Godsfire
by Cynthia Felice
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I read this book on a whim because there was a meme being circulated using the original paperback cover of this book out there. I saw the picture, thought it must be an old sci-fi cover, and spent a few minutes in google images looking for it. I would not be me if I wasn't at least a little curious about a cover like that. This went into my tbr as soon as I found it.
Onward, to the review. I give this book a 4 star rating for my interest in the world built, though the plot without that world might have only gotten a 3. I have a few problems. One of them is that the author left a huge gap of time in the middle unwritten. I like the characters enough that I would have preferred a short chapter that covers that time period in the same sort show more of way movies pass time in montages. I don't like hard time skips. I also don't like that the author gave me this great world with an alien culture, but often did not take the time to explain things to me. Explaining simple world concepts to readers might be an unrealistic way to write, and very over-done, but there's a reason for it. I know that there is a glossary in the back to explain the new words, but I didn't find out about it until I had read the whole book, and by then it was too late. If you prefer to do a glossary like that then place it in the front of the book, please. I also wanted more than the ending I was given. That wasn't really the end, it was only a pause when one of the plots was resolved but others were still waiting for their turn. For all that criticism, I still really enjoyed the book. I know that those things would not have bothered me if I had not enjoyed the book. Not to mention, when I was reading the conclusion my husband got a bit annoyed with me for ignoring him. If you are looking for tropes in this book I'm sure that you could point some out to be annoyed by, but I felt like the book trod some new ground. What would it be like if there were aliens like this and they discovered people wandering their wildlands? What if we were just different enough from them that they didn't consider us people, but animals? If aliens that resembled cats existed, would they be offended about us saying they looked like cats when they saw what a cat is? What would it be like if you lived somewhere where the sun was always under cloud cover and you had never seen it? I tried to explain the interesting concepts in this book in more detail to my husband and failed miserably, so I won't open up any spoilers attempting it here. Overall, for a book that I decided to read because the cover art was being used as a meme, it was really good. It was one of those stories that you know had potential to be great, but hadn't quite made it. The e-book has a new cover that is just as tacky, but not nearly as magnificent as the old paperback cover. I really wish amazon had not tried to give it a new cover. Overall, I recommend this to anyone who isn't freaked out by furries. show less
Onward, to the review. I give this book a 4 star rating for my interest in the world built, though the plot without that world might have only gotten a 3. I have a few problems. One of them is that the author left a huge gap of time in the middle unwritten. I like the characters enough that I would have preferred a short chapter that covers that time period in the same sort show more of way movies pass time in montages. I don't like hard time skips. I also don't like that the author gave me this great world with an alien culture, but often did not take the time to explain things to me. Explaining simple world concepts to readers might be an unrealistic way to write, and very over-done, but there's a reason for it. I know that there is a glossary in the back to explain the new words, but I didn't find out about it until I had read the whole book, and by then it was too late. If you prefer to do a glossary like that then place it in the front of the book, please. I also wanted more than the ending I was given. That wasn't really the end, it was only a pause when one of the plots was resolved but others were still waiting for their turn. For all that criticism, I still really enjoyed the book. I know that those things would not have bothered me if I had not enjoyed the book. Not to mention, when I was reading the conclusion my husband got a bit annoyed with me for ignoring him. If you are looking for tropes in this book I'm sure that you could point some out to be annoyed by, but I felt like the book trod some new ground. What would it be like if there were aliens like this and they discovered people wandering their wildlands? What if we were just different enough from them that they didn't consider us people, but animals? If aliens that resembled cats existed, would they be offended about us saying they looked like cats when they saw what a cat is? What would it be like if you lived somewhere where the sun was always under cloud cover and you had never seen it? I tried to explain the interesting concepts in this book in more detail to my husband and failed miserably, so I won't open up any spoilers attempting it here. Overall, for a book that I decided to read because the cover art was being used as a meme, it was really good. It was one of those stories that you know had potential to be great, but hadn't quite made it. The e-book has a new cover that is just as tacky, but not nearly as magnificent as the old paperback cover. I really wish amazon had not tried to give it a new cover. Overall, I recommend this to anyone who isn't freaked out by furries. show less
The book starts out strong -- interesting world with interesting characters, well told. But then the middle grinds to a halt as the author really focuses one aspect of the world and main character. The end picks up, but almost too late, and then is rushed and ends very abruptly, with many of the main characters not even getting a 'final scene' of any kind.
I really wish Cynthia had shortened the middle angsty stuff to make more room to flesh out the ending and let it breathe.
