Cyndi J. (cyndij) reviewed Lord Valentine's Castle: Book One of the Majipoor Cycle on + 1031 more book reviews
Still one of my favorite fantasy/SF novels - it reads like fantasy, but it's definitely set in an alien world, one that seems to have chosen against most technology but doesn't scorn it. It's basically the "hero's journey", with a lovely travelogue of the giant planet of Majipoor. i loved Silverberg's world-building and all the fantastic creatures and plants he invents. Valentine is the best-realized character, we stick with watching him exclusively through the entire book. You need some patience for this as the action tends to be separated by long bouts of travel description. I liked how Valentine uses the art of persuasion instead of threats to get his way - you'd expect that in a real leader - although perhaps it's a bit too good to be true. A really nice story; you could read this as a standalone or go on to the next.
