Quick Review: Harry Harrison's Starworld

From the back cover: "The stars are afire with rebellion against the tyranny of Earth.  Jan Kulozik, rebel in exile, returns home as a prisoner on a ship bearing a cargo of death.  But Kulozik escapes his captors and ignites the flames of revolt across half a world.  With the aid of Dvora, a lovely but lethal comrade-at-arms, Jan races toward a rendezvous with destiny, and a reckoning with a treacherous double agent who holds the fate of the human race in his hands."

The Return of the RebelI have the belief that the last book in a series, trilogy, or whatever should be better than the first book.  Sadly, this is not true for the last volume in Harry Harrison's To the Stars trilogy.  The first volume introduced us the the dystopian future earth; the second allowed us a view of one of the colony worlds. 

For the protagonist, those book were a preparation for the battle that I expected to happen in this final book.  There was a battle, but for the most part, the plot centered on a "double agent" that stretched the limits of my willingness to disbelieve.  (And Jan's annoying ability to completely forget about his wife and unborn child, who, you'd think, would be the main fuel for his rebellious fire!)  When this element was introduced, it was so outrageous, I figured it had to be a ploy to trap our hero.  But no.  And it was this heavy plot machnination that made my read less enjoyable than the previous entries - not too mention that it undermines the role of the protagonist. 

Overall, I would recommend To the Stars, but not so enthusiastically as I had hoped I would.