HAMMERFALL: C.J. Cherryh
....unaware that his seemingly immortal ruler, the Ila, has used nanotechnology to control their lives and modify their bodies for survival on their harsh planet. Marak Trin Tain, the outcast son of a desert bandit who unsuccessfully contested the Ila's rule, suffers from a terrifying form of madness. Like many others in this world, he sees visions and feels an almost overwhelming desire to walk out into the desert, heading blindly toward the east. When the Ila captures Marak, instead of executing him, she decides to send him (and a company of other madmen and women) on a desperate mission to discover the source of the obsession that draws them across their world. Unbeknownst to him, however, his civilization, indeed all life on his planet, is on the brink of destruction. Although this book may take place in a different universe from that of Cherryh's much praised Alliance-Union novels, it features her usual blend of gorgeous, slightly knotty prose, deeply conflicted heroes, desperate action and nicely observed cultural details. The first volume in her Gene Wars series, it leaves a number of loose threads to be tied up in later volumes, but is, in and of itself, an entirely satisfying novel.

I read the second of the series Forge of Heaven first ( see Jan. 18 entry) but in some ways it made reading this book more interesting. They are disconnected enough by time and story line that they are a compliment rather than a following-along. Cherryh adds enough science to keep your interested as well as setting up plots and characters that certainly keep me reading.









WHAT I DID FOR LOVE: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Phillip makes old Hollywood gossip new again in this over-the-top, hot-under-the-sheets rom-com. Sitcom Skip and Scooter co-stars Georgie York, who like her character exudes spunky charm, and Bram Shepard, whose upbringing couldn't be more different from the nice boy he plays, hate each other even before Bram's offscreen sexual escapades lead to the sitcom's cancellation. Flash forward eight years: his career has cratered, and her biggest accomplishment has been briefly marrying hunky star Lance Marks, who abandons her for sex-goddess-turned-international-do-gooder Jade Gentry. So when Bram and Georgie wake up from a Vegas bender and find themselves married to each other, they make the most of it: Georgie aims to undo the damage Lance has done to her heart and her public image, while Bram is gunning for a second chance at life, love and stardom. It's a blast to watch the hate-each-other-yet-made-for-each-other couple as they duck paparazzi or spar before falling into bed. In this massively entertaining romp, redemption is always possible, and even a fake Hollywood couple trapped in a pretend marriage might find true love.


I've been reading Phillips since her first paper back book was published. Her stories always contain a fast talking, engaging heroine in some rather funny and/or awkward situation. The dialogue is always fast and snappy, the situations are often hilarious and the men are always hunks. Some books interconnect with side characters from one becoming the main character in another. Good fluff.



CYTEEN: C.J. Cherryh

The spying, brainwashing, training tapes, and coercion run amok at Reseune, the city-sized laboratory on Cyteen where almost-human azi are grown and trained. Warped young scientist Justin and his azi, Grant, depend on each other for support. Little Ari Emory depends on her own azi: nursemaid Nellie and bodyguards Florian and Caitlin. In Cyteen: The Rebirth, the second part of the Cyteen trilogy, Ari learns why her life has been more unusual than some and why her mother was whisked away when she was 7 years old. She is a clone; and as if that weren't enough, her whole life is a laboratory experiment, an attempt to recreate the keen mind and cruel personality of the original Ariane Emory by recreating her past in Ari's present. As she grows older and wiser, Ari battles with her politically-minded relatives, Reseune powers-that-be, her responsibility to her azi, and plain old teenaged angst.

I have the 3 book set seen...three cheers for used bookstores... above but there it was also published all together. I really enjoyed this one. There were times I had to stop and reread a line or passage and times I had to find a quiet spot...I found concentration to detail important in following the full scope of the story. There is a continuation of this story coming out now and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

cherryh