Customer Reviews

Magnificat: Book Three of the Galactic Milieu Trilogy

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I was deeply suprised to read reviews of this whole series on Amazon and find so little mention of Marc. For me Magnificat was solely his tale, and the whole nine books were basically his story as well. He was after all the shaper of all that passed through the two series, for the Saga was post-Revolution and the Milieu books post-Duat. I've never been affected as deeply by a character as I have been by Marc. For this reason, I suppose, I found Magnificat the most engrossing of the books excepting Intervention. Intervention was my favourite but Magnificat was the premium. I think May, unlike some of the other reviewers, depicted the revolution just how I had expected. And realistically too. The way Marc used the deeply held convictions of those humans who (oh so human-ly) refused to sacrifice what they believed were their individual rights for his own self-centered reasons was very realistic. The echoes of horror that were seen in the Saga, the memories of the revolution, did not seem unwarranted to me. Two planets were obliterated. The flower of the metapsychic families in May's genealogies were destroyed. And Marc became the true angel of the abyss. I find it difficult to understand how readers of this series brush off the central character so easily. Perhaps re-reading of the other books would contribute to their awareness of the subtlety with which May presented the choices and regrets (or lack thereof) which her characters made, particularly during the Rebellion. Little things like the 'scent of pine' that was Jack's last thought had me in tears where pages and pages on the relationship of Jack and Marc at that point would have been crass. The reference to this in the brilliant opening sequence of Intervention where Rogi is in the pine glade brought this home so strongly for me. I think the comment by another author about these super brains being basically children was very relevant.It rings true in the light of the eternal issue in this series about the true nature of humans. Is it in our immense brains and mental capacity or in our physical/emotional experience of life? Thi sis not an issue resolved in the novels but definitely something to think on. Marc is a hater of the body (cf Nietzsche "Zarathustra' - On the Haters of the Body) and Jack is trapped within his mind. The Lylmik, the embodiment (excuse the pun) of Mental Man, are urged towards the experience of the flesh in Magnificat, yet the humans are simultaneously being shuffled along the path of Jack's radical evolution towards discoporality. Which is right? Is Marc's denial of his flesh the inhuman flaw from which he never redeems himself? Can the freedom of discoporality be anything less than a disaster until we gain the psychological maturity to deal with the chains of the body? Cycles within cycles within cycles, just as the books themselves are.

Allow me to give out one or two helpful hints to anyone who is reading Julian May's books for the first time. First off, do NOT begin with Magnificat. For that matter, don't even start with the Galactic Milieu series. May's nine book collection is a story cycle; meaning, the last book leads immediately to the first, and so on. For those who read Magnificat and felt "let down" and "confused", or that the book was too predictable, remember this: Rogatien Remillard first began the familly history in The Surveillance, and much of Marc's (and the Family's) history was disclosed in The Adversary. I knew what would ultimately take place in the final confrontation, who would die, and who would be spared. With intuition, I knew who Fury and The Family Ghost were from reading the previous books. I knew how the story began and ended- and yet, I read on. I put myself (figuratively) in Uncle Rogi's shoes- he lived though it once, and had to relive it, reluctantly, through the memoirs. I was saddened that this ten year long journey I'd taken with May was finally at an end. And then I remembered: It's not over! The story continues! It may be a little while, but I'll soon be dusting off The Many Colored Land, and starting all over again...

Magnificat is the ending of the Galactic Milieu trilogy and for the most part the end of the overall series which started in the Saga of the Pliocene Exile and continued in Intervention. This book will be nearly unreadable for those who have not read the previous books in the Galactic Milieu trilogy and it is further recommended that you read the aforementioned series (Saga and Intervention) as well. My review is predicated on having read all of that material.

Having said that, Magnificat is a wonderful conclusion to a great series of books. The only unfortunate part is the ending which is foreshortened because the real ending for many of the characters in this book is actually what happens in the Saga of The Pliocene Exile. Despite this I can't help agreeing with the other reviewer that we could have benefited from a more detailed denouement involving Rogi, the Remillard family and the returned Pliocene Exiles. Some more details to wind us down after the momentous events at the end of the book would have been welcome.

As it is this book gives us the final disposition of humanities position within the Galactic Milieu, the fate of Marc Remillard, Mental Man and the Metapsychic Rebellion, as well as Jack The Bodiless and Diamond Mask. In addition it resolves the Fury and Hydra plotline. All in all there is a lot happening in this book and it is easy to see why people might be dissatisfied with the conclusion of all these plots in one book. Many writers would have had this book be twice the size, but Julian May manages to not jam too many details into the mix here, maybe to the detriment of the story, but in the end the pacing remains quick and focused. For those who have read the Saga of The Pliocene Exile those books give a more satisfying conclusion to the events begun in this series even though Saga actually circles back around and is actually the beginning. All the more reason to read the other series before this one to gain a full understanding of why things end the way they do and why and how the Family Ghost came back to have Rogi write these memoirs.

I can't agree with those giving this book a 1 star review as this book is very consistent with the themes and plots of the previous books and closes the circle of the three series in an above average fashion. The only gripe keeping this from being a five star book would be the aforementioned lack of detail at the finale.

I had a similar problem with the Pleiocene Saga in that May weaves a rich tapestry of characters and compelling situations, only to cut you off after the climax. This book would profit from a lengthy denoument, something for the reader to savor after making it through the first 8 books. Events at the end do happen too quickly and while the final conflict and resolution is cogent, as always, a deeper satsifaction is lacking. Still, May's universe is extremely well-structured and just a staggeringly brilliant vision of the future. The scope and bredth of her entire body of work is inspiring. Magnificat begins in the same meticulous and careful manner we've come to expect from May. Right about the time that Marc first meets Cyndia, it seems events get a little clumsy and rushed. Still a highly recommended series, and if you've read the first two, you can't stop there.

