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Parafaith #1
Войната на вярата
Some bad ideas go back a long way and this one goes all the way back to the original home planet: Someone's god told them they had a right to more territory—so they figure they can take what they want by divine right. In the far future among the colonized worlds of the galaxy there's a war going on between the majority of civilized worlds and a colonial theocracy.
Trystin Desoll grows up fighting against religious fanatics and becomes a hero, a first-class pilot, then, amazingly, a spy.
What do you do if you're a relatively humane soldier fighting millions of suicidal volunteers on the other side who know that they are utterly right and you are utterly wrong, with no middle ground?
Trystin Desoll has an idea.
560 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
45 people are currently reading
761 people want to read
About the author
L.E. Modesitt Jr.
191 books2,590 followersL. E. (Leland Exton) Modesitt, Jr. is an author of science fiction and fantasy novels. He is best known for the fantasy series The Saga of Recluce. He graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts, lived in Washington, D.C. for 20 years, then moved to New Hampshire in 1989 where he met his wife. They relocated to Cedar City, Utah in 1993.
He has worked as a Navy pilot, lifeguard, delivery boy, unpaid radio disc jockey, real estate agent, market research analyst, director of research for a political campaign, legislative assistant for a Congressman, Director of Legislation and Congressional Relations for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a consultant on environmental, regulatory, and communications issues, and a college lecturer and writer in residence.
In addition to his novels, Mr. Modesitt has published technical studies and articles, columns, poetry, and a number of science fiction stories. His first short story, "The Great American Economy", was published in 1973 in Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact.
-Wikipedia
He has worked as a Navy pilot, lifeguard, delivery boy, unpaid radio disc jockey, real estate agent, market research analyst, director of research for a political campaign, legislative assistant for a Congressman, Director of Legislation and Congressional Relations for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a consultant on environmental, regulatory, and communications issues, and a college lecturer and writer in residence.
In addition to his novels, Mr. Modesitt has published technical studies and articles, columns, poetry, and a number of science fiction stories. His first short story, "The Great American Economy", was published in 1973 in Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
March 28, 2021
There are two civilizations space faring civilizations of man; a theocracy with a population problem & a technocratic society with a resource problem. They have limited contact, generally through attacks of the theocracy to take over planets which the technocrats have mostly terraformed. Told from the point of view of a soldier of the technocrats, a cyborg, we see a small portion of the war & the moral decisions he faces. There is an alien race to highlight the moral dilemma.
Well done & a pretty quick read. Typical Modesitt character & setting. The technocratic society is very 'green'. It's not great literature, but entertaining & interesting. While there is a lot of technology, he doesn't get bogged down in details & leaves a lot to the reader's imagination.
Well done & a pretty quick read. Typical Modesitt character & setting. The technocratic society is very 'green'. It's not great literature, but entertaining & interesting. While there is a lot of technology, he doesn't get bogged down in details & leaves a lot to the reader's imagination.
September 6, 2020
[3.5 stars overall, though leaning a little more towards 3 than 4.)
Set in a distant future in which the Earth has long been uninhabitable and humanity has spread amongst the stars, The Parafaith War is — like so many of L.E. Modesitt’s books — a meticulously conceived and executed tale with epic aspirations. Its appeal will likely be limited to Modesitt’s fanbase, who will be used to his unhurried pacing, as well as hard SF readers for whom chapter after chapter of technical and military shop talk is catnip.
Trystin Desoll is a young lieutenant serving the Ecological Technocratic (Eco-Tech) Coalition, which is at war with the fanatically religious “revs,” the Revenants of the Prophet. Eco-Tech are, despite their devotion to science and technology, suffering from dwindling resources due to their commitment to environmental stewardship. The Revenants, who populate like mad and burn through resources without a care, require lebensraum.
