Customer Reviews

The Silver Ship and the Sea

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

 

 

I tried this book on a slightly expensive whim, and was not disappointed. It's a little like Pamela Sargent's Earthseed, only better. The setting is the colony world Fremont, which was settled by a group of humans who believe genetically altered humans are abominations. Then another ship full of colonists, altered colonists, lands, and war breaks out. The altered humans are killed or leave, and 6 altered children remain as adopted kids whose official status is 'prisoner of war.' Chelo, the protagonist is one of those 6 kids. It's years after the war, and the altered children are surrounded by suspicion, fear, and occasional love. They are coming to adulthood and discovering their talents in this atmosphere, and things start coming to a head after Chelo's adoptive parents, the colony's leaders, die in an accident. It was very hard to put down. The ending was somewhat unexpected, and not cookie-cutter. A very good book.

The book was neither bad nor good - it just "was." The pace was far too slow and the storyline was a bit juvenile at times. I did not find it very interesting, I simply read it because I like to finish what I start. The storytelling was often flat in places which made it very hard for me to get into the world Cooper created. I found the snippets about the world the colonists came from much more interesting than the story being told. Again, it was neither bad nor good. I cannot recommend it to other readers, but at the same time I will not discourage other readers, either.

Brenda Cooper has written a strong and engaging book. I found her characterizations credible because she used no blatant archetypes: I probably know someone like almost everyone in the book, including the "altered" teens. There is no arch-villain, instead the teens face prejudice from influential adults. She deftly handles the questions of "who do you trust," "who do you love," and "who do you tolerate." I found the pacing of the story kept me reading. There is very little physical violence, as in real life the question of how one survives is much more complicated than that. It is no wonder the book won the 2008 Endeavour Award for science fiction literature.

Wow, this is her first full length book, I am very impressed. And the main character was very real to me - love science fiction that focus on the impact of advanced science on society, not on guns and gadgets.

My reason for buying this book was that I read the excellent novel (Building Harlequins' Moon) A project between Brenda Cooper and Larry Niven. Larry Niven is one of the greatest S.F. authors of all time. I can't say I have read "EVERYTHING" he has ever written,,but it is on my list of things to do before I die!

Brenda Cooper is an author to watch! I expect great things from her. As great as Larry? (Maybe!) This novel is her first solo effort. It is a solid one! If I could write a novel half as good as this I could die a happy man! (Now For some criticism!) The character development is a bit off. There are too many characters to keep track of in the beginning. That is one thing that bothers me,,"25 characters all introduced in the first 2 pages that you have to keep track of or you will become lost! Or at least you will have to flip back and find out where you read that name before! I had to flip back a few times! I agree with some of the other reviews that the story is a bit Slow/Flat at times. Overall it is a good story. It has a lot of emotion.

I think Cooper has a lot of potential. I am looking forward to her next book!

The planet Fremont was considered a dangerous place for colonization due to its odd lethal flora and fauna as much as from the meteorites that crash on its surface and it's volcanic and quake activity. However, in spite of a need to cooperate twelve years ago war exploded between the original human settlers and the second group bioengineered to fit the orb.

Near Artistos, the only town on the planet, is the deadly Grass Plains and in its center lays the single silver spaceship that humans fear. Six altered children left orphaned by the hostilities and unwanted by the purebreds except as slaves, dream of freedom. Abetting their hopes is the last altered adult Jenna the crazy woman as Chelo Lee leads the other five on a quest to find either escape from the planet via the abandoned ship or establish a new home where they can live free.

This coming of age science fiction is a fun lighthearted read. The story line focuses on the children as they seek their own way in hostile environs made worse by rampant prejudice towards their kind. However, though fun to follow their exploits in search of freedom, Chelo and her comrades fail to show the impact of being raised by people who fear them while wanting to use (and abuse) their altered gifts. Still this is a fine tale of six courageous youths on a quest for freedom.

Harriet Klausner

An engrossing planetary adventure. I am looking forward to Ms. Cooper's next novel.

I thought the story moved a little slowly, but I enjoyed the imagery and language. The characters were likeable and the problems seemed very real and applicable to any society.

Tor published this, who ever made the decision to publish this book needs to be fired because they aren't doing their job.

This is a bad book. Its poorly written and dull. The characters are life less and flat and the action, well it simply isn't.

I bought it, I read most of it, I always enjoyed putting it down more that I enjoyed reading it.