Reviewed by Metaphorosis Reviews on
In any case, the magic worked again. This time, I learned that Silverberge has something of [a:Vance|5376|Jack Vance|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1207604643p2/5376.jpg]'s knack with weird description, but without the cold-bloodedness. In fact, one of the strength's of the novel is Valentine's warm heart. Where Vance travels though bizarre lands tense but unmoved, Valentine pours his heart out to anyone that will listen. Of course, since it's a novel, they all do. It works remarkably well. There are a few throwaway characters that get thrown away, and the non-human bystanders that don't get much screen time. But the humans are the heart of the story, and that's done very well.
The main weakness of the story is that while it sets up a fascinating planet, and explores both its surface and its governance, the story doesn't dig very deeply into the main mystery - the Metamorphs whose planet this is. Silverberg addressed that reasonably well in subsequent books, but as a standalone, Lord Valentine's Castle does leave you wanting a little more.
All in all, though the book is a very enjoyable, literate adventure story about identity, discovery, and the power of a warm and generous heart.
Plus, as I found this time through, there's a nice tip of the hat to [a:Mervyn Peake|22018|Mervyn Peake|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1341040504p2/22018.jpg]'s [b:Gormenghast|39058|The Gormenghast Novels (Gormenghast, #1-3)|Mervyn Peake|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362402890s/39058.jpg|38776] in reference to the complex Labyrinth and vast Castle.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 1 January, 1981: Finished reading
- 1 January, 1981: Reviewed