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    The Sunrise Lands
    The Sunrise Lands
    The Sunrise Lands
    Audiobook18 hours

    The Sunrise Lands

    Written by S. M. Stirling

    Narrated by Todd McLaren

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A generation has passed since the Change that rendered technology inoperable around the world, and western Oregon has finally achieved a degree of peace. But a new threat has risen in Paradise Valley, Wyoming. A man known as the Prophet presides over the Church Universal and Triumphant, teaching his followers to continue God's work by destroying the remnants of technological civilization they encounter-and those who dare use them.

    Rudi Mackenzie, son and heir of the mystic Juniper, must journey with seven friends across a continent in chaos to the Sunrise Lands to solve the riddle of what destroyed a civilization. And as the friends journey farther into the interior, enemies may be within their own band as well as outside it.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateApr 28, 2008
    ISBN9781400176755
    The Sunrise Lands
    Author

    S. M. Stirling

    A well-regarded author of alternate history science-fiction novels, S.M. Stirling has written more than twenty-five books, including acclaimed collaborations with Anne McCaffrey, Jerry Pournelle, and David Drake. His most recent novels are T2: Infiltrator, The Peshawar Lancers, and the Island in the Sea of Time trilogy.

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    Reviews for The Sunrise Lands

    4/5

    24 ratings11 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Taking place 22 years after the original Change, the story continues as the new generation lives in the new old world. It's as engaging as the original trilogy, but a bit darker, due to a phenomena that occurred on Nantucket and appears to have deep implications for the lives of several of the new regional leaders. From what appears to be the source of the change, certain characters are given dreams while others are called to it. It's not the simple struggle of man vs. man that we saw before. Another theme throughout this story is the shift in perspective as the younger generation sees many matters, including government and ethics, through the purely new-world, practical perspective.
    • 4/5
      The latest installment in Stirling's post-apocalyptic series. Rudi and his friends continue to travel across the remains of the USA on their quest. Stirling does a good job with characters and challenging plots, though after a while the constant travel and conflict with the CUTTERs gets a little old. Still, I found this fun to read and I enjoy all of the books in the series.
    • 4/5
      11/11 I'm a little less consumed this time through- primarily because I know how many more books I have to get through before Rudi gets where he's going. But love this series? Yes, I most emphatically do.

      12/10 I'm consumed by this post-apocalyptic, dystopian series. I'm enjoying it mightily, though I admit to skimming some of the "his sword sunk through the enemy's flesh like a slaughtering angel, the bright gouts of blood" blah blah blah.

      There's some delicate and delightful cribbing of tone from LotR, in addition to the more overt and equally fun homage. The switch of perspective from the older generation to the younger, post-Change set is welcome.

