheels". The cultures appear one-dimensional and thus unrealistic. The characters are contrasted against their cultures nicely but they too seem emotionally one-dimensional. In a way the author's writing style does her a disservice as well, as the writing is so consistent and appropriate foreshadowing in place that there were never really any surprises.

I'll finish by commenting that I don't know if it was the author's intent, but the whole novel felt cold. I only half-joking said to my wife that it was as if the Cold Minds themselves (the machine entities in the novel) wrote this book - it is precise and follows all the rules but somehow seems to lack a human quality. So unless that is actually Ms. Landon's joke on all her readers then I'd advise her to break a few rules, give us some surprises and let the sun shine in occasionally. For now I'm satisfied that she is human and that by adding some emotional color and plot depth to her already excellent writing skills her future books will be even better.

When I originally picked up this book I thought it was a sci-fi romance. I didn't realize that really it was a science fiction novel, with some romance that had a cover (that while pretty) didn't accurately portray the contents at all.

Linnea is a feisty heroine with a plan that may or may not be the stupidest idea she's ever had. Really depends on your viewpoint. She wants to save her planet at all costs--even that of her family ties and respect. Iain is rather the opposite--he'd give up his family pretty quickly all told (some of them are...disturbing to say the least.).

When I first read the book I didn't have any problems with how it was written--its more or less a two part story in one novel. The first part is Linnea's daring plan, making an ally of Iain and uncovering a lot she really shouldn't have. The second part is the consequences (for them both) of uncovering that terrible secret. On a second (or third I forget which this is) read through it felt a little more disparate.

Then also Landon has homosexual relationship between men as the norm for Iain's society--its almost as expected of a man to take a male lover as a female lover. Women are more or less ornaments in his world, used for breeding purposes to create better pilots. Unfortunately the Pilot-Master society is ruthless and it leads to the disturbing person that is Iain's cousin, Rafael who uses sexual abuse against both Linnea and Iain.

I don't think this is necessarily a novel for people who don't like a whole lot of dark in their reading--the end is...less than hopeful for a variety of reasons. The 'evil' of the series in general (The Cold Minds) turned my stomach a bit. Even still I recommend this to fans of suspenseful science fiction books.

I believe the Hidden Worlds to be well-written and enjoyable for the most part. There is disturbing content, however, that unnecessarily steps all over my mental toes. I'm sure there are places for sexual and physical abuse, but all over the place isn't one of them. I found several plot points rather unbelievable, even for a science fiction book. Take, for example, a character almost gets assaulted; then, she up and sleeps with someone not more than 3 seconds later. Yeah, right.

If there was a rating system on books, and I don't know why there isn't except for the practicalities of implementing such a thing, this would be b/t rated R and X. Highly NOT recommended for anyone under 18.

"The Hidden Worlds" is a great science-fiction yarn, full of twists and turns and beautifully written. The worlds come alive as Landon describes them, and the characters are complicated, interesting, and passionate people about whom the reader comes to care very deeply.

Linnea, the book's heroine, has run into more than her share of bad luck in recent years: her planet has been nearly abandoned by the Pilots on whom the "hidden worlds" depend for supplies and protection, and her impoverished village loses its boat, its men, and its livelihood in a terrible accident. What's a scrappy, stubborn, technically competent girl to do, with an extended family depending on her to save them? Linnea's quest to rescue her family and find her own way in the world takes her very far from home. On the rich, powerful, and rather sinister planet Nexus, where the Pilots live and train, Linnea will find out just how tough (and tender) a person she can be. And all the while, the nanobots of the Cold Minds are relentlessly approaching the hidden worlds . . . .

I read this book in one loooong gulp and with great delight. Kristin Landon is a fabulous writer, and I can't wait for more from her!

. . . in a place I'd run from.

Bullied woman decides to sleep with guy she's indentured herself to.

After Jani Kilian and Jenny Casey, Soz Valdoria and Honor Harrington--to say nothing of "that" Longknife--we retrogress at least two decades back to this bodice-ripper masquerading as sci-fi.

With its purple prose, its pretentious foreshadowings, its unpleasant unbelievable characters, I doubt guys will enjoy it, nor will women feel empowered.

You have been warned, mes amis.

This book is one of my new favorite reads. It mixes sci-fi, romance, and andventure with a twist of the matrix. Definately worth reading.

The Cold Minds, predatory machine intelligences, rose up and killed most humans and earth itself. Thanks to the jump pilots who work for the guild known as the Line, the only ones who can enter jump space, sent many humans to various planets in the galaxy where they stay hidden from the machines that would kill them if they knew where they were located. The line controls communication and travel between The Hidden Worlds.

On one of the poorest world Santandru Linnea destroys her reputation by accepting a bond servant contract with a male of Nexus, home of the Line pilots. She hopes to exchange information her family has on the family Iain in exchange for the Line to sign a contract renewing their services to her planet and taking care of her and the family. Iain knows nothing of this and his father refuses to tell her what he knows. Iain's uncle, the head of the Line makes it appear that Iain, Linnea and his father are engaging in a conspiracy and he wants them killed. Iain believes the Line should rise above their petty squabbles because the Cold Minds have infected one planet. With the knowledge Iain has learned from his father he has the means of guarding the Hidden Worlds if he could avoid getting killed by his family and elude, with Linnea's help, planet politics and enemies.

This is the first science fiction thriller in what looks to be a great new space opera series. Iain was kept in the dark about certain truths but he has to put the message out to the governments of the Hidden Worlds if they are to avoid a slaughter by the sentient machines. The heroine has the strength and wisdom to survive against overwhelming odds and as she learns to trust Iain, her fear of men begins to evaporate. She will go to extraordinary lengths to save him and travel with him to other words to deliver their message. Kristin Landon has written a spectacular sci-fi thriller that takes place in the distant future.

Harriet Klausner