White Seed by Kenneth Marshall is Overall a well written book.
Personally I could not get through it. White Seed has a wonderful concept and world that the author has built. One of the only problems I have had with White Seed that made me stop was the fact that everything is explained in too much detail and much more information and backstory is given than needed. That being said this book would be great for more mature people. ( )

I snagged a digital copy of Kenneth Marshall's The White Seed from LibraryThing a few weeks ago. I don't read much science fiction, even though it's one of my favorite genres to write and watch, so I didn't know what to expect going into it. I was in for a pleasant surprise!

The White Seed is the first book in a series of novels set thousands of years in the future. Mankind left Earth long ago and colonized many different star systems by using white seeds--databases containing everything necessary to establish a successful human colony from a wide selection of genetic material. In the story, a team of four people from the homeworld Athena explore the wilderness of super-earth Keto to examine a dead human colony and learn why it supposedly self-destructed.

I thought the plot would be the most memorable thing about this book--sabotage, surviving the wilderness, mystery and a possible traitor. But what really came through for me was the brilliantly portrayed cast of characters with all different personalities, backgrounds and beliefs. It reminded me of Battlestar Galactica (the new one, not the atrocious Star Trek wannabe from the '70s). Kali, the leader, is burdened with responsibility and has a dark military background that haunts her through most of the tale. Toran is an anthropologist dealing with grief from the loss of his wife--possibly at the hands of Kali herself during the war. Ai is a vulnerable young microbiologist who struggles with self-acceptance and is encouraged by Alon, a secretive scientist who gets her to open up to him.

At first it was hard to keep the characters straight while figuring out how the universe worked, but in the end I was stunned by the multi-faceted heartache, suspicion and friendships that came out of this book, and the plot made it only more enjoyable. Four stars! ( )

White Seed by Kenneth Marshall is a good start to a Science Fiction series. It reminds me of the classics, including the steep learning curve. Marshall has fully developed a detailed and interesting world, complete with spaceships, planets, and various political factions. I felt a bit like the littlest kid trying to keep up to keep it all straight, but I, personally, enjoy these kinds of challenges. It sure beats being bored by a novel!

Many of the scenes bring to mind the stark visuals of classics, such as C.J. Cherryh, 2001 A Space Odyssey, and even some nice David Weber. White Seed is modern, with delightful futuristic tech concepts, and Marshall's writing shows his obvious love and respect for the genre. His characters are realistic, interesting people, and the female characters are (thankfully) not simply attractive, shallow bimbos. I look forward to the continuation of the series and the fascinating story lines. I would certainly suggest it to any fan of Science Fiction,and, especially, to those of us who love the genre written well. ( )

I am a fan of science fiction. However, I was not impressed with White Seed at first. In the beginning, the novel was too disjointed and hard to follow. It alternated between past and present without much clarity. I felt like we were jumping into the middle of the characters’ lives without any continuity. Thus it made it hard to relate to them. The story began to improve the farther into it I got. The flashbacks started making sense and the story line flowed better. I was getting hooked. This author has great potential. I am actually interested in reading the next one, Black Seed.

I received a copy of White Seed from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. ( )