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‘Land Of The Dead’ Pushes Deeper Into The Unknown Past

Land Of The Dead (2009) by Thomas Harlan grabs the reader from the first pages and never lets go. Weaving a complex story of intrigues, ancient mysteries, and empire shattering action, Harlan takes the space opera bar and throws it away. Land of the Dead thrills in a way few SF novels ever have and does so almost magically.

Months after the events on Jagan, Gretchen Anderssen is home and working for the local university when her past comes calling. Nauallis Green Hummingbird, agent of the Mirror Service, comes to her with an offer. He needs her talents to help identify and understand a possible First Sun artifact in the Rim. Gretchen knows Green Hummingbird is using her but she can’t figure out how… yet.

Accompanying Green Hummingbird, Gretchen embarks on an uncomfortable voyage to the Rim. To a place hiding something that cuts unsuspecting vessles to pieces with a power never before seen. Despite her concerns she is also keenly curious as to what this mysterious power holds.

Yet it is not just the Mirror Service that has an interest in the artefact. Forces from within and outside the Empire are converging on this point in space. The prize could be worth more than anyone could dream of, or it could be the destruction of the entire universe.

Land of the Dead picks up only months after the events of House of Reeds (2004). With the effects of the Jagan affair still swirling in the air, Harlan impresses new and urgent objectives upon his characters. It is this palpable urgency running through the story that drives the plot.

Just as in Wasteland of Flint (2003) and House of Reeds the world building of Land of the Dead is a thing of rare quality. Harlan continues to bring the Mexicá Empire to life with astonishing touches of subtlety and nuance. It’s almost like seeing the world in the mirror through your peripheral vision. You don’t take much notice of it but without it the world would be wrong. Brief passages that seem inconsequential at first later form the cement to lock blocks in place.

Harlan’s charaters, once again, blaze with life. The returning cast continue to grow and evolve naturally. Most especially the fallen Chu-sa Hedeishi. The sternly compassionate Captain of the IMN Henry R. Cornuelle faces his prospects with a courage and grace readers could only hope to emulate. The cooly competent Susan Koshō is now Chu-sa of the IMN Naniwa and forced to learn how to command under fire. Gretchen Anderssen is perhaps the most consistent in her behaviour but she also has some surprises for the reader.

What is a bit sad is the choice to not include Gretchen’s long suffering companions, Magdalena and David Parker. It’s perfectly logical that her companions wouldn’t necessarily follow Gretchen everywhere, however, I did miss their particular antics and humour. Not including them didn’t detract from the story in any way, I just think they would have added something.

Harlan’s plotting in Land of the Dead is nothing short of masterful. There are plans withing intrigues within mysteries. The number of threads to contend with would confound a less talented writer, however, Harlan never misses a beat. What is more telling is that the reader is never lost either. Harlan has the skill to draw the reader in these many plots and subplots without obscuring or blurring the lines to confuses either the plot or the reader.

Harlan also has a gift for action. There is plenty of action throughout the story to keep even the most ardent action SF fan happy, however, the last third of the book will leave the reader breathless. Yet, throughout this action Harlan still weaves his intrigues and mysteries which only makes their impact all the greater.

Thomas Harlan

The climax of Land of the Dead is suitably exciting and revealing. The inital mystery is revealed but there are still questions hanging in the air. This is not unexpected though. With the first two books there are several unresolved plotlines left hanging. This is most likely to allow Harlan to return to the universe for new stories. Unfortunately there haven’t been any since Land of the Dead.

Land of the Dead is a story for fans of the Sixth Sun series. While it is possible to read it without having read the previous two books, I think it would do a disservice to both the story and the reader. I would suggest taking the time to read Wasteland of Flint and House of Reeds first. It will only make Land of the Dead better.

I don’t know if Harlan will ever return to the Sixth Sun universe but if he does I will dive back in without hesitation. Few series have given me as much enjoyment in recent years as the Sixth Sun has. It balances pulpy SF action with modern SF sensibilities not often seen. Land of the Dead is at times sad, grim, overwhelming, and terrifying but it will leave a smile on your face.

#BookReview #LandOfTheDead #SF #ThomasHarlan

Enfin lu "Des milliards de tapis de cheveux" qu'on m'avait chaudement conseillé il y a mille ans.

(Mon avis y compris sur la fin, donc spoil non précis ci-dessous)

C'est attrayant et efficace autour d'une idée frappante (les milliards de tapis de cheveux), on a du mal à lâcher le livre, l'intrigue est claire et les persos vivants, malgré la construction avec un personnage point de vue qui change à chaque chapitre (et dont on n'a qu'une fois le pov).

Je suis déçu par la fin et les rapports hommes/femmes qui, s'ils tentent de s'échapper du sexisme évident courant dans la sf classique écrite par des hommes, restent je trouve bien cringe.
La fin évacue un peu trop facilement les enjeux - en fait un personnage avait toutes les réponses depuis le début mais se taisait car il était frustré. Et tout part d'un concours de qui a la plus grosse.
Ce qui pourrait être une fable sur le pouvoir semble peut-être plus parler de la mesquinerie des hommes incertains de leur masculinité, mais le ton conserve une certaine grandeur bizarre.

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A tangle of freeways and overpasses