---
product_id: 3971278
title: "Zoe's Tale: An Old Man's War Novel"
price: "S$21"
currency: SGD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.sg/products/3971278-zoes-tale-an-old-mans-war-novel
store_origin: SG
region: Singapore
---

# Zoe's Tale: An Old Man's War Novel

**Price:** S$21
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Zoe's Tale: An Old Man's War Novel
- **How much does it cost?** S$21 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sg](https://www.desertcart.sg/products/3971278-zoes-tale-an-old-mans-war-novel)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

desertcart.com: Zoe's Tale: An Old Man's War Novel: 9780765356192: Scalzi, John: Books

Review: Genius Craftsman, Brilliant Book - I'm writing the same review for all of the John Scalzi books that I've read. If you want to know what this book's about, read the description and the sample. I'd only be repeating that info here. What I want you to know is that Scalzi is a genius Writer (with a capital "W"). "Writer" seems so pedestrian when referring to Scalzi. Better to describe him as "Novelist" or "Storyteller" or "Wordmonger" (maybe not that last one). Or "Craftsman." His stories are clever and brilliant, all unique, humorous and dramatic, believable...yet out there. If you want to get your mind off your troubles, or the troubles of the world, or you want to let go of your disbeliefs willingly (like a movie), or you need some frivolity, or you like plot twists and turns, or you think you can guess what's coming next or later in a story (like I do) but you get it totally wrong, or you just want a tale that blows your mind, read one of John Scalzi's books. I guarantee that you will be totally ecstatic, if not downright jubilant. You're welcome.
Review: Good, but not the same - I read all of Scalzi's "Old Man's War" series in sequence, including Last Colony, then Zoe's Tale. In case anyone doesn't know, Zoe's Tale covers the same ground as "The Last Colony," but this time it is from the point of view of Zoe Boutin-Perry, rather than her parents. Between the two, I consider Last Colony to be the better book. But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy Zoe's Tale, too. And I highly recommend it if you want an introduction to Scalzi's writing and don't want to read the more 'military' stories that he has written. Just consider that if you think you might like the military aspect, then Zoe's Tale is probably NOT the place to start. Zoe's Tale, though a fine book, is really more of a YA story. It focuses much more on relationships than on events. John Scalzi still shows his great skill at characterization and his clear, concise writing style that is so effortless to read It does take place at the same time with the same general frame as Last Colony. It nicely rounds out some of the questions I had, but some events and details that were very important in The Last Colony aren't even mentioned in Zoe's Tale, and vice-versa. In some cases it is almost like 2 parallel worlds. Essentially Zoe's Tale is more of a coming of age story, and gives you a much better understanding of the Obin as a race, and of Zoe as a person. It also gives more detail on one or two very important things that happened towards the end of Last Colony, but even then it doesn't go into the detail you would expect for such important occurrences. Zoe's Tale is also, clearly, a character study. I actually marveled at Scalzi's ability to capture the mind and heart of a teenage girl. Very nicely done. And some of the relationships are interesting in and of themselves, especially Zoe with her friend Gretchen and her Obin bodyguards, as well as her relationship with Enzo, the boy she comes to love. I liked it, but if that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then this book probably isn't for you. You can feel free to stop at "The Last Colony" and not worry that you have missed too much. Now, if Scalzi writes more stories about Zoe, or the Conclave, or the Obin, or the new choices that Earth makes among the stars, and I suspect he will do exactly that, then this book might assume more importance as a key pivotal point in the series. But as things currently stand, you can choose to read it or skip it. If you do read it, just don't expect it to be quite the same as what has gone before.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #544,706 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #364 in Science Fiction Adventures #733 in Humorous Science Fiction (Books) #890 in Space Operas |
| Book 4 of 7  | Old Man's War |
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (8,333) |
| Dimensions  | 6.34 x 1.06 x 7.82 inches |
| Edition  | Reprint |
| ISBN-10  | 0765356198 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0765356192 |
| Item Weight  | 6.7 ounces |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 416 pages |
| Publication date  | April 28, 2009 |
| Publisher  | Tor Science Fiction |

## Images

![Zoe's Tale: An Old Man's War Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71HbbpHy8gL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Genius Craftsman, Brilliant Book
*by M***E on November 12, 2025*

I'm writing the same review for all of the John Scalzi books that I've read. If you want to know what this book's about, read the description and the sample. I'd only be repeating that info here. What I want you to know is that Scalzi is a genius Writer (with a capital "W"). "Writer" seems so pedestrian when referring to Scalzi. Better to describe him as "Novelist" or "Storyteller" or "Wordmonger" (maybe not that last one). Or "Craftsman." His stories are clever and brilliant, all unique, humorous and dramatic, believable...yet out there. If you want to get your mind off your troubles, or the troubles of the world, or you want to let go of your disbeliefs willingly (like a movie), or you need some frivolity, or you like plot twists and turns, or you think you can guess what's coming next or later in a story (like I do) but you get it totally wrong, or you just want a tale that blows your mind, read one of John Scalzi's books. I guarantee that you will be totally ecstatic, if not downright jubilant. You're welcome.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good, but not the same
*by S***N on October 2, 2008*

