The Chantry Guild

Dickson really, really wants his readers to understand the philosophy underpinning his Childe Cycle series, and that sometimes gets in the way of his storytelling. This book could have been tightened up without losing the focus on Hal's journey to gain entrance to the Creative Universe. In doing so, perhaps the philosophy would have seemed more vital.

Hal Mayne struggles to stop Bleys Ahrens and his Others from destroying Earth. Hal travels to the planet Kultis to learn from the elusive Chantry Guild, masters of Alternate Forces, aiming to evolve humanity and avert a catastrophic war between the Younger Worlds and Earth.

Hal Mayne is spurred into action by Amanda Morgan, who brings news of Bleys Ahrens' plan to attack Earth. Hal leaves his research to join the Chantry Guild on Kultis, a group dedicated to the philosophy that the transient and the eternal are the same, mastering internal forces to save mankind.

The Others, a hybrid race led by Bleys, are occupying the Younger Worlds, forcing them to build a war fleet that threatens the survival of humanity. Hal's evolution bridges his show more past training as a Dorsai warrior with the philosophical and creative skills of the Exotics and the Chantry Guild. show less

This should have been the last book. The three Bleys books just don't fit. It would have been great if the actual final book Childe had been written but this actually ended on a positive note. I still have two books in the Bleys trilogy to read and am not sure I can force myself to do so.

I decided to give it one more go after The Final Encyclopedia, which I didn't really enjoy. I found this one even less enjoyable. I guess the Dune Syndrome strikes this series, as well...time to cash in.

I never really could get into the rest of the series as I enjoyed Donal too much. This was another one of my failures but the prose in Dickson's books are well worth the try.