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The Call of Earth: Homecoming Series, Book 2 (Homecoming Saga #2)
The story of life on planet Harmony continues. Its human refugees from a ruined Earth--Nafai, his family, and their allies--must protect their leader, an Earth-sensitive computer named Oversoul, from its nemesis.
MP3 Book, 0 pages
Published
September 1st 2008
by Blackstone Audio, Inc.
(first published January 1st 1993)
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Card continues to impress me. This book continues the story started in "The Memory of Earth," detailing the tension between the pressure of high-stakes dramatic events in the lives of many characters and the directions they receive from their god, the caretaker computer system called the Oversoul, which knows best what they should be doing. Do they act out of their own knowledge, or trust the Oversoul to know what's best, even if the actions seem counter-productive, or even foolish?
Broadly spea...more
Broadly spea...more
I honestly couldn't tell you if this is any kind of an objectively five-star A+++ excellent novel or not, because I was so blinded by how much I liked Moozh that my vision of the whole book is skewed. Moozh! What a completely fantastic character. Card mentions in the preface that he made the book much more difficult to write by complicating the plot, but also made it more worthwhile in the end. This is not hard to believe.
The Homecoming saga is a weird series for me, as I'm not familiar with th...more
I made a decision to read the 'Homecoming' series by Orson Card. This is Book #2 in that series and it succeeded in getting me hooked into the overall series. It provides a unique view of the future of humans. It appears that Earth is ravaged by nuclear war and what-not ... humans have to leave earth in order to find other places to live. Some of the people arrive on a world in another galaxy that is called 'Harmony'. They live in peace for 40 million years ... with one catch ... the computer th...more
Well this series took a downturn. The first one wasn't great to start with. Yet, somehow, the series managed to become MORE one-dimensional, MORE predictable and MORE overtly religious in overtones. Except that even in the Bible people have more depth than in this book. Everyone in the second book seems to be either revoltingly self-centered and hard to get along with. Or id they aren't, they are so self-righteous that they make me want to start swearing and doing naughty things just to break up...more
High point: the faith debate between Nafai and Moozh over truth, conviction, and belief in inspiration. It's rare to see such depth of logic and feeling in sci fi, or fantasy. This is the primary reason I continue to read Card.
Low point(s): the scene of the interrupted wedding night. The dialogue was so stilted, unbelievable. Also, the sex scenes crossed a line for me and set Meb up as too shallow a character.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It's a one-time read though. The beginning was slow and wa...more
Low point(s): the scene of the interrupted wedding night. The dialogue was so stilted, unbelievable. Also, the sex scenes crossed a line for me and set Meb up as too shallow a character.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It's a one-time read though. The beginning was slow and wa...more
Jul 22, 2012
Rod Hyatt
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
own-it-on-the-shelf
This book started out as a continuation of the first book with father and sons now in the desert with their continuing affairs and going back to Basilica. I thought that this book would be so so continuing the story, you somewhat know we're it's going. The meat of this book is in the back story's that are revealed and dropped with fantastic story telling and surprise, you could have never predicted but after you realize how much sense it really made. No vague story here, no holes in the plot at...more
Apr 08, 2009
Rita Webb
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
scifi,
read-in-2009
Orson Scott Card has managed to do what Robert Jordan could not: he develops a world, characters, history, politics and blends it all together so seamlessly that you forget that it is just a story.
Like Robert Jordan's books, the cast has grown and the world has become more intricate in its politics and deeper in its culture, but unlike Jordan, Card pulls it all together. As a writer, I just shake my head with my mouth hanging open. How did he do it?
In The Call of Earth, the Oversoul realizes tha...more
Like Robert Jordan's books, the cast has grown and the world has become more intricate in its politics and deeper in its culture, but unlike Jordan, Card pulls it all together. As a writer, I just shake my head with my mouth hanging open. How did he do it?
In The Call of Earth, the Oversoul realizes tha...more
(Yes, I am reading all 5 in the series.) This was a little better than the first book with the addition of Moozh, an unexpected character who overtakes the city of Basilica with brilliance and furthers the work of the Oversoul in his efforts to do the opposite of what the Oversoul desires. Interesting moral discussions (Are we "puppets" if we obey a higher power or are we followers of choices that we make? What is the nature of family, what is its place in society?). There was too much specific...more
Disclaimer: This review will spoil the FIRST book in the series.
