Earthseed

"This whole series is phenomenal!"

"This is a tricky review as the version I read was actually two books in one—both books of Butler’s Earthseed series. Had I rated the two books separately, book 1 would have certainly gotten four stars—four and a half if I could’ve done it. The book was visceral. Although I often find dystopian-future sci-fi/fantasy books to be fairly formulaic, some stand out, and the first book of Earthseed certainly does. To follow a group of people from their young ages in their homes (as unsettled as those homes are) into their adulthood as they try to find protection and a viable future on their own was moving and intriguing. <br/><br/>However, the second novel felt like it was trying to find its way, and as often happens, the ending felt a bit rushed and anticlimactic. That one barely made it to three stars for me. Because of the way the story was presented, from multiple perspectives and back and forth in time, it was very difficult to stay emotionally engaged. That technique almost always removes the reader from the immediacy of the moment (with a couple of stand-out exceptions that I’ve addressed in other reviews). Although I read the first book with increasing energy and involvement, the second book was a little bit of a chore to get through. I quickly lost my desire to find out what would happen next as it was all wrapped up fairly early and the only real “mystery” left felt like a last-minute add-on. I think Butler was trying to say something about psychological damage over time but it didn’t strike me emotionally at all. <br/><br/>However, I’m glad I’ve finally read some Octavia Butler, an author I’ve heard about for years but who never quite surfaced on my to-read list. Now that I’ve finished the Earthseed books, I’m reading her collection of short stories, Bloodchild: and Other Stories. She is an excellent writer."