Apology About No Recent Book Reviews

Sorry, readers. Since I live in America, I took last Thursday off and have to take today off from book reviewing. I'm swamped with four books and none of them are close to being finished, review-wise, that is. Plus, I've got a project that I can only work on at college that's due by the end of the week, so there might not be a book review up on Thursday, either.

I'll just leave you all with the titles of the books I'm working on:

• Stranded by Anne Bishop, James Alan Gardner, and Anthony Francis.
• The Sharing Knife 1: Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold
• Honor Harrington: Ashes of Victory by David Weber
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien

I hope to be able to finish them by the weekend and post them up for next week and the week after to give myself some time to write other reviews. Sorry. 

Book Review: Halo: The Thursday War SPOILERS!

Released on 2 October 2012, Halo: The Thursday War is the third entry into the Halo Universe for Karen Traviss, the first being a short story called Human Weakness and the novel Glasslands. It picks up where Glasslands left off. Synopsis: Welcome to humanity’s new war: silent, high stakes, and unseen. This is a life-or-death mission for ONI’s black-ops team, Kilo Five, which is tasked with preventing the ruthless Elites, once the military leaders of the Covenant, from regrouping and threatening humankind again. What began as a routine dirty-tricks operation―keeping the Elites busy with their own insurrection―turns into a desperate bid to extract one member of Kilo Five from the seething heart of an alien civil war. But troubles never come singly for Kilo Five. Colonial terrorism is once again surfacing on one of the worlds that survived the war against the Covenant, and the man behind it is much more than just a name to Spartan-010. Meanwhile, the treasure trove of Forerunner technology recovered from the shield world of Onyx is being put to work while a kidnapped Elite plots vengeance on the humans he fears will bring his people to the brink of destruction.

The novel opens with a first person POV from ONI head, Admiral Margaret Orlenda Parangosky as she receives news about Professor Evan Phillips going dark and Captain Serin Osman going to extract him. On Sanghelios, Evan Phillips is with Avu Med 'Telcam. He's wounded and stranded in the Forerunner complex. 'Telcam's going to perform his coup that minute. On Venezia, ODSTs Vasily "Vaz" Beloi and Malcolm Geffen get recalled by Sgt. Lian Devereaux because Osman's pulling out to get Phillips. On the way to Sanghelios, Mal tells Naomi Sentzke, Spartan-010, and the rest of Kilo Five that the terrorist leader on Venezia is Staffan Sentzke, Naomi's father. On the UNSC Infinity, Parangosky notes that the crew isn't die-hard loyal to Captain Andrew Del Rio--and from what I've seen in Halo 4, I can hardly blame them--but his first officer, Commander Thomas Lasky, might get a reward for his quiet patience later (as seen in Halo 4 when he becomes the Captain of the Infinity because of Del Rio's stupidity). On/In Onyx, Jul 'Mdama ruminates about his fate while ONI scientist Irena Magnusson tries to use reverse psychology on him to get him to tell them what he knows. On Sanghelios, Raia 'Mdama grows worried as Jul's absence continues. Phillips finds out that he's a hostage from 'Telcam. Kilo Five's in orbit around Sanghelios. BB's running a scan on the planet, starting with Ontom, but BB's having trouble penetrating the Forerunner complex. Raia becomes restless and threatens 'Telcam. Phillips learns that there's more than one Shield World. He touches one of the walls and it tells him to find someone or seek something beyond, or higher, or better. Phillips thinks he might've primed a Halo. Vaz, Mal, Naomi and BB, via Devereaux, land on Sanghelios. They learn that Phillips is in the Forerunner complex and they enter. Phillips is lost in the temple and holocaptures a ton of Forerunner hieroglyphs.

