Lanik Mueller, heredero de una de las familias más opulentas del planeta Traición, se enfrenta al hecho de haberse convertido en un 'regenerativo radical' y decide recorrer el planeta y asimilar algunos de los dones especiales de las otras familias (separadas desde hace tiempo en clanes de guerra), desarrollar el poder de transformar la vida en hierro, y poder liberarse así de la tiranía de los guardianes.

In one of his early works, Orson Scott Card has written about a planet named Treason in which various revolutionaries were imprisoned. The first family to build a spaceship would get many rewards. Families could sell things via an ambassador from their home planet and would receive iron in return, a metal lacking on Treason. The problem was in finding a product that would sell. Lanik is born into the house of Mueller, which specializes in genetics. The family grows extra body parts which are removed and sold for iron, making them a powerful family. Each of the other families has its own unique specialty. Lanik is forced to flee Mueller when he starts growing body parts which are deemed regenerative, going to many different parts of Treason. Here he discovers several secrets.

Card does a wonderful job imagining the planet and its different specialties. One is religion, one history, another physics. The inhabitants live in so many different ways, from farmhouses and cities to a city entirely in the trees. He also prvides a map so you can follow Lanik in his travels.

An enjoyable novel from one of the masters of science fiction. ( )

Kind of a bumpy start, which was a bit too freakish for me. However, the farther you read, the better it gets to a point. The concept of every 'country' having a specialty was clever, and quicktime is fabulous. I wish there was more explanation of the backstory to this book, which may well be included in the updated version "Treason." ( )

An imaginative and well-written book about various branches of science developed to an unheard-of degree by the descendants of rebels on a prison planet. Quite a memorable work. Unfortunately Card rather ruined it in a later re-write under the name Treason. ( )

Molto carino, avvincente e scorrevole.
Una bella storia ricca di avventure e situazioni con molte idee originali che permettono anche riflessioni di una certa "importanza".
Un po' esagerati alcuni "poteri" acquisiti dal protagonista ... ma direi che sono finalizzati alle riflessioni suddette. ( )