Rapid Reviews - The Majipoor Trilogy

Lord Valentine's Castle by Robert Silverberg: Set on the unimaginably huge world of Majipoor, this is the story of a king who is overthrown and has to journey back to his rightful place. While the book tells a complete story in its own right, it also is the start of an even bigger saga, as the ending makes clear. My introduction to Majipoor came in the pages of Legends, in the short story "The Seventh Shrine". I enjoyed that little murder mystery, and got myself a copy of this book to read based on the strength of that story alone. And now, based on the strengths of this tale, I plan to read the entire series (both trilogies and a short novel). This was an interesting book with enough twists and turns to keep the relentless rush to the inevitable conclusion from going stale or becoming overly predictable.

Majipoor Chronicles by Robert Silverberg: While the copy I got from the library billed itself as "Book Two In The Majipoor Trilogy", this is really an aside in which a young character from Lord Valentine's Castle visits the past of his planet in the forms of several lives. As Hissune experiences each life, he learns a bit more about his world and the way it works, and we get to learn some of that along with him. This is really an anthology of short Majipoor stories, and the result is excellent taken either that way or as a single narrative. Taken as an anthology, I think my favorite story is "A Thief in Ni-moya", chapter Nine, right near the end. A pretty good book.

Valentine Pontifex by Robert Silverberg: The final book in the first trilogy, this is the story of how Valentine finally accepts his fate to be Pontifex of Majipoor. While the plot seems to be about how Valentine stops the metamorph menace, it's really less about that than about Valentine's desire to finish things while he's still the junior king, and free to wander the world he loves. It's also a coming-of-age story about Hissune, who Valentine is grooming for leadership. While it's a strong story, and a good read, the conclusion was very quick and I want more. My introduction to Majipoor in Legends was just such a story, but I want even more. Particularly with Valentine. There was much left to be said.