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Earthfall (1995)

by Orson Scott Card

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Homecoming Saga (4)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
1,788149,485 (3.38)6
Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML:

When war broke out on the planet Harmony, the Oversoul of that colonized world selected the family of Wetchik to carry it back to long-lost Earth. Now the tribe is ready at last to take a ship to the stars. But from the beginning there has been bitter dispute between Wetchikâ??s sons, Nafai and Elemak. On board the starship Basilica, the children of the tribe will become pawns in the struggle for control of reclaimed Earth. Each faction is making secret plans to awaken the children early from the cold-sleep capsules in which they will pass the decades-long journey, hoping to gain years of influence on their minds and win their loyalty. But the Oversoul is truly in control of this journey, and only the son who wears the cloak of the Starmaster really understands what this will mean to all their plans for the future.… (more)

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English (12)  Spanish (1)  All languages (13)
Showing 1-5 of 12 (next | show all)
I've enjoyed this whole series, but this 4th book was the best so far. It includes the group making the trip to Earth and what they find when they get there. This part of the saga is a very rich story with some unusual characters other than those who land in the starship. ( )
  ajlewis2 | Jul 11, 2018 |
Started interesting, turned boring. Exact opposite than the previous one.

You'd think after however many years either one of the brothers would grow up and realize that they are not going to get what they want from the other.
Halfway through the book I got tired of hearing the sibling's whining on love me/kill him. Someone should have had some brain and killed Elemak ages ago so that we could have an actual subplot as plot, and maybe a decent ending.

Ending completely disappointing too, quick wrap up that says nothing at all. Makes it seem that the point wasn't the trip to Earth and war there and stuff (as the back of the book makes me believe), but just the brother's whiny enmity. If I'd known that, I would have stopped at book two. ( )
  AshuritaLove | May 20, 2014 |
Finally, we're on Earth. However, if you think you might get some answers about who the Keeper of Earth might be, both you and the Oversoul are sorely mistaken. The rift between Nafai and Elemak comes to a head, and although it's pretty satisfying, it's not all shiny and happy. The angel and digger societies are interesting bits of archaeology, though, so the book is worth reading. ( )
  EmScape | Nov 23, 2013 |
This was a good book, and fit with the nature of the rest of the series. It gets into some weirdness by introducing sentient species that I found to be more than a bit of a stretch to believe, but they were more plot devices than compelling characters. After reading this and the original four Ender's Game series, Card seems to write interesting human stories and mix them with aliens that I have a lot of difficulty getting attached to (or even interested in) in the way he seems to intend us to....moreThis was a good book, and fit with the nature of the rest of the series. It gets into some weirdness by introducing sentient species that I found to be more than a bit of a stretch to believe, but they were more plot devices than compelling characters. After reading this and the original four Ender's Game series, Card seems to write interesting human stories and mix them with aliens that I have a lot of difficulty getting attached to (or even interested in) in the way he seems to intend us to.

Earthfall brought the series to a reasonable (though frustratingly realistic and open-ended) close. However, Card wrote and published a fifth book to follow this fourth in the series. It's not that it was unreasonable to write a fifth, but having now read that also, be aware that while Earthborn shares a common universe and world with the rest of the series, Earthfall does bring the main story arc to a close. ( )
  cargocontainer | Feb 9, 2011 |
I guess the best way I can describe the ending to the fourth volume of the Homecoming series is with the term flaccid. This book is essentially split in two - the journey to Earth and then the splintering of the human colony on Earth. The first part ratchets up the temperature with Ellemak capturing and torturing Nafai. Nafai's Starmaster's cloak is the only reason he survives the beatings he takes from Ellemak and his trusty steel pipe. The resolution of that situation confused me... the whole thing just seemed to vanish in so much smoke. And really... if you've had your skull caved in on purpose by your brother, will you still love him? I don't think so. If it was me, I'd have taken the first opportunity to exterminate him - and probably jettison his worthless carcass into space.

The end of the second half was just as odd. Vas finds out that Sevet has been sleeping with Ellemak, and decides to take revenge now for the wrongs that he's had to endure. So he kills Obring and then goes to find and kill Ellemak. But when he gets there, he does the stupid Scooby-doo villian thing and starts talking... and talking... and talking until Meb shows up and squishes his skull like Gallagher. Dumb.

Then Volemak dies and Ellemak takes Nafai and all his people hostage. Nafai gives the cloak to Shedemai while the Oversoul puts everyone to sleep. Nafai and his folks skip town and build a new settlement with the angels and a few diggers. Shedemai and Zdorab hop in the ship and orbit the Earth for a couple hundred years, coming in and out of suspended animation. And Ellemak begins a war against Nafai.

And that's the end of the book. So I'll take a cue from the master and end my review here as well... after having resolved nothing but my need to say something. ( )
  helver | Sep 14, 2010 |
Showing 1-5 of 12 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (6 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Card, Orson Scottprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Parkinson, KeithCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Rudnicki, StefanNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Salwowski, MarkCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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To Shayne Bell, a good friend, a good writer, a good man.
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Prologue - The master computer of Harmony was no longer quite itself; or rather, if you look at it in another way, it was twice itself.
The master computer of the planet Harmony was no longer quite itself; or rather, if you look at it in another way, it was twice itself.
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Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML:

When war broke out on the planet Harmony, the Oversoul of that colonized world selected the family of Wetchik to carry it back to long-lost Earth. Now the tribe is ready at last to take a ship to the stars. But from the beginning there has been bitter dispute between Wetchikâ??s sons, Nafai and Elemak. On board the starship Basilica, the children of the tribe will become pawns in the struggle for control of reclaimed Earth. Each faction is making secret plans to awaken the children early from the cold-sleep capsules in which they will pass the decades-long journey, hoping to gain years of influence on their minds and win their loyalty. But the Oversoul is truly in control of this journey, and only the son who wears the cloak of the Starmaster really understands what this will mean to all their plans for the future.

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Average: (3.38)
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