Dying Of The Light

Cracking book. Well worth the read.

Like many readers, I was introduced to George R. R. Martin through his excellent "Song of Ice and Fire" series. After I finished "A Feast for Crows" I decided to check out Martin's first novel, "Dying of the Light". The novel's unique setting--a dying planet where the light never shines beyond dusk--had me immediately hooked on the story. Martin's relatable characters and his incredibly detailed alien cultures kept me reading through the first half of the novel, and the second half detailed a breathtaking cat-and-mouse sequence that rivals anything else I've ever read. There is a deep theme of sadness, loss, and dying that runs through "Dying of the Light" so it is not a light-hearted adventure tale. Some readers may be put off by this, but I found it incredibly refreshing and satisfying. The plot unfolds as a direct consequence of the choices made by the main characters; none of whom are stereotypical heroes or villains. These consequences add up to produce an ending that is fitting and sad at the same time. "Dying of the Light" kept me up at night for about a week after I finished it, as I could not stop thinking about the characters, their motives, and their decisions. For me, this is the mark of a great book, and it is why I prefer sad novels to happy ones--they really make the reader think about the story after they turn the last page. For those readers familiar with Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire", this novel contains the gritty realism present in that series, but it also contains themes of love and loss present in the T.H. White classic "The Once and Future King". "Dying of the Light" is one of my very favorite novels, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a quality read, regardless of whether or not you are familiar with Martin and his other work.

Eine außergewöhnliche Liebesgeschichte, geschrieben von einem Autor, der bekannt ist für martialische Erzählungen. Und die kommen auch hier nicht zu knapp vor. Ich mag Game of Thrones nicht besonders, aber dafür alle seine Scifi-Romane, und diesen hier besonders - trotz oder wegen der Brutalität. Er kann es einfach.

I brought this after being impressed by GRRM's sci-fi shorts and the novella (a song for lya) but the book disappointed me! It was neither a sci-fi, a romantic nor an action adventure! It could have been all that but somehow fails miserably! The story is such slow moving that I often wondered why I am even reading it!

Great!!