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Dark Eden #3
Daughter of Eden
Angie Redlantern is the first to spot the boats - five abreast with men in metal masks and spears standing proud, ready for the fight to come. As the people of New Earth declare war on the people of Mainground, a dangerous era has dawned for Eden. After generations of division and disagreement, the two populations of Eden have finally broken their tentative peace, giving way to bloodshed and slaughter. Angie must flee with her family across the pitch black of Snowy Dark to the place where it all started, the stone circle where the people from Earth first landed, where the story of Gela - the mother of them all - began. It is there that Angie witnesses the most extraordinary event, one that will change the history of Eden forever. It will alter their future and re-shape their past. It is both a beginning and an ending. It is the true story of Eden.
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2016
48 people are currently reading
995 people want to read
About the author
Chris Beckett
106 books349 followersChris Beckett is a British social worker, university lecturer, and science fiction author.
Beckett was educated at the Dragon School in Oxford and Bryanston School in Dorset, England. He holds a BSc (Honours) in Psychology from the University of Bristol (1977), a CQSW from the University of Wales (1981), a Diploma in Advanced Social Work from Goldsmiths College, University of London (1977), and an MA in English Studies from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge (2005).
He has been a senior lecturer in social work at APU since 2000. He was a social worker for eight years and the manager of a children and families social work team for ten years. Beckett has authored or co-authored several textbooks and scholarly articles on social work.
Beckett began writing SF short stories in 2005. His first SF novel, The Holy Machine, was published in 2007. He published his second novel in 2009, Marcher, based on a short story of the same name.
Paul Di Filippo reviewed The Holy Machine for Asimov's, calling it "One of the most accomplished novel debuts to attract my attention in some time..." Michael Levy of Strange Horizons called it "a beautifully written and deeply thoughtful tale about a would-be scientific utopia that has been bent sadly out of shape by both external and internal pressures." Tony Ballantyne wrote in Interzone: "Let’s waste no time: this book is incredible."
His latest novel, Dark Eden, was hailed by Stuart Kelly of The Guardian as "a superior piece of the theologically nuanced science fiction".
Dark Eden was shortlisted for the 2012 BSFA Award for Best Novel.
On 27 March 2013 it was announced that Julian Pavia at Broadway Books, part of the Crown Publishing Group, had acquired the US rights to Dark Eden and Gela's Ring from Michael Carlisle at Inkwell Management and Vanessa Kerr, Rights Director at Grove Atlantic in London, for a high five-figure sum (in US dollars).
Beckett comments on his official website: "Although I always wanted to be a writer, I did not deliberately set out to be a science fiction writer in particular. My stories are usually about my own life, things I see happening around me and things I struggle to make sense of. But, for some reason, they always end up being science fiction. I like the freedom it gives me to invent things and play with ideas. (If you going to make up the characters, why not make up the world as well?) It’s what works for me."
Beckett was educated at the Dragon School in Oxford and Bryanston School in Dorset, England. He holds a BSc (Honours) in Psychology from the University of Bristol (1977), a CQSW from the University of Wales (1981), a Diploma in Advanced Social Work from Goldsmiths College, University of London (1977), and an MA in English Studies from Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge (2005).
He has been a senior lecturer in social work at APU since 2000. He was a social worker for eight years and the manager of a children and families social work team for ten years. Beckett has authored or co-authored several textbooks and scholarly articles on social work.
Beckett began writing SF short stories in 2005. His first SF novel, The Holy Machine, was published in 2007. He published his second novel in 2009, Marcher, based on a short story of the same name.
Paul Di Filippo reviewed The Holy Machine for Asimov's, calling it "One of the most accomplished novel debuts to attract my attention in some time..." Michael Levy of Strange Horizons called it "a beautifully written and deeply thoughtful tale about a would-be scientific utopia that has been bent sadly out of shape by both external and internal pressures." Tony Ballantyne wrote in Interzone: "Let’s waste no time: this book is incredible."
His latest novel, Dark Eden, was hailed by Stuart Kelly of The Guardian as "a superior piece of the theologically nuanced science fiction".
Dark Eden was shortlisted for the 2012 BSFA Award for Best Novel.
On 27 March 2013 it was announced that Julian Pavia at Broadway Books, part of the Crown Publishing Group, had acquired the US rights to Dark Eden and Gela's Ring from Michael Carlisle at Inkwell Management and Vanessa Kerr, Rights Director at Grove Atlantic in London, for a high five-figure sum (in US dollars).
Beckett comments on his official website: "Although I always wanted to be a writer, I did not deliberately set out to be a science fiction writer in particular. My stories are usually about my own life, things I see happening around me and things I struggle to make sense of. But, for some reason, they always end up being science fiction. I like the freedom it gives me to invent things and play with ideas. (If you going to make up the characters, why not make up the world as well?) It’s what works for me."
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January 14, 2018Both visceral and cerebral and incredibly realistic. Like the other two books in the series, this is going to stay with me long after this read. Mr. Beckett understands human psychology and sociology so well; one of my favorite things about this series is how the author makes parallels to our world and civilization and how it may have come about. With its strong voice and unwavering commitment to world-building, Dark Eden is one of the smartest and most inventive series I've ever had the pleasure of reading.
