Refugee

This is the beginning of the five part story of Hope Hubris, the eventual space tyrant. We start by meeting Hope and his two sisters, Faith and Spirit. A fight with a member of the ruling class gets them into trouble and they have to leave their home on Jupiter's moon Callisto - destined for the hope embodied by the planet Jupiter. Of course, it doesn't end up happening that way and Hope spends this first book struggling to survive against a solar system apparently dead set on killing him and everyone he cares about. Because there are four more books, we can rest assured that Hope does survive the journey. But that's about all we can be sure about.

I've never been overly fond of sexual violence or violence against children or against show more helpless non-combatants - but this book is chock full of it. The initial scene is about rape and it goes downhill from there. Because we know that Hope becomes a space tyrant, we can only assume that his ability to overcome the violence perpetrated against those he knows and loves is the crucible that hardens him into the man that can rule as he apparently will sometime in the future. But as these initial shocks keep coming and coming, it's almost Murphy personified. Every double cross that could happen, does. Every possible failure comes to pass. There is no good fortune and there is no victory, however small that does not come with an extraordinarily high cost.

I'll keep reading, because I'm OCD that way. But I'm seriously hoping that things will tone down somewhat... show less

This review is for whole series -- engrossing characters and unfortunately probable world building. Absolutely the plot and the protagonist sucks you right in and goes nonstop through all 6 books.

I am a fan of Piers Anthony; but, reader beware -- this ain't no Xanth. Much more intense situations. "Caligula of the stars" on one of the excerpts is a very apt description for some disturbing portions in series; definitely for adults with actions and memories graphic/explicit as to sex, violence, rape and even child molesting.

Hope Hubris, a young Hispanic man from Jupiter's moon Callisto, flees with his family after he defends his sister from a wealthy elite, becoming fugitives in a dangerous solar system. Their escape in an overcrowded space bubble quickly turns into a horrific ordeal as they are repeatedly attacked, robbed, and brutalized by space pirates, forcing Hope to endure extreme violence and witness atrocities, setting him on a path of survival and vengeance against those who terrorize refugees.

Anthony's _Bio of a Space Tyrant_ reads like some kind of bawdy Heinlein. A sci-fi rags to riches (and then the ultimate rise to power) that's fun, but just a bit heterosexist too.

I'm not really sure what I think about this book. Its well written, and very readable, but depressing. The book starts with a sexual assault, and then moves on to describe what its like to be the minimum wage labor in a space colony. The short answer -- its not much fun. Worse than that, when you try to escape your oppression, you end up being abused by both the authorities who have power to help, as well as assorted criminals. This is not a feel good book.

http://www.stillhq.com/book/Piers_Anthony/Bio_of_a_Space_Tyrant_Refugee.html

The slow degradation and creation of a tyrant (Piers Anthony seems almost obsessed with sexual violence in this book), hasn't aged well in my opinion.

I really disliked this series, though this one might be the best. This is done in the style of Battlefield Earth, with big conflicts and grim outlooks. The title character really is a tyrant to be, not a tyrant yet, but you can see he's heading in that direction, and it only gets worse. Just not worth the time.