"The Scourge of God" by S.M. Stirling

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This book took slightly longer to read than I expected. That's not a bad thing however, as I was able to savor every word and nuance of this master of the craft. Truthfully schoolwork took a large portion of the time I could have been reading, and that contributed primarily to the long time it took me to complete.

Synopsis

The Scourge of God follows the adventures of Rudi and company as they continue to traverse the changed North American continent on a trek to Nantucket. This portion of the series is almost beginning to become akin to the Odyssey by Homer, essentially a series of interconnected encounters with peoples who are different from the main character. The main character (Rudi in this case, Odysseus in Homer's) must solve a problem at each location. This problem might be his own, such as devising a method of escape, or helping the locals to achieve some goal. In terms of plot...this book doesn't advance the overarching goal of the series very much, but it does provide necessary time for Rudi and Mathilda to get to know each other more, and for the audience to get to know the characters more as well.

Review

Once again, a superlative outing for Stirling. The editing in this book is far superior to any other of his works I've seen so far. The storyline, though it doesn't advance very far does give us insight on what is going on in the characters minds, especially Rudi's. I do like that the magic and mystery of the world is becoming more and more aparent to the reader. I also like that there is just enough information about what is going on back home to keep our interest in affairs there, without it intruding into Rudi's Odyssey. Another excellent change novel. I can't wait to read the sword of the lady...

...and indeed it won't take nearly as long as it did to get The Scourge of God. On November 30, Barnes and Nobles is releasing the Nook. What I believe to be a better solution to the mobile e-reader problem. With memory cards that can be taken out and native PDF support...it makes me feel sorry for anyone who purchased a kindle.

Whats next literarily? I'm beginning a short story collection entitled Other Earths edited by jack nevers and jay lake. So far it's very interesting and i'm very into it. School ends soon, so I'll have more time to read, and in addition to that, I would like to finish dragon age: origins and Dragon Warrior 2.