March 5, 2018
This world is so effed up, omg, soooo effed up. But when I am there in the moment I do not see how effed up it is, I just see people struggling to make a living.
Book 1 was amazing, the other two did not live up to amazing, but they are still good. I guess it can only hit you as many times how effed up it is.
The book takes place in the present and a bit in the past (I did prefer the present bit and did want it to be all about that.) In the past we see Angie Redlantern follow a woman, a shadow speaker. They go around and preach the word of Mother Gela.
In the present Angie and her family has to flee as war has come to their planet. The Johnsfolk and Davidsfolk clash (because they are all freaking idiots.) And then visitors from earth comes.
And it hits me, damn, this is effed up! Until that I was in the moment, but then I saw it with the eyes of the astronauts. They come to find the remains of a woman and man. Stranded on an alien planet 400 years ago. Instead they find people running around in animal skins and fighting with spears. And all these people come from 1 woman and 1 man. Yeah...gross. Many have mutations, facial and feet. Those are then lesser than the rest. They are inbred and indoctrinated.
This was one freaky series. Dark inbred science fiction.
Book 1 was amazing, the other two did not live up to amazing, but they are still good. I guess it can only hit you as many times how effed up it is.
The book takes place in the present and a bit in the past (I did prefer the present bit and did want it to be all about that.) In the past we see Angie Redlantern follow a woman, a shadow speaker. They go around and preach the word of Mother Gela.
In the present Angie and her family has to flee as war has come to their planet. The Johnsfolk and Davidsfolk clash (because they are all freaking idiots.) And then visitors from earth comes.
And it hits me, damn, this is effed up! Until that I was in the moment, but then I saw it with the eyes of the astronauts. They come to find the remains of a woman and man. Stranded on an alien planet 400 years ago. Instead they find people running around in animal skins and fighting with spears. And all these people come from 1 woman and 1 man. Yeah...gross. Many have mutations, facial and feet. Those are then lesser than the rest. They are inbred and indoctrinated.
This was one freaky series. Dark inbred science fiction.
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May 31, 2016Chris Beckett did it again. His masterful novel Dark Eden was one of my best read in 2013 (alongside Adam Robert’s Jack Glass). I was skeptical regarding the next installment in the series, Mother of Eden. What if Chris falls into routine and just repeats his first novel with some fancy decorative changes? Well he didn’t. He gave us the next step in the evolution of skillfully portrayed Eden’s society. Another great piece of science fiction. And then came Daughter of Eden and as I said at the beginning, he did it again. Now one full circle is closed (read it and find why) and although I remain skeptical, Chris has my full attention for next things to come…
December 19, 2024
We loved this series. We've listened to all three in one long sweep and it was really danm glorious. It's a huge story covering maybe 400 years, generation upon generation as the world grew and complexified. The world building really got good in this last book, with a great event taking place that put everythign in perspective. The whole story of Angie was so compelling. I loved her interactions with the Shadow Speaker Mary, always asking the hard questions, and Mary trying her damndest to answer them truthfully, while also getting lost in her own religiosity.
Such a thought proving series.
This was truly something special, something unique and very memorable.
Such a thought proving series.
This was truly something special, something unique and very memorable.
December 9, 2016
The narrator here is Angie Redlantern, childhood friend of Starlight, the protagonist of the previous novel in Beckett’s Dark Eden sequence, Mother of Eden, but long since struck out on her own from Knee Tree Grounds and living among the Davidfolk in Veeklehouse on the near side of Worldpool. Angie is a batface, one of the many such in Eden as a consequence of the inbreeding unavoidable in the scenario. She had for a long time been companion to Mary, a shadowspeaker faithful to the cult of Gela but was rejected by her after failing to hear Gela’s voice in the sacred Circle of Stones. The novel kicks off when Angie’s daughter, Candy, is the first to notice the men in metal masks coming across Worldpool in wave after wave of boats. Soon Angie’s family is heading out over Snowy Dark to Circle Valley to escape this invasion. There, in a strange left turn that falls outside the narrative pattern of the trilogy so far, the event that marks Angie’s life occurs. To reveal it would be a spoiler of sorts.
Beckett is of course examining origin myths and belief systems and here explicitly the question of what happens when evidence arises that directly contradicts the stories you have heard all your life, stories which that life revolves around, especially if they are stories on which your self-esteem and means of living depend. Well, belief is a stubborn beast. If you truly believe, you just rationalise that evidence away.
Beckett’s depiction of the evolution and entrenchment of social hierarchies is not an especially optimistic view of humanity. Perhaps all Edens are dark. Within it, however, while he shows us humans bickering and fighting, we also find loving and caring; so there is hope. Readable as always, Beckett involves us fully in Angie’s world, and presents us with characters who behave in the way we know they would. I’m still not sure about that life-marking event though.
Beckett is of course examining origin myths and belief systems and here explicitly the question of what happens when evidence arises that directly contradicts the stories you have heard all your life, stories which that life revolves around, especially if they are stories on which your self-esteem and means of living depend. Well, belief is a stubborn beast. If you truly believe, you just rationalise that evidence away.
