Survival by Julie E. Czerneda
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Dr. Mackenzie Connor wants nothing more than to use her biology degree to study the salmon runs every year.
Norcoast Salmon Research Facility sits at an
ideal juncture of river and sea, and is host to a jumble scientists and graduate students. It seems like the last place on Earth for
anything more exciting than whale pods to appear. All of that changes with the sudden arrival of the first Dhryn to visit the planet,
with a mission: to meet the respected Dr. Mackenzie Connor to share the archaeological theories that are dangerous to spread on his home planet.
Hidden in Sight by Julie E. Czerneda
reviewed by James Seidman
In the 3rd volume of the Web Shifters series, Esen and her human friend Paul Ragem are
ensconced in a comfortable home and running a successful business. A
rapid series of events destroys both home and business, and leaves them running for their lives. The attacks are clearly being coordinated
by someone who knows that Esen is a shapeshifter. But who? Esen and Paul need to balance hiding and running for their lives with trying to
uncover their nemesis.
Beholder's Eye by Julie E. Czerneda
reviewed by Donna McMahon
Esen-alit-Quar is a shapeshifter -- the youngest of six, who are the only shapeshifters in the galaxy. These
virtual immortals live camouflaged among the sentient races, always guarding the secret of their existence.
Until Esen slips up. On assignment to study the planet Kraos, Esen makes the unexpected discovery that the xenophobic
Kraosians are plotting to slaughter members of a galactic first contact expedition.
In the Company of Others by Julie E. Czerneda
reviewed by James Seidman
Would-be colonists have flooded space stations meant as transfer points when Earth discovers the planets have become contaminated.
The Quill, small alien filaments carried by some for their relaxing effect, have somehow morphed into a deadly threat.
The stations have turned into terribly crowded permanent homes for stranded humans, wondering what
Quill are and what happened to the promised land of the terraformed planets.
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Ties of Power by Julie E. Czerneda
reviewed by James Seidman
Sequel to A Thousand Words for Stranger, this novel starts with Sira
and Morgan in self-imposed exile from the Clan. But Sira cannot escape quite
so easily the ramifications of being the most powerful Clanswoman ever. She
discovers this when she is the victim of a surprise attack. Wounded and
weak, she instructs Morgan to go off after her attackers, flooding his mind
with her own rage. Thereafter, and throughout most of this book, Morgan is
not a very likeable character: with his mind altered by Sira's anger, he can barely control himself.
No Limits and Packing Fraction by Julie E. Czerneda
reviewed by Jean-Louis Trudel
Can SF be used to spark interest in science?
No Limits is a textbook built around the stories collected in
Packing Fraction. All the stories appear in both, but they are
extensively annotated and analyzed in No Limits, which also provides
additional information on the authors and pointers to related SF
stories. The book uses SF to stimulate fresh and creative thinking about
science.
Beholder's Eye by Julie E. Czerneda
reviewed by James Seidman
An alien shapeshifter becomes closer and closer friends with a
human. Having few meaningful interactions with another species,
she is ill prepared for the consequences that friendship can bring.
A Thousand Words For Stranger by Julie E. Czerneda
reviewed by Jim Seidman
Jim finds the prose of this new writer amazingly competent, as she spins a tale of the far future --
where aliens and humans mingle on a distant planet, and the mysterious mental powers of a people known
only as "The Clan" have shaped a very unique society.
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