Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great SF Action Adventure, 2 Aug 2007
Crystal Rain introduces us to an interesting low-technology setting (blimps and trains seem to be the most advanced technology) which could have easily been presented as a fantasy for most of the novel. However, the interest lies in that this low-tech environment is really a lost-tech environment - the civilisation is actually the remnants of a more advanced colony that has retroverted following some form of conflict in the past. The high-tech past is now a thing of legend, yet the Nanagandan inhabitants understand it was something humans could achieve, and that some strive to regain.
The protagonist, John de Brun, is an amnesiac who has been living in a Carribean-descended community since mysteriously washing ashore in the past. de Brun's world is thrown into turmoil with the invasion of the neighbouring Azteca civilisation at the prompting of the Teotl - their gods. To the reader it soon becomes obvious that the gods (the Teotl for the Azteca and Loa for the Nanagadans) are aliens and the SF elements of the novel start to take on weight, especially as it becomes apparent that de Brun has some form of tie to an ancient artifact that is perhaps the basis for the war.
We're introduced to the world through de Brun's struggles to remember his past and the telling of stories to his teenage son. This allows us to see how the fall of civilisation has lived on in myth and legend, and how the current inhabitants interpret technology they no longer understand. Adding to the mix is Pepper, an enigmatic character who seems to have links to de Bruin's past and, fortunately, a fully functioning memory.
There's a lot of action crammed into this novel - it reminds me a little of some of Leigh Brackett's work, where the science isn't the focus, it's merely an enabler for the characters and their adventures. That's not to say it's a ray-guns replacing wands style science-fantasy (which most of the Brackett I've read is) - the lost-tech culture merely makes hard science unecessary.
I think it's also worth mentioning the cover, which features deBrun, hook for one hand and a gun in the over leaning in the rigging of an airship - it captures the adventurous nature of the novel.
My only gripe with the novel is the character's style of speech, which can be somewhat disconcerting to start with but becomes natural as the novel progresses. This and a few info dumps early on are easily overlooked given that Crystal Rain provides an exciting mix of action, SF, mystery and setting. I'm looking forward to the follow up, Ragamuffin, which takes the planetary scope of this novel to a much broader environment.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Ignore the bad cover art!, 28 Jun 2008
The background that Buckell uses for this story makes a refreshing change from the normal run of science fiction, most of which is derived quite clearly from western European (and by extension American, which is as near as damnit the same thing) societies. Buckell uses the Caribbean instead. The opposing societies - and the reasons that they are in opposition at all - are inventive, characters' motivations and actions make sense. All round it's a jolly well-written and well-told yarn. I suppose that the ending could be seen as being somewhat deus ex machina if you were to read a plot summary, but with all the little details scattered earlier in the book it isn't really like that. Worth paying for, and I'll be ordering its follow-up "Ragamuffin"
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4.0 out of 5 stars
An entertaining and well paced story, 28 Jun 2008
Crystal Rain is Tobias Buckell's debut novel and a very good one at that. Born and raised in the Caribbean he brings a strong flavour of that culture to this story.
The inhabitants of Nanagada and Aztlan are descendant from the Caribbean, now occupying lands each side of the Wicked Highs that are cut off from each other except for the Mafolie Pass. The alien Teotl that rule over the Aztecans as gods demand blood sacrifices, while the Nanagadans live in peace with the alien Loa. The Teotl and Loa have fought each other for a great time, and now the Aztecans are coming through the mountains under the direction of the Teotl to wage war on Nanagada.
John deBrun lost his memory 27 years ago and now passes his time in Brungstum with his wife and son. His past life is a blank to him, although he has come through situations that have killed all others around him. He is the only person to travel to the northlands and return alive, to travel over Hope's Loss and return healthy. Now the invasion of the Aztecans turns his life upside down. Travelling north with Oaxycytl, an Aztecan spy, he arrives in Capitol City wanting to join the Mongoose men and fight against the Aztecans to take revenge for the loss he has suffered.
With the discovery of old information, a crew is put together to travel to the northlands by ship to find the Ma Wi Jung, a mysterious object said to contain the power to defeat the Teotl. John is appointed the captain and given the things he needs to get to the location where the Ma Wi Jung should be. With the Aztecans marching on Capitol City their time is limited, but they are the only hope.
What Tobias Buckell has done here is pretty impressive. He's taken a culture that wouldn't usually be put in the same sentence as science fiction and created something that is both unique and familiar. Although not heavily science fiction related, the story has constant references to a time when humanity was technically advanced and flew between the stars. Although most of the story is told through the eyes of characters that just don't know or don't understand the technology, the times when we do get to see from the perspective of those with the knowledge doesn't give too much detail - enough to know there is more, just not quite what it is.
The characters are also really well presented. The handful who we spend the majority of the novel with are well developed, interesting and unique - of the five or so main characters, each was distinct and engrossing. I can honestly say that there were no characters that I disliked reading and no plot thread that didn't feel rewarding.
The only real point that I can say I struggled with was the dialect, but only early on in the book. Tobias has obviously used his background to create a great setting which is a refreshing change, but the dialect is difficult to get into. If I didn't know from reading his blog and doing a little research on this I would have struggled even more. Saying this, after getting to the quarter way mark I was barely noticing the difference simply because the book flows so well.
Crystal Rain is a great read - not too long, but with so many ideas and such a well told story I find it difficult to believe the length, I would have expected a longer book, althoguh this is probably one of the strongest points: the pace of the book. I was never bored of reading and each chapter added something to the whole. I just can't wait to sink my teeth into Ragamuffin and see what Tobias can do with Space Opera.
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by Tobias S. Buckell
by Neal Stephenson
by John Scalzi
by John Scalzi
by John Scalzi
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