Beckett’s depiction of the evolution and entrenchment of social hierarchies is not an especially optimistic view of humanity. Perhaps all Edens are dark. Within it, however, while he shows us humans bickering and fighting, we also find loving and caring; so there is hope. Readable as always, Beckett involves us fully in Angie’s world, and presents us with characters who behave in the way we know they would. I’m still not sure about that life-marking event though.
August 28, 2019
The psychological, sociological, and religious under and overtones this book carries are amazing. I hope there's more to this series, I'm so in love with Eden, the place, but it's also a fitting, beautiful end. I'd be happy if it continued and content if it stays just how it is. Although, I won't lie, as soon as I finished it I looked up to see if there was even just another one in the works.
April 25, 2019
DON'T TALK TO ME FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS UNLESS IT'S ABOUT THIS SERIES THANKS
May 2, 2023
Daughter of Eden is the third and final book in the Dark Eden Trilogy. In this review you’ll find my thoughts not only on this last instalment but also the trilogy as a whole. As such, please note this review contains major spoilers relating to the first two books, as it’s necessary to recap a little to explain the context of Daughter of Eden. The TLDR version is this trilogy is one of my favourite sci-fi series of all time. This is a masterful, compelling piece of character-driven storytelling, and the power stories possess over people is central to the third and final novel.
Dark Eden focused on how humanity’s true nature slowly emerges, no matter the original good intentions of any newly-established community. In this case, the characters are the descendants of two marooned and long-dead astronauts from Earth, Angela and Tommy. The trilogy takes place on the world of Eden, a planet drifting through space without its own star to light the sky. This strange planet, cloaked in constant darkness and lit only by the bioluminescence of its native plants and wildlife, is an eerie place. It’s a fantastic, truly alien creation, and the haunting way the world is described lingers long in the mind.
In the settlement of Circle Valley in Eden, the numbers of people in Family have outgrown the resources of the valley they call home. When John Redlantern points this out and challenges the status quo, he sets in motion a chain of events which ripple down through successive generations. John and his allies are opposed by David Batwing. Eventually, David’s followers pursue John and his friends, angry at John for splitting apart Family and also taking Angela’s ring, a relic from distant Earth.
After those events the second book, Mother of Eden, moved forward in time, picking up the action many generations after those events in Circle Valley. In that book the main character is Starlight Brooking, who travels to the settlement of New Earth, founded by John Redlantern. Mother of Eden took us on an uncomfortable journey. In New Earth, the strong have grown powerful, keeping their position through the exploitation and oppression of the weak and those deemed to be different, the ideals of Family even further eroded.
Daughter of Eden takes place at the same time as Mother of Eden but changes the perspective. The main voice this time is Angie Redlantern, a batface who was once best friends with Starlight. This time we follow Angie’s story after Starlight leaves. I found Angie to be a more absorbing and interesting character compared with Starlight. Angie is far less innocent and full of intelligence. Her lowly position as a batface makes her invisible in some ways, so people overlook her (with the exception of Mary, the shadowspeaker), even though Angie is very observant and misses nothing.
Another strongly defined character (and there are lots of them in this novel) is Angie’s niece, another batface called Trueheart. Trueheart is in many ways a lot like John Redlantern, always asking questions, always challenging the status quo and she wants far more for her life than the very ordinary one Angie has been forced to settle for.
The reasons why Angie is in this position are told in flashbacks, which are entwined with a story in the present day where the people of Eden are at war. There is a terrible confrontation between the Johnfolk, who have sailed over the water from New Earth with deadly metal spears, and the Davidfolk, who believe they have stayed true to the ideals of Family. The Johnfolk and Davidfolk have their own particular views of history, and both sides are completely convinced they are right. The tragedy is the reader knows both these versions of history are wrong. The Davidfolk’s oral storytelling traditions, tied together with the views held by shadowspeakers, who believe they can communicate directly with the spirit of Mother Gela, have slowly deviated from the truth. The Johnfolk’s version of events has also been corrupted, partly through the deliberate mis-recording of history to suit their own ends.
The reader knowing more than the characters is an interesting narrative device, which serves to make the tragic impact of the series all the more powerful. This is amplified further in Daughter of Eden, although I don’t want to spoil the story by explaining why. Suffice it to say, some longstanding questions are finally answered. However, as the book itself notes, whenever you answer a question there’s always something else you then need to try and understand as a consequence.
The role of religion and the shadowspeakers is an interesting strand to this tale. It allows Beckett not only to explore religious themes but also to look at the power of history and story, and how they in turn give humans their identity. Daughter of Eden also poses the fascinating question as to whether or not it really matters if the story is true.
“I thought about what Trueheart had said. Stories were important, that was the part she didn’t understand. They were so important that we told them to ourselves inside our heads, every time we went to sleep. They were how we joined together all the things that happened to us into a shape that made some kind of sense. They were how we made the best of things in this sad, lonely place”
Ultimately, Beckett delivers an extremely thought-provoking trilogy, which is built around a very human and relatable tale. I read Dark Eden in 2021 and I still think about that story today, two years on. That’s the mark of an outstanding novel and the two sequels have had a similar impact on me. I actually held off reading this third book, just in case it wasn’t as good and spoiled the whole experience. This was a mistake – I actually prefer this to Mother of Eden and it’s an incredibly strong finish to an amazing series.
