The Gods and Their Machines
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The Gods and Their Machines marks the debut of a compelling new voice in science fiction and fantasy, set in a world that bears a disturbing resemblance to the Middle East and the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
To the scientifically advanced people of Altima, the primitive "Fringelanders" of Bartokhrin are superstitious barbarians and terrorists. Their suicide warriors carry dark magic into the heart of the Altiman cities, killing innocent civilians. To the people of Bartokhrin, the Altimans are godless conquerors and oppressors, who bomb their town and villages from their high-flying aeroplanes. They revere the Blessed martyrs who carry the battle back to the Altimans.
Chamus Aranson is a young Altiman student, training to be a fighter pilot in his nation's air force. Riadni Mocranen is a rebellious Bartokhrian tomboy, who dreams of joining the heroic freedom fighters in their crusade against Altima. Chamus and Riadni come from two completely different worlds, but when Chamus is forced to make and emergency landing deep in enemy country, Riadni becomes his only hope for survival. Now they must work together to stop an unimaginable catastrophe from setting both their worlds on fire.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Earnest good intentions may earn respect for Irish author McGann's first SF/fantasy novel, but they can't quite bring the book to life. The relatively modern, urban country of Altima denigrates and exploits its rural, backward neighbor, Bartokhrin, leading to low-level but escalating conflict. When readers are introduced first to Chamus, a young Altiman lad who loves flying and hates terrorists, then to Riadni, a Bartokhrian tomboy who loves horses and despises foreign overlords, they may suspect that the two will meet, fight, be forced to depend on each other and eventually come to appreciate the "enemy's" way of life. It also seems likely that Chamus and Riadni will use their mature understanding to thwart the bloody plans of childish old men on both sides. And so it happens in this YA-level parable with lessons that bear on the current crisis in the Middle East. McGann tackles genuine problems, but the novel's world isn't developed independently enough to feel real, apart from its contemporary references. The story's conclusion is underdeveloped also, with a burst of good feeling instead of a real presentation of how these different people can learn to live together. Unfortunately, merely wanting to say something important isn't enough.
