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alexayres47's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
alibrareads's review against another edition
4.0
The final installment of the Dark Eden trilogy started out admittedly slow for me. It took almost half the book for me to become as interested as I was at the start of the first two, but man was it a page turner 'till the end after about the halfway mark!
This one makes you take a hard look at what religion really is (in my opinion), which is really just a collection of stories that have been passed on and likely changed through generations and that people are defensive about, have their own versions of, and that hold people together and get them through hard times. And it begs the question: how much does the truth matter? Is it better to know the truth of something even if it brings grief or shatters your worldview? Or it is better to believe something that isn't true if it brings comfort and soothes the ever-present cloud of uncertainty and despair that people can feel in the face of the fear and confusion that comes from thinking too hard about their place in the world and what it all means. Some heavy stuff, and it has been mixed in throughout this whole series, not just the third book.
The worldbuilding in this series is incredible, and the latter half of Daughter of Eden provides a new perspective on life on Eden that really helps paint the picture even better in your head. This series came out of nowhere for me. I randomly saw the first book at a used book store, and I'm so glad I picked it up. Thoroughly enjoyed it, and hopefully I'll be able to recommend it to someone else who will also enjoy it. If feels a little weird to finally be leaving Eden behind, I don't think I'll ever forget this series!
This one makes you take a hard look at what religion really is (in my opinion), which is really just a collection of stories that have been passed on and likely changed through generations and that people are defensive about, have their own versions of, and that hold people together and get them through hard times. And it begs the question: how much does the truth matter? Is it better to know the truth of something even if it brings grief or shatters your worldview? Or it is better to believe something that isn't true if it brings comfort and soothes the ever-present cloud of uncertainty and despair that people can feel in the face of the fear and confusion that comes from thinking too hard about their place in the world and what it all means. Some heavy stuff, and it has been mixed in throughout this whole series, not just the third book.
The worldbuilding in this series is incredible, and the latter half of Daughter of Eden provides a new perspective on life on Eden that really helps paint the picture even better in your head. This series came out of nowhere for me. I randomly saw the first book at a used book store, and I'm so glad I picked it up. Thoroughly enjoyed it, and hopefully I'll be able to recommend it to someone else who will also enjoy it. If feels a little weird to finally be leaving Eden behind, I don't think I'll ever forget this series!
ghostmuppet's review against another edition
3.0
The third book in the series was a mixture. The first half of the book got a little repetitive. This was all about Angie and her journey to become a Shadow talker, mixed with the attack from the John folk. It was OK, but i thought it was lacking.
The second half was a lot more interesting and really progressed the story along.
The series is set up for some follow up stories, and i would be happy to listen to them when/if they come out.
Still a tough series to recommend to friends. It is a marmite book, either it will be liked or hated.
The second half was a lot more interesting and really progressed the story along.
The series is set up for some follow up stories, and i would be happy to listen to them when/if they come out.
Still a tough series to recommend to friends. It is a marmite book, either it will be liked or hated.
tronella's review against another edition
4.0
A bit heavy handed in places, but a good end to the trilogy.
somasis's review against another edition
3.0
This is not the conclusion I hoped for or expected, but overall the series is an excellent, imaginative look at how humanity will continue to make the same mistakes even when divorced from its past and exiled to an alien environment. I thought this last installment was a little too neat, a little too happy, and while I appreciate that it didn't burn the whole world down in a rain of violence, it didn't really deliver on the themes that are set up in earlier novels. It's fine, but the first two are definitely better.
shayshkers's review against another edition
4.0
The psychological, sociological, and religious under and overtones this book carries are amazing. I hope there's more to this series, I'm so in love with Eden, the place, but it's also a fitting, beautiful end. I'd be happy if it continued and content if it stays just how it is. Although, I won't lie, as soon as I finished it I looked up to see if there was even just another one in the works.
edgeworth's review against another edition
4.0
Following on from Mother of Eden, Daughter of Eden takes place in the same rough timeframe, which is a bit disappointing - I would have liked to see it jump another few centuries into the future of this sad and twisted society, as Mother of Eden did after Dark Eden. The Eden stories are not so much about what happens, but rather what happens next - and I'd prefer to have seen the continued growth and development of Eden society - a bunch of paleolithic inbred descendants of two stranded astronauts on a dark, bizarre alien world - rather than the political fallout between the Johnfolk and the Davidfolk following on from a character's actions in the last book.
On reflection, Mother of Eden and Daughter of Eden could (and should) have been one book; and I'm not sure either of them quite lives up to the brilliant, tightly-plotted standards of the first book in the trilogy, Dark Eden. All three books are very much about the power of stories and mythology and belief, but in both Mother and Daughter it often feels Beckett is retreading ground he's already passed over. They're good themes, expressed well, but both books suffer from a bloat which I don't think Dark Eden ever did, and could have used much tighter editing.