One final thing. When you finish the series it’s worth looking at the final lines of Dark Eden and comparing them to Daughter of Eden. It’s just one example of how this whole series is so beautifully written. Simply outstanding.
Dark Eden focused on how humanity’s true nature slowly emerges, no matter the original good intentions of any newly-established community. In this case, the characters are the descendants of two marooned and long-dead astronauts from Earth, Angela and Tommy. The trilogy takes place on the world of Eden, a planet drifting through space without its own star to light the sky. This strange planet, cloaked in constant darkness and lit only by the bioluminescence of its native plants and wildlife, is an eerie place. It’s a fantastic, truly alien creation, and the haunting way the world is described lingers long in the mind.
In the settlement of Circle Valley in Eden, the numbers of people in Family have outgrown the resources of the valley they call home. When John Redlantern points this out and challenges the status quo, he sets in motion a chain of events which ripple down through successive generations. John and his allies are opposed by David Batwing. Eventually, David’s followers pursue John and his friends, angry at John for splitting apart Family and also taking Angela’s ring, a relic from distant Earth.
After those events the second book, Mother of Eden, moved forward in time, picking up the action many generations after those events in Circle Valley. In that book the main character is Starlight Brooking, who travels to the settlement of New Earth, founded by John Redlantern. Mother of Eden took us on an uncomfortable journey. In New Earth, the strong have grown powerful, keeping their position through the exploitation and oppression of the weak and those deemed to be different, the ideals of Family even further eroded.
Daughter of Eden takes place at the same time as Mother of Eden but changes the perspective. The main voice this time is Angie Redlantern, a batface who was once best friends with Starlight. This time we follow Angie’s story after Starlight leaves. I found Angie to be a more absorbing and interesting character compared with Starlight. Angie is far less innocent and full of intelligence. Her lowly position as a batface makes her invisible in some ways, so people overlook her (with the exception of Mary, the shadowspeaker), even though Angie is very observant and misses nothing.
Another strongly defined character (and there are lots of them in this novel) is Angie’s niece, another batface called Trueheart. Trueheart is in many ways a lot like John Redlantern, always asking questions, always challenging the status quo and she wants far more for her life than the very ordinary one Angie has been forced to settle for.
The reasons why Angie is in this position are told in flashbacks, which are entwined with a story in the present day where the people of Eden are at war. There is a terrible confrontation between the Johnfolk, who have sailed over the water from New Earth with deadly metal spears, and the Davidfolk, who believe they have stayed true to the ideals of Family. The Johnfolk and Davidfolk have their own particular views of history, and both sides are completely convinced they are right. The tragedy is the reader knows both these versions of history are wrong. The Davidfolk’s oral storytelling traditions, tied together with the views held by shadowspeakers, who believe they can communicate directly with the spirit of Mother Gela, have slowly deviated from the truth. The Johnfolk’s version of events has also been corrupted, partly through the deliberate mis-recording of history to suit their own ends.
The reader knowing more than the characters is an interesting narrative device, which serves to make the tragic impact of the series all the more powerful. This is amplified further in Daughter of Eden, although I don’t want to spoil the story by explaining why. Suffice it to say, some longstanding questions are finally answered. However, as the book itself notes, whenever you answer a question there’s always something else you then need to try and understand as a consequence.
The role of religion and the shadowspeakers is an interesting strand to this tale. It allows Beckett not only to explore religious themes but also to look at the power of history and story, and how they in turn give humans their identity. Daughter of Eden also poses the fascinating question as to whether or not it really matters if the story is true.
“I thought about what Trueheart had said. Stories were important, that was the part she didn’t understand. They were so important that we told them to ourselves inside our heads, every time we went to sleep. They were how we joined together all the things that happened to us into a shape that made some kind of sense. They were how we made the best of things in this sad, lonely place”
Ultimately, Beckett delivers an extremely thought-provoking trilogy, which is built around a very human and relatable tale. I read Dark Eden in 2021 and I still think about that story today, two years on. That’s the mark of an outstanding novel and the two sequels have had a similar impact on me. I actually held off reading this third book, just in case it wasn’t as good and spoiled the whole experience. This was a mistake – I actually prefer this to Mother of Eden and it’s an incredibly strong finish to an amazing series.
One final thing. When you finish the series it’s worth looking at the final lines of Dark Eden and comparing them to Daughter of Eden. It’s just one example of how this whole series is so beautifully written. Simply outstanding.
August 7, 2017
Großartiges Finale und für mich bester Band der Reihe. Eindrucksvolle Geschichte über die Geschichten, die wir uns erzählen, um die Welt zu verstehen.
November 24, 2018
Ten stars out of five
This is a wonderful book, and while the author could justify more, I almost hope he leaves it here. The book could be read in isolation, but I strongly suggest you read the previous two first.
