3/04/2013

The Best of All Possible Worlds


Published February 12th 2013 by Del Rey

Description:

A proud and reserved alien society finds its homeland destroyed in an unprovoked act of aggression, and the survivors have no choice but to reach out to the indigenous humanoids of their adopted world, to whom they are distantly related. They wish to preserve their cherished way of life but come to discover that in order to preserve their culture, they may have to change it forever.

Now a man and a woman from these two clashing societies must work together to save this vanishing race—and end up uncovering ancient mysteries with far-reaching ramifications. As their mission hangs in the balance, this unlikely team—one cool and cerebral, the other fiery and impulsive—just may find in each other their own destinies . . . and a force that transcends all.

Review:

The Best of All Possible Worlds tells the story of Dllenahkh. When Dllenahkh’s planet, Sadiri, is destroyed by the Ain, he goes to Cygnus Beta, a planet that welcomes people from all corners of the galaxy. There he meets Grace Delarua, the local diplomat assigned to help Dllenahkh while he searches for taSadiri willing to establish the new planet, New Sadiri. However, things don’t exactly go as planned, they are looking for the wrong things.

We follow our two main characters in an expedition through the planet that mirrors their own personal journey. It’s also an interesting take on cultural change, the devastating effects of genocide and the desperate fight of a culture to survive when faced with change and potential extinction. It’s the story of a man who, in search of those willing to rebuild and save his culture, slowly realizes that other cultures are alive and constantly changing. 

We join the characters in an expedition throughout the planet, and in each community they come across different cultures. We find out that even though there are different types of cultures spread throughout the cosmos, they share the same Terran ancestry. Each race develops certain traits which makes them different.

Throughout the story, you realize a relationship is brewing between Dllenahkh and Delarua. The love builds slowly. It’s a beautiful romance that behaves in unusual ways, because of the protagonists’ cultures, that’s grounded in respect, friendship, and admiration. Don’t expect an epic love story because you will be very disappointed. 

The book reminds me of a study of how different cultures and races would interact with each other. The book also refers to some nostalgia from old Terra, which I can only believe to be Earth since the characters watch holos of ET: the Extraterrestrial, and some Cygnians can claim to be direct descendants of Will Shakespeare.

I enjoyed the book and would love to return to this world again. It is slow-paced, however, and the only thing that changes is the way the two main characters see themselves and each other.

Rating: 6.5/10

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