Vale of stars (edition 2012)

Vale of stars was an excellent written book and I liked it even though not what I normally read. ( )

Starts slow but worth getting through the first 30 pages! By the end of the book I was very drawn in by the characters and the evolution of humanity in space. I was actually sad to finish it. I would love to know more about the next evolution- won't say the name so I don't ruin it for anyone. I loved the commentary on science, fascism, racism, religion, socialism, gender... I could keep listing all the topics that are artfully woven into the story line. Usually I find myself only reading an Early Reviewer's book once, just enough to give it a review. Well this book is definitely different and I know I will be rereading it in the future. I look forward to more of Sean O'Brien's books! ( )

Vale of Stars actually drew me in and kept me going to the last page. I usually do not like stories where there are multiple generations and social issues and political conflict however, the author was able to draw me in and keep my interest all the way to the end. This may be for the very reason some others will not like it however; because the political and social aspects were presented at a high level instead of long drawn out details of those conflicts.
It was interesting how the evolution of the social structure was presented for family, science, religion, and government. For example there was the symmetrical presentation of how the colonists came to view the ship dwellers as gods and how the sea dwellers looked at the colonists as gods.
There are gaps between the generations, and the respective generational stories while tied together thru a common bloodline, seem to start at a new stage of the social evolution for the colonists at the beginning of each one. I can see that there could be more stories written in this same universe.
I will definitely be looking for more from this author. Anyone who can hook me into a story that I would usually get bored with someone to keep an eye out for. ( )

This is a fascinating book that takes science fiction and uses it in a loose way as a lens to look at the concept of the history of man; circling back to the theory that humanity was partially, or wholly, a product of an alien species.

Jenes Halfner is the first in a long line of strong women that make radical impacts on their community - first in the spaceship that takes them to their new "home," and then on the planet's surface. Nothing is as expected when the travelers land and it ends up causing a major schism between two factions. This takes places over several generations and is filled with interesting ideas and looks at the different ways people approach the same issue or problem.

The book is somewhat cyclical, which lends to keeping the reader's interest, as do the astounding discoveries that are made over time, straight through to the climactic ending.

O'Brien does a nice job at world-building, giving us interesting characters to be invested in, and a well designed story arc that is smoothly paced. Definitely take the time to read this book, though some may find the very beginning a bit slow, it is worth sticking with it as it does pick up fairly quickly and keeps you interested for the remainder of the book. ( )

I have started Sean O'Brien's “Vale of Stars” three times. I haven't gotten past the 3rd page, yet. Maybe one day. Perhaps it's the fact that it's so mundane. Yes it's set in a space ship headed to . . . who knows where, but it's in my estimation, boring, boring, boring.

Maybe one day when the power is down and I have nothing else to do, I'll read this book. . . . Yeah, I don't think so either. ( )