I read all of Scalzi's "Old Man's War" series in sequence, including Last Colony, then Zoe's Tale. In case anyone doesn't know, Zoe's Tale covers the same ground as "The Last Colony," but this time it is from the point of view of Zoe Boutin-Perry, rather than her parents. Between the two, I consider Last Colony to be the better book. But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy Zoe's Tale, too. And I highly recommend it if you want an introduction to Scalzi's writing and don't want to read the more 'military' stories that he has written. Just consider that if you think you might like the military aspect, then Zoe's Tale is probably NOT the place to start. Zoe's Tale, though a fine book, is really more of a YA story. It focuses much more on relationships than on events. John Scalzi still shows his great skill at characterization and his clear, concise writing style that is so effortless to read It does take place at the same time with the same general frame as Last Colony. It nicely rounds out some of the questions I had, but some events and details that were very important in The Last Colony aren't even mentioned in Zoe's Tale, and vice-versa. In some cases it is almost like 2 parallel worlds. Essentially Zoe's Tale is more of a coming of age story, and gives you a much better understanding of the Obin as a race, and of Zoe as a person. It also gives more detail on one or two very important things that happened towards the end of Last Colony, but even then it doesn't go into the detail you would expect for such important occurrences. Zoe's Tale is also, clearly, a character study. I actually marveled at Scalzi's ability to capture the mind and heart of a teenage girl. Very nicely done. And some of the relationships are interesting in and of themselves, especially Zoe with her friend Gretchen and her Obin bodyguards, as well as her relationship with Enzo, the boy she comes to love. I liked it, but if that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then this book probably isn't for you. You can feel free to stop at "The Last Colony" and not worry that you have missed too much. Now, if Scalzi writes more stories about Zoe, or the Conclave, or the Obin, or the new choices that Earth makes among the stars, and I suspect he will do exactly that, then this book might assume more importance as a key pivotal point in the series. But as things currently stand, you can choose to read it or skip it. If you do read it, just don't expect it to be quite the same as what has gone before.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Goddess with a Real Face
*by P***D on November 10, 2008*

This is the fourth book set in the Old Man's War universe, but it's not a continuation of the story arcs he established in the first three, but rather a retelling of the events of the third book, The Last Colony, but told this time from a very different perspective, that of sixteen year old Zoe Boutin-Perry, daughter of a traitor, the object of a major treaty between the Colonial Union and the Obin, and adopted by John and Jane Perry. Now doing something like this is fraught with peril, as readers of the earlier books will certainly know how everything ends, and will therefore have little sense of suspense throughout this work. It is even more perilous for a middle-aged man to attempt to find the correct `voice' for a teenaged female, one that rings true and will appeal to younger readers, and still engage readers of much greater ages. I'm happy to say that Mr. Scalzi quite deftly succeeded very, very well with both the characterization and being able to still hold at least this reader glued to the pages, even without the suspense. Zoe herself is a full-bodied person, one you'd definitely like to meet, someone you come to care about a great deal over the course of this work. She's not perfect, she makes mistakes, occasionally her sarcasm and biting comments might make you grimace, and there is an element of unthinking `me-ness' to her, an attitude that she's unique. But in this case, she really is unique - not many girls can say that they are the goddess-object of an entire alien race. But besides her, several of her close friends also come alive as real people, something that's a little rare in first-person perspective works. Gretchen, Magdy, and Enzo are very much real people, and even better, real teenagers. Certain aspects of other major players are given better backgrounds, most especially the Obin and Zoe's two Obin bodyguards, Hickory and Dickory, and a certain story `hole' in The Last Colony gets a better, fuller explanation. These are nice touches that help hold your interest. Scalzi's writing style has much to do with your enjoyment of this book. It's witty, sarcastic, funny, thoughtful, and incredibly easy to read, a trait he shares with a writer he's often compared to, namely Robert Heinlein. But beyond this, in this book he also grabs your jugular of emotional response, expertly playing you like a harp, and making you at time furious, sad, and very strongly up-lifted to the point of tears. It's just this strong emotional content that makes me think this book is better than The Last Colony, and on par with the first book of this series, Old Man's War. All in all, a great accomplishment, one that should appeal to both teenagers and old codgers like me. ---Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sg/products/3971278-zoes-tale-an-old-mans-war-novel](https://www.desertcart.sg/products/3971278-zoes-tale-an-old-mans-war-novel)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Singapore*
*Store origin: SG*
*Last updated: 2026-02-10*