Friday, June 25, 2010

Enigma by C. F. Bentley

Sissy is the high priest of all of Harmony, and is therefore expected to have an intense connection with the goddess. However, in her previous adventures, she lost her sacred bond as a result of an attempted murder. One of her closest friends had died in the bombing, and left her with the prophesy to fix her connection with the Goddess among the stars. So began Sissy's adventures aboard the Labrynithe Station. These adventures include a forbidden love for a man who is not born of her planet - a love ominously threatening to destroy her reputation among her people. However, she is not prepared for a monumental discovery about her origins, aliens who desire to take over the station, or double-crossing humans prepared to leave no trace of their passing.

I found Enigma to be a fascinating read, a bit boring at the beginning, but quickly picking up speed as the plot developed. It only really had two settings though, and this could become drab if you prefer variety in the books you read. However, the two settings were very intriguing, one being a complex space station in which invaders could seemingly move about undetected, and the other an imaginative planet not too different from our own. The tone of the book was mysterious; you never knew when a critical event was about to take place. Thus, I was on the edge of my seat for the entire book. Another factor that contributed to my overall enjoyment in the book was the main characters. The human characters were very true to their race; they felt anger, pity, love, hate and other human emotions. They believed in a higher being, such as a god, as many humans do in the real world. Interestingly enough, the alien beings experienced very similar emotions to those of humans. I found this to be a fascinating aspect of the novel, and it caused the book to further appeal to me.

The author achieved an excellent novel that explores the ideals of religions, as well as exposes the unfavorable characteristics of many humans. However, this is done in a very captivating fashion, one that was not boring in the least bit. Sure, the book had a few weaknesses, like its slow beginning and slightly complicated and confusing setting, but overall it had many more strengths then weaknesses. It had strong, realistic characters with very real emotions. The book had a strong plot that kept you guessing where it was going next. It had romance infused with drama. Because of these traits, it was one of the best books from the science fiction genre that I have read. However, I don't believe it was better than its prequel, "Harmony", but it was still very good. My personal response to Enigma is that it was a thrilling novel with mystery intertwined into the plot, and thus deserving its title. I would definitely recommend Enigma to most anybody, as it is very age appropriate, as well as exciting.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Baltimore, MD United States