Orson Scott Card succeeds again. Author of Ender's Game , his success with science fiction is astounding. Volemak and his sons are still affecting Basillica from without. As the story begins to pick up, we are introduced to a new character, Moozh, a general for the Goryani, and they are on the march.
With Gaballufix dead, Rash has taken over Basillica, and the city has destabilized. During this crisis, Volemak and his sons must find...more
Orson Scott Card succeeds again. Author of Ender's Game , his success with science fiction is astounding. Volemak and his sons are still affecting Basillica from without. As the story begins to pick up, we are introduced to a new character, Moozh, a general for the Goryani, and they are on the march.
With Gaballufix dead, Rash has taken over Basillica, and the city has destabilized. During this crisis, Volemak and his sons must find...more
In the second installment of Orson Scott Card’s five book series Homecoming we pick up right where The Memory of Earth left off. This time however we are not solely focused on the Wetchik clan, instead we learn about a new character Moohz, a great Gorayni general. Although the Gorayni worship differently, they still worship the Oversoul, but call it God. As we delve more into his story we learn his people were conquered and annihilated by the Gorayni and he is biding his time until he is able to...more
Am I getting so picky that when I have such a brilliantly written, fascinating, page-turning read, I only recommend it for my school bookshelf and not higher because it wasn't as good as the one that came before it? Or, if I'm going to put it that way, I even agree with the way the story turned out all the way through, and I wouldn't change anything of it; yet I still demote it from the shelf that its predecessor earned? The simple answer: yes, yes I am getting that picky. But let me get somethi...more
Good, solid Card. Elements of the story get downright Biblical. There are bits of Abraham and some of the Exodus, although the biggest parallels are with Joseph and his brother-infuriating dreams.
The writing, characterization, plot, and pacing are as good as we've come to expect. The main characters must all struggle with complex issues of family loyalty, faith, devotion to God (or their local equivalent), and state.
A good read. I will certainly be finishing the series.
The writing, characterization, plot, and pacing are as good as we've come to expect. The main characters must all struggle with complex issues of family loyalty, faith, devotion to God (or their local equivalent), and state.
A good read. I will certainly be finishing the series.
Second book. The story grows more complex, as a new main character is added, and the complexities and interweaving of the other characters are better fleshed out. Both the story and the character development are much more fascinating. Card is not only a good storyteller, but has the ability to create complex social networks and interactions.
I really wasn't sure what I thought of this series when I read the first book, because it parallels the story of Nephi so closely. In this book, Card swerve...more
I really wasn't sure what I thought of this series when I read the first book, because it parallels the story of Nephi so closely. In this book, Card swerve...more
"Memory of Earth" is a solidly-woven tale, so I had expectations along the same vein when I picked up its the next in the series Unfortunately, it wasn't long before I realized I had been suckered into an afternoon of thinly-veiled Mormon allegory. Sloppy, unexpected preaching from Card that fails where Lewis succeeded in reworking stories and faith traditions in an otherworldly fiction. I stuck it out but had to wash my brain after reading.
Book 2 brings Moozh and his struggles against the Oversoul. We learn about the warlike people of Harmony and see if Wetchick's prophetic dream from Book 1 comes true.
The men are growing resentful of Nafai and the forced exile. Nafai and Issib grow even closer to the Oversoul through the Index.
There are some shocking pairings in this novel, but it all comes together nicely at the end.
The men are growing resentful of Nafai and the forced exile. Nafai and Issib grow even closer to the Oversoul through the Index.
There are some shocking pairings in this novel, but it all comes together nicely at the end.
"...Overall, I like The Call of Earth much better than its predecessor, not only because the pacing of events is more to my liking, but because of the characters as well. There is much more of Luet in this book, as I was hoping. She was easily my favorite character, and she still is, though there is a lot of her older sister, the raveler Hushidh, in this one as well, and she's equally interesting to me...As for the ending, I liked how things wrap up. Card leaves off with enough tension to make m...more
I liked this book a bit more than the first one, mainly because I feel Card was able to break away from being stuck recreating the B.O.M., and use more of his ability as a story teller. I liked how he developed the characters in this book, as well as adding more that aren't in the "real" story. It did leave me wanting to read the third book.
The second in a series about the planet Harmony where humanity escaped from Earth some 40 million years before. Orson Scott Card again demonstrates his ability to comment on human behavior under the guise of a science fiction novel. Not as exciting as Ender's Game, but compelling enough to finish this three part series.
I think I'll stick my rant about Arthur C Clark on this book, just for good measure. I should probably recommend it as an important read, maybe give it a bit more star... I think any book that stays with you over the years was worth reading, and this series, certain scenes and ideas from it anyway, has stayed in my head since high school. But it's not a favorite. I just personally can't get over the dreamy idealism... my remembered impression of the story is lack of spunk:p I might have to rerea...more
In the second book of the Homecoming series card further develops Humanities refuge from the Earth they destroyed, Harmony. The Oversoul grows weaker, the charismatic Moozh takes control of Basilica, and Wetchik and his sons, with the help of Rasa and her allies have their hands full preparing the arc and trying to stay alive.
Not sure if this should have been a sequel or if it should have been edited down to just be a part of the first book. The story from the first book is interrupted while OSC introduces new characters and creates a bunch of needles drama...
"Vozmuzhalnoy Vozmozhno" REALLY!???? What the hell were you thinking OSC? This gets knocked down one star just for that name and how many times you just had to use the WHOLE FRIG'N NAME!
Another big peeve for me is the number of years that keep being claimed as t...more
"Vozmuzhalnoy Vozmozhno" REALLY!???? What the hell were you thinking OSC? This gets knocked down one star just for that name and how many times you just had to use the WHOLE FRIG'N NAME!
Another big peeve for me is the number of years that keep being claimed as t...more
This one was better than the first. Very enjoyable. I feel like this series is turning into a mix between scifi and fantasy. The people live simple lives, but have some advanced technology. There is also this fantastical connection between them and the computer controlling their lives; one girl is a seer and another a raveler.
Mar 07, 2011
Zarakoda
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-own,
science-fiction
Not to say this book was awful. Just not "up to par" to what Card can accomplish. It was fairly predictable and entirely about a family getting married. Some interesting dynamics within that, but still - not near as intriguing as the first book in the series.
I do like that this book makes it clear that Laman and Lemuel (of the Book of Mormon) were different individuals and probably didn't have exactly the same personality. Usually they get lumped together when they're talked about in Sunday School.
Well...I didn't even finish this book. A little too graphic and icky for me and my sensitive spirit. I thought that of the first book too but it's my secret crush - why would he ever write something that would hurt me like this??? Why Orson, WHY!?!?!?!? Plus - it's a little weird to read something that I love reading in the Book of Mormon. Hmmmm...Needless to say, I will not be finishing this series. Oh Orson.
Card continues the saga of the Wetchik clan and the characters become more filled out in this installment. He does a good job of expressing the triumph and tragedy of family interactions when partents must deal with rebellious children alongside those who follow the moral lessons they have given them. Again loosely based around the experiences of Lehi and Nephi in the Book of Mormon, this was another strong installment in an intriguing series.
I loved the back ground of this book and how the hero had amazing communication skills, I don't know if I ever finished the series, I remember being really confused on where it was going. It might have made me depressed.
It is the second book in the Homecoming Saga... It is the coninuation of the story of Wetchik and his sons as they try and do the will of the Oversoul, the sophisticated computer put into orbit to watch over humanity...
I loved this series as a kid, though now that I know Orson Scott Card is a nasty LDS homophobe, and that this series is, essentially, a re-telling of the Book of Mormon, I'm much less interested/impressed.
This is book #2 in the Homecoming series and it seamlessly picks up where book one left off. I really liked the character of Moozh and his calculating ways. Where the first book seemed to be setting the stage, the plot starts to move forward in this book.
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Orson Scott Card is the author of the novels Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, and Speaker for the Dead, which are widely read by adults and younger readers, and are increasingly used in schools.
Besides these and other science fiction novels, Card writes contemporary fantasy (Magic Street, Enchantment, Lost Boys), biblical novels (Stone Tables, Rachel and Leah), the American frontier fantasy series Th...more
More about Orson Scott Card...
Besides these and other science fiction novels, Card writes contemporary fantasy (Magic Street, Enchantment, Lost Boys), biblical novels (Stone Tables, Rachel and Leah), the American frontier fantasy series Th...more
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“If I wanted to doubt, then I could doubt endlessly ... but at some point a person has to stop questioning and act, and at that point you have to trust something to be true. You have to act as if something is true, and so you choose the thing you have the most reason to believe in, you have to live in the world that you have the most hope in. I follow [God], I believe [God], because I want to live in the world that [God] has shown me.”
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Feb 19, 2013 08:05pm