Review: Best of All Possible Worlds

                                                     

The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord

Rating: 8/10

Genre: Sci-fi

Where do you go, when your home planet is destroyed, when the majority of your civilization is wiped out? How do you keep your culture, everything you've known and loved, alive when most of its citizens aren't?

The Best of All Possible Worlds takes place on a planet that is a melting pot for all sorts of cultures and peoples who have no where else to go. Maybe their home planet was destroyed in war, maybe their home star expanded and engulfed their planet-- point being, they've got to find a new place to live. This novel follows to journey of one such stranded race, the Sandari, who go to this planet to help build a new colony, a small group of survivors intent of preserving their culture against all odds. 

I loved this book. The premise was interesting-- the main character works in the bureaucracy that it takes to run such a melting-plot planet, No one ever thinks of the red tape and paperwork it would take to run such an endeavor!

Is it derivative? Sure. Can you see what media (*cough* Star Trek *cough*) influenced the author's creation of the Sandari? Sure. Did that detract from my enjoyment of this novel? Not at all. 

I enjoyed the writing and felt that the romance was artfully done, even if it was something that could been seen from miles out. Have you ever read a book where you just knew that character A and B were going to get together, but that didn't stop you rooting for them and waiting for that to happen? 

The pacing had some issues, it stopped and started, months would pass suddenly and catch me off guard. The narrator was a bit immature at times, but I only rolled my eyes like twice so hey, easy enough to overlook. 

All in all, if you looking for a new sci-fic read, be sure to check out The Best of All Possible Worlds and let me know what you thought!

What are some of your sci-fic recommendations?