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Ventus
Ventus
A novel of information apocalypse set in the far future. For a thousand years the sovereign Winds have maintained the delicate ecological balance of the terraformed planet Ventus. Now an alien force threatens to wrest control of the terraforming system away from the Winds...
Book Excerpt
not monsters. That one was just trying to protect itself."
"What was that silver stuff? It looked alive!"
"Dad told me about that one time. The mothers protect themselves with it. He said the stuff goes towards whatever's wettest. He said he saw somebody get covered with it once; he died, but the stuff was still on him, so they got it off by dropping the body in a horse trough."
Emmy shuddered. "That was an awful chance. Don't do anything like that again, hear?"
The excitement was over, and the rest of the crowd began to disperse. "Come, let's get you cleaned up," she said, towing him in the direction of the kitchens.
As they were rounding the reflecting pool, Jordan heard the sudden thunder of hooves, saw the dust fountaining up from them. They were headed straight for him.
"Look out!" He whirled, pushing Emmy out of the way. She shrieked and fell in the pool.
The sound vanished; the dust blinked out of existence.
There were no horses. The courtyard was
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4.6
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Read it - it's simply amazing.
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Lotta thaliance in Gwynnite. Translation: read it.
08/23/2012
Loved it, totally loved it!
I don't agree with the other reviewer who said it was too long, I think it was fine. It does need some editing, the ePub version did have some issues
I don't agree with the other reviewer who said it was too long, I think it was fine. It does need some editing, the ePub version did have some issues
05/20/2011
Really good story that starts in a late medieval rural setting with fortresses, forests and folkelore - and ends up in a planet-scale nano AI battle. It's a little longer than it needed to be, and definately needs more editing, especially on the last half. I can reccommend it - reminded me a bit of Peter Hamilton's story in "Void Trilogy" with Edeard realising his powers slowly over time, at the same time as the nature of his world are revealed at the same pace.
04/26/2011
Superb writing tranports u to an another world ....nice imagination....
04/18/2011
Great ideas, story, plot, etc. Pretty much what everyone said already.
However the book could really use an editor. It was riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. The last few pages are all in italics.
Ending was a bit trite and anti-climactic. I didn't think it was that long, I finished it in about three days. IMO it could have been longer to cover all the content. Some of it was glossed over.
All in all, a good read.
-TG
However the book could really use an editor. It was riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. The last few pages are all in italics.
Ending was a bit trite and anti-climactic. I didn't think it was that long, I finished it in about three days. IMO it could have been longer to cover all the content. Some of it was glossed over.
All in all, a good read.
-TG
03/23/2011
Excellent novel. I loved the journeys (both literal and metaphorical) made by all the protagonists, and the way their paths and relationships developed throughout. The explanation of the stuff of fantasy in terms of advanced technology was pure genius.
At over 400 pages this is not a quick read. It's long. It's complicated. And as Norm says below, there's a *lot* of stuff in it. But having read it, I can't think of any bits that I'd be happy to take out. It's all interlinked.
This is definitely one that goes on my "to be re-read" list.
At over 400 pages this is not a quick read. It's long. It's complicated. And as Norm says below, there's a *lot* of stuff in it. But having read it, I can't think of any bits that I'd be happy to take out. It's all interlinked.
This is definitely one that goes on my "to be re-read" list.
01/14/2011
An excellent novel, with a complex storyline, well-crafted characters and highly imaginative settings and technological artifacts abounding.
In one way or other, the lead characters, all on journeys of self-discovery or self-recovery, are metaphors for the struggles taking place on the planet, Ventus. This book is a fascinating exploration of the question of the meaning of being as it applies to intelligent machines and persons alike.
In one way or other, the lead characters, all on journeys of self-discovery or self-recovery, are metaphors for the struggles taking place on the planet, Ventus. This book is a fascinating exploration of the question of the meaning of being as it applies to intelligent machines and persons alike.
01/13/2011
Superb book, great characters, marvellous story.
01/03/2011
Really loved this book. It manages to create a world of magic as we might recognise it from other stories and explain it convincingly with technology.
07/22/2010