Nonetheless - and without spoilers - it's fair to say that any reader will want to keep reading, to see what happens next, and also because the whole set-up of the Eden books, from the very beginning, has a will it/won't it Schroedinger's World situation going on. I said in my review of Mother of Eden that I'd like to see a Lord of the Flies or Apocalypto style ending to the story. What happens in Daughter of Eden is not what I expected to see, but I was surprised and impressed by how Beckett handled that aspect of the story.
Whether he sticks the landing or not is debatable. But I can definitely say that Daughter of Eden was intriguing, and compulsively readable, and very enjoyable. If you read and enjoyed Dark Eden - which I believe is one of the most underrated sci-fi books of the last decade - then the rest of the trilogy is most definitely worth reading.
On reflection, Mother of Eden and Daughter of Eden could (and should) have been one book; and I'm not sure either of them quite lives up to the brilliant, tightly-plotted standards of the first book in the trilogy, Dark Eden. All three books are very much about the power of stories and mythology and belief, but in both Mother and Daughter it often feels Beckett is retreading ground he's already passed over. They're good themes, expressed well, but both books suffer from a bloat which I don't think Dark Eden ever did, and could have used much tighter editing.
Nonetheless - and without spoilers - it's fair to say that any reader will want to keep reading, to see what happens next, and also because the whole set-up of the Eden books, from the very beginning, has a will it/won't it Schroedinger's World situation going on. I said in my review of Mother of Eden that I'd like to see a Lord of the Flies or Apocalypto style ending to the story. What happens in Daughter of Eden is not what I expected to see, but I was surprised and impressed by how Beckett handled that aspect of the story.
Whether he sticks the landing or not is debatable. But I can definitely say that Daughter of Eden was intriguing, and compulsively readable, and very enjoyable. If you read and enjoyed Dark Eden - which I believe is one of the most underrated sci-fi books of the last decade - then the rest of the trilogy is most definitely worth reading.
writerstears's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
spiringempress's review against another edition
4.0
I have a long and torrid history with the Dark Eden trilogy and it began in 2012. At the time, I was shelving books and attending a makeshift book club that met every Tuesday night at the library. It was me, one of the youth services librarian and a facilities guy and we all loved sci-fi and fantasy novels. One night, the youth services librarian goes on a rant about Dark Eden (she listened to it on audiobook) and asked me to read it so I could tell her the proper ending of the series. Of course, I read it and eventually, was tasked to read the second one/write a review about it. Imagine my astonishment when I found out that the final book was published two years ago and I didn’t even know about it. So, it brought me back to the days of this makeshift book club and how much I miss it. So anyways, this review is dedicated to Jen + J.J.
Daughter of Eden follows the story of Angie Redlantern, a friend of Starlight, told in the past and present. The book opens up with Angie and her children discovering that invaders have come to the Veeklehouse. It’s a conflict hinted at throughout the entire series: the Johnfolk and Davidfolk have finally come to a head. Next, we are introduced to Angie’s life after Starlight and how she finds herself in the company of a shadowspeaker named Mary. Yes, very ironically named. Mary’s job is to travel throughout Eden and convince Johnfolk to return to the Davidfolk and abandon their hero, John Redlantern. It’s brilliant and deals with the issues of religious ideology, how truth is obfuscated to support one perspective and contrary beliefs are made out to be heretical and bad bad; all filtered through the innocent eyes of Angie Redlantern, a batface, who wants to be loved.
However if you think this is the majority of the story then buckle on down because it gets interesting. Once we catch up on Angie’s story, astronauts arrive on Eden from Earth. Yes, the long awaited arrival comes to fruition and this is where Beckett’s entire trilogy comes together in a neat little package. So, let’s refresh. First book, John Redlantern convinces individuals to leave behind the valley where Gela and Tommy first landed and subsequently, two warring factions are created. Second book, Starlight runs off with Greenstone and challenges authority, which creates dissatisfaction with the inequality between males and females. And then we have Angie, who shows us how these legends and the problems in society have created what Foucault refers to as structures of power; stories are how the individual in this world retain power and dominance. I love a good commentary on how literary narratives contribute to sexism, inequality and classicism while maintaining these harmful qualities. It’s brilliant.
