Earthfall

May 1, 1995
The fourth and penultimate book in Card's Homecoming Saga carries the travelers from the planet Harmony back to Earth at last--the first humans to set foot there in 40 million years. The journey through space intensifies the strife between Nafai, leader of the expedition chosen by the Oversoul (Harmony's master computer), and his brother Elemak, which erupts again into violence midway through the voyage. Nafai's Oversoul-given powers and the obvious futility of a rebellion in deep space force a renewed truce, but hostilities continue to simmer as the travelers reach Earth. As the humans establish a colony, they must make peace with two sentient species, evolved in humankind's absence, which live in a constant state of enmity. This action-packed, plot-rich installment features Card's typical virtues--well-drawn characters and a story driven by complex moral issues. As the narrative pace accelerates, however, the later episodes fragment and characters fade into the background.

This fourth book in Card's five-volume Homecoming Saga continues the story of the descendants of Earth returning to the planet after a 40-million-year absence. Stefan Rudnicki has a particular facility with the often unpronounceable names made famous--and sometimes tedious--by fantasy and sci-fi authors. Almost entirely because of his talent, it's relatively easy for the listener to follow the intricate plots and subplots fairly overflowing in this epic. The sometimes-fast-paced adventure is woven with slower subplots. Rudnicki's pacing matches up so well that we actually feel time passing as the returning starship transits the multigenerational distance necessary to return to Earth. This is for all lovers of human migration fantasy and those who love sci-fi with a spiritual bent. M.C. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine