Fantasy and Science Fiction Book Reviews
Green Rider by Kristen Britain
Daw, November 1998.Hardcover, 504 pages.
ISBN: 0886778247.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
Karigan G'ladheon has been kicked out of school for
winning a fencing match with her social superior, who then, in a fit of pique,
pulled some political strings to oust his rival. Dejected,
wondering how in the world she will explain this to
her merchant father, she sets off on the long journey home through
the vast forest known as Green Cloak. While pondering her
future, suddenly a galloping horse crashes through the underbrush
to stop in front of her. A rider wearing a green cloak with two
black arrows in his back is slumped over the horse's back.
Clearly dying, the rider turns out to be one of the legendary
Green Riders, messengers for the king. Before he dies he
extracts a solemn promise from Karigan that she will
deliver the urgent message he carries to the king. She reluctantly
agrees, and the messenger dies. Wondering what she has gotten herself
into, Karigan takes the golden winged-horse brooch which identifies
her as a Green Rider, the Horse and the satchel and sets off on the
ride of her life. Pursued by ruthless assassins and surrounded by
strange magic, she will meet both friend and foe on her
incredible journey to save a kingdom from pure evil.
First-time novelist Kristen Britain has written an extraordinary story in this stunning debut. Karigan G'ladheon is a spirited young woman who finds she has hidden reserves of strength and resourcefulness as she struggles to keep the promise she made. The pace is lively and the supporting characters are well-rounded and vividly-drawn. The three sisters of Seven Chimneys who provide assistance to Karigan at the beginning of her journey are especially well-done. With a fine sense of humor, thrilling adventure and a fascinating magical surrounding, The Green Rider is a must-read for fantasy lovers. Highly Recommended.
Mir by Alexander Besher
Simon & Schuster, July 1998.Hardcover, 297 pages.
ISBN: 0684830876.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
In 2036, Trevor Gobi, son of the virtual reality
investigator Frank Gobi (See, Rim) is hot on the trail
of a new virus called Mir which has infected the sentient
tattoo on his girlfriend's body. The powerful virus, which threatens
to destroy both reality and virtual reality, is multiplying and
is spreading from person to person through tattoos,
individuals' consciousness and the World Wide Net. His
search to save his girlfriend and the entire world from this
threat will take him to some very strange places indeed, from
a shockingly real virtual world in which a war is being waged,
to Hong Kong where sick buildings are hypnotized to cure them
and to San Francisco's Tenderloin district where the sentient
tattoos add some kinky new elements to the dating ritual.
Naturally, various criminal elements also wants to get their hands
on the virus for their own purposes, so it becomes a race against
time to find the virus and save the world.
Mir is the second book in the Rim Trilogy, following the critically acclaimed Rim. Imaginative, original and irreverent, Besher creates a compelling tale which rises above the usual cyberpunk offerings. Although the plot is, at times, unnecessarily complicated Besher deftly ties the loose ends together by the breathless ending. A welcome entry in this excellent Trilogy.
Stars and Stripes Forever by Harry Harrison
Del Rey, October 1998.Hardcover, 338 pages.
ISBN: 0345409337.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
In the latter half of the 19th century America, war is raging
between the North and the South.
The South has been crushed by forces in the North and its
changes of winning the war look grim, although it still has an
opportunity with a new ship, the ironclad Virginia. In the meantime,
two Confederate soldiers are captured from a British ship,
before they can report to England to ask for help in the war,
and are placed
in captivity. England demands
their release, but Abraham Lincoln
refuses to give into their demands.
Prince Albert, who would have
kept England from getting involved in a war,
passes away after being ill for some time, leaving
the possibility of war in Queen Victoria's hands.
England, under the orders of a feeble-minded
and grief-stricken Queen Victoria, declares war
on the Northern States taking sides with the
Confederate army. But the British Navy is not the
fighting machine they were in the early 1800s and
they accidentally attack and kill the soldiers
of a Confederate post. The South requests help
from the North to retaliate against the British. Now
united against a common enemy can the
Northern and Southern troops keep British
reinforcements from England at bay? Will the peace
continue between the North and South? To
defeat the British and keep the peace, Abraham
Lincoln and confederate leader Jefferson Davis have
their work cut out for them.
Harry Harrison has written an exciting alternative history novel based on the following scenario -- what if the British had attacked during the Civil War while America was extremely vulnerable? Stars and Stripes Forever is an exciting story chock full of heroic Americans in battle, grim stories of war, details of what the first battles with iron ships were like and a believable and charming characterization of President
Return to the December 1998 issue of The IWJ.
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