Customer Reviews

One Mind's Eye

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Llyn Torfinn is in an upscale mental hospital on the planet Antar, cared for around the clock by her therapist and adoptive mother, Karine. Discovered abandoned in an artificial reality tank years ago, Llyn is subject to strange flashbacks which have Karine convinced that the girl is incapable of surviving on her own. Llyn, however, yearns for a wider world, and when political unrest rises between planets, Llyn is finally given the chance to expand her horizons.

My main difficulty with the book is that while the summary I just gave is fairly accurate, Llyn's story -- which I found to be the heart of the book -- is mixed in with a more typical science fiction story of inter-planetary politics, scheming families, and strange aliens. Tyers handles both aspects of the stories well, but in the end I felt that the focus on other characters and their political struggles took away from Llyn's story. The ending was particularly unsatisfying, being predictable in case of the political subplots, and rather deus ex machina (literally, in my mind) in its resolving of Llyn's emotional issues. The emotional resolution might, however, work well for readers approaching the book with a strong religious background.

All in all, I wanted to like this book much more than I did. The political plotting and strange aliens were interesting in their own right; it was only the quick changes between Llyn's personal story and the larger external story along with the ending that dissatisfied me. I'll probably try another of Tyers' books to see if they hang together better.

Kathy Tyers as per usual likes to set her characters in "interesting" times. In this story the larger political setting gives our main character Llyn a boost in her quest to find independence from her guardian/therapist when she is both a minor, and a committed mental patient. Despite continuing problems from a prolonged stint in a virtual reality tank at a young age, Llyn is determined to be herself, while her guardian is determined to keep her safe, protected, and controlled. In the end Llyn's problems turn out to be a great and necessary talent. Not as riveting perhaps as some of Tyers' other books, but a cracking good read nonetheless. It will make you think about the difference between protecting and smothering.

I have read and enjoyed Tyers' other work, including the Firebird Trilogy, her Star Wars novels, and Shivering World. If you enjoyed those books, you will like this one, though you may find some familiar content, including:

a psychic minority
a young woman who doesn't know her own powers
an emotionally scarred young woman
mental bonding
new sects of Christianity
an over-bearing mother
a deep appreciation for music

I was particularly impressed in this book by the characters; everyone has his own motivation, and none of them seem contrived. And, there is just the right amount of suspense. The ending was perhaps a bit too neat, and the male lead perhaps a bit too capable. But, I thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless. Even if you are not interested in reading a Kathy Tyers book, this is a good Science Fiction book, so give it a try.