Without giving too much away, this is a story about stories, and their role in our lives. If you've read the previous books then you will have witnessed the events behind many of those stories 'first hand'. It's a fascinating device, brilliantly executed. We learn that stories are partly what we are told to control us, but mainly what we tell ourselves to make sense of an otherwise potentially bleak existence. Reading this book taught me, better than anything before, about why we hate those who challenge our stories, and how we might better meet those challenges if we could just bring ourselves to be a bit more humble. It's a fascinating story, beautifully told, and somehow both profound and very easy to read at the same time. It's the best book in the best series that I've read for years. It sets a new standard, for me, for what science fiction should try to do.
This is a wonderful book, and while the author could justify more, I almost hope he leaves it here. The book could be read in isolation, but I strongly suggest you read the previous two first.
Without giving too much away, this is a story about stories, and their role in our lives. If you've read the previous books then you will have witnessed the events behind many of those stories 'first hand'. It's a fascinating device, brilliantly executed. We learn that stories are partly what we are told to control us, but mainly what we tell ourselves to make sense of an otherwise potentially bleak existence. Reading this book taught me, better than anything before, about why we hate those who challenge our stories, and how we might better meet those challenges if we could just bring ourselves to be a bit more humble. It's a fascinating story, beautifully told, and somehow both profound and very easy to read at the same time. It's the best book in the best series that I've read for years. It sets a new standard, for me, for what science fiction should try to do.
February 11, 2019
As the Davidfolk flee to avoid violent takeover, Angie Redlantern recounts through periodic flashbacks her friendship with a shadowspeaker (prophet). At Circle Valley she and her people have a surprise encounter with Earth that forces them to question everything they think they know about Gela. This is most like Margaret Atwood’s Maddaddam: it contrasts oral storytelling with written history and looks at how myths arise. For several reasons, it is less satisfying than the previous books. The distorted language spoken on Eden has inevitably lost freshness. Using just one narrator means Angie describes things she only heard about, which can feel far-fetched. There are also fewer of the descriptive passages I loved in the other books. Ultimately the third volume didn’t add to my appreciation of this fictional world. If you’ve read the other two, of course you’ll want to see what Beckett does in the final book.
See my full review at Nudge.
See my full review at Nudge.
September 9, 2017
The third book in the series was a mixture. The first half of the book got a little repetitive. This was all about Angie and her journey to become a Shadow talker, mixed with the attack from the John folk. It was OK, but i thought it was lacking.
The second half was a lot more interesting and really progressed the story along.
The series is set up for some follow up stories, and i would be happy to listen to them when/if they come out.
Still a tough series to recommend to friends. It is a marmite book, either it will be liked or hated.
The second half was a lot more interesting and really progressed the story along.
The series is set up for some follow up stories, and i would be happy to listen to them when/if they come out.
Still a tough series to recommend to friends. It is a marmite book, either it will be liked or hated.
January 3, 2018
What a fine series this has been and this is a fitting conclusion. As evocative, mysterious and atmospheric as always. Excellent. 4-4.5 stars.
January 23, 2025
Overall, loved this trilogy of books and this book offered an ending that I didn't quite expect. Honestly there were some things I felt could have been executed a bit better but it still did a great job at tying together all the previously built stories and characters. Once you get past the slow start to the book, it does get a lot more interesting quite suddenly with some unexpected outcomes. I just wish this book gave more focus and time on other parts of the story as I found myself enjoying certain parts more than others. It gave some interesting ideas for the backstory and details to things about the world of Eden but sometimes I found myself questioning how realistic it was for things to play out the way it made them, sometimes feeling like it skimmed over plot holes towards the end, hence why I wanted more focus on certain parts of the story instead. Just a bit more detail and thought to certain things would have made it feel less rushed and therefore a 5 star book but this is why I think it's 4 star. Still a brilliant read and a very fun world to explore, I just wanted more of it! Which I suppose is only testament to how good it is. Defiantly worth reading, a story that has made it's mark permanently for me.
June 17, 2020
8- I enjoyed the first half of this novel less than the earlier two books in this trilogy, but I got more emotional at the ending (and that was based on the first half), compared to the first two books. So I'm conflicted about scoring this. Four stars seems reasonable, especially if I take into consideration the trilogy as a whole, which is a gripping work about the way our beliefsystems are formed by our history, shaped by our journey with them and how they lead to hope and perseverance on the one hand, and conflict and oppression on the other hand. This last book especially takes the narrative strands layed out in the first two books and shows how legend forming and story telling shape societies, how doubt and certainty interact when stories are what gives lives meaning, and how our stories react to incursions from outside. It's centered around Angie, who traveled around with shadow speaker Mary, who claimed to hear the voice of Gela (the ancestor of all people on Eden, originally from Earth). In the first half the stories of Angies flight from invaders from across the sea are interspersed with her remembrance of her time with Mary. The flight was a bit basic and boring, but the story of her and Mary got to me, especially because I myself have wrestled with and am still sometimes wrestling with questions about faith, doubt, certainty and meaning. The conflict between Angie and Mary I found gripping. Then a ship from earth lands and upsets all stories the people of Eden have told themselves for hundreds of years, and changes the balance between the several civilizations that have grown up on the dark planet. The well meaning Earthlings discover that the reality of the stories these people have lived in for so long is not easily changed. These passages were very interesting, but even here the narrow scope of the narration has to break to show what happens elsewhere, and that was not as convincing to me. I think the author had restricted himself too much when choosing the perspective from which he wrote the story. It's a minor flaw though, and like in the first two books Beckett shows himself great with language, with vivid descriptions (and an interesting weirdness when the protagonists see images from earth) and vivid characterisation. I got choked up when Angie and Mary meet again and are honest with each other. Those scenes always get to me. I would have liked if the question of the sapience of the bats of Eden would have played a part ( I think it would be interesting to see the humans of Eden interact with the stories the original Edenites are telling about themselves), but it's a good conclusion to the trilogy as it is. The original novel Dark Eden remains the best of the three in my opinion, due to its novelty and powerful story line. That one can be read on itself too, so if you are interested in this story, I would start there. I think that when you finished that book, you will want to know what happens next ...