We meet Trystin as he is stationed at one of several perimeter outposts on a world called Mara, which is undergoing terraforming, and which the revs have decided they must claim at all costs. The religious fervor of the revs is baffling to Trystin, who can’t understand why anyone would take on sheer faith the claims of some self-styled prophet, let alone go to war for them. Many of Trystin’s fellow soldiers have simply taken a dehumanizing view of the revs, delighting in the prospect of slaughtering them. Meanwhile, the revs have accelerated their war effort, employing new weapons (including genetically modifying some of their soldiers to be organic suicide bombers!) and cloaking technology.
The conflict is being closely observed by an alien race called the Farhkan, who are enigmatic in their motives as are all aliens in books like this. (continued...)
Set in a distant future in which the Earth has long been uninhabitable and humanity has spread amongst the stars, The Parafaith War is — like so many of L.E. Modesitt’s books — a meticulously conceived and executed tale with epic aspirations. Its appeal will likely be limited to Modesitt’s fanbase, who will be used to his unhurried pacing, as well as hard SF readers for whom chapter after chapter of technical and military shop talk is catnip.
Trystin Desoll is a young lieutenant serving the Ecological Technocratic (Eco-Tech) Coalition, which is at war with the fanatically religious “revs,” the Revenants of the Prophet. Eco-Tech are, despite their devotion to science and technology, suffering from dwindling resources due to their commitment to environmental stewardship. The Revenants, who populate like mad and burn through resources without a care, require lebensraum.
We meet Trystin as he is stationed at one of several perimeter outposts on a world called Mara, which is undergoing terraforming, and which the revs have decided they must claim at all costs. The religious fervor of the revs is baffling to Trystin, who can’t understand why anyone would take on sheer faith the claims of some self-styled prophet, let alone go to war for them. Many of Trystin’s fellow soldiers have simply taken a dehumanizing view of the revs, delighting in the prospect of slaughtering them. Meanwhile, the revs have accelerated their war effort, employing new weapons (including genetically modifying some of their soldiers to be organic suicide bombers!) and cloaking technology.
The conflict is being closely observed by an alien race called the Farhkan, who are enigmatic in their motives as are all aliens in books like this. (continued...)
December 20, 2018
While I am a huge fan of LE Modesitt's fantasies, I am more mixed on his sf (loved some like the Ecolitan series, the Archform 1, Solar Express etc but was so-so on others); this one came by chance into my hands (essentially because it was the only sf by the author at the local B&N and being bereft of other inspiration I opened it and liked it) and while I liked a lot about it, I thought it was a bit overlong - the last part was superb and the first part intriguing, but in-between the novel kind of lagged; I definitely plan to read its sequel The Ethos effect, so will see after that if I still feel that way because sometimes the author's work is better appreciated on second reading when you know what happens
October 29, 2018
This book should have been boring and not my taste at all, but I found myself really liking it. The story builds slowly and there are a lot of deep, philosophical messages being thrown around, which I found neither good nor bad. What I did find myself enjoying was the development of the main character and the world-building. My least favorite aspect was the bitter sweet and empty feeling I was left with after the last page.
December 17, 2018
This book was interesting but didn't really pursue many of its ideas in a deep and satisfying way. You wouldn't miss much and you may enjoy it more if you just skip to the last quarter. I felt it was deeply satisfying when he semi-faked his own death and was able transform the Revenant theology and was able to effect political change. I felt that the translation error that was inherent in all travel and communication technology would have made for a very confusing and painful teledildonics experience. The book did a very effective job of portraying long periods of mindless drudgery leading to an obvious point but whether that point has enough payoff is a matter of personal taste. If you'd like to save yourself some time the wikipedia summaries are just as interesting and impactful.
