The Shadow And Night, a book review

 

Overall, I loved the plot of this futuristic, Christian society of planets and the slow, subtle infiltration of enemy forces into the the most remote planet. The author took great care in creating the government and society, but somehow the characters seemed rather flat. At first I thought this was because they lived in a sinless society and therefore had no flaws I could relate to, but even after I kept reading I still didn't warm up to any one. Also, the few lighthearted scenes in the book seemed a bit awkward and forced when they were supposed to be humorous. I will be reading the rest of the series, but for once its for the plot not for the people. I also had trouble deciphering some of the definitions of "Sin". The society in the book is so perfect that somethings they clarify as sin are not called so by even the most strict Christians of the real world, such as a ambition, and a need for privacy, which is equated with lying. This nitpicking made it a bit hard to realize that evil was threatening them until it became actual sin, such as prejudice, actual lying, and hatred. It's a good read, but a bit hard to get through until well midway when the plot begins to thicken.