Rating: 
Summary: Thoughtful SciFi plus high adventure
Review: One reader commented that this book is "not up to Brin's standards." Never having read Brin before, I can't say if that's true, but I can say that if this book is below average for him, his others must be truly amazing. GLORY SEASON is both a tale of high adventure and a thoughtful, mature exploration of where technology and idealism can take us. I'm highly critical of writing style -- especially in SF/Fantasy novels, which can be quite poor -- but the writing here is so smoothly and effortlessly crafted that I never had to think about it. Through 764 pages, it kept me glued to my seat and begging for more, trying to unravel the mysteries before Maia (the smart, stubborn heroine of the tale) could get captured or knocked out or thrown overboard again, and wake up to another piece of the puzzle. This is good stuff: immediate escape reading that leaves you with something to think about. It's not a combination I come across often, or at least not put together so well with seamless writing, fascinating plot, and a strong human interest. Read some good SciFi for a change.
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful SciFi plus high adventure
Review: One reader commented that this book is "not up to Brin's standards." Never having read Brin before, I can't say if that's true, but I can say that if this book is below average for him, his others must be truly amazing. GLORY SEASON is both a tale of high adventure and a thoughtful, mature exploration of where technology and idealism can take us. I'm highly critical of writing style -- especially in SF/Fantasy novels, which can be quite poor -- but the writing here is so smoothly and effortlessly crafted that I never had to think about it. Through 764 pages, it kept me glued to my seat and begging for more, trying to unravel the mysteries before Maia (the smart, stubborn heroine of the tale) could get captured or knocked out or thrown overboard again, and wake up to another piece of the puzzle. This is good stuff: immediate escape reading that leaves you with something to think about. It's not a combination I come across often, or at least not put together so well with seamless writing, fascinating plot, and a strong human interest. Read some good SciFi for a change.
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful SciFi plus high adventure
Review: One reader commented that this book is "not up to Brin's standards." Never having read Brin before, I can't say if that's true, but I can say that if this book is below average for him, his others must be truly amazing. GLORY SEASON is both a tale of high adventure and a thoughtful, mature exploration of where technology and idealism can take us. I'm highly critical of writing style -- especially in SF/Fantasy novels, which can be quite poor -- but the writing here is so smoothly and effortlessly crafted that I never had to think about it. Through 764 pages, it kept me glued to my seat and begging for more, trying to unravel the mysteries before Maia (the smart, stubborn heroine of the tale) could get captured or knocked out or thrown overboard again, and wake up to another piece of the puzzle. This is good stuff: immediate escape reading that leaves you with something to think about. It's not a combination I come across often, or at least not put together so well with seamless writing, fascinating plot, and a strong human interest. Read some good SciFi for a change.
Rating: 
Summary: An interesting world to explore
Review: Since I'm not female, I can't really judge how feminist
this book really is. My suspicion is that some feminists would have preferred a more radical viewpoint. Having said that, the book still reveals an interesting world to read about.
Rating: 
Summary: contrived fluff
Review: This book was a random pick, and I'm glad I only borrowed it from the library. Brin's Stratos is a thought-provoking extrapolation of radical feminism in all its twisted glory, but the novel's merits end there. All of the plot's credibility falls away when Maia falls so easily for Renna. Remember that this girl has been raised in a culture where men are regarded as little more than breeders, barely human if at all. But a man from another planet comes along and BAM! she's in love? Right. The book also dragged on for far too long, further diluting an already weak plot. What's more, Brin has an excreable writing style, he leaves lots of loose ends, and his editors let a lot of typos slip by. An excrutiating read.
Rating: 
Summary: The End does not justify the Means.
Review: This is a book that I adored until the final let's call it 20 pages or so. The culture of this matriarchal world was painted in an intelligent way without resorting to some form of amazonian fantasy, with checks and balances in their system. The characters were engaging and the over-reaching plot was fascinating... and then the ending comes. What impact would the ending of a Sherlock Holmes mystery have if Moriarity fiendishly clever were to blurt out the details of his plan ala a James Bond villain? What impact the ending of the initial Star Wars trilogy if the Emperor had tripped and fallen down that shaft? The journey of these characters, and what you learn about them, leads towards one resolution, and the ending comes not so much as a 'surprise' as an incredible let-down..... I was heartily disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing and entertaining
Review: This is an excellent book. Brin imagines the kind of world that would result from a very carefully designed human colonization effort. The Founders of Stratos wanted their world to be pastoral - to have people for the most part using tools that could be crafted by hand, to have them abandon spaceflight. They accepted that economics and politics would sometimes lead to unrest and violence, so they crafted the culture of the planet so that lethal force was considered taboo. They saw mankind's obsession with physical love, and the strength and temperment of men, as major flaws in the species. Finally, they chose a location for the colony that would be likely to be overlooked by the rest of humanity. The colonists of Stratos are genetically modified so that both genders have "rutting" seasons, much like other mammals. However, these seasons are offset from each other, so that whenever one side is interested, the other could care less. This causes procreation to be much more a matter of barter and economics than love, impulse, etc. Also, the women are capable of conceiving normally or of bearing a child that is a clone of themselves. From these premises, Brin builds a fascinating culture - one that is conservative and enduring. Set against this backdrop is a familiar storyline, of a smart young innocent setting out on her own, witnessing things that were meant to remain secret, and getting swept up in the midst of intrigue and adventure. Given the low tech level of Stratos, the story often feels like a standard adventure set in pre-industrial times. However, the depth of the setting, and the differences in attitude and philosophy of the characters, keeps the whole thing feeling novel and interesting. The ending was a bit anticlimactic, but I think that was part of the point. Even after all the remakable things that the main character learns and sees, her world doesn't change very much...for now. Since the ending was so appropriate, I didn't have the same dissatisfaction with it that others did. My one complaint with the book was that parts of the plot began to get predictable. Any time the main character gets close to figuring something out or achieving something, she invariably gets hit over the head or nearly drowns. She then spends some time either recovering or in captivity. Repeat as necessary. Overall, an intriguing read, more because of the setting and character development than due to the plot. Excellent science fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Not up tor Brin
Review: This is not up to Brin's usual (excellent) standard. Very, very tediuos and gets boring fast. Hands off and go read "Earth" or "Infinity's Shore" instead.
Rating:
Summary: Good book
Review: This is one of Brin's best books, with the most interesting ideas, well-drawn characters, and complex plots. (It is vastly better than Heaven's Reach, for example.) As another reviewer noted, it seems likely to be followed by a sequel, and I would certainly read it.
Rating:
Summary: The mysterious world of Maia and her mirror twin Leie.
Review: This is one of the best book I have read so far. Trust me, I have read books. Although this is only the first book I have read by David Brin, I really admire his work. This book about a planet where most of the people there are female clones is pretty exciting and full of adventures. I cannot express how much I recommend this book enough. I am really looking forward to reading Brin's other books.
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