I think it would have been interesting to explore a critique of the Ecotech coalitions transhumanism but the book doesn't really go there. I do not plan on reading the rest of the series. In the 2nd book we learn that Tristans intervention has not totally succeeded and the only option to stop Revenant expansion is overwhelming death and destruction-which is one of Modessets reoccurring themes and solutions. Reading this book felt like watching Modessit playing a videogame but one of the videogames where there's a whole lot of boring exposition and books along the way: The first third is tower defense, the 2nd third is a 4X, and the last third is a stealth assassination game. Having the main character face discrimination for being blonde haired, blue eyed, and generic white is an interesting angle to portray racism which is somewhat undercut by how much time he spends talking about the attractive Revenant women. If you are reading this book in public make sure to get a sleeve unless you enjoy getting odd looks on the train.
I think it would have been interesting to explore a critique of the Ecotech coalitions transhumanism but the book doesn't really go there. I do not plan on reading the rest of the series. In the 2nd book we learn that Tristans intervention has not totally succeeded and the only option to stop Revenant expansion is overwhelming death and destruction-which is one of Modessets reoccurring themes and solutions. Reading this book felt like watching Modessit playing a videogame but one of the videogames where there's a whole lot of boring exposition and books along the way: The first third is tower defense, the 2nd third is a 4X, and the last third is a stealth assassination game. Having the main character face discrimination for being blonde haired, blue eyed, and generic white is an interesting angle to portray racism which is somewhat undercut by how much time he spends talking about the attractive Revenant women. If you are reading this book in public make sure to get a sleeve unless you enjoy getting odd looks on the train.
December 4, 2018
This is the first book in the series. I remember hearing mixed opinions when I was younger, but I had read "The Ethos Effect", which I will be reading next. But, all of that aside, I really found I appreciated this book more given my experience. Faith is something important, and this book shows how misplaced faith can lead to something as awful as war. In this case lasting generations. It also, managed to incorperate a less dark Altered Carbon feel. Yet, there still is tragety in the world and isnt some smothering utopia.
While, there are no tappers, the implants do a good job for being conceived before the cellphone epidemic. I do appreciate that there is a way to block them. (See my photos for current methods. *pause* *facepalm* ) I imagine this means the implant would have it's own processing system isolated by something like Dr. Octopus' inhibitor chip, so essentially he can do several tasks at once. In contrast, humans must currently do one task at a time to do it proficiently. Unlike, what we see in the Reverant territory or when he pilots with James. This book has it all. Grind fest battles, tactical battles, table talk, flirtatious encounters, confused encounters, sibling tension and this list goes on. I only wish his mother had lived a little longer. She was kind and had a kind of balance to her work and home life that I would have liked to know more about. For sci-fi, this book was top notch. I don't fully remember the second one, but I intend to read it.
(Edit) I ended up re-reading my review, noting my mistakes, remembering things that happened. So, I ended up realizing that the ending was very similar in feel to Interstellar. More specifically that time-difference feel and how chaotic the main characters future seemed.
While, there are no tappers, the implants do a good job for being conceived before the cellphone epidemic. I do appreciate that there is a way to block them. (See my photos for current methods. *pause* *facepalm* ) I imagine this means the implant would have it's own processing system isolated by something like Dr. Octopus' inhibitor chip, so essentially he can do several tasks at once. In contrast, humans must currently do one task at a time to do it proficiently. Unlike, what we see in the Reverant territory or when he pilots with James. This book has it all. Grind fest battles, tactical battles, table talk, flirtatious encounters, confused encounters, sibling tension and this list goes on. I only wish his mother had lived a little longer. She was kind and had a kind of balance to her work and home life that I would have liked to know more about. For sci-fi, this book was top notch. I don't fully remember the second one, but I intend to read it.
(Edit) I ended up re-reading my review, noting my mistakes, remembering things that happened. So, I ended up realizing that the ending was very similar in feel to Interstellar. More specifically that time-difference feel and how chaotic the main characters future seemed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2009
Good. yes, it's comparable to Heinlein and Haldeman, but didn't generate that visceral response. Well-developed, if sometime plodding, story. Modesitt managed to skewer everyone from ecologist to religious fanatics to racists. Introspective, if unbelievable hero.
The preaching gets a bit old, too.
The preaching gets a bit old, too.
