Look to Windwards by Iain M. Banks (Look to Windward - Iain M. Banks)

Member Name: Alindrail

Product:	Look to Windward - Iain M. Banks
Date:	27/08/00 (55 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good characters, good plot, good BOOK

Disadvantages: Too short, and no more for over a year

This is the latest offering by Mr Banks, and the last for the next year or so as he has planned to take a year out from writing for a little break. It is a Culture novel, and is a fantastic note to end on.

The story revolves around the Masaq' Orbital and a civil war that took place on an Involved species planet, brought about by the involvement of the Culture in their internal affairs. The book marks a return to the Culture following the hiatus of Inversions, and it is great to be thrown once more into that decadent, Mind filled, and ships with great names (All Through With This Niceness and Negotiations Stuff being just one of them).

As usual with Banks the plot draws the reader on while the characters and their interactions gives the real meat of the piece. The plot acts as a skeleton for the substance of the book, as it really should be. You read Banks for his words, not the plot, but the plot is a gem in itself. This is a real winner of a book in all those respects.

For those who haven't read Banks before, or a Culture book from Banks, it is science fiction, and Look to Windwards is part of a series, but you can just leap in and read it without being aware of the history. Here too lies Banks' talent in being readable. The great thing is that you do want to go back and read it again, so for first time readers of Culture or Banks books this is great, after initial confusion, coming back after completion is a joy in itself.

This book has some real gem moments, and the characters are immeniently likeable and easy to empathise with. The action is well paced and the verbal sparring and interaction of the characters always gives you ideas of your own. The book makes you think while enjoying what is going on.

Great book. Buy soon.

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