The Lost Art by Simon Morden
Jun. 26th, 2010 01:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
The world has turned.
The past awakens.
A millennium after the formidable war machines of the User cultures devoured entire civilisations and rewrote planetary geography, Earth is in the grip of a perpetual Dark Age. Scientific endeavour is strongly discouraged, while remnant technology is locked away – hidden by a Church determined to prevent a new Armageddon.
This is the world to which Benzamir Michael Mahmood must return. A descendant of the tribes who fled the planet during those ages-old wars, he comes in pursuit of enemies from the far reaches of space. The technology he brings is wondrous beyond the imaginings of those he will meet, but can its potency match that of the Church’s most closely guarded treasure?
For centuries it has lain dormant, buried in a lead-lined tomb deep beneath the flagstones of a remote Siberian monastery. But it is about to be unearthed, and the powers that will be unleashed may be beyond anyone’s capacity to control. Even a man as extraordinary as Benzamir ....
Centuries in the future, war and human greed have devastated the Earth and reversed its axis. While some fled the ravaged planet in space ships seeking to rebuild civilisation in the stars, many remained to make the best of it. Now Earth is stuck in a perpetual Dark Age. Remnant technology is locked away and viewed with suspicion. Scientific experimentation is discouraged.
Va is a monk and member of a church dedicated to locking away the technological past. When his monastery is sacked, his brothers murdered and a book of forbidden knowledge stolen, he and Elenya (a woman from his past who is hopelessly devoted to him) embark on a quest to get it back. His quest coincides with the arrival of Benzamir Mahmood on the planet who is engaged in a mission of his own. As their quests coincide they discover that power greater than either imagined is about to be unleashed – a power that could devastate the planet again ...
Although Simon Morden’s science fiction novel is billed as young adult, there’s more here that will appeal to grown up readers. It’s a mature tale filled with adult characters (the only teenager is Wahir, a boy who assumes the job of Benzamir’s servant) and the storytelling is complex, with key information not really emerging until the final quarter. There’s also a certain amount of violence both on and off the page, which may be disturbing to some.
The world-building is convincing and the characters are great. Benzamir is a fascinating character – enthralled by a world he’s from but never seen and horrified by the way in which humans have allowed themselves to forget their scientific curiosity. Va is his complete opposite and (for me) the star of the book – a reformed mercenary who is now committed to his faith and desperate to ensure that a book of forbidden knowledge is locked away again. Equally fascinating is Elenya, a former princess who promised her love to Va, only to lose him when he did as she asked and who has now lost herself as well.
It’s a great story that combines politics, imagination and poses interesting questions about what we’re doing with the planet. I found it enthralling and can’t recommend it highly enough.
The Verdict:
Although this is billed as YA science fiction novel, I think that it would also appeal to adult SF fans. The characters, world building and plot all come together to make a really interesting read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The past awakens.
A millennium after the formidable war machines of the User cultures devoured entire civilisations and rewrote planetary geography, Earth is in the grip of a perpetual Dark Age. Scientific endeavour is strongly discouraged, while remnant technology is locked away – hidden by a Church determined to prevent a new Armageddon.
This is the world to which Benzamir Michael Mahmood must return. A descendant of the tribes who fled the planet during those ages-old wars, he comes in pursuit of enemies from the far reaches of space. The technology he brings is wondrous beyond the imaginings of those he will meet, but can its potency match that of the Church’s most closely guarded treasure?
For centuries it has lain dormant, buried in a lead-lined tomb deep beneath the flagstones of a remote Siberian monastery. But it is about to be unearthed, and the powers that will be unleashed may be beyond anyone’s capacity to control. Even a man as extraordinary as Benzamir ....
Centuries in the future, war and human greed have devastated the Earth and reversed its axis. While some fled the ravaged planet in space ships seeking to rebuild civilisation in the stars, many remained to make the best of it. Now Earth is stuck in a perpetual Dark Age. Remnant technology is locked away and viewed with suspicion. Scientific experimentation is discouraged.
Va is a monk and member of a church dedicated to locking away the technological past. When his monastery is sacked, his brothers murdered and a book of forbidden knowledge stolen, he and Elenya (a woman from his past who is hopelessly devoted to him) embark on a quest to get it back. His quest coincides with the arrival of Benzamir Mahmood on the planet who is engaged in a mission of his own. As their quests coincide they discover that power greater than either imagined is about to be unleashed – a power that could devastate the planet again ...
Although Simon Morden’s science fiction novel is billed as young adult, there’s more here that will appeal to grown up readers. It’s a mature tale filled with adult characters (the only teenager is Wahir, a boy who assumes the job of Benzamir’s servant) and the storytelling is complex, with key information not really emerging until the final quarter. There’s also a certain amount of violence both on and off the page, which may be disturbing to some.
The world-building is convincing and the characters are great. Benzamir is a fascinating character – enthralled by a world he’s from but never seen and horrified by the way in which humans have allowed themselves to forget their scientific curiosity. Va is his complete opposite and (for me) the star of the book – a reformed mercenary who is now committed to his faith and desperate to ensure that a book of forbidden knowledge is locked away again. Equally fascinating is Elenya, a former princess who promised her love to Va, only to lose him when he did as she asked and who has now lost herself as well.
It’s a great story that combines politics, imagination and poses interesting questions about what we’re doing with the planet. I found it enthralling and can’t recommend it highly enough.
The Verdict:
Although this is billed as YA science fiction novel, I think that it would also appeal to adult SF fans. The characters, world building and plot all come together to make a really interesting read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