Phillips, running out of time, tries to use his trick with arums to open some doors and touches the first symbol on the list. 'Telcam, Raia, and the majority of the Servants of Abiding Truth attempt to flee Sanghelios. Their forces bear down on the Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and his keep, especially when other keeps seemingly rise up against 'Vadam for allowing human soldiers to set foot in a sacred temple. Vaz, Mal, Naomi and BB can't find Phillips. Turns out that Phillips is 80 kilometers away from Ontom, near Nes'alun Keep, in the state of Acroli. He comes across slave Unggoy who take him to the nearby keep. Prone to Drift escorts Jul for a walk on Onyx. Phillips is found and everyone rushes to get him. BB updates Parangosky on Infinity and both she and Admiral  Lord Terrence Hood head out to lend the Arbiter a hand, though Parangosky has more devious means for their trip. Del Rio and Lasky get Infinity to Sanghelios; Osman and company have retrieved Phillips. The civil war on Sanghelios continues to rage. On Onyx, Jul learns more about the Forerunners. Kilo Five boards Infinity. Hood opens fire on the rebels while Kilo Five attempts to extract 'Telcam. Raia and Forze are shot down and die. Prone warns Jul about the Didact. Scanning the recordings, Kilo Five learns that the word "not" is placed next to the symbol for Didact. Jul finds out that the Didact is on Requiem and tells Phillips about the Didact being locked away. Jul manages to escape Magnusson's hold and uses the failing transport system to flee the Shield World. Parangosky's pissed about that and removes Magnusson from command of Onyx and learns about Requiem. Jul makes it to another Sangheili world and updates people on the war and about the Didact. Vaz and Naomi insert on Venezia. Jul learns that Forze and Raia are dead. The elders and Jul find the coordinates for Requiem and plan to go there, which give the impression that Karen's third Halo novel will lead directly in to Halo 4.

All in all, a well-paced novel that builds into the lead up to Halo 4, alongside Greg Bear's Forerunner Saga trilogy. Great character development, superb pacing and prose, great action, Halo: The Thursday War is the best addition to the Halo franchise and Karen Traviss deserves all the praise.

Book Review: Honor Harrington: Echoes of Honor SPOILERS!

In 1998, David Weber returned once more to the Honorverse, this time to get Honor Harrington off Hell while the war takes an interesting turn of events. Synopsis: Back from Hell. For eight bloody years, the Star Kingdom of Manticore and its allies have taken the war to the vastly more powerful People's Republic of Haven, and Commodore Honor Harrington has been in the forefront of that war. But now Honor has fallen, captured by the Peep Navy, turned over to the forces of State Security . . . and executed on the interstellar network's nightly news. The Manticoran Alliance is stunned and infuriated by Honor's death and grimly resolved to avenge it. Yet their military is over-extended and the People's Republic is poised to take the offensive once more, this time with a new strategy, new weapons, a new command team, and a whole new determination to win. The war is about to enter a phase of unprecedented ferocity . . . and the Alliance is on the short end of the stick. But even as powerful Peep fleets hurtle towards their objectives, neither they nor the Alliance are aware of events occurring on a distant, isolated, inescapable prison planet called Hell. For what no one knows, not even State Security, is that Honor Harrington is not dead. She and a handful of her people are trapped on Hell, and determined to disprove the Peep boast that no one can ever escape it. Honor Harrington is going home, and taking her people with her . . . even if she has to conquer Hell to do it.

Prologue: The novel opens with the Harrington family, on Grayson, watching an HD of Honor being hanged for crimes committed in On Basilisk Station.

Book One (Part One): Turns out the entire Star Kingdom of Manticore is reeling from the loss of Honor Harrington. The people of Grayson aren't taking this lightly and Hamish Alexander expects them to no longer take prisoners. He also believes that he's the one who led Honor to get herself killed. In the People's Republic of Haven, Ester McQueen continues her plot to bring Oscar Saint-Just and Robert S. Pierre down. Everyone on the Manticoran front is gearing up to resume hostilities. Protector Benjamin Mayhew IX, Henry Prestwick, and Howard Clinkscales (reluctantly) ask Allison and Alfred Harrington to produce a child to claim the Harrington Steading Key. Allison points out to Jeremiah Sullivan that the Graysonite genome was altered 1000 years ago and that given some time, she will be able to reverse it, allowing for more male children births. She invites Benjamin and one of his three wives, Katherine, to the Harrington Steading and talks about her discovery, and breaks protocol that hasn't been done in 250 years.

