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Blindfold
Atlas is a struggling colony on an untamable world, a fragile society held together by the Truthsayers. Parentless, trained from birth as the sole users of Veritas, a telepathy virus that lets them read the souls of the guilty. Truthsayers are Justice—infallible, beyond appeal.
But sometimes they are wrong.
Falsely accused of murder, Troy Boren trusts the young Truthsayer Kalliana…until, impossibly, she convicts him. Still shaken from a previous reading, Kalliana doesn’t realize her power is fading. But soon the evidence becomes impossible to ignore. The Truthsayers’ Veritas has been diluted and someone in the colony is selling smuggled telepathy. Justice isn’t blind—it’s been blinded.
From an immortal’s orbital prison to the buried secrets of a regal fortress, Kalliana and Troy seek the conspiracy that threatens to destroy their world from within. For without truth and justice, Atlas will certainly fall…
But sometimes they are wrong.
Falsely accused of murder, Troy Boren trusts the young Truthsayer Kalliana…until, impossibly, she convicts him. Still shaken from a previous reading, Kalliana doesn’t realize her power is fading. But soon the evidence becomes impossible to ignore. The Truthsayers’ Veritas has been diluted and someone in the colony is selling smuggled telepathy. Justice isn’t blind—it’s been blinded.
From an immortal’s orbital prison to the buried secrets of a regal fortress, Kalliana and Troy seek the conspiracy that threatens to destroy their world from within. For without truth and justice, Atlas will certainly fall…
470 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1995
4 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Kevin J. Anderson
1,038 books3,103 followersYes, I have a lot of books, and if this is your first visit to my amazon author page, it can be a little overwhelming. If you are new to my work, let me recommend a few titles as good places to start. I love my Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series, humorous horror/mysteries, which begin with DEATH WARMED OVER. My steampunk fantasy adventures, CLOCKWORK ANGELS and CLOCKWORK LIVES, written with Neil Peart, legendary drummer from Rush, are two of my very favorite novels ever. And my magnum opus, the science fiction epic The Saga of Seven Suns, begins with HIDDEN EMPIRE. After you've tried those, I hope you'll check out some of my other series.
I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.
I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.
My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.
I have written spin-off novels for Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E., and The X-Files, and I'm the co-author of the Dune prequels. My original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series and the Nebula Award-nominated Assemblers of Infinity. I have also written several comic books including the Dark Horse Star Wars collection Tales of the Jedi written in collaboration with Tom Veitch, Predator titles (also for Dark Horse), and X-Files titles for Topps.
I serve as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest.
My wife is author Rebecca Moesta. We currently reside near Monument, Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 31, 2012
Good storytelling--once you get beyond the first hundred pages--with interesting characters and plot.
One big difference between fantasy and science fiction is that the author is free to invent his world along with his characters in the former. Science fiction requires the author to at least attempt pay respect to the current state of scientific knowledge, even if he or she "bends" the rules. In either case, the author should be consist to the world/universe created. Kevin J. Anderson is a capable fantasy writer. His Star Wars stories are among the best. As a science fiction writer, he needs some remedial training--starting with high school physics.
I started noting the egregious errors he made, but quit after filling two pages. He seems not to understand any of the dynamics involved in space travel covering twenty light years in fifty elapsed years. He does only a little better on space elevators. And his concepts of terraforming an alien world are at best hazy. His colonists have devolved technologically in the 231 years since landing to mid-twentieth century (keeping inventoried by pencil on paper--but are still building mag-lev trains which travel "hundreds of kilometers per hour. Even with a lot of techno-babble and hand waving, this only works as a story, not as science fiction.
Three stars is a gift. Anderson needs to stick to fantasy.
One big difference between fantasy and science fiction is that the author is free to invent his world along with his characters in the former. Science fiction requires the author to at least attempt pay respect to the current state of scientific knowledge, even if he or she "bends" the rules. In either case, the author should be consist to the world/universe created. Kevin J. Anderson is a capable fantasy writer. His Star Wars stories are among the best. As a science fiction writer, he needs some remedial training--starting with high school physics.
I started noting the egregious errors he made, but quit after filling two pages. He seems not to understand any of the dynamics involved in space travel covering twenty light years in fifty elapsed years. He does only a little better on space elevators. And his concepts of terraforming an alien world are at best hazy. His colonists have devolved technologically in the 231 years since landing to mid-twentieth century (keeping inventoried by pencil on paper--but are still building mag-lev trains which travel "hundreds of kilometers per hour. Even with a lot of techno-babble and hand waving, this only works as a story, not as science fiction.
Three stars is a gift. Anderson needs to stick to fantasy.
March 2, 2008
While not the best science fiction book out there, this one does have some good moments, especially once things really begin to take off (which unfortunately might take half the book for some people). A bunch of colonists are stuck on a world many light years from earth and are trying to sketch out an existence from the land. The book takes place many generations after the first land and involves a man accused (and sentenced) for a crime he doesn't commit by the local telepathic judges.
Just be sure to be patient with this book, some of the lame tediousness of the beginning is worth it towards the end.
Just be sure to be patient with this book, some of the lame tediousness of the beginning is worth it towards the end.
January 7, 2024
Blindfold, by Kevin J. Anderson takes place on the colony of Atlas, where the lands are divided among several landowners, each doing his part to make Atlas run like a well oiled machine, but not everyone plays by the rules. Killiana is a young Truthsayer who, comes to believe that her mindreaading powers may have falsely convicted Troy Boren, a young man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. When she unwittingly uncovers that one landowner isn’t playing fair and may soon take over control of the colony, she finds herself a fugitive with Troy, as they fight to uncover the truth.