Beckett uses both the character of Mary and the reaction towards the Earthlings to drive these important points home. Now as I said, Mary is a shadowspeaker, who travels around the world of Eden and attempts to bring Johnfolk back to the True Family. She dispels the secret story, the tales about John Redlantern and his assertion that Mother Gela was only a human woman in order to preach the one true tale and circumvents the truth in a very realistic and scary way. With this building, the arrival of the astronauts from Earth is the moment when it threatens to capitulate. The Davidfolk are faced with the truth that astronaut, Gaia, is not their promised mother and that the humans didn’t even know they existed. This of course is met with resistance. Furthermore, the promise of returning to earth is slowly revealed to be impossible and that realization unfolds in a suspenseful manner as the people of Eden allow the three humans to explore their world. It’s a captivating (and also horrifying) collusion of two worlds that threatens chaos.
And really this accomplishment rides on Beckett’s ability to establish a long and extensive history that changes based on the prejudice and perspectives of different people. I mean, I did laugh at Beckett’s usage of double words as in ‘bad bad’. But now, I realize he’s showing how a culture develops - hell how language goes through evolutions. Each book is written differently on purpose and illustrates how the people of Eden are progressing as a society. So, I fully believe this is a trilogy that needs to be evaluated as a whole. If you didn’t like the first one, read the entire series and it might just change your mind. These books cannot be judged on the individual stories contained in each installment but instead on the entire breadth of the trilogy and how the society changed over time. I don’t know if I’ll ever read anything else like it, but the important takeaway is that the series is a slow burn and does not conclude in a satisfactory way.
Daughter of Eden follows the story of Angie Redlantern, a friend of Starlight, told in the past and present. The book opens up with Angie and her children discovering that invaders have come to the Veeklehouse. It’s a conflict hinted at throughout the entire series: the Johnfolk and Davidfolk have finally come to a head. Next, we are introduced to Angie’s life after Starlight and how she finds herself in the company of a shadowspeaker named Mary. Yes, very ironically named. Mary’s job is to travel throughout Eden and convince Johnfolk to return to the Davidfolk and abandon their hero, John Redlantern. It’s brilliant and deals with the issues of religious ideology, how truth is obfuscated to support one perspective and contrary beliefs are made out to be heretical and bad bad; all filtered through the innocent eyes of Angie Redlantern, a batface, who wants to be loved.
However if you think this is the majority of the story then buckle on down because it gets interesting. Once we catch up on Angie’s story, astronauts arrive on Eden from Earth. Yes, the long awaited arrival comes to fruition and this is where Beckett’s entire trilogy comes together in a neat little package. So, let’s refresh. First book, John Redlantern convinces individuals to leave behind the valley where Gela and Tommy first landed and subsequently, two warring factions are created. Second book, Starlight runs off with Greenstone and challenges authority, which creates dissatisfaction with the inequality between males and females. And then we have Angie, who shows us how these legends and the problems in society have created what Foucault refers to as structures of power; stories are how the individual in this world retain power and dominance. I love a good commentary on how literary narratives contribute to sexism, inequality and classicism while maintaining these harmful qualities. It’s brilliant.
Beckett uses both the character of Mary and the reaction towards the Earthlings to drive these important points home. Now as I said, Mary is a shadowspeaker, who travels around the world of Eden and attempts to bring Johnfolk back to the True Family. She dispels the secret story, the tales about John Redlantern and his assertion that Mother Gela was only a human woman in order to preach the one true tale and circumvents the truth in a very realistic and scary way. With this building, the arrival of the astronauts from Earth is the moment when it threatens to capitulate. The Davidfolk are faced with the truth that astronaut, Gaia, is not their promised mother and that the humans didn’t even know they existed. This of course is met with resistance. Furthermore, the promise of returning to earth is slowly revealed to be impossible and that realization unfolds in a suspenseful manner as the people of Eden allow the three humans to explore their world. It’s a captivating (and also horrifying) collusion of two worlds that threatens chaos.
And really this accomplishment rides on Beckett’s ability to establish a long and extensive history that changes based on the prejudice and perspectives of different people. I mean, I did laugh at Beckett’s usage of double words as in ‘bad bad’. But now, I realize he’s showing how a culture develops - hell how language goes through evolutions. Each book is written differently on purpose and illustrates how the people of Eden are progressing as a society. So, I fully believe this is a trilogy that needs to be evaluated as a whole. If you didn’t like the first one, read the entire series and it might just change your mind. These books cannot be judged on the individual stories contained in each installment but instead on the entire breadth of the trilogy and how the society changed over time. I don’t know if I’ll ever read anything else like it, but the important takeaway is that the series is a slow burn and does not conclude in a satisfactory way.
aliciabooks's review against another edition
5.0
DON'T TALK TO ME FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS UNLESS IT'S ABOUT THIS SERIES THANKS