"People are never fair, even when they try to be...and few are the ones who try."
If you have read Ender's Game or hit the theaters in the past few years, you have probably come across the name "Orson Scott Card", and if you are thinking right now that it's one of his books I'm discussing, you're right. Card is best known for the science fiction adventure mentioned above, but he has published a much more recent work, Pathfinder, as well--a science fiction/fantasy that I intend to review today.
Thirteen-year-old Rigg has the most extraordinary education system in the wallfold. His father, the famous Wandering Man, takes him on long treks to trap animals for their furs, and on the way teaches him everything from logic, astronomy, and economics, to how to make himself seem like anyone he wants to be. More importantly, or so Rigg thinks, he instructs his son on utilizing his gift, a seemingly magical ability that allows him to "see" the paths of every person, animal, and plant through the course of history. When his father dies, Rigg is left with only some animal skins and instructions to find a mother and sister he didn't know existed...along with a startling discovery. With the help of Umbo, a village boy, Rigg finds that he can not only see the paths of people's pasts, but influence them as well. Now the two boys are caught up in a plot of epic proportions, pinned between two factions: one who wants the Pathfinder dead, and one that wants him crowned. It will take wits, courage, and paradoxes to get out of this mess, and even that might not be enough to save their lives.
This story is so big I almost don't know where to begin. For one, we have a cast of highly intelligent characters, some who are constant--such as Rigg, Umbo, and their friend Loaf--and some who only appear for a brief while. We have abilities that mess with time. And we have a world that's well depicted, well structured, and enclosed by a giant invisible Wall. Throughout the book, our heroes discover plot after plot, mistake after mistake, and plot twists galore. Card isn't afraid to mess with the rules of time travel, either--a character may go back in time to warn himself of something, then not repeat the action once the undesirable result has been avoided. It's an interesting way of looking at things, and it brings a fresh angle to the story, which is rather nice.
Sharing the pages with the trio are Ram Odin, a starship pilot, and a kind of robot referred to as an "expendable". Ram's tale may at first serve the reader as little more than comic relief, but as the story progresses it becomes clear just how big a part he plays. Ram is in charge of a large ship on its way to colonize an unnamed world, but when the ship emerges from its groundbreaking leap, it is discovered that several things have gone wrong. One of these things is their emergence over eleven thousand years before they set out.
I would recommend this book to an older reader with time on their hands and an interest in adventure, intrigue, time travel, and sarcastic robots with sinister motives. Although it's technically a YA book, the reading level is higher than most in this category and some of the politics may go right over a kid's head. For brilliant plotting, unbelievable storytelling, and a satisfying ending--congratulations, Pathfinder! You have earned five stars.
If you have read Ender's Game or hit the theaters in the past few years, you have probably come across the name "Orson Scott Card", and if you are thinking right now that it's one of his books I'm discussing, you're right. Card is best known for the science fiction adventure mentioned above, but he has published a much more recent work, Pathfinder, as well--a science fiction/fantasy that I intend to review today.
Thirteen-year-old Rigg has the most extraordinary education system in the wallfold. His father, the famous Wandering Man, takes him on long treks to trap animals for their furs, and on the way teaches him everything from logic, astronomy, and economics, to how to make himself seem like anyone he wants to be. More importantly, or so Rigg thinks, he instructs his son on utilizing his gift, a seemingly magical ability that allows him to "see" the paths of every person, animal, and plant through the course of history. When his father dies, Rigg is left with only some animal skins and instructions to find a mother and sister he didn't know existed...along with a startling discovery. With the help of Umbo, a village boy, Rigg finds that he can not only see the paths of people's pasts, but influence them as well. Now the two boys are caught up in a plot of epic proportions, pinned between two factions: one who wants the Pathfinder dead, and one that wants him crowned. It will take wits, courage, and paradoxes to get out of this mess, and even that might not be enough to save their lives.
This story is so big I almost don't know where to begin. For one, we have a cast of highly intelligent characters, some who are constant--such as Rigg, Umbo, and their friend Loaf--and some who only appear for a brief while. We have abilities that mess with time. And we have a world that's well depicted, well structured, and enclosed by a giant invisible Wall. Throughout the book, our heroes discover plot after plot, mistake after mistake, and plot twists galore. Card isn't afraid to mess with the rules of time travel, either--a character may go back in time to warn himself of something, then not repeat the action once the undesirable result has been avoided. It's an interesting way of looking at things, and it brings a fresh angle to the story, which is rather nice.
Sharing the pages with the trio are Ram Odin, a starship pilot, and a kind of robot referred to as an "expendable". Ram's tale may at first serve the reader as little more than comic relief, but as the story progresses it becomes clear just how big a part he plays. Ram is in charge of a large ship on its way to colonize an unnamed world, but when the ship emerges from its groundbreaking leap, it is discovered that several things have gone wrong. One of these things is their emergence over eleven thousand years before they set out.
I would recommend this book to an older reader with time on their hands and an interest in adventure, intrigue, time travel, and sarcastic robots with sinister motives. Although it's technically a YA book, the reading level is higher than most in this category and some of the politics may go right over a kid's head. For brilliant plotting, unbelievable storytelling, and a satisfying ending--congratulations, Pathfinder! You have earned five stars.
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