Daughter of Eden

Dark Eden, Book 3

By: Chris Beckett

Narrated by: Imogen Church

Length: 15 hrs

Publisher's summary

Angie Redlantern is the first to spot the boats - five abreast, with men in metal masks and spears standing proud, ready for the fight to come. As the people of New Earth declare war on the people of Mainground, a dangerous era has dawned for Eden. After generations of division and disagreement, the two populations of Eden have finally broken their tentative peace, giving way to bloodshed and slaughter.

Angie must flee with her family across the pitch black of Snowy Dark to the place where it all started, the stone circle where the people from Earth first landed, where the story of Gela - the mother of them all - began. It is there that Angie witnesses the most extraordinary event, one that will change the history of Eden forever. It will alter their future and reshape their past. It is both a beginning and an ending. It is the true story of Eden.

©2016 Chris Beckett (P)2017 Audible, Ltd

Critic reviews

"The Eden trilogy is a remarkable achievement: with wit, insight and invention Beckett has imagined a scientific Genesis not just about a society, but about the culture and myths that sustain it. It is both politically astute and theologically compelling." (The Guardian)

Surprising ending

This book unlike the other two left me feeling somewhat sad. It also makes you do a lot of inner searching about life, social order, science etc. It wasn't the ending that I was expecting from the trilogy, but the ending I was anticipating would have been just as sad. I didn't like the one person only narration. I preferred the earlier narrations by multiple people. Overall it wasn't as entertaining as the first two books, but the final message was stronger.

The Third One is Not a Charm

I loved the first book in the series. It was interesting, unique, and unfolded leaving me wanting more. The second book was also good - the story line was interesting and it went somewhere. The third book was a slog and I stuck it out because I wanted to complete the series. The book could have been half as long and much better without the endless repetition about the shadow speaker and Angie’s doubts. It felt like the author was padding the book. There was so much unnecessary repetition that it was insulting to me as the reader. Boring boring.

Couldn’t stop listening

A very hard goodbye to the Dark Eden series. I loved the exploration of stories, truths, and their weight for us as humans. I wish the story didn’t have to stop here.

Not what I expected

This book is written from one person’s point of view. (Shadow Speaker’s apprentice) A completely different style compared to the other books. But a nice touch all the same.

The other two books only hint towards eden’s religion and traditions and the similarities and parallels in our own human religions. This book goes a little bit further as it’s taken from the point of view of a religious person, or one the expired to be one at least, and the struggles accepting the David folk religion and her doubts.

The book had a very big twist halfway through that you will not see coming, but then seemed to drag on for a very long time. Then ends suddenly.

If your person who likes to think about the parallels of different religions and how they may have formed to their current structure… You may like this book. If you are a religiously devout person, you may think the book is mocking religion at some point... you may not like this book.

interesting and insightful

Really was an interesting listen! It really makes you think about how we see life.

Fantastic addition to the series!

I especially enjoyed this book! I was especially happy that Earth had come back. This added a lot to the story! I would love another book detailing the girl's experience going to Earth and the ramifications of the Earther's appearance on Eden. How did the war end? I would also love to see Earth come back again! An entirely new branch of the story could be written on just that! Hoping to see more soon!

Pretty good wrap up to the trilogy

It was nice to hear the ending to the story. A few twists, and a lot explained. Worth the listen.

not as good as first two books

pathetic compared to the first two books, you can predict the plot from less than half way through the story

Interesting take on the events on Eden

My slight downgrade from 5 to 4 for Story is around my difficulties in getting through the first half and a bit of the ending. The timing of this novel has the beginning overlapping with the latter part of Mother of Eden and then moving onto events subsequent to that timeline. One interesting aspect is the addition of new perspectives on how life is actually proceeding on Eden.

Prior to listening to this the description was that this was the completion of a trilogy. While that is accurate and this book acts as a bookend of sorts to the first two, it also makes it clear that if the author so desires he can pick up the day after this novel ends, or skip a few generations as he did before. Some convenient timings (to the author) of events means plenty of issues are internally still very much in play.

Unfortunately let down by the narration...

A decent finish to the Eden trilogy, still full of interesting characters and thought-provoking themes but, unfortunately, as an audiobook, it is rather let down by the narrator. Her accents were inconsistent, acting often over done, and the choices made about which accents to use were, at best, lacking cohesion with the earlier books and, at worst, a bit socially dubious. In a world where previously everyone had an accent stemming from the UK, all of a sudden (only ten years on from the previous book), there was a whole host of different accents and the choices of which to use for which group were worrisomely cliched (for instance a small tribal group sounding like some stereotypical assumption of an African accent). There were whole sections of the book where I was so distracted by the narration that I was focused on it rather than the book's content.

All in all, I'd say it's still worth a listen if you want to finish the series but haven't the time to read the book, but if you do have time, perhaps you'd enjoy it more (and get more from it) by reading it yourself.

Brilliant rendition of a brilliant story

This has the slowest start of the Eden trilogy, but it plays the long game, and develops its themes superbly. What brings the characters and story to life is one of the best solo performances, by Imogen Church, I have heard.

Excellent conclusion to the series

Rarely is science fiction so good at exploring who we are and why we do what we do. Excellent narrative and wonderful narration. The first two books were fantastic and I almost wanted to leave Eden there, but I'm very pleased to have gone back one last time. :)

Unfocused and rambly

A poor third novel in the series that seems to miss the point of the central plot. Repetitive and seemingly stretched to almost breaking to make enough words for a novel

Fascinating, amazing and addictive

Rarely do I listen to 3 books in a series back to back, but I couldn’t resist. The wisdom and the stories are compelling. Great narration too.

Great end to the trilogy

The Eden trilogy is very good and ends on a high note. The universe created is credible and evocative and the characters are suitably beguiling and flawed. I like mother of Eden least of the three but the final segment is strong and the story telling with its tales of survival, construction of religion and hierarchies is powerful. I hope one day this gets adapted to big or small screen because a phosphorescent sunless world reminiscent of the deep of oceans really appeals to the imagination. What a great read.