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A review by suzemo
Lord Valentine's Castle by Robert Silverberg
3.0
I've had this book recommended to me a number of times, and I was prepared to love it... but I didn't.
The world-building in this book was phenomenal. I thought it was fantastic, stunning, etc. A giant planet known as Majipoor was settled, well, whenever humans fell from the sky and took the joint over. There's a giant continent called Padruid where the story takes place. There is a mix of left-over-from-long-ago science and magic, different species, a fully fleshed out culture, government, society and religion.
It's brilliant.
And then there are the characters. I found the plot to be tedious. It's a long damned book. Worth it if you are really into world building (I loved it), but the plodding actions of the weak characters felt so tedious. The main character bored me to no end.
I (as anyone with 2 braincells to rub together) figured out immediately that the character, who wakes up with amnesia, wandering around, was the actual leader of the world, who has been replaced by evil villains. He happens to have a strong talent for juggling, so he hooks up with a mixed-race juggling troupe. He travels around, slowly discovering that he's the leader of this planet's government, and then decides he doesn't want to be? but does? And goes to his goddess-like priestess mother for help take the joint over, and then takes the joint over. The end. With plenty of trusty sidekicks, because he's naturally awesome.
I was very, very bored with the action and just wanted it over with. But I really did enjoy the world, so it wasn't a total loss.
(It, btw, feels weird to like a book I didn't like, but I do).
The world-building in this book was phenomenal. I thought it was fantastic, stunning, etc. A giant planet known as Majipoor was settled, well, whenever humans fell from the sky and took the joint over. There's a giant continent called Padruid where the story takes place. There is a mix of left-over-from-long-ago science and magic, different species, a fully fleshed out culture, government, society and religion.
It's brilliant.
And then there are the characters. I found the plot to be tedious. It's a long damned book. Worth it if you are really into world building (I loved it), but the plodding actions of the weak characters felt so tedious. The main character bored me to no end.
I (as anyone with 2 braincells to rub together) figured out immediately that the character, who wakes up with amnesia, wandering around, was the actual leader of the world, who has been replaced by evil villains. He happens to have a strong talent for juggling, so he hooks up with a mixed-race juggling troupe. He travels around, slowly discovering that he's the leader of this planet's government, and then decides he doesn't want to be? but does? And goes to his goddess-like priestess mother for help take the joint over, and then takes the joint over. The end. With plenty of trusty sidekicks, because he's naturally awesome.
I was very, very bored with the action and just wanted it over with. But I really did enjoy the world, so it wasn't a total loss.
(It, btw, feels weird to like a book I didn't like, but I do).