Children Of God

Mary Doria Russell

Mar 2010 · Random House

About this ebook

From the acclaimed author of The Sparrow comes a new, extraordinarily imaginative SF novel which continues the powerful, moving story of Emilio Sandoz, the charismatic Jesuit priest who led the well-intentioned but catastrophic mission to the distant planet of Rakhat, and journeyed to the furthest reaches of the human soul.

Now, in Children of God, Father Emilio Sanchoz returns and - against his will - is forced to continue his quest for the meaning, if any, of God's plan. Dazzlingly imaginative, philosophically provocative and immeasurably entertaining, Children of God is a must-read for fans of The Sparrow, and a startlingly fresh adventure for newcomers to Mary Doria Russell's special literary magic.

Ratings and reviews

"The Sparrow" was always going to be hard to follow, and Russel hasn't quite pulled it off. The characters are not as sympathetic, there's less humour, and worst of all all the loose ends are tidied up - there's none of the ambiguity of "The Sparrow". At times, too, I felt that she was determined to show us all the world building she had done. The result is ok but flags a little in the middle. This is to "The Sparrow" what The Silmarillion" is to "Lord of the Rings".

About the author

Mary Doria Russell is a former anatomist, has studied six languages, trained as a paleoanthropologist and is the author of scientific papers on subjects as various as bone biology and cannibalism. Her first novel, The Sparrow, won the 1996 James Tiptree Award, the 1998 BSFA Award and the 1998 Arthur C. Clarke Award and she has also won the Cleveland Arts Council Prize for Literature and the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer of Science Fiction. Her second novel, Children of God, is the sequel to The Sparrow. Mary Doria Russell lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband and their son.