The Forever Hero: Dawn for a Distant Earth, The Silent Warrior, In Endless Twilight

It was an interesting and entertaining read. The only thing that rather bothered me were some of the sociopathic actions of the protagonist. You know, "for the greater good" kind of moral decisions. In particular the final rape scene bothered me, where he forced an unpleasant woman to have sex with him a second time in order to humble her. It was a garrish and jolting scene right at the end of the book. I think I understand why, but still wasn't pleasant to read, felt like I was reading a true crime novel for a moment instead of Modesitt. I've read his Recluse books, and in those he also approaches the moral element of having to make the least bad choice. This was similar, but different. For the tediously overdone superman who saves the world, it's a different take that is readable. Generally I can't bring myself to read superman saves the world books anymore, but I was able to read this one. There was the scene where the AI asked to be terminated and the scene where he left an estate to Ler on her retirement. The rest of the book was rather emotionally flat save for the single theme. Some of him being all Che Guavera on various planets began to run together and become uninteresting. Same for some of the space battle scenes. Very limited emotional content again save the single theme.

Written as a collection of vignettes, so only the eponymous hero is really brought out. Kinds reminds me a bit, in style, of Asimov's Fiundation series. Interesting, not necessarily a rollicking read.

I have read this book a half dozen times at least, still can't put it down when I read it again.