Book Two (Part Two): On Hell, Honor Harrington and the survivors find ways to hack into the StateSec base, Camp Charon, and glean information. Turns out that other prisoners are there, around a half-million. They also discover, thanks to Scotty Tremaine, that Camp Inferno isn't on the map for "security reasons." Honor and company meet with two prisoners named Harriet Benson and Henri Dessouix who take them to Camp Inferno where they meet Commodore Jesus Ramirez--who's supposed to be dead after the Peeps took Trevor's Star. Together, they decide to take Camp Charon.

Book Three (Part Three): McQueen and others talk about Operation Icarus. The war is brewing up to another round of fighting. The Graysonites name their newest ship the GSN Honor Harrington.

Book Four (Part Four): Honor and Ramirez begin the assault by taking one supply ship and them storming Camp Charon. They take Charon and try their superiors under the People's Uniform Code of Conduct, which scares a few Peeps. Rear Admiral Harold Styles opposes this and constantly berates Honor. Turns out former Citizen Admiral Amos Parnell is still alive and agrees to sit in on the hearing so long as he can go to the Solarian League and tell all that Pierre, Ransom, and Saint-Just performed the coup.

Book Five (Part Five): Saint-Just and Pierre talk about squashing McQueen. The war rages on. Several worlds are hit: Basilisk, Zanzibar, Yeltsin's Star, and others. Rear Admiral Elvis Santino, paranoid of losing command, relieves Commander Andrea Jaruwalski from the Battle of Seaford 9, citing cowardice, when it's really Santino that's too stupid to follow the original plan. He gets himself killed, leaving Andrea in hot water. At Basilisk, Admirals Hamish Alexander and Judah Yanakov stave off the battle; Yanakov tells everyone in the Manticoran fleet "Honor Harrington and no mercy." Despite winning, Hamish is pissed about Yanakov's order.

Book Six (Part Six): One of many trials comes to a close. Honor is woken up because of an incoming Peep ship. Honor's company takes the ship. Commander Victor Ainspan updates Honor with the news of Honor's execution and the war. Honor tells her company how she intends to get her people off Hell and Styles erupts in anger. Honor charges Styles with insubordination and has armsman Andrew LaFollet place him under arrest. Honor and company claim two more ships for their plan. Because Citizen General Prestwick Thornegrave took too long to answer, Honor demands that all his ships surrender over an all ships comms channel. One of his ships is destroyed and Thornegrave and his task force surrender. Most of the ships, loaded with prisoners that wanted to leave, head for Trevor's Star. Citizen General Seth Chernok arrives with another task force. Honor ambushes him and destroys the task force. Honor and the remaining ships, using the name "Elysian Space Navy," leave for Trevor's Star.

Epilogue: At Trevor's Star, Hamish Alexander, depressed, ponders over the events of the last couple of months when Lieutenant Nathan Robards tells him that several unidentified hyper-footprints were detected and that they belong to Peep ships. Upon listening to the automated message--which Hamish thought was impossible since he'd seen the execution two years ago--of Honor Harrington requesting aid and that she and her task force, plus several unarrived ships were finally home.

All in all, a well-paced, easy read with great prose and wonderful character arcs that detail just how the Manticorans are doing without Honor and what the Peeps do when they believe themselves invincible. David Weber outdid himself in this 569 (hardcover) page novel. It's also the only novel of the series where both the Prologue and Epilogue are written in italics. This is a must-read for fans of sci-fi military and fans of the series in general.