September 18, 2016
It's been a pleasure to read the Eden books I've loved every page. I can't recommend them enough. Will probably write a proper review later need time to think. A world I will revisit time to time . Brilliant. I enjoyed the change of perspective it was a brave thing to do in the final volume. It worked very well though. Angie is probably my favourite character in the entire series. Also this volume has left me wondering most likely because it's end I suppose. Wish it wasn't. By far my favourite books of this millennium.
February 9, 2019
Ooooodlicno,
Bojao sam se da ce se izgubit kvaliteta, ali stvarno nije, sve tri knjige su predivne i mocne. Svaka ima toliko mocnih dijelova da ce ostati zauvijek negdje u meni. Sa trecom knjigom je Becket toliko lijepo zaokruzio pricu o Dark Edenu i toplo se nadam da nece biti nagovoren od strane fanova da pise jos nastavaka. Jedva cekam prijevod svih knjiga. Definitivno medju boljim serijalima koje sam procitao.
Hmmmmmmphh hmmmmmphhhh - went the trees..........
Bojao sam se da ce se izgubit kvaliteta, ali stvarno nije, sve tri knjige su predivne i mocne. Svaka ima toliko mocnih dijelova da ce ostati zauvijek negdje u meni. Sa trecom knjigom je Becket toliko lijepo zaokruzio pricu o Dark Edenu i toplo se nadam da nece biti nagovoren od strane fanova da pise jos nastavaka. Jedva cekam prijevod svih knjiga. Definitivno medju boljim serijalima koje sam procitao.
Hmmmmmmphh hmmmmmphhhh - went the trees..........
March 27, 2018
It took me almost three months, but I finished it! I hesitate to say that I find the ending satisfying, but I also don't know if there is really any other way a visit from Earth could have gone. The second storyline about Angie and Mary was interesting, and I understand what Beckett was trying to do with it, but it also made the book very long and I got tired of alternating between the past and the present.
Honestly, I know it is unethical, but I think maybe the two Earth guys should have, uh, sowed some seeds while they were there. Imagine the reduction of birth defects if you were to introduce two new genetic lines into the population...
Honestly, I know it is unethical, but I think maybe the two Earth guys should have, uh, sowed some seeds while they were there. Imagine the reduction of birth defects if you were to introduce two new genetic lines into the population...
March 24, 2022
Final part of trilogy about communities evolved from the survivors of a starship crashed on a very alien world. The world-building, both of the environment and ecology snd of the societies, is excellent, and human relationships are well explored. The faiths and politics that have emerged from old quarrels and hopes are plausible.
April 19, 2023
Finally, story!
September 1, 2025
Last book in the series, which I loved. Amazing.
October 8, 2021
While this book itself is not the best of the series, I firmly believe you can't review it outside of its role as the closing act in Eden's history.
The series is at the same time unique and easy to read through. The use of language is infinitely interesting and serves the story perfectly. The progress of Eden's history is fascinating, especially when reading how characters in the latter two books talk about characters from the first. This does mean, in my opinion, the first few chapters (mainly consisting of worldbuilding) were the strongest in each novel. The plot was serviceable, with the first being the strongest of the trilogy.
The only big gripe I had with this entry was the loss of narrative structure. While the first two stuck to multiple narrators, this novel used two separate periods of time narrated by the same character. It worked, but I don't think it was as strong as the first two.
The book seems to end off with a few loose ends, enough to give me hope of a fourth in the series, but that probably isn't happening.
I've always wanted to read a series like this and I hope to find more in the future. The history nerd in me was swimming.
The series is at the same time unique and easy to read through. The use of language is infinitely interesting and serves the story perfectly. The progress of Eden's history is fascinating, especially when reading how characters in the latter two books talk about characters from the first. This does mean, in my opinion, the first few chapters (mainly consisting of worldbuilding) were the strongest in each novel. The plot was serviceable, with the first being the strongest of the trilogy.
The only big gripe I had with this entry was the loss of narrative structure. While the first two stuck to multiple narrators, this novel used two separate periods of time narrated by the same character. It worked, but I don't think it was as strong as the first two.
The book seems to end off with a few loose ends, enough to give me hope of a fourth in the series, but that probably isn't happening.