I also thought it might be a bad idea that this was a first person story that never leaves the one character's POV. I can understand near the beginning as we are introduced to the world in a certain way. But, with such an interesting world that Cynthia created we are show more then limited our view of it. Not to mention the main character often comes off as unlikable, and since it is first person you are stuck with her view and can only infer others feelings of her and the world situation.
I still enjoyed it even though I was rolling my eyes and some of the quick-developing plot points near the end.
I feel like this was a 4-5 star book that fell flat in its delivery. show less
I really wish Cynthia had shortened the middle angsty stuff to make more room to flesh out the ending and let it breathe.
I also thought it might be a bad idea that this was a first person story that never leaves the one character's POV. I can understand near the beginning as we are introduced to the world in a certain way. But, with such an interesting world that Cynthia created we are show more then limited our view of it. Not to mention the main character often comes off as unlikable, and since it is first person you are stuck with her view and can only infer others feelings of her and the world situation.
I still enjoyed it even though I was rolling my eyes and some of the quick-developing plot points near the end.
I feel like this was a 4-5 star book that fell flat in its delivery. show less
In a world ruled by Felines, Heao, a mapmaker, challenges her society's view of human slaves while pursuing scientific truth about the mysterious Godsfire phenomenon.
Heao is a member of Academe, a future cult of intellectuals on a planet in the throes of a receding ice age. She and her people have been conquered by a primitive king whose dreams of destruction haunt him and may doom all her kind.
She is intelligent and loving, a devoted wife and mother. Heao is not an ordinary woman. She is a member of a Feline race, and her body, along with those of her peers, is covered with fur and ends in a long bushy tail. She is a member of the master race of Shadowland, the race that keeps human slaves to do their work for them, the race that show more stands in powerless awe of the fiery ball of light that comes once a year - Godsfire! show less
Heao is a member of Academe, a future cult of intellectuals on a planet in the throes of a receding ice age. She and her people have been conquered by a primitive king whose dreams of destruction haunt him and may doom all her kind.
She is intelligent and loving, a devoted wife and mother. Heao is not an ordinary woman. She is a member of a Feline race, and her body, along with those of her peers, is covered with fur and ends in a long bushy tail. She is a member of the master race of Shadowland, the race that keeps human slaves to do their work for them, the race that show more stands in powerless awe of the fiery ball of light that comes once a year - Godsfire! show less
Reviewed on SF Mistressworks: https://sfmistressworks.wordpress.com/2015/07/29/godsfire-cynthia-felice/
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14+ Works 1,503 Members
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Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Moewig Science Fiction (3577)
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Has as a commentary on the text
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Godsfire
- Original title
- Godsfire
- Original publication date
- 1978
- People/Characters*
- Heao; Baltsar; Manya; Rellar; Teon; Tarana (show all 17); Chel; Sashiem; Drigal; Mussa; Neering; Erobererkönig; Sergi; Adriana; Joan; Hanalore; Sema
- Dedication*
- Die Autorin möchte sich an dieser Stelle bei Bob, Erik und Robert Felice für die Unterstützung bedanken, welche diese ihr bei der Fertigstellung des Manuskripts zuteil werden ließen. Außerdem bedankt sie sich bei Pam Hag... (show all)gart, ihrer stets geduldigen Korrektorin und Redakteurin.
Als Dank für Damon Knight, Edward Bryant und Kate Wilhelm, die mich von Anfang an ernstgenommen haben. - First words*
- Die Winter im Hochland waren schon von jeher die schlimmsten im ganzen Königreich; Stürme mit nadelscharfem, eisigem Regen, manchmal Schnee – an dessen Existenz die Flachländer nicht glauben wollen, bis sie einmal bei un... (show all)s überwintern – und stets genügend Kälte in der Luft, um dicke Eisschollen auf den Pfaden von den Fischerhöhlen hinauf auf die Hochflächen entstehen zu lassen.
- Last words*
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Bleibt nur noch festzustellen, ob die Technologie der Fremden uns überrollen wird, wie Sergi behauptet hatte, oder ob, was ich nämlich glaube, Akadems Prinzip, Veränderungen zu studieren und sie geordnet stattfinden zu lassen, sich wieder einmal als richtig erweist, wie es schon seit Ewigkeiten immer wieder geschehen ist.
- Publisher's editor*
- Alpers, Hans Joachim
- Original language*
- Englisch
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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- Members
- 103
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- 313,082
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (3.17)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 6
- ASINs
- 2
