Wyrms

by Emily Janice Card and Orson Scott Card

Book Overview

Patience is the only daughter of the rightful Heptarch, but she, like her father, serves the usurper who has destroyed her family. But the time for prudence has passed, and that which has slept has awakened. And Patience must journey to the heartsoul of the planet to confront her destiny--and the world's. Also available: Seventh Son and Speaker for the Dead (see Science Fiction/Fantasy reissue section).

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0812533577
• ISBN13: 9780812533576
• Release Date: August 1988
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

strong world building tale

Over a millennium ago, humans established a religious colony on Imakulata. The newcomers keep as far away from the native Geblics, abuse the empathic Gauntish, and enslave the slow thinking Dwelfs. Since the beginning of the star ship landing, the Heptarchs have ruled humanity on this orb.However, concern surfaces over The Starship Captain's prophecy. The prediction is that the seventh seventh seventh daughter or the 343rd since the first Heptarch will be the mother of Kristos, either the savior or destroyer of the human race. Patience is the daughter of the rightful Heptarch, Lord Peace, slave to the pretender, King Oruc. Peace and his slave Angel teach Patience to live up to her name in order to avoid war. When Lord Peace dies, Patience knows her protection died with her father's death. Before the Oruc can end the prophecy by killing her, she flees. Her adventure begins, but will she fulfill the prophecy while on the run?WYRMS is Orson Scott Card at his world building best as he creates a complex social system with several races that feel sociologically authentic. As he always does Mr. Card poses moral dilemmas that seem almost paradoxical as he nudges his readers to consider right vs. wrong, but offers no simple turpitude. There is plenty of action and the cast, especially the heroine, is very complex and brave so it is easy to see why this is an award-winning tale.Harriet Klausner

great read

I'm only 14, but I have read a lot of OSC's stuff, so I have a little knowledge upon which to base my opinion. As I am young yet, I do not know everything there is to know about book reviews and stuff, but I shall do the best I can...I thought this book was excellent because it goes into the subject of human nature forthrightly, subtly explains it, and lets you decide what you think about the human race at the end. I hate how sometimes authors tell you what to think. Not so in this book.The characters were well formed, and there was a good twist near the end that completely threw the reader for a loop. I will NOT spoil the ending!Although the end was somewhat gruesome, I liked it because it was unexpected. It was unexpected because in most books, the end is supposed to be not what you think it's going to be. The ending for Wyrms is unexpected in that it's not like other books.Did I make any sense? It also yes, leaves you hanging, but that can be a good thing, and is in this case.I also like how OSC binds in how people would act without any emotions or feelings, but only desires (the heads). Few authors I have read so far are willing to just say what they think about the human nature in their books, for fear that they will not sell, or that it will taint their reputation. Read this book, if not for the underlying philosophies, then for the great plot and ideas. When you do read it, please be open minded in the end--I almost guarantee you'll like it better that way.

Fear, Hope, Phobia, Magic

I originally read this book under the gun in high school, to make up for something I did not do. However, it was like throwing Brer Rabbit into the brambles!Being my second OCD book (Seventh Son was my first), I had no predetermined expectations of the man's writing style. Being young, I had not the experience to see the parallels with Dune and other similar works.So the first reading was sheer joy...until the end. Many books I feel good after I read them. With Wyrms I felt...unbalanced. I have since read the book again, and drawn the parallels, and experienced his other work. And in the end, I still feel unbalanced.Card makes a statement about human nature that is ambiguous, using this novel as an allegory to the inner reaches of everyone's hearts. This book is excellent not only as a story for the sake of a story, but as a philisophical, somewhat religious, and extremely moral exploration into your own heart and soul.If you haven't read it, you'd better soon...

The book needs to be read twice, at least.

When I first read Wyrms it came over as a pretty weird fantasy tale, set way in the future on a distant settled planet. When I read it again months later I discovered that's not what it's about at all. That's just the shell that Card uses to explore our inner soul.Wyrms explores the nature of desire and temptation. What are we like inside? Can we stand up and do the things we choose, or are we enslaved to do the things we lust after? It's not spoiling anything to say that, for me, the core of the book comes in the line, "Unwyrm makes gaunts of us all." Read and ponder.Oh yes. Card is merciless in showing us ourselves, and there are many scenes in the book that are not for the squeamish. But none of it is salacious.

Another Card magnificent

This is an example of Card's greatness. He writes a story about a 13 year-old girl who has the whieght of the world on her. She is supposed to kill an irresitible enemy. It is about her quest. The enemy (wyrm) is able to influnce thought to the point of making people come to him. they are on a different planet with 3 main species. the Wyrm is the third. It is a great plot with great charecters. A very good, and quick, read.