I've always wanted to read a series like this and I hope to find more in the future. The history nerd in me was swimming.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2019
This is not the conclusion I hoped for or expected, but overall the series is an excellent, imaginative look at how humanity will continue to make the same mistakes even when divorced from its past and exiled to an alien environment. I thought this last installment was a little too neat, a little too happy, and while I appreciate that it didn't burn the whole world down in a rain of violence, it didn't really deliver on the themes that are set up in earlier novels. It's fine, but the first two are definitely better.
June 24, 2018
I loved Dark Eden but found Mother of Eden less satisfying. Fortunately this third book is a great finale.
Set not too long after the previous book, we see Angie Redlantern doing the narration as she flees with her family from violent action- the Johnfolk have brought war to the Davidfolk. As they travel across Eden, Angie recounts the time time she spent with Shadowspeaker Mary, Eden's equivalent of a messenger. Just when she thought she understood the stories of Eden, people from Earth finally arrive and the stories are very different from what everybody thought they were.
This book is all about belief and the stories of religion and history. The people of Eden have passed down their history through word of mouth with different tribes passing on different versions of the same story. They've even developed a kind of religion, worshipping their ancestor Gela as if she is some kind of God.
Mary the Shadowspeaker seems to believe she can hear the voice of Gela and Angie constantly questions the things she says, like why she seems to always go along with what tribe leaders say. Mary is a fantastic character because she is in no way evil and helps people to deal with their difficult lies. There's analogies with priests or those high up in other religions. Mary doubts her own beliefs and Angie too struggles to accept them. There is no voice of Gela and really they both know that but they have an internal moral voice which is effectively the same thing as the voice of Gela.
Then when three Earth people arrive they share the truth of the stories and the inhabitants of Eden see video footage of Gela. They find it difficult to accept the truth because it's painful. A normal human on a video screen would never live up to their god-like view of Gela and the truth about what Earth is like would be like real religions discovering that Heaven isn't really that nice. In our world there is a constant battle between religious views and the truths shown to us in science and our stories have to evolve or ignore the truth.
Angie decides in the end that the truth isn't entirely important. The new narrative accepts what elements of the truth they know are emphatically true and winds them into their longstanding stories, something many religions could learn from. The actual content of the stories doesn't really matter but the way they make you feel and the messages they send out do.
A really clever book which is almost philosophical in it's style yet still nicely wraps up the tale of Eden.
Set not too long after the previous book, we see Angie Redlantern doing the narration as she flees with her family from violent action- the Johnfolk have brought war to the Davidfolk. As they travel across Eden, Angie recounts the time time she spent with Shadowspeaker Mary, Eden's equivalent of a messenger. Just when she thought she understood the stories of Eden, people from Earth finally arrive and the stories are very different from what everybody thought they were.
This book is all about belief and the stories of religion and history. The people of Eden have passed down their history through word of mouth with different tribes passing on different versions of the same story. They've even developed a kind of religion, worshipping their ancestor Gela as if she is some kind of God.
Mary the Shadowspeaker seems to believe she can hear the voice of Gela and Angie constantly questions the things she says, like why she seems to always go along with what tribe leaders say. Mary is a fantastic character because she is in no way evil and helps people to deal with their difficult lies. There's analogies with priests or those high up in other religions. Mary doubts her own beliefs and Angie too struggles to accept them. There is no voice of Gela and really they both know that but they have an internal moral voice which is effectively the same thing as the voice of Gela.
Then when three Earth people arrive they share the truth of the stories and the inhabitants of Eden see video footage of Gela. They find it difficult to accept the truth because it's painful. A normal human on a video screen would never live up to their god-like view of Gela and the truth about what Earth is like would be like real religions discovering that Heaven isn't really that nice. In our world there is a constant battle between religious views and the truths shown to us in science and our stories have to evolve or ignore the truth.
Angie decides in the end that the truth isn't entirely important. The new narrative accepts what elements of the truth they know are emphatically true and winds them into their longstanding stories, something many religions could learn from. The actual content of the stories doesn't really matter but the way they make you feel and the messages they send out do.
A really clever book which is almost philosophical in it's style yet still nicely wraps up the tale of Eden.
June 25, 2017
Following on from Mother of Eden, Daughter of Eden takes place in the same rough timeframe, which is a bit disappointing - I would have liked to see it jump another few centuries into the future of this sad and twisted society, as Mother of Eden did after Dark Eden. The Eden stories are not so much about what happens, but rather what happens next - and I'd prefer to have seen the continued growth and development of Eden society - a bunch of paleolithic inbred descendants of two stranded astronauts on a dark, bizarre alien world - rather than the political fallout between the Johnfolk and the Davidfolk following on from a character's actions in the last book.
On reflection, Mother of Eden and Daughter of Eden could (and should) have been one book; and I'm not sure either of them quite lives up to the brilliant, tightly-plotted standards of the first book in the trilogy, Dark Eden. All three books are very much about the power of stories and mythology and belief, but in both Mother and Daughter it often feels Beckett is retreading ground he's already passed over. They're good themes, expressed well, but both books suffer from a bloat which I don't think Dark Eden ever did, and could have used much tighter editing.
