Zoe's Tale

I've got to admit, after many years of reading and re-reading the masters...I'm jaded.
After reading John Scalzi's "Old Man's War" I've grabbed every one of his books in the series. I don't have to read the reviews, advances or fly-leaf in order to know that I have high quality reading in my hand. I've ripped through every book and am currently hammering through "Zoe's Tale," laughing all the way.
Scalzi writes with a magnificent blend of wit, humor, empathy, sarcasm, touching emotion, humanity, brash and descriptive violence, as well as deep and peaceful reflection. Like all good books, (and no movies) we get to climb around inside the characters' skulls. Figuring out just WHY they do, what they do.
And despite the currently impossible future setting, the characters, story line, strategic and tactical aspects all hold together.
If it says "John Scalzi" on the cover. don't bother to read the flyleaf or reviews. You're holding a book from one of the new masters. Feel secure. Take the plunge, and just enjoy a ride that will transport you from HERE to THERE. Right up until you turn the last page...and open the next book...

An excellent addition to the Old Man's War series. After reading Zoe's Tale I'd like Scalzi to write another sequel from the point where this one ends. I'd LOVE to read it.

When I finished "The Last Colony," I had a question and a snark: "Where did the werewolves go?", and "That Consu technology, how *convenient*!"

Well ladies and gentlemen, Scalzi took my complaints to heart, and wrote this book as a way of explaining it all. And a good book it is. Even though we see the same story, through the eyes of a different person it still feels fresh. I sort of wish he'd told a longer, and more complete tale originally, but that's Monday Morning Quarterbacking. The book's good. Buy it. Read it. Tell friends.

One aside: Zoe sounds a lot like Wednesday from Charles Stross's "Iron Sunrise." How do you tell two guys they write like little girls the same way? Just joking. Given the similarities in the characters, I'm sure they wrote and got feedback 'til they augered in on a similar voice.

This is a very enjoyable book.

I bought Zoe's tale, not because it was a coming of age story of a teenage girl, but rather in spite of that fact.

Scalzi's stories about his Colonial Union universe have captivated me since I first read his 'Old Man's War', and I have since read all three of his Colonial Union books, plus 'The Sagan Diary'. So when I heard that 'Zoe's Tale' was out, I did not hesitate to buy it.

I was not disappointed. This may be the best story yet of the Colonial Union; it is certainly the most moving for me.

Zoe is a fascinating character to read about, not only because of *who* she is -- a complicated story in and of itself -- but also because of *what* she is -- a 'treaty obligation' to a deadly alien race, currently allied with the Colonial Union because of what Zoe is -- the biological daughter of a dead traitor.

I have to admit that John Scalzi's writing does a better job of playing with my emotions that any other writer that I can name. I was on pins and needles reading his 'The Last Colony', and while reading 'Zoe's Tale', I found myself reading a key passage of the book experiencing first awe, and then finding tears of joy streaming down my face for the next few minutes. Believe me, this just does not happen often to this 53-year old male.

Zoe's tale is part teenager coming of age, part coming of age of an extraordinary person, and the fascinating story of a primary mover of events in Scalzi's Colonial Union universe.

I found 'Zoe's Tale' to be an excellent addition to John Scalzi's Colonial Union universe. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested.

This is a worthy companion to The Last Colony. Very relatable. While filling in the gaps from the other novel, it is also a wonderful stand alone read.