To tell the truth, I liked Julians books that much that I am quite disappointed if this was it. I would like to hear more about unity and will humanity really lead it into a glorious future, is fury dead, ... ? There r so many open questions, and I hope that some of them will find an answer, so please Madam, do write atleast one more title. And if it is only to help me practise my english. Thanks in anycase for the wonderful books you have written up to now. You r on the same rank as I.Asimov is, and u remind me of him for you give humanity a great future.

The Galactic Milieu trilogy was an amazing series and a worthy successor to the Saga of Pliocene Exile and Intervention. Magnificat is the culmination of all the previous works, and is the story of the rise and fall of Marc Remillard. Like one of the other reviewers, I found Marc to be one of the most complex and intriguing characters I've ever read about. He is the Angel of the Abyss and destroyed billions of lives. And courtesy of the wonders of time travel, he is simultaneously Atoning Unifex, the oldest and wisest of the Lylmik, who six million years too late realizes his sin but cannot intervene to stop it.

Marc is truly a creature of opposites. As Unifex, he dances with his young cousin Addie because he finally understands love. As Marc, he ruthlessly tries to sacrifice his own children to his scientific dream. But even in the Pliocene Exile saga, there are hints of redemption as Marc himself activates the time gate to send the kids back home. And in Unifex we still see hints of the old Marc as he coerces Uncle Rogi into doing his bidding. (As an aside, the last line of Intervention, "Goodnight, Marc", was one of the only lines ever to completely blindside me.)

Magnificat draws to a close the stories of Rogi, Denis, Fury and the Hydras, explains the Mental Man project, and finally depicts the dreaded Metapsychic Rebellion only alluded to in previous volumes. We are also given tantalizing glimpses into the fates of Hagen, Cloud, and Kuhal as they try to live out their lives in the Milieu. For the most part, Ms. May does an excellent job tying together all of the loose threads. However, I do have some gripes. Primarily, I was disappointed because the book seemed to rush through some very important events. Since we've been hearing about the rebellion for 8 books now, it would have been nice to see it fleshed out a little. The same with Mental Man and the science of metaconcert development. This is really the first time we've ever seen a description of a metaconcert, and the first time we really learn what Mental Man is. Both are alluded to during the previous books, but they are dealt with much too quickly in the final volume.

This is not to say I didn't enjoy the book. I loved it. But it would have been even better if it had been longer.

May trully excited me with Jack the Bodiless and Diamond Mask. However, after a long wait, my anticipation for Magnificat turned to grief. The detail of the first two books of this trilogy played like a great movie in my head. This last book lacked detail, focus, and failed to flesh out a proper and satisfactory conclusion to previous character development. If you've read the first two novels, read this as well, but beware night light readers, the power of your pillow will defeat your attempts to read very far in this book.

After a 10 year wait to reach the end of the the Pliocene/Milieu cycle, I can only rate this book as ultimately disappointing.

Magnificat continues the tradition of intricate, facinating characterization and psycho-sexual drama against the backdrop of a richly-detailed socio-historical setting. However, I expected better from the author who kept me entralled for days on end the first time I was handed her Pliocene novels.

Although, May maintains her solid and entrancing style until the final chapters, her use of the deus ex machina to achieve continuity was weak and seemingly rushed.

The whole issue of the Rebellion, so intricately laid out and escalated over the course of Jack the Bodiless and Diamond Mask, seems almost sketchy in Magnificat compared to what we have come to expect from May. The apotheosis of Jack and Diamond was lacking in appropriate drama.

Finally, the identity of Fury was probably the biggest disappointment for me, and failed to realize one of the more intriguing plot threads laid down in the Pliocene Tetralogy (I won't say anymore to avoid spoiling for anyone who hasn't read it or already guessed).

Overall, for the loyalists like myself, still a must for all its faults, and if only for completion (and hold out for the paperback). But, for the casual reader, a pass.

Well, I think that "Magnificat" is best of the three books in the Galactic Milieu Trilogy. It starts off fairly slowly, with yet more piecemeal attacks by Fury and the last two members of Hydra. Thes are frankly boring and feature yet bore blunders and tired plot devices ("Rogi, I could kill you know but I'd rather torture you for a while first...) Things pick up in the second half when the metaphysic rebellion finally begins in earnest. The centerpiece of this part of the story is Marc, who is undeniably one of the "best" villains in all of science fiction. In this book all of his actions are clear consequences of the things that happened earlier in his life--family conflicts, messy psychological influences and xenophobia--and yet Marc is still a chilling villain. He's single-minded, not gratuitously cruel, but rather focused on his wants to the total exclusion of caring about anyone else.

As with most of May's books, the details stand out more than the big plot. Among her riskiest decisions, May decided to write the first sex scene between Jack and Diamond. It was a gamble, but she pulls it off in style. Getting more "local color" about life on Caledonia and other planets is an added treat; the book could have benefited from more of that. In the end, of course, this book can't work unless the ending really holds up. On that count, there are pluses and minuses. The ending is too short, both the actual action and the final winding-down after the fact. But it is intense while it lasts.

A must read for anyone who has read the other novels in the series. I thought the ending didn't really fit the profile that May had weaved for Marc Remmilard,but then again after millions of years I suppose a being can change! The religious/spiritual connotations get a bit on the heavy side but it doesn't hurt to remind us now and then that everyone is entitled to seek there own destiny and that we all must pay the price for our actions.Like other fans of the Pliocene adventures I wish there was more about the many facinating characters that May created ie.(Katlinel,Suggol,Kuhal,Aiken Drum),Then again a good author always leaves you wanting more.