While I think most novels, including this one and indeed this series, depicting rough conditions and rougher people CAN AND SHOULD be told without crude and offensive language that is about the only serious objection I have. One shortcoming , if it really is one, is that character development is a little thin in spots. Given that this series spans over a half dozen volumes, I am not sure this could be alleviated to any significant extent without making the series totally loosing the listener (reader) and making the story extremely tedious. Sort of like taking one of James Mitcheners tombs and expanding
it. My recommendation would be to read (listen) this series (which I have not yet listened too beyond this point), without judging the rough language and disturbing images, too harshly. An a born again Christian, I almost gave up back at the at first volume, due to the filth depicted, and I may yet give up on the series, however there is a real message here. It concerns how we should view the world, how we should fit in, how we should treat others. Unfortunately, that message is delivered from the negative perspective and not the positive. If you can not accept the behavior depicted for what it is and remember who you are as a Christian and your responsibility to do as Jesus would do, then my advise would be to stop the series NOW!! As previously mentioned, this may yet happen to me. Do far though, it has opened my eyes to what I can an DC should do NOW to prepare for an uncertain future where my Christianty my be sorely tested beyond what I can now imagine. Remember, we are made in Gods image and our attitudes and actions MUST reflect that if we are going to make a difference, no matter how slight it may seem. Let this series REMAIN a work of fiction and never turn into
reality.
JMM