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katmarhan's review against another edition
2.0
5/10
Apparently we will never know the end result of the conflict between Bleys Ahrens, with the Others and the Younger Worlds, and Hal Mayne, with the Final Encyclopedia, Dorsai, Exotics, and Old Earth. Author [a:Gordon R. Dickson|38631|Gordon R. Dickson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1230054159p2/38631.jpg] died 6 years before long-time assistant and co-author [a:David W. Wixon|153725|David W. Wixon|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] finished and published this volume, which was meant to be the penultimate installment in the Childe Cycle. The planned final book is not forthcoming, but Dickson and Wixon managed to lay enough groundwork in this book to lead readers to draw their own conclusions about how the threads of the future will likely play out.
There is little doubt that the trilogy of books focusing on Bleys Ahrens were neither as tightly plotted nor as thought-provoking as the original Dorsai books and those focusing on Hal Mayne, but even the later Mayne books were far too heavy on either internal or conversational philosophizing. This book follows that pattern, although the few conversations between Ahrens and Mayne are the highlights of the book.
I am a completist, so I am glad I persevered and finished the Childe Cycle.
Apparently we will never know the end result of the conflict between Bleys Ahrens, with the Others and the Younger Worlds, and Hal Mayne, with the Final Encyclopedia, Dorsai, Exotics, and Old Earth. Author [a:Gordon R. Dickson|38631|Gordon R. Dickson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1230054159p2/38631.jpg] died 6 years before long-time assistant and co-author [a:David W. Wixon|153725|David W. Wixon|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] finished and published this volume, which was meant to be the penultimate installment in the Childe Cycle. The planned final book is not forthcoming, but Dickson and Wixon managed to lay enough groundwork in this book to lead readers to draw their own conclusions about how the threads of the future will likely play out.
There is little doubt that the trilogy of books focusing on Bleys Ahrens were neither as tightly plotted nor as thought-provoking as the original Dorsai books and those focusing on Hal Mayne, but even the later Mayne books were far too heavy on either internal or conversational philosophizing. This book follows that pattern, although the few conversations between Ahrens and Mayne are the highlights of the book.
I am a completist, so I am glad I persevered and finished the Childe Cycle.
bookcrazylady45's review against another edition
2.0
Books should not be a struggle to get through. I am beginning to think it is a bad habit to finish every book no matter how bad. I liked Dahno (different spelling from Encyclopedia). A trilogy about the rise of a bad guy, trying to make him sympathetic....never happened. Hoped for some small closure to series...didn't happen.
conalo's review
3.0
A book that sounded interesting when first heard about but one that did not live up to expectations. This is not a close to the Childe Cycle (that apparently will never be written) but rather another book about Bleys Ahrens. This one follows a similar timeline as the Final Encyclopedia but tells the story from Bleys point of view. This might have been a good addition to the series of books but unfortunately this book was finished after Gordon Dickson passed away and the story is very uneven. I would only recommend this to other fans of the series who might need a final Dickson fix.
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