Nonetheless - and without spoilers - it's fair to say that any reader will want to keep reading, to see what happens next, and also because the whole set-up of the Eden books, from the very beginning, has a will it/won't it Schroedinger's World situation going on. I said in my review of Mother of Eden that I'd like to see a Lord of the Flies or Apocalypto style ending to the story. What happens in Daughter of Eden is not what I expected to see, but I was surprised and impressed by how Beckett handled that aspect of the story.
Whether he sticks the landing or not is debatable. But I can definitely say that Daughter of Eden was intriguing, and compulsively readable, and very enjoyable. If you read and enjoyed Dark Eden - which I believe is one of the most underrated sci-fi books of the last decade - then the rest of the trilogy is most definitely worth reading.
On reflection, Mother of Eden and Daughter of Eden could (and should) have been one book; and I'm not sure either of them quite lives up to the brilliant, tightly-plotted standards of the first book in the trilogy, Dark Eden. All three books are very much about the power of stories and mythology and belief, but in both Mother and Daughter it often feels Beckett is retreading ground he's already passed over. They're good themes, expressed well, but both books suffer from a bloat which I don't think Dark Eden ever did, and could have used much tighter editing.
Nonetheless - and without spoilers - it's fair to say that any reader will want to keep reading, to see what happens next, and also because the whole set-up of the Eden books, from the very beginning, has a will it/won't it Schroedinger's World situation going on. I said in my review of Mother of Eden that I'd like to see a Lord of the Flies or Apocalypto style ending to the story. What happens in Daughter of Eden is not what I expected to see, but I was surprised and impressed by how Beckett handled that aspect of the story.
Whether he sticks the landing or not is debatable. But I can definitely say that Daughter of Eden was intriguing, and compulsively readable, and very enjoyable. If you read and enjoyed Dark Eden - which I believe is one of the most underrated sci-fi books of the last decade - then the rest of the trilogy is most definitely worth reading.
October 28, 2016
A fitting and excellent end to the trilogy. The planet Eden is at war and Angie Redlantern flees to the original landing zone. The arrival of a space ship from earth challenges her and ask many questions. Her relationship with her best friend, (someone who she thought was dead) plays a important role in her personal development. The core of the book is about a society who's interpretation of the past is changed by earth. The earth crew are certain that the original expedition failed with all the original explorers dying decades earlier. They find themselves giving a different history for the Edenites to think and reflect upon. The earth crew also introduce new technology without thought of its consequences.I was pleased that the author allowed us to hear the thoughts of the earth visitors, which added to the enjoyment of the book. As it is a trilogy and thus being the final book I won't spoil the ending. I will say that I recommend all the books of the trilogy to all, including those who may never think of reading science fiction.
July 16, 2018
Utterly disappointing and dissatisfying.
As someone who really enjoyed the first and second books, I was expecting more from the third.
Completely unlike its prequels, Daughter of Eden's pace was a snail crawl with a single exciting event. While both prequels had you on the edge of your seat at different points, the most exciting this book became was a nostalgic fulfillment.
The main character, and narrator, is uninteresting and self-deprecating while relating the sad story of her life and the current challenges facing all of Eden.
Further, this novel fails to develop the Eden world to the same degree as previous novels have (it is set 20 years after Mother of Eden). This novel, and the world on which it takes place, are very static in this novel. There is a distinct lack of any character or world development.
That all said, he did an excellent job separating and distincting between the two proses (Earth people and Eden people) using language and grammar.
As someone who really enjoyed the first and second books, I was expecting more from the third.
Completely unlike its prequels, Daughter of Eden's pace was a snail crawl with a single exciting event. While both prequels had you on the edge of your seat at different points, the most exciting this book became was a nostalgic fulfillment.
The main character, and narrator, is uninteresting and self-deprecating while relating the sad story of her life and the current challenges facing all of Eden.
Further, this novel fails to develop the Eden world to the same degree as previous novels have (it is set 20 years after Mother of Eden). This novel, and the world on which it takes place, are very static in this novel. There is a distinct lack of any character or world development.
That all said, he did an excellent job separating and distincting between the two proses (Earth people and Eden people) using language and grammar.
May 7, 2017
I enjoyed this first two in this series but found this one slow and over descriptive. I really disliked the ending - Mary's change of direction in her shadow speaking just wasn't convincing, and happened in a couple of pages. Overall, I didn't like the shadow speaking / religious overtones of the book, and was frustrated that there was nothing on the one progressive society on the planet. As with the other books, the world is well drawn, and the return of an earth ship and how that plays out is interesting. But overall I dragged myself through this s bit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2021
For the first 100 pages this felt like it was treading water, but then there's a big dramatic development; one I'd been waiting two and a half books for but wasn't sure would ever arrive.
Beckett continues his insightful exploration of the tensions between religion and science, and the power of storytelling to give shape and meaning to people's lives, even if that story is based on lies or distortions.
Beckett continues his insightful exploration of the tensions between religion and science, and the power of storytelling to give shape and meaning to people's lives, even if that story is based on lies or distortions.
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