The Sons of Heaven (Company)
by Kage Baker
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Book Summary Information
Author: Kage BakerEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-07-10
ISBN: 076531746X
Number of pages: 432
Publisher: Tor Books
Book Reviews of The Sons of Heaven (Company)
Book Review: The Company at the end of time
Summary: 5 Stars
I highly recommend the Company series, if you enjoy witty, well-written, fun science fiction, ala Connie Willis (though I think Baker is the better writer). This is the eighth and final novel in the series, though there are side-books containing shorter forms.
Unlike most series, however, the publisher does not put numbers on them (e.g., "the first book in the Company series"). And you do really need to read them in order (though there are few you could skip without missing a whole lot, IMHO). Also unlike some series, the books do not recap what has gone before, really. So, beware. For your reference, here they are, with a brief subjective comment:
1 - In the Garden of Iden (The Company). Possibly the best of them all. If you don't like this one, don't waste your time on the others! This one explains the premise for the series. Start here.
2 - Sky Coyote (A Novel of the Company, Book 2). You can skip this one and not miss anything critical. It was just okay, in my opinion. If you like the Joseph character, read this one.
3 - Mendoza in Hollywood: A Company Novel (The Company) A neat book, and quite necessary to the whole.
4 - The Graveyard Game (The Company)Features Joseph and Lewis. Not really necessary, and not one of the better ones.
5 - The Life of the World to Come (The Company)Okay, I lied, the first book isn't the best one. This one is. Some people don't seem to like the Captain, but I thought he was a hoot. Who wouldn't like to have their own personal AI buddy looking out for us? Arrr.
6 - The Children of the Company (The Company)Less like a novel, and more a collection of stories/novellas, all about the bad guys. I wouldn't have minded missing this one.
7 - The Machine's Child (The Company)Though some reviews were negative about this one, I liked it. Necessary plot information here, too.
8 - The Sons of Heaven (the book in question) Finally! The answers to all are revealed, and very satisfyingly, too. Sorry to see the series end, but I'm glad to see I haven't wasted my time tracking all these books down and reading them. Which leads to another complaint about the publishers:
Why aren't these books available? The first one is very hard to find. The Science Fiction Book Club has been issuing the series in pairs, but as of right now the first two "omnibus" editions aren't available used. The last four are in print right now, issued as "Company Men" and "The Company They Keep."
As for the books themselves, I have only a few minor peeves. The author is from California, and has a background in Elizabethan England. Virtually every scene happens in one of these two locales. Gets a bit dull after 8 books. On the other hand, the authenticity of her language is wonderful in Garden of Iden.
The other peeve is that the "little people" are never explained properly. Who are they? Where did they come from? What is "the Memory"?
The bad guys (the evil immortals) are a bit cardboard, I thought. And the humans (non-immortals like you and me) of the 24th century are so pathetic it's a bit overdone. Surely it would be possible to empathize with the immortal good guys without having such simply bad enemies and simply stupid human race in need of saving. So, it could've been a deeper, more sophisticated series. As it is, the Company series is mostly a romp, and a lot of fun. I'm sorry to see it end.
Summary of The Sons of Heaven (Company)
This is the Kage Baker novel everyone has been waiting for: the conclusion to the story of Mendoza and The Company.
In The Sons of Heaven, the forces gathering to seize power finally move on the Company. The immortal Lewis wakes to find himself blinded, crippled, and left with no weapons but his voice, his memory, and the friendship of one extraordinary little girl. Edward Alton Bell-Fairfax, resurrected Victorian superman, plans for world domination. The immortal Mendoza makes a desperate bargain to delay him. Enforcer Budu, assisted by Joseph, enlists an unexpected ally in his plans to free his old warriors and bring judgment on his former masters.
Executive Facilitator Suleyman uses his intelligence operation to uncover the secret of Alpha-Omega, vital to the mortals' survival. The mortal masters of the Company, terrified of a coup, invest in a plan they believe will terminate their immortal servants. And they awaken a powerful AI whom they call Dr Zeus.
This web of a story is filled with great climaxes, wonderful surprises, and gripping characters many readers have grown to love or hate. It's a triumph of SF!
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