June 12, 2022
Interesting look at religious fanaticism and war.
Re-read, 6/22. Listened this time.
Re-read, 6/22. Listened this time.
December 23, 2008
Not sure how I missed the Mormon-bashing the first time around (hidden in Western culture bashing), but that aside, it's an amazing book. Interesting Green politics sprinkled throughout.
March 27, 2017
Loved it
Such a great story of cultural acceptance. This book was a joy to read and it had a great moral to the story.
Such a great story of cultural acceptance. This book was a joy to read and it had a great moral to the story.
October 8, 2018
I have hugely enjoyed Modesitt's fantasy novels, but this is only the second science fiction novel of his that I've read. First published in 1996, the military science fiction components hold up well, and I particularly liked (mild spoilers from here onward)
I note that the blurb on the back of the edition that I read gave significant spoilers, revealing plot elements that didn't take place until the final third of the book.
I note that the blurb on the back of the edition that I read gave significant spoilers, revealing plot elements that didn't take place until the final third of the book.
May 4, 2022
Modesitt, L. E., Jr. The Parafaith War. 1996. Parafaith No. 1. Tor, 2010.
I usually enjoy L. E. Modesitt’s novels, but The Parafaith War is a near miss. Modesitt’s Tangible Ghosts series is an original alternate history with some inventive technology. The Imager fantasy series has characters we can care about and some careful world-building. The Parafaith War has some laudable goals. It wants to be a novel of ideas set in a space opera universe. It features an endless interstellar war between a religious autocracy and a secular society that uses implant technology to make efficient warriors. On the sidelines, is a society of humanoid aliens with a philosophical bent, who offer plenty of natural occasions for characters to have serious conversations. Such conversations happen, but there are too many long chapter epigraphs that I wish were incorporated in the conversations. Some of the issues are indeed intriguing: do all sentient species have an imperative to protect themselves by wiping out competing species; do some body modifications make us less human; and do all species tell lies about themselves? Unfortunately, Modesitt also feels compelled to include some military action scenes to set the stage for all the philosophizing, and his heart is just not in them. Most annoying is the use of corny sound effects words like ping and crump to describe the sound of artillery and ricochets. Finally, our hero drinks enough tea with some kind of upper—maybe just caffein—that we wonder if Modesitt has stock in Celestial Seasonings or Twinings. 3.5 stars for ambition.
I usually enjoy L. E. Modesitt’s novels, but The Parafaith War is a near miss. Modesitt’s Tangible Ghosts series is an original alternate history with some inventive technology. The Imager fantasy series has characters we can care about and some careful world-building. The Parafaith War has some laudable goals. It wants to be a novel of ideas set in a space opera universe. It features an endless interstellar war between a religious autocracy and a secular society that uses implant technology to make efficient warriors. On the sidelines, is a society of humanoid aliens with a philosophical bent, who offer plenty of natural occasions for characters to have serious conversations. Such conversations happen, but there are too many long chapter epigraphs that I wish were incorporated in the conversations. Some of the issues are indeed intriguing: do all sentient species have an imperative to protect themselves by wiping out competing species; do some body modifications make us less human; and do all species tell lies about themselves? Unfortunately, Modesitt also feels compelled to include some military action scenes to set the stage for all the philosophizing, and his heart is just not in them. Most annoying is the use of corny sound effects words like ping and crump to describe the sound of artillery and ricochets. Finally, our hero drinks enough tea with some kind of upper—maybe just caffein—that we wonder if Modesitt has stock in Celestial Seasonings or Twinings. 3.5 stars for ambition.
July 5, 2024
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)
I'm finally going through my physical library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.
I'm only adding one book per author and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
I'm finally going through my physical library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.
I'm only adding one book per author and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)
First time read the author's work?: Yes
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Would you recommend?: Yes
------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)
October 1, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It came in a gap wherein I have been too involved in non fiction work that I needed some fiction to set structure to my understanding.
