Customer Reviews

The Parafaith War

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the kind of novel that sci-fi is about. It is a novel about a war that speaks to a major social issue.

The first half of the book sets up a universe at war. This part of the book goes into large detail, about the defense of a devoloping world, from religous radicals. The action sequences are for the most part very good, with the execption of a couple of sceanes where the description loses focus and becomes vague.

The second half of the book is about the main characters attempt to find a solution to the war, by acting as an itellegence agent for his race.

This book is smart, and does a good job devolping the atomoshere that the two societies have twords the war. More than any other war novel that I have read, this book gives the war experence as a combination of combat, as well as the social aspects of the war that each side faces as consequence of the fighting. This allows the book to look at the reasons and modivations of both sides of the conflict, and to show how the war itself makes both sides reason for fighting obsolete. The most interesting part of the book is where one side character points out that one side is fighting for land that they will never need, and the other side is taking so many casualties, that they no longer need the new land.

WARNING: This book may offend some deeply religous people due to the way that religon is protrayed in the book. A church that is a little too like the Mormon church is protrayed in a way that could be taken badly.

One of Mr. Modesitt's more ambitous novels...this one explores the meaning/impact of war in and on human society and the individual. It contrasts two human societies operating from opposing frames of reference. I enjoyed the novel..and unlike alot of scifi today it does raise questions that stay with the reader. However, Mr. Modesitt fails to give the opposing culture "Revs" sufficent depth, esp. when the hero travel to the home planet. And the entire question of the Meaning of War is wrapped up a little to neatly. Still a worth buying.

This is a good, fast-paced, action story that is an interesting read. The societies involved are fairly well thought out and the reader does not get hung up in the backgrounds, which, nevertheless, support the story well.

Two problems do not detract much from the story line. The author seems not too familiar with weapons, even though the first half of the book depends upon use of military firepower, For example, the author has the hero "switch to semi-automatic" fire on an assault rifle and has the rate of fire increase! using more ammo. The opposite, of course would occur.

The other problem I had was with the homelife and society of the religious fanatics being apparently a clone of common American 20th century society. Any religious society I know of has the fanaticism imbedded within their cultural interactions at home as well as when addressing foreigners.

I have always meant to read books of Modessit, but have been hesitant to start a series form a writer I don't already like, unless I have personally heard high praise from someone I trust. So what I sometimes do... is buy the first book in a series and give it to my Dad for his birthday etc. My Dad has read on average a book a day for the last sixty plus years, so I never have to wait long to read my "presents", and... my Dad is among the best judges of any Sci-Fi or Fantasy book that I know. I had meant to get him some Modessit, but his Birthday is so close to Christmas, that our favorite authors often have a new book out then so, it just hadn't worked out.

In any case, my Dad, came into possession of "The Parafaith War" without any help from me and gave me a qualified recommendation for this book. He was worried that the "anti-Mormon" feel of the story would offend me, as I am the lone Mormon in his family, and a "Returned Missionary" to boot ,he thought it might shake me or something... The whole idea of a violent aggressive Mormon society is pretty funny, and one that had suicide bombers, well it just is the result of a good writer with very little actual experience with the LDS culture.

But the bottom line is this, this is a well written thoughtful essay on the futility of war at the same time showing some things are worth fighting for. A stark look how misunderstanding can continue until everyone forgets the point. Now is using such overt pointing at the LDS culture misplaced? I can't image basically comparing Mormonism to Radical Islam serves any good purpose , but I didn't take it personally, and I feel this is a book worth recommending and sharing.

In the tradition of Heinlien and Haldeman, Modesitt has presented an engaging character who draws us in and dares us to take part in his search for meaning in war. This odyssey will ring true for veterans of any conflict.

This story has all the elements of an incredibly goos sci-fi story, capable of being gripping both technically and philosophically.

Unfortunately, an unusual sort of writing structure that is neither boring no exciting dominates this book, which doesn't really bring out the most interesting details of either the societies represented in this book, or the technology they employ.

Luckily, I'm not the type of person to demand an exciting, action packed, Michael Crichton type book. As such, I can appreciate the solid foundation of the book, even as I bemoan the fact that this book fails the realize it's potential to turn a solid foundation into an explosive and gripping story.

Still, the slower, somber way in which it is written has a strange sort of value, and makes it memorable in it's own way, and I can only assume that, since this writing style is continued in the sequel (The Ethos Effect), Modesitt prefers this kind of not-quite-exciting writing style as well.

Just remember, this kind of book is not for impatient and spontaneous readers, but those who can take their time reading a book, and actually enjoy doing so.

This book has created a world, a bunch of characters, and some motives for these characters. But what is most interesting is that LE Modesitt has created a belief system for these people that his characters fight against and come to know eventually.

I was impressed by the writing in this novel, the story was interesting enough in it's plot twists and use of futuristic technology, counting only that, this novel was good.

But then add to that the facet of religion, and the role it plays in bringing about the downfall of a culture, how one man uses this influence in religion to speed up this process, and how this book makes us reevalute our own values and you have a book that approaches literature.

The arguments Modesitt makes arem't always right, nor on the conservative side in terms of religion, but all his points are thought provoking, and it is for this reason I suggest reading this book.

Quite a few people have read this book and commented how it was a bit "weak" on the Science. That may be, but I don't read for minute details such as rounds per second. What I do read for is interesting character development and plots.

I found this book to have plenty of both. Trystan's growth as a person as he learns to understand himself and his goals, along with is realization of how to go about altering an entire planet's religious system are nothing short of amazingly done.

This book ranks in the top five of my favourite Science Fiction books.

Trystin Desoll was fighting against the revs - suicidal religious fanatics who had two things going for them: they had the numbers and they had the belief that they were right and that the Coalition was wrong. Science against Divine Right. Religion against Reason. A Prophet against a series of ideals. Who would win? Who COULD win with both sides believing they were right, having total Faith in their own systems and KNOWING the other side was in the wrong?

Can Trystin Desoll really do something to bring the war to an end or is he trapped in a conflict in which both sides will lose?

As always L.E. Modesitt, Jr. asks us the big questions and forces us to focus on the good, and the bad, in the answers we find.

I found this book pretty darn good. Granted, L E Modesitt Jr has an AGENDA and a MORAL that he wants to thump his readers with, but I didn't find it excessively intrusive (possibly because I personally have no use for religion, and this book is something in the way of an atheist manifesto). The book has plenty of technical detail about the workings of the various nifty technology and so on. I found that this didn't get in the way, even if at times the terms were a bit obscure (what exactly are fusactors, anyway?) It's also got a really interesting view of the way cultures have changed and grown in the future: some really good 'future-history' as it were.

The dog fights in outer space were brilliantly written: one gets the feeling of jet fighters that are a million times harder to fly, doing impossible stunts at absurd speeds.

All in all, a good read. Avoid if you're a conservative religious type, though.