The Patternist is a telepathic race, commanded by the Patternmaster, whose thoughts can destroy, heal, rule. Coransee, son of the ruling Patternmas...
read full description
reviews
Jan 29, 2011
Diana
rated it: 
Octavia E. Butler is one of a kind. She is a black feminist science fiction writer and the protege of the great and bizarre Harlan Ellison. She was the first science fiction writer to receive a MacArthur "genius" grant, which she was awarded in 1995 for pushing the boundaries of her field.
I was intrigued after noticing Kindred in the science fiction section of the library. "This must be miscatalogued," I thought, "Because it has a picture of a black woman o More...
I was intrigued after noticing Kindred in the science fiction section of the library. "This must be miscatalogued," I thought, "Because it has a picture of a black woman o More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Mar 18, 2011
penny
rated it: 
I’ve been meaning to read at least one of her works for quite some time. I was at the library the other day looking for a short entertaining read and found it in this slender book. I wasn’t sure if she wrote it as part of series but the book cover and the blurb seemed to indicate it was a self sufficient title. I got lucky in choosing something that indeed can stand alone. I find comfort in the reviews that the plot devices and writing style improve as Butler matures and develops as a novelist.
More...
Jan 03, 2011
Amanda
rated it:
Very fun and interesting. i liked the world that was developed, though the book was SHORT and there were a lot of things I would have liked to have seen more of-- but the journey itself is contained, and the main points of the book have more to do with characters than plot. Issues of privacy, free will, power, and attraction are all dealt with, but not as fully as i would have liked. i found Teray, Iray, and Amber all relatively likeable, though not fully fleshed out. Also, it's easy to see
More...
Jan 10, 2009
Cindy
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Oct 31, 2011
Patternmaster starts out slow, but picks up quickly. It's a great story and well-written, but I wished it delved into some topics and characters a bit more. For instance, there is a whole "race" of mutated humans, clayarks, that weren't explored much. These human headed "animals" were just a constant, mostly distant threat. Yet the story reveals, briefly, that at least some members of this race can roughly speak the same language as Patternists and mutes. Still, this is an en
More...
Oct 13, 2011
Takim
rated it:
This was another strong book in the Patternist series. However, the ending didn't quite satisfy me. The Patternmaster seemed to have a very localized, character-driven plot, with a lot of focus on romance. This isn't necessarily a flaw of the book, but I would have liked to see more of the apocolayptic setting beyond a single region, and I would've liked to find out how things were resolved between the Clayarks and the Patternists on a global scale, which is what I felt like I was promised from
More...
Nov 04, 2011
Melanie
rated it:
This is my second Butler book and I liked it even more than the other (which was Kindred, also worth reading). While the formula/genre thing is definitely, well, formulaic, the ideas contained in Patternmaster were very compelling and I was always interested to see what more she would do with them as the narrative progressed. A good read, indeed.
Apr 03, 2010
Kate
rated it:
I didn't see anything saying this but it seems to be obviously inspired by Roger Zelazny's The Amber Chronicles. And it's good. Compelling, great details. A good solid Cain and Abel type rivalry. I found the love interests a little lacking in depth, but that's my only complaint. It's a very short, very intense, well-crafted novel.
Aug 08, 2011
Malika
rated it:
I have to edit my review. A book list I'd consulted had his novel listed out of sequence. Very brief, a quick read, as the story of the pattern began and continued in other books.
However, now I realize it is a finale. What happened with the Pattern, Space travel, the threats of Clay's Ark disease and now the survivors from the disease.
Hmmm.
However, now I realize it is a finale. What happened with the Pattern, Space travel, the threats of Clay's Ark disease and now the survivors from the disease.
Hmmm.
Jun 29, 2010
Roxanne
rated it:
Found this last weekend at a used bookstore. I continue to enjoy Octavia Butler's work. This is an old old paperback with absolutely ridiculous cover art, but the book itself explores the ideas of privacy, self-control, free will, and human rights in interesting ways, by looking at a society ruled by telepaths. Recommended.
Dec 22, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
I really like the book because this is sooo different from Clay's Ark. I really like this. READ IT<,PRETTY PLEASE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks.☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺
May 18, 2011
Ryan
rated it: 
Almost didn't finish it, but forced myself through and got a tiny bit of satisfaction out of it. More of a literary exercise - and if this exercise allowed her to write stories as fun as she eventually did, it was worth it.
Jan 18, 2008
Cindywho
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jan 21, 2010
Lina
rated it:
This is the last (or first depending on how you look at it) book of the Patternmaster series, and its more of a slower read to me than the other books. Its still good though.
Jun 14, 2010
Brittany
rated it:
This book came very highly recommended, and I did enjoy it. It just didn't blow me away as I was expecting it to. I've been told it's much more powerful in the context of the compilation Seed to Harvest, and I hope to reread it in that context someday.
Sep 05, 2011
Monshi
rated it:
I think I'll have to read this one again because I read the Patternist series out of order. I jumped from Wild Seed to Patternmaster.
Jun 19, 2011
Terry
rated it: 
Excellent example of Octavia's work. There is a strong underlying theme in her works of strong women, slavery in many forms and violence.
Jun 01, 2011
Kristen
rated it:
Overall, I loved this final book in the series (or at least the series as set up in the Seed to Harvest book collection). It is now my mission to read anything and everything by Butler.
Apr 13, 2010
Carmenaton
rated it:
I truly didn't want this book to end....I found myself re-reading chapters just to keep the story going...this is a very good book.
Jul 15, 2009
Alexis
rated it:
An okay book, but really not one of Butler's best. It felt too short and undeveloped. Decent, but not what I've come to expect from Octavia Butler.
Apr 25, 2009
Jenn
rated it:
The first book in a series of five, I liked it. It's set at the end of the story arc, and I gobbled it up. Can't wait for more!
Jul 29, 2011
Martine
rated it:
Finally finished. It had an unexpected and fairly good ending, however it was not as interesting as the first 3 books.
Jan 02, 2012
Lisa
rated it:
Not as good as Wild Seed. That really trumps every other book in this series. Still decent though.
Jun 28, 2009
Chris
rated it:
OCTAVIA BUTLER IS AWESOME!!! This is the first book by her that I ever read, and it totally blew my mind!!!
Sep 14, 2011
Johnny
rated it:
Just finished the series. She wrote them NOT in chronological order. They are ALL excellent!
Jan 16, 2011
Annie
rated it: 
I found the writing almost high-schoolish - One I might give my level three ESL students to read.
Jan 16, 2009
pearl
rated it:
Really good. Wait. Why haven't I read more of Octavia Butler's works?? Oh geez...
Jun 24, 2008
Dave
rated it:
This is a generic review for all my Octavia Butlwer novels: If you love sci-fi (and I'm an admitted junky) you'll want to take a look at it through the eyes of (the recently deseased) Octavia Butler. I've really enjoyed the little bit of the genre produced from the female mind. With Octavia Butler you always get rich story lines from an frican American, female point of view. How often does that happen? Butler writes many of her stories with a keen eye on race, genesis of genetic offshoots, st
More...
Jul 06, 2009
Kaylynn
rated it:
The author brought up a lot of different ideas and moral questions, but then she failed to really address them.