This book is an amazing read. Personally I feel like we are coming to such a confrontation against Tech/Science focused society vs Religious focused society. The novel brings out a number of societal concerns as well as the pros and cons of living in either society. As well as the impact a third party civilization can cause.
I highly recommend reading this book if you are interested in the theme of a spy with morals changing the world or a single man can make a big impact to society.
This book is an amazing read. Personally I feel like we are coming to such a confrontation against Tech/Science focused society vs Religious focused society. The novel brings out a number of societal concerns as well as the pros and cons of living in either society. As well as the impact a third party civilization can cause.
I highly recommend reading this book if you are interested in the theme of a spy with morals changing the world or a single man can make a big impact to society.
June 27, 2020
Set in a future where humanity has spread to the stars and divided into several factions. Two factions, the Eco-Tech Coalition and the Revenants of the Prophet ("revs") are engaged in a futile war over territory and their competing social philosophies. The ecologically-aware Coalition must hold back the zealous rev hordes constantly seeking new territory for their ever-expanding theocratic society. Trystin Desoll grows up fighting for the Coalition as a pilot, then is assigned to spy upon the religious fanatics.
February 21, 2018
Futuristic humans are fighting over worlds based on religious difference. Trystin Desoll is first and officer manning an outpost to resist the Revs and later a space pilot. Eventually he is transferred to intelligence where he will take on his most dangerous mission. A good read but personally I prefer the Imager and Recluse series.
July 30, 2018
One of my husband's favorite books so in a book trade he had me read it. I found it pretty painful. I don't know if it is because I wasn't in to it and it took me too long to read it but at times I was very confused. The overall story was fine just will probably pass on any more of Modesitt's stuff.
August 13, 2019
The first two thirds are definitely pretty slow, sowing seeds for the climax that do pay off in a very satisfying way. I wouldn’t mind reading continuations of this world and characters. I just wish it hadn’t been paced so slow getting to the payoffs.
December 20, 2019
So a much much better book than I anticipated. Very thoughtful and well put together. Great insights into bringing in Muslims and Mormons into futuristic faith possibilities. Theology done well as well. And the sci fi story was nicely done with even a bit of romance. Very very glad i read it and really really surprised it did’t get any nominations for awards. Just goes to showhow all of the sci fi people/stations/etc. etc. really don’t like religion and faith.
October 24, 2020
My favorite Modesitt novel. I like it because it starts of with a bang. And then it develops into something more thoughtful. Great pace. Sympathetic protagonist. Also, it is a standalone. Very enjoyable read.
October 28, 2021
This is fantastic. Modesitt is so methodical, but never boring. He has such a great sense of pacing and rhythm. Trystan is a great hero. So sharp and honorable. I think this if the first Modesitt book I've read that's not from the Recluse series, and it holds up. I am delighted.
May 29, 2023
Very good! Given that it was written over 25 years ago, I was impressed with how many of the world's ills of today were still relevant. Prescient on the authors part or persistent issues in modern societies, I'm not sure which is true?
January 1, 2024
Old school space warfare. It will ruffle feathers as we are pretty fragile these days but this is rock solid. The dogfighting scenes are engrossing and nerve racking.
Relationships are an afterthought but Tristan is a rockstar warrior.
Relationships are an afterthought but Tristan is a rockstar warrior.
September 11, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. I felt like it gave a pretty good background into trystin and did a good job setting up the next book. It's also a book you can definitely read without reading the rest of the series. It neatly wraps up any loose ends it it by the end.
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March 7, 2025Enjoyable read but marred by the intrusive military speak and repeats of mission descriptions.
Tackles the clash between science, rationality and fundamentalism but simplistic - it is after all a science fiction.
Tackles the clash between science, rationality and fundamentalism but simplistic - it is after all a science fiction.
July 23, 2018
will review at www.fantasyliterature.com
May 3, 2020
Very slow start.
December 22, 2024
Interesting ideas, boring delivery.
March 19, 2017
S2V2L2
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews