The Masters of Solitude

It's been a long time since I last read this book, and time does have a tendency to change one's perceptions, but I still remember this one fondly. It blends any number of features that alone would make a great story into a complete whole, something so few books do. I particularily liked the quality of the writing. The narrative as Arin "goes sane" with the help of an imaginary friend always struck me as particularily well written, and his emergance as an instrument of retribution afterwards a particularily believable bit of character development. A thought provoking read all around.

CHARACTER SUMMARYGarick- money-savvy god of the Shando, one of the covens; people of covens possess telepathy ("lep")Jenna- Goddess of Shando; second wife of GarickJudith- Born in City; deceased; former wife of GarickSinger- Wanderer; son of Garick and Judith; possesses the ability to possess othersArin- Shando leader; son of Garick and Jenna; sent on quest by Garick to unite covensUriah- Leader of Kriss (future Christians); plots to subjugate covens with bubonic plagueJeremiah- Kriss; son of Uriah; leads "merks" (mercenaries) and pays them to kill covenersPLOT SUMMARYGarick, educated by Judith about the technology and medicine of City, aims to obtain City cooperation, education, and technology for his people. For this reason, he sends Arin to unite the covens. He also asks that Arin go to the dead city Lishin, in the land of the Kriss, to find the location of the Girdle of Solitude, a device that makes the wearer completely undetectable. With this device he hopes to pass the Self Gate, a force field around City that annihilates all that pass through it by canceling out their brain with negative complementary signals. When Arin enters the Kriss city of Salvation, he meets Uriah. After being detained for weeks, he finally goes to Lishin and faces the formless horror that lurks there-and discovers that the horror is rats. Rats that carry plague. He is driven insane by the rats, then drives one of the Kriss insane to discover Uriah's plot. When Garick learns of it, he mobilizes the covens that have joined him and slaughters the Kriss in the night. Then comes Jeremiah. He hires every merk in the South and mobilizes to destroy Garick and get revenge. Garick and Jeremiah meet at the fields of Dannyline, and engage in battle, Jeremiah using weapons that shoot burning jelly, called throwers. After suffering heavy casualties and getting a burned-up arm, Garick forces the merks to surrender. But there is still the Self Gate. In a curious twist, we discover that Singer has been with Arin for an unknown amount of time. With Singer's mind inside his head, forcing him along, Arin does the impossible-he passes the Self Gate. Once inside, he convinces the head administrator of City to cooperate with the outside world. The City contacts the outside world, and... the book ends, prepared for Wintermind, its sequel. This was a highly captivating book, set in the far future of America.

This is a book I will never forget. It's one of those ones you recommend to everyone you think is worthy of it, but don't want to actually lend out for fear you won't get it back. It's a great story if you're open-minded, a Freudian, a not-exactly-Christian, or any combination thereof. How nice to find an enjoyable piece of fiction that actually makes you think about your life and personal philosophy. And from a pure story-telling standpoint, there is a GREAT twist at the end.

I have read this book over 5 times. It is totally engrossing. The characters and plotline are complex and believable. Underlying message (philosophy) makes the book worth reading many times. Each time I have read it I get something more out of it.

I loved this book. It is one of the greatest books that I have ever read. I suggest that anybody that wants to read a good story about a time and a place far away, yet seems so familiar, then get this book