Ruins by Orson Scott Card

Ruins

by Orson Scott Card

 

When Rigg and his friends crossed the Wall between the only world they knew and a world they could not imagine, he hoped he was leading them to safety. But the dangers in this new wallfold are more difficult to see. Rigg, Umbo, and Param know that they cannot trust the expendable, Vadesh ? a machine shaped like a human, created to deceive ? but they are no longer certain that they can even trust one another. But they will have little choice. Because although Rigg can decipher the paths of the past, he can't yet see the horror that lies ahead: A destructive force with deadly intentions is hurtling toward Garden. If Rigg, Umbo, and Param can't work together to alter the past, there will be no future.

 

(summary from goodreads.com) 

 

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It took me a long time to gear up the interest/stamina to read this book. I knew I would like it, I knew it would be interesting, but I also knew it would be more intellectually challenging than my normal fare. I am happy with cotton candy-esque books - sugar fluff for the brain. I read for entertainment and escape. Rather than a quickly-devoured-because-it's-mostly-air-book, Card writes books that are closer to Paninis. Hmm. No, not paninis, those are pretty scrumptious. Maybe more like steak. Yes! Card's books remind me of a good steak. Takes a while to tackle it, tougher to get through, meatier, which is a nice change of pace. Hmm, wonder why I'm hungry now …

Anyway, moving on. Ruins was a great continuation of his Pathfinder series, which he will hopefully bring to a nice happy close eventually, unlike many of his other series. (Card is an exceptionally poor closer.) The deeper I got into this book the more I thought it was designed to be a sci-fi writer's playground - Card gave himself 19 completely separate, 11,000 year old cultures to play with. The first two books only cover four of them, and each are wildly different. I have a feeling he will have way too much fun with the remaining 14 societies. There was a way too long episode of "Ron Weasley from the Goblet of Fire", but thankfully by at least the end of the book it was resolved. I still like Rigg, (hooray he's finally 16! I can only stay interested in a 13 year old boy for so long …) hopefully the surprise at the end of this book doesn't ruin him for me. There were some discrepancies between the epilogue of Pathfinder and this book, discrepancies that were never really resolved or even discussed, which was irritating, I'm not a huge fan of the "facemasks," I'm getting a little sick of all the miscommunication and falsehoods and manipulations, and just want to know WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON. But I liked the book and I'm hoping for a nice, neat, happy ending in the next book. HOPING. But not really expecting.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: moderate; Profanity: no; Sex: innuendos