02 August 2006

Review: The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

This is the first science fiction book I've read in such a long time, and it felt good to immerse myself in a genre so alien to me (pun intended).

This is a book about a group of Jesuits and scientists that travel to a planet many light years away and meet two species of alien. Only one priest returns to Earth alive, and the book is a means to the priest's confession of what happened on planet Rakhat and his struggle with God.

Although it took me a while to follow in the beginning, the story quickly picked up, and soon I was racing through the 500 pages to a satisfying end. I just learned of a sequel to The Sparrow, although I haven't decided if I want to read it based on the direction of the plot.

Recommended to me by a friend, I immensely enjoyed The Sparrow, hailed as 'One of the year's most powerful and disturbing books' by The Times.

Rating = ****

Carpe Librum!