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A review by bergsteiger
Lord Valentine's Castle by Robert Silverberg
4.0
Oh man. I love me some Silverberg. Look, there are some details always missing in the world building and the magic/science is very very soft, but the plot, ideas, and, most importantly, the character development, is top notch. Which could be a review of any Silverberg novel.
That isn't to say that he writes in formula. He always has new settings, with new characters that explore new ideas. In this particular case, and rather uncharacteristically I might add, Silverberg explores the concept of a just ruler, a philosopher king, if you will. This benevolent autocrat, Lord Valentine, is made into a commoner and tries to avoid his fate, but his companions argue for him to restore "order" to a ruling system that has been circumvented.
There is also a twist at the end, that while not completely unforeseen once you had reached a certain scene in the book, provided a nuanced element to the philosophical musings of the book. And don't get me wrong, this wasn't a story poorly crafted around an idea, but actually had a fast moving and imaginative plot that held my interest throughout. I still think A Time of Changes is my favorite Silverberg book, but this isn't a horrible place to start, if you've never read him before.
Solid 4.5 stars. Pick it up off the shelf if you get the chance.
That isn't to say that he writes in formula. He always has new settings, with new characters that explore new ideas. In this particular case, and rather uncharacteristically I might add, Silverberg explores the concept of a just ruler, a philosopher king, if you will. This benevolent autocrat, Lord Valentine, is made into a commoner and tries to avoid his fate, but his companions argue for him to restore "order" to a ruling system that has been circumvented.
There is also a twist at the end, that while not completely unforeseen once you had reached a certain scene in the book, provided a nuanced element to the philosophical musings of the book. And don't get me wrong, this wasn't a story poorly crafted around an idea, but actually had a fast moving and imaginative plot that held my interest throughout. I still think A Time of Changes is my favorite Silverberg book, but this isn't a horrible place to start, if you've never read him before.
Solid 4.5 stars. Pick it up off the shelf if you get the chance.