Lake of Long Sun

In a world where everything stopped, where technology is avaliable to few self-selected ones, in a world where crime is just another usual happening, Patera Silk tries to find his way. Unaware of the hidden political intrigues, of the corrputed offices of the (we may call it) Holy church, unaware of the mythical creators of the interstellar ship which he calls his home, Patera Silk tries to bring back some kind of balance beetween 'gods' and people. And how and did he succedees in it is yet to be revealed. Nightside the long sun was long and boring book, book that was used as an intro to this 'brave new world'. Lake of the long sun is more quick-paced, and better written than the first book. There are no more endless monologues, just a well designed scheme of thought and conversation. If you read the first book and didn't like it, read this one, you'll be kindly surprised

LAKE OF THE LONG SUN is the second volume of Gene Wolfe's The Book of the Long Sun, an epic story of revolution, political intrigue, and Christian allegory that is linked to his acclaimed work The Book of the New Sun. The first volume, NIGHTSIDE THE LONG SUN, was a slow and simple introduction to the Whorl, the giant starship sent out from Urth, and its inhabitants, including the protagonist young Patera Silk. LAKE OF THE LONG SUN picks up the pace significantly, and much is revealed.LAKE OF THE LONG SUN consists of several plot threads that dance around each other but never quite touch. The morning after another theophany occurs in Viron, Silk goes to a remote shrine at Lake Limna in order to confront Crane and extort money from him to save his manteion. Through a coincidental occurence, Silk is lost in the tunnels beneath the city, tunnels that go to the very outside of the Whorl. There, he meets an enigmatic woman who remembers the creation of the Whorl, and for the attentive reader the story's link to The Book of the New Sun is revealed. Meanwhile, back in Viron, political intrigue continues and everyone but Silk himself is certain that Silk must become Caldé of Viron. Auk and Chenille search for Silk at Limna, and Chenille has a run-in with another goddess.The Christian allegory is slight in LAKE OF THE LONG SUN, and the most touching moment is when Silk speaks to Crane of a scene revealed to him in his enlightenment from the Outsider. The next volume, CALDÉ OF THE LONG SUN, is the most visibly Christian of the work, but LAKE has its moments, too.