With the completion of his Saga of the Seven Suns, Kevin J. Anderson returns with a brand new series, Terra Incognita, and the first book The Edge of the World. This world consists of two great and vastly different empires: to the north lies Tierra, to the south Uraba, and linking the two peoples is the melting pot of a city, Ishalem. The book begins with a formal and grandiose truce being made between the two cultures, but Ishalem is an old city, and as an accidental fire breaks out, the city is brought to burned cinders. The Urabans believe it was a planned assault by the Tierrans, and war immediately breaks out, forcing the Tierrans to flee back to their lands for protection. With minor attempts being made to repair the damage and help avoid the ongoing war, the empires seek to explore the oceans around them with the hopes of discovering new worlds.
While many of the characters are interesting and Anderson does a good job of exploring the different levels of society, the overall story just feels like an almost racist portrayal of two cultures, with the north being cultured and refined, while the south are darker skinned, wear funny clothing, and come off as inferior. I felt like I was reading a World of Warcraft story involving the proud Alliance and the evil Horde. While this may be entertaining for some readers, it wasn’t my cup of tea.
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Originally written on August 8th, 2009 ©Alex C. Telander.
Originally published in the Sacramento Book Review.
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