Children of Memory

I can’t put his novels down once I start one. Silly me. I read constantly until I finish. The author’s style and story are rather addictive. I have, of course, read all of the series in order as they’ve come out; however, I thought I’d just catch up while waiting for Children of Strife. Now, after finishing Children of Memory again, I find I am drawn to re-reading the entire set of them from the beginning.
As you proceed step by step through these novels, the characters and plots become more real until, as with Miranda, you can’t sort reality from simulation.
Does it matter? I hope/dream that this current reality is just an experiment to see how bad things can get before authoritarianism explodes and we return to the real world.

After going through the reviews of the series as with increasing polarity I didn’t really look forward to finishing this one. Though after reading it for myself and getting through the beginning scenario setup I found myself thoroughly engaged. It creates a puzzle through the series known entangled narrative that while laborious to work through was immensely enjoyable for me to read. Overall I recommend it if you share a similar mindset on that point. Also loved all the Corvids interactions.

I’m still thinking about Children of Memory, a few days afterwards. In its final chapters, the story goes wide on ideas he’d been planting through the whole series, about appreciating sentience, and seeing beyond one’s own species.

In each of the earlier books, we watched characters ultimately overcome their assumptions and prejudices, to accept and connect with other cultures quite different from their own. In the last pages of this book, in the guise of story, I was suddenly presented with an opportunity to make a similar leap myself — to reconsider what thinking is, and expand my own definition of culture.

Also, great Corvid dialogues.