Fantasy/SF Book Reviews
Page Two of TwoLink by Walt Becker
William Morrow, November 1998.Hardcover, 388 pages.
ISBN: 0688158226.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
On a dig near a Dogon village in Mali,
Anthropologist Samantha Colby makes a discovery so
remarkable that it could change the way we think about
our evolution and history.
She knows the one man who will understand her discovery is
her old boyfriend, paleoanthropologist Jack Austin,
whom she left because of his radical theories that alienated
him from the scientific community. Jack, busy teaching
students on a field research project, flies in to see what
the mystery is and finds that his unorthodox ideas
have been vindicated. With Jack's help, the discovery
leads them to a powerful technology that could
change the world. However, Samantha's new lover,
Benjamin Dorn, is a greedy arms dealer, and he
is funding the project and wants everything for
himself. The CIA has also caught
wind of the ongoing project leaving Jack and Samantha
only a small amount of time to figure out how the discovery
connects to the evolution of mankind and where else it will lead.
Walt Becker is a novelist to keep an eye on after this unbelievable debut. Link scores from all angles and helps paint a picture of common scientific principles that may be falling by the wayside to theories that seem extraordinary, but may have merit. From the Pyramids in Egypt to the rain forests of South America, Becker tells a powerful tale that turns our unsolved archaeological mysteries into a thrilling science fiction adventure. Highly Recommended.
Sky Trillium by Julian May
Del Rey, September 1998.Paperback, 371 pages.
ISBN: 0345380010.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
The fantasy world of the Black Trillium was created
by Fantasy/SF superstars Julian May, Andre Norton
and Marion Zimmer Bradley. In this third book in the
series, Julian May goes it alone to tell the continuing
story of the three Princesses Kadiya, Anigel and Haramis.
Each sister owns one of the three talismans, which together
form the Sky Trillium which can save the World of the
Three Moons from destruction
by the evil forces that are gathering to annihilate the world.
The planet appears to be tearing itself apart with terrible
earthquakes, strange weather and flooding occurring
with increasing intensity and frequency.
The three sisters face obstacles on all sides: Anigel's talisman
is missing, and Kadiya's talisman has ceased to work at all.
To make things even worse, the evil (yet attractive) sorcerer
Osgaroth is not quite as dead
as everyone thought he was at the end of the last book and it seems as
if he is part of the evil that is overtaking the world. The three
sisters must use all their talent, wits and determination to
find the answers and save their precious world from destruction.
Sky Trillium is an interesting story which continues the story of the three princesses readers came to know in Black Trillium. The character development of the three sisters, especially of Anigel, and the insights into the creation of the world and the explanation of the Ancient Ones are welcome and make for a satisfying ending to the Trillium tale.
Song for the Basilisk by Patricia A. McKillip
ACE, September 1998.Hardcover, 314 pages.
ISBN: 0441004474.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
Left for dead when a conquering force killed his once-powerful
family, a boy is renamed Rook and sent to a remote island
to be raised by the bards, great musician-poets. He can't remember
his past, but he has always been troubled by strange dreams.
He sets out on a journey and, after several adventures, he recovers
his childhood memories as well as his extraordinary inherited
magical skills. He returns to the city of Berylon and takes a job
as a music librarian at the castle of the evil Basilisk, who destroyed
Rook's family and subjugated the countryside. Rook becomes
involved with Court intrigue and soon realizes that it is his
destiny to confront the Basilisk and his powerful daughter
Luna in a test of magics which will determine the fate
of the country.
The first thing that will strike the reader about Song for the Basilisk is the beautiful cover art by Kinuko Y. Craft, which captures the idea of the story perfectly. Music and magic are the themes of this book, and they are interwoven flawlessly into this tale of a man looking for his roots. Even the writing has a musical, lyrical quality that will charm fantasy lovers and music lovers alike.
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