reviews
Dec 11, 2010
When an author writes a main character with a morally problematic point of view or deeply held belief, it's usually for one of three reasons:
1) It's a critique of the position;
2) It's an endorsement of the position; or
3) It's merely a portrayal of the position, without judgment.
Most decent authors, while doing #1 or #2, will do it subtly enough that an unobservant reader could see it as #3, but if it's a critique, the character representing the position will usuall More...
1) It's a critique of the position;
2) It's an endorsement of the position; or
3) It's merely a portrayal of the position, without judgment.
Most decent authors, while doing #1 or #2, will do it subtly enough that an unobservant reader could see it as #3, but if it's a critique, the character representing the position will usuall More...
Jul 15, 2011
This book is the sequel to In Conquest Born done 20 years later. It is tough to write a follow up to a great stand alone novel but she comes pretty close. She set's in 200 years or so intothe future and there is all new characters to learn about with in the same basic universe from the first story. The author, C.S. Friedman, is a fine writer and the story moves along briskly and holds your attention. She tells this story with more central characters than the first and she tells the story with ou
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May 02, 2009
C.S. Friedman's In Conquest Born was a formative science fiction novel for me. I read it in my early teens, and fell in love with it for its sweeping canvas of galactic civilizations locked in war, its meticulously realized cultures, and its strange, driven characters, who were all sympathetic no matter what side they were on.
Twenty years later, its sequel, The Wilding came out. According to the back cover copy, fans had been clamoring for a sequel for years. That was news to me - m More...
Twenty years later, its sequel, The Wilding came out. According to the back cover copy, fans had been clamoring for a sequel for years. That was news to me - m More...
Mar 18, 2010
Ah, the frustration of a sequel. For those who don't know, Freidman has only ever done one sequel, and it shows. Zara's character was completely and utterly superfluous, certain plot elements found in In Conquest Born (such as the Black Death) were deliberately written in for no other reason than her readers seemed to expect them, and the whole book felt like it could have been condensed into a 150-page epilogue-novella. That said, it was kinda nice to find out what happened to Zatar and his lin
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Jan 21, 2012
I loved the intricate societies in opposition to each other and the ethical questions raised with In Conquest Born...The Wilding picks up long after, so as a "sequel" we have to fill in quite a timeline. Wilding is just as richly structured and imagined a universe but not as tight of a story. Do you need to read the first one to enjoy the second? It wouldn't hurt, though Friedman gives you all the info you need--if you're patient.
Jan 17, 2012
I don't know if it was just the edition I got, but there was no mention on this book that it is the sequel to another. I went through about the first 150 pages pretty lost -- then the rest just a little lost. Lesson learned once again: do your research before trolling the library shelves and picking out things that look pretty.
Feb 09, 2010
Sequel to In Conquest Born. A solid adventure, but not as focused as the first one. Much of the action takes place outside of the Holding and the Star Empire, and it seems like the other settings are less well-developed.
Jun 20, 2009
Not as good as In Conquest Born, but a sequel is always nice (unless you're George Lucas, and then you should get someone else to do the writing and directing imo...)
Sep 03, 2010
This one turned out to be quite a disappointment. Another book that made me wonder if the author wrote it to shut everyone up about a sequel...
May 29, 2008
I first discovered her with The Black Sun Rising years ago, back in 1989/90 I think. Since then I have read just about everything she has written and enjoyed it all. The Wilding reads like a struggle between Star Trek’s Klingons and B5’s Centari with a good helping of B5’s PSI Corps: good stuff.
Jun 04, 2010
The Wilding is a pale echo of it's prdecessor, but if you put that put of your mind, then it is a fun and quick read with just enough intrigue to keep one's interest. I would almost suggest reading this first so you can savour In Conquest Born even more. Regardless, I enjoyed another foray into the Azea-Braxin story.
Apr 06, 2008
Not a particularly remarkable book. Enjoyable, but only because it made me remember how much I enjoyed In Conquest Born, which must be read first if any sense is to be made of The Wilding.
Jun 29, 2010
I was lent this by a coworker years ago, who I don't think had read much sci fi. I wasn't impressed. Characters are all repellent and story boring.
Dec 16, 2009
Eh, didn't love it. Story telling was OK, but the pacing kinda lost me fairly often. Definitely liked her earlier writings much better.
Feb 11, 2012
Feb 11, 2012
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