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February 16, 2022A bit heavier on fantasy than I was expecting (that's why it took me so much longer to read). Alas, great world-building and character development!
December 3, 2012
Avant de lire ce livre j'ai commencer d'autre livre que je n'ai pas encore fini, pour multiples raisons. Entre autre j'ai commencer les tapisseries de fionavar où j'ai lu le premier livre d'un omnibus (la raison pour laquelle je ne l'ai pas encore critiqué) mais après 1 livre je trouvais que l'histoire faisait trop drogué donc j'ai passé à autre chose. Par la suite j'ai décidé de lire Return of the Crimsom Guard, mais l'auteur était difficile à lire donc je me suis dit que du pseudo Erikson trop près d'une lecture de Erikson n'était pas une bonne idée. Alors, je suis aller à ma bibliothèque personnelle et j'ai décider de retourner vers un auteur qui ne m'a jamais déçu: Kevin J. Anderson.
Ce livre m'a été chaudement recommander par les fan de KJA sur tous les sites internet et étant recommandé de la sorte, une forte attente s'est bâtie en moi et à mener à ce que j'ai aimer ce livre mais pas autant que j'aurais dû.
L'histoire de fond est très créatrice, les personnages sont crédibles et l'intrigue assez accrocheuse. Cependant, je ne sais pas si c'était l'idée de l'éditeur, mais ce livre manque cruellement de viande. Je suis habituer à KJA qui décrit sans exagéré tous les aspect de son monde et en vient à nous donner le cadeau d'avoir l'impression de vivre dans ce monde. Dans ce livre tout est tellement couper rapidement qu'on en vient à ne pas accrocher à aucun personnages car on apprend à peine à les connaître. La seul exception est le jeune artiste que l'on voit au début du livre et qui perd vite de l'importance au fur et à mesure que les pages avancent.
Sans parler du final qui est un tantinet cheap. Ce livre avait un potentiel d'écriture inouï, mais on dirait que l'auteur s'est fait couper l'herbe sous le pied. Ce livre aurait dû faire 600-900 pages, il aurait dû être épique et à mon grand désarois il fut éditer (j'en suis sûr) et comdamner à être une oeuvre mineur d'un auteur qui a pourtant tant de talent.
J'ai aimer ce livre, mais le manque de descriptions et de profondeur à fait que je n'ai pu vraiment apprécier le repas car la quantité de nourriture ne me permettait que de goûter et non de savourer.
Une bonne oeuvre de science fiction tout de même.
Ce livre m'a été chaudement recommander par les fan de KJA sur tous les sites internet et étant recommandé de la sorte, une forte attente s'est bâtie en moi et à mener à ce que j'ai aimer ce livre mais pas autant que j'aurais dû.
L'histoire de fond est très créatrice, les personnages sont crédibles et l'intrigue assez accrocheuse. Cependant, je ne sais pas si c'était l'idée de l'éditeur, mais ce livre manque cruellement de viande. Je suis habituer à KJA qui décrit sans exagéré tous les aspect de son monde et en vient à nous donner le cadeau d'avoir l'impression de vivre dans ce monde. Dans ce livre tout est tellement couper rapidement qu'on en vient à ne pas accrocher à aucun personnages car on apprend à peine à les connaître. La seul exception est le jeune artiste que l'on voit au début du livre et qui perd vite de l'importance au fur et à mesure que les pages avancent.
Sans parler du final qui est un tantinet cheap. Ce livre avait un potentiel d'écriture inouï, mais on dirait que l'auteur s'est fait couper l'herbe sous le pied. Ce livre aurait dû faire 600-900 pages, il aurait dû être épique et à mon grand désarois il fut éditer (j'en suis sûr) et comdamner à être une oeuvre mineur d'un auteur qui a pourtant tant de talent.
J'ai aimer ce livre, mais le manque de descriptions et de profondeur à fait que je n'ai pu vraiment apprécier le repas car la quantité de nourriture ne me permettait que de goûter et non de savourer.
Une bonne oeuvre de science fiction tout de même.
August 22, 2012
Kevin J. Anderson takes a slug at a Very Big Novel, and manages to pull it off. There were a few continuity flaws, perhaps due to the editing process. E.g., one character calls another character by her name before she's told him, two landholders suddenly become three and then decrease to two again.
(Minor spoiler) Like his novel Climbing Olympus, Anderson doesn't kill off his bad guys in the first 20 pages, but keeps them around for a good long while.
Other reviewers pointed out where they felt Anderson "fell down," but he manages to consistently craft flawed characters that are realistically human.
Aug. 21, 2012.
(Minor spoiler) Like his novel Climbing Olympus, Anderson doesn't kill off his bad guys in the first 20 pages, but keeps them around for a good long while.
Other reviewers pointed out where they felt Anderson "fell down," but he manages to consistently craft flawed characters that are realistically human.
Aug. 21, 2012.
September 9, 2014
This was really interesting, a future society, reliant on drugged people to determine the guilt of criminals. Very interesting political theme running throughout, though I felt like this could have been further developed towards the end of the book. A sequel here would be an interesting read as some of the plot lines didn't get finished. the characters were cleverly described and enacted.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews