A review by tikimoof
The Empress of Earth by Melissa Scott
3.0
Well, that was the end to a fun trilogy. Here's some immediate thoughts in case I don't come back for a better review.
First, a brief lol at Pluto being a planet. It isn't a bad thing, just funny.
Second, building in the inherent differences in thinking between scientific and alchemic thinking. This has been present in the whole series, but I liked how everybody wanted to keep their trades secret, which is very occultic thinking. It was a nice touch.
I also continue to enjoy Silence's learned misogyny presenting itself and her having to confront it. It was a great bit of humanity. Scott isn't at Bujold's level, but I also very much enjoyed the women being in positions of great power and not always having to sacrifice their femininity or all of their cultural mores to gain it.
Balthazar was a bit more of a human character, but Chase Mago wasn't. Alas. And I have no idea if it was standard for 80s sci-fi to be so sexless. It really wasn't a bad thing and I hope it made the trilogy more readable to people 30 years ago. The same part - where the triad just happens and isn't really discussed - makes it mesh much better in universe anyway. It's simply a thing that exists; there's nothing to get offended by. In the end I think it's a strength of the series.
An extended traveling through Purgatory scene, then nothing. Sadface.
I wouldn't say this was all groundbreaking, but it was a fun romp.
First, a brief lol at Pluto being a planet. It isn't a bad thing, just funny.
Second, building in the inherent differences in thinking between scientific and alchemic thinking. This has been present in the whole series, but I liked how everybody wanted to keep their trades secret, which is very occultic thinking. It was a nice touch.
I also continue to enjoy Silence's learned misogyny presenting itself and her having to confront it. It was a great bit of humanity. Scott isn't at Bujold's level, but I also very much enjoyed the women being in positions of great power and not always having to sacrifice their femininity or all of their cultural mores to gain it.
Balthazar was a bit more of a human character, but Chase Mago wasn't. Alas. And I have no idea if it was standard for 80s sci-fi to be so sexless. It really wasn't a bad thing and I hope it made the trilogy more readable to people 30 years ago. The same part - where the triad just happens and isn't really discussed - makes it mesh much better in universe anyway. It's simply a thing that exists; there's nothing to get offended by. In the end I think it's a strength of the series.
An extended traveling through Purgatory scene, then nothing. Sadface.
I wouldn't say this was all groundbreaking, but it was a fun romp.