archytas 's review for:

Planet of Exile by Ursula K. Le Guin

4.0

adventurous mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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This is a big step up from Rocannen's World in plotting, with a much tighter and tenser plot line following a dual set of villages through an impending crisis, with a set of star-crossed lovers at the centre. Like the plot, the world building is less expansive but more fleshed out, with depth achieved from the tight focus.

Tiptree's biography, which I just read, reveals how much Le Guin agonised about her inability to centre stories on female protagonists, which is puzzling reading these, because I feel that the women get equal treatment with the men for a good part of the book, and their perspective, while literally alien, is the more compellingly realised one.

On the whole, another great short read - looking forward to getting to something a bit longer.