Anvil of Stars: Amazon.ca: Greg Bear: Books

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47 Reviews

5 star:		(25)
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4.1 out of 5 stars (47 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars Alderwood Manor? SPOILER!!!!, Jun 9 2004

By	Ron Atola "ronatola" (Toronto) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anvil of Stars (Mass Market Paperback)

What is the last line supposed to mean?

ALDERWOOD MANOR, WASHINGTON
AUGUST 30, 1991

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4.0 out of 5 stars Great read with unanswered questions, April 27 2004

By	J. May "bjmay22" (Santa Fe, NM) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Anvil of Stars (Mass Market Paperback)

Basic outline: Earth has been destroyed by killer robot spaceships. The few remaining survivors send some of their children to avenge the planet. Supposedly there is another race called the Benafactors who, having built spaceships of their own to hunt down the robot killers, take the children (young adults, really) to hunt them down because it's the "LAW". I have to ask: What kind of beings make a Law that can only be understood poorly, if at all, since the Benafactors who sent out these Ships of the Law cannot be questioned directly (out of a sense of self preservation)? I give this book only 4 stars not because the book is bad (it's great) but because it's frustrating that the humans are obviously in over their heads in terms of carrying out a completely ALIEN system of justice that has no limits on time or distance. In other words they can travel for hundreds, if not thousands, of years across unimaginable distances (something the book conveys well) to find what? A civilization that has forgotten its horrible past and doesn't know enough to FEEL guilty let alone BE guilty. As the book lamely asks: what about redemption? It's not answered to my satisfaction. My biggest complaint is that the Benefactors don't seem to care that Earthlings (or perhaps any race they happen to save) don't have any idea what kind of moral/legal/social/galactic framework they are becoming involved in. Sure, it's great that they get these ships to go out and avenge Earth but who ARE the Benefactors? Why do they care about revenge and if they care so much why don't they just do it themslves instead of going to all the trouble of "training" the survivors and telling them only that it's for dear old earth? We don't get any other explanation 'cause the benafactor built robots who guide the children either can't or won't tell. Giving out info is apparently against the best interests of the race(s) that sent the Ships of the Law out in the first place since the ship might be captured by the machines they are trying to destroy. Implying that earthlings might turn into equally dangerous predators as the killer robots doesn't seem reason enough not to give out as much info as possible concerning WHAT you're doing, HOW you're doing it, WHOM you're doing it to, and WHY it must be done. Blind faith and desire for revenge can only go so far.
Anyway, I enjoyed the book despite these questions and recommend it. The science is engaging/realistic (more or less) and the characters are deep enough to be enjoyable. I do NOT see this book as derivative of Ender's Game at all. IMHO they are polar opposites. One is a revenge seeking space opera and the other is a quest for redemption. One last caveat: Both Ender's Game and AOS recognize that as humans we don't always have the option of forgiveness. Not right away, anyway.

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1.0 out of 5 stars Book that could have been good, Jan 15 2004

By	chunky monkey (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Anvil of Stars (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is a sequel to Forge Of God. I give Forge Of God 5 stars because that's an amazing book with good action, technology, and science.

This book does not follow the lines of the Forge Of God. Its basically a story of kids living in a spaceship, having sex with each other, while facing moral dilemmas about the tast they're assigned to do by the aliens.

Reasons why I dislike this book:
1. Too much sex. Kids live in some kind of society where everyone has sex with one another. Graphic sex scenes.
2. There is glorification of homosexuality. There are kids who think they're gay, which is absolutely unrelated to science ficiton subject matter.
3. The book focuses on romance and relationship rather than the philosophy and action.

If you want to read a good book about invasion of earth, read Greg Bear's Forge Of God, dont touch this book.

If you want to read a good book about relationships of young adults and how they're facing hardship and growing up, then read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.

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Most recent customer reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Good technological/astronomical fiction, annoying characters
First off let me say that the science part of the science fiction was very interesting. The idea of "fake matter", the way that entire star systems were engineered... Read more

Published on Nov 17 2003 by Pancake Schmeckendeugler

2.0 out of 5 stars This is a failed sequel
Unlike the Forge of God which really kept me on the edge of my seat, and had me caught up in the emotions of the horrifying ending, this left me cold. Read more

Published on Mar 3 2003 by mobiusklien

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Sequel to The Forge of God
ANVIL OF STARS is the sequel to THE FORGE OF GOD but is a much different book. A group of human children volunteer (are coerced? Read more

Published on Feb 5 2003 by C. Baker

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly great author
Bear has produced some of the finest books in SF. You will need to read "The Forge of God" for the best understanding of the plot, but it could probably be read solo.

Published on May 15 2002 by MR MARK DOWLING