    • 4/5
      In the late 20th Century, suddenly and inexplicably the rules of physics change, and electricity, engines, and explosives don't work. The first three books of the series were set in the time just following The Change. This book looks at the next generation, the children who grew up in this new world. I think the drama of adjusting to The Change gave the first three books more of a "hook" that's missing in this book. The focus has changed to following this group of young people on their quest as they travel across North America from Oregon to Nantucket -- seemingly the origin of the Change. It's not clear why they need to go there, other than it was in a dream that they should do so. Along the way, they seem to spend most of their time fighting.The United States has divided into various groups and cultures, mostly colored by the personality of the original post-Change leaders. I enjoy the description of these cultures and imagining what life set back a couple centuries might be like. Stirling does a good job in developing characters that are interesting and engaging. You care about them, and want to know what happens to them. But there is too much detail in the description of the battles and preparation for battle. I skipped over a lot of that when I just got lost in the fog. The book begins with the history of what has gone before, and ends in a cliffhanger; it cannot stand on its own. But I like the series, I think the idea of the Change is intriguing, and I want to keep reading. Let's just move it along a bit faster.
    • 5/5
      The Novels of the Change are two distinct series but showing as the Nantucket series. This is the seventh book in the series but the fourth book in the Change series taking place on the contential United States. The other three books are about Nantucket after the change. This book brings to us Change Year 22.
    • 4/5
      More of the good of this series. Survival and good characters and an investigation into Neopagan culture. The bad stuff is that the premise is a little out there and you still really have to suspend disbelief to keep reading, though the mystical/magical aspects of the series are getting more strong, so it's becoming more reasonable. In a world where magic exists, sure the premise could happen, right? Anyway, I love it even if it's a tad unrealistic in odd places.
    • 2/5
      Ho Hum.The series has gone on too long - which was obvious with the departure into mysticism at the end of the last book. A series about grim survival by real heroes has become a heroic story about supernatural people with whom I cannot identify.I wish the politics had been sequestered into the prior book and the mystic stuff into this book. Then I could have stopped reading happily. Stirling's impressive command of history, science and culture continues to make the book enjoyable. But the magic is like finding half a worm in what had been a delightful crisp apple.
    • 4/5
      The Sunrise Lands is the first novel in a new trilogy by S.M. Stirling, set in the universe created in his previous trilogy Dies the Fire. As with Stirling's previous works the writing here has a lively pace and is quite engrossing. While this next set of three novels is being labeled as a new trilogy, I really have trouble imagining they would be good as a stand alone set. There is too much background from the first three books that gives meaning and reason to both the story narrative and the characters personas. If you plan on reading this work, you would be well advised to start with the original trilogy first. With that said however, I have to say that it was nice to see such a drastic shift in theme and purpose within the novels, without losing anything in the way of fun and interest. There is very little in this book that relies on catch phrases, repetitive character traits or stale plot devices. It is from this perspective that calling this a new trilogy make sense, it really is a shift into new things.Set approximately fifteen years after the end of the wars that culminated the first trilogy, this novel is the beginning of a quest by the heirs of the founders of society after The Change. While some old familiar characters are present, they are really only minor adornments to the story, wispy bits of trivia pulled out to give a richer meaning to the new cast and crew. The only characters that truly bridge the gap between the generations of Pacific Northwesterners (and the two trilogies) are Rudi Mackenzie and Mathilda Arminger, heirs apparent to the Clan Mackenzie and Portland Protective Association respectively. This work starts the tale of a quest from the sunset lands to the sunrise lands, promising to reveal both the mysteries of the fates of our heroes as well as the nature of The Change that has set humanity reeling into a new dark age. The journey begins as an explorer from the east arrives with tales from the island of Nantucket on the eastern sea board, and continues on to the beginnings of a return journey there to reveal the answers to the mysteries. As with the previous novels, there is a good bit of interplay between various religious forces. Though Wiccan references are noticeably less present here than in the previous three novels, the concept of religious fanaticism turned fascist is at the heart of the antagonism of this novel, which is not surprising as this is a quite common thematic element of stories that lean toward science-fiction and fantasy.This grand theme of religious fanaticism, mixed with details of pre-industrial military tools, equipment and techniques, along with flavorful bits of history and literary references makes for a nice mental stew to sit down with in the evening or weekend. It was enjoyable enough that I have decided to purchase a few more of Mr. Stirling's previous works and begin working through them for my fun/light reading.One last detail I would like to mention to readers and potential readers is Mr. Stirling's nice usage of modern tools for enriching the content of his works. Since both trilogies are at their base alternate histories, there was no need to create a new geography for them. That being the case, Mr. Stirling has created a map set for Google maps that represents all of the key geographical elements from the novels. Nothing major, but it was fun and useful in creating the mental mappings of the characters progress as this new quest begins.
    • 2/5
      This novel starts out slowly. But then the author reveals the next plot point. Get Rudi to Nantucket and investigate The Change; a good adventure tale across a splintered and brutal land. But no, the plot will not move farther than that. Instead we get hundreds of pages of excruiating detail about every rivet in every suit of armor worn by every character, plus every stoke they take to kill their foes, AND every thing they eat and drink. If i wanted this much detail I would have joined the SCA. Oh, those are the people who LIKE this book. Stirling can be a great writer, but if this is what the rest of the series is like, I am done.
    • 4/5
      Ahh, the fourth book in the series, depending on how you classify it. I guess it could be the seventh if you count the Nantucket series. Anyway, its 10 years after the events of A Meeting in Corvallis. Rudi is grown up and fairly swashbuckling. The twins are super stealth warrior elf ninjas, in a sense, and a quest has been taken. My favorite part is the C.U.T. cult and their crazy fundamentalist military society. Scary! Overall, fun adventure, with great battle writing, and of course the whacky catch of the laws of physics not working. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment, as Stirling takes us further across the great plains and into mysterious danger.
    • 5/5
      The Sunrise Lands by S. M. StirlingThis book can be considered a sequel to Meeting at Corvallis or the beginning of a new Change trilogy. Whatever the category, the book is excellent. Set in a post Apocalyptic world where technology has been truncated by some unknown source. This story focuses on the children of the initial survivors featured in the Dies the Fire, the first three books. The kids or young adults are on a quest demanded by the powers speaking through Juniper who is the Chief of the Mackenzies and Rudi’s Mom. Rudi and Mathilda, the heirs to the Mackenzie lands and the Association territory explore more interpersonal action in this book. Rudi’s two younger, twin sisters are highly entertaining. New allies and new villains are introduced in this book. There is action and treachery abounding. Stories are told over campfires that backfill information that would enable this book to be read without reading the preceding trilogy. I enjoy the character interaction, none are super heroes, they all demonstrate human fragility and are thusly more believable. Once again, I highly enjoyed a Stirling book and recommend it and the preceding trilogy.