That grumble done I did like some of the characterization and the plot. A lovely piece of science fantasy, well-paced and engaging.
I wasn't terribly enamored by the first book in this trilogy, Lord Valentine's Castle. I understand trying to create an atmosphere but, as an example, meaningless nouns - plants you can't see - overly effusively trying to evoke a melancholy sadness for past glories of a garden, just doesn't cut it for me and bogs down the narrative. At the same time, while I was reading it I felt as if I really was in a different world, earth-like enough for an. It was fantastic and gave me hope that the third and final book would be just as enjoyable. The only negative about the book is I felt the end was very rushed and ended quite abruptly. The bright and happy king is now mopey and constantly despondent about everything. Full length novels on the other hand not so much... His characters over time are not consistent in the. Most of the world-building is reduced to name-dropping, which there's lots of and which requires that the reader remembers those places well from the previous books, otherwise I imagine it gets very exhausting.
I did not feel as if I disliked this book. That’s my head canon, anyway, and I like it. This was an excellent read in its own right, and a fantastic continuation of the series, with a satisfying ending. 3.75/5: definitely the best in the trilogy, it flows like a book should. I enjoyed this final return to the world of Majipoor. I had read the first two books, Mmmh.
Things are not going well for the restored Lord Valentine. I did not feel as if I disliked this book. The story in many ways reminds me of a folk tale or a fairy tale, but with a lot of the edges blunted off. Valentine Pontifex is a novel in which the Metamophs try to drive people from their native world Majipoor by spreading ecological problems.
The climax of the story is simplistic, and the close short and trite. I picked this up at a used bookstore without knowing about the Majipoor series, but being confident that more Silverberg would be a good read. Life goes to heck in a handbasket on the huge planet as the Metamorphs try to take back what is theirs. 1984: Valentine Pontifex, Science Fiction Book Club Hard cover book, 247 pp.
I know there are some who feel this third installment in the series isn't as good as the first two, but I find I disagree with them. I felt like it was a slow read at the beginning, but it definately picked up towards the middle. Not so much the second time around. Hissune and the other princes on Castle Mount were realistic and cool, Faraataa was a really good (crazy as hell) bad guy, and the sea-dragons were finally revealed as the all-knowing god-like creatures that Silverberg intended for them to be the whole time. Irritating isn't it? Something similar would not be out of the question of happening in our world and, unfortunately, I believe that the impact it would have on us would be similar.
Mmmh. A satisfactory continuation of the series but no surprises.
[-- the Metamorphs seeking revenge and spreading chaos, the destruction of the peaceful life on Majipoor, the mysterious sea dragons--.
I wasn't terribly enamored by the first book in this trilogy, Lord Valentine's Castle. Valentine is a Mary Sue. Perhaps if I read the whole series in order it would have been a better experience, but I never pursued the hypothesis in an orderly fashion, reading Majipoor novels haphazardly. I really enjoyed this book, actually thought that it was better than the first two in the series.
I loved the first two books in the series for the world-building, for the exploring of exotic places with exuberant flora, fauna, and architecture, which made up for weak plots and characterisation.