The Ships of Earth (Orson Scott Card)

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The Ships of Earth
by Orson scott Card

****
By far the most exciting of the Homecoming series. This third installment of Card's five-book saga finally sets the adventure that's been held back in the previous books loose. The story follows a company of chosen individuals (established in other novels) who must journey across a vast wilderness to the site of the Oversoul's resting place, where the first human ships landed millions of years ago. Once there, they must take a ship and voyage to Earth, where the Keeper awaits.

This is a vigorous, fantasyish sci-fi novel. I say fantasyish on the sole basis of the book's 'travelling' aspect, despite the fact that the humans bear with them such technological possessions as pulses, which I visualize as phaser-like weapons. But unlike other travelling fantasies such as The Lord of the Rings or The Eye of the World, the war that the protagonists wage is a civil one. And boy, is it a savage war. Forced to band together, the company of fifteen people is just about the most ill-fitting group of individuals you're ever likely to encounter in a novel. Before the first chapter is even over, the main character Nafai is already battling for his life. (And it is a surprisingly taut opening, given Card's usual relaxed prose.)

What is especially good about this novel is the culmination of underlying themes that have steadily developed over the course of the series. At its heart is a story about love, hate, pride, sacrifice and forgiveness, packaged brilliantly within a futuristic setting. Each of the fifteen characters have their own stories to tell, and while some are more simplistic than others, they interact within a complex, believable web of relationships that is vintage Card at his best. From the book's fierce introduction all the way up to its unforgettable climax (the best since Ender's Game), one can almost sense the push-pull tension between the characters as well as within them. Indeed, the main characters are quite three dimensional: the heroes have flaws and the villains have admirable traits. Many of them also undergo gradual metamorphosis - Nafai from a noble wimp into a noble leader, Ellemak from a mere jealous brother into an embittered enemy, Eiadh from a shallow girl into a woman with torn values, and Luet shedding her innocence.

This is a very enjoyable and ambitious novel, but it has its weaknesses. Much of Card's explanations and dialogue seem somewhat self-obvious. The humour is a little on the heavy side, and I could do without the occasional philosophical/religious babble that seems to find its way into all of Card's recent work. Also, this novel is more suited to an emotional experience rather than an intellectual one, in that it pulls the heartstrings but doesn't really raise many thought-provoking questions. All in all, though, The Ships of Earth is a great addition to the Homecoming books.