Book Review: Halo: Cryptum SPOILERS!

In 2010, sci-fi legend Greg Bear was asked to pen a trilogy of Halo novels that became the Forerunner saga, set 100,000 years in the past, before the Flood were eradicated, before the Master Chief and Cortana, before the world as we know it. Synopsis: One Hundred Thousand Years Ago, the galaxy was populated by a great variety of beings. But one species--eons beyond all others in both technology and knowledge--achieved dominance. They ruled in peace but met opposition with quick and brutal effectiveness. They were the Forerunners--the keepers of the Mantle, the next stage of life in the Universe's Living Time. And then they vanished. This is their story.

The novel opens on Erde-Tyrene (Earth), on a human steamboat as a Forerunner called Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting a chamanune called Chakas and a hamanune called Day-Chaser Makes Paths Long-stretch Morning Riser, who's following the orders of his armor's ancilla. After exploring an island near a large crater, Born stumbles across a Forerunner Cryptum: a vault where Forerunners are interred in a state of never-ending sleep and contemplation. Born encounters the AI monitoring the Cryptum and assumes that its occupant is to be revived. He hesitantly complies and reawakens the Forerunner inside. This Forerunner turns out to be the Didact. The Didact thinks that the Librarian woke because he's needed in the Forerunner-Flood war and he wants to know if "it" fired. They leave on some newly arrived ships and travel to a series of worlds that served as battlegrounds in the Forerunner's war against the humans, all of which show no signs of sentient or complex life, much to The Didact's dismay. He asks Born to accept a brevit mutation to gain some of the Warrior-Servant caste's traits and to allow access to his memories and those of his class, anticipating the urgency that his knowledge must not end with him. Born accepts, and gains access to the Didact's memories and learns that he holds deep regrets about his war with the humans. Turns out that the humans are fighting not only against the Forerunners, but the Flood as well.

Ironically, the humans and San'Shyuum were once allies and they used the Flood to domesticate animals that later (surprise surprise) mutated into the first Flood form and turned against them. The humans, fleeing their ravaged worlds, encroached upon Forerunner territory, who went to war as well. Although they lost to the Forerunners, the humans were able to defeat The Flood by injecting themselves with a formula that made their genetic material toxic to The Flood. The humans refused to tell the Forerunners how to beat The Flood when they returned. The Didact then takes Born and the humans to the San'Shyuum's homeworld where they have been in isolation since the end of the Human-Forerunner War. The cities are in turmoil as the Librarian's latest visit to procure "specimens" was seen as a sign for the San'Shyuum to rebel against the Forerunners. Some distance from the San'Shyuum's homeworld a portal appears and through it a large ring-shaped construct appears. The four are apprehended by the Master Builder, who is in the system to witness a test-firing of a new creation against the unruly San'Shyuum. Born is handed over to his swap-family and escorted home. During his trip home the Didact's memory tells him that the creation of the ring-shaped construct, called Halo, was the reason he was placed in the Cryptum. He opposed their creation in favor of save-haven "Shield Worlds." Shortly after coming home, Born hears his father arguing with a member of the Forerunner council and decides to confront his father about the true nature of the Halos. He confirms that 300 years ago, The Flood re-emerged in their part of the galaxy and the Forerunners were at a loss to combat them. He and the Master Builder decided to move forward with the construction of Halos.

To his horror, Born learns that Halo was test-fired on the human worlds he visited (at low power) and the Master Builder recently test-fired another Halo on the San'Shyuum's homeworld. The Forerunner Council learn of the Master Builder's actions and summon Born to a criminal trial against him. High above the Forerunner homeworld, 11 Halo rings sit, with the 12th missing for many years. The trial is interrupted by 032 Mendicant Bias, a rampant AI, who causes havoc with the Forerunner's computer and defense systems. Born and a group of others are rescued during the chaos in a small ship. Above them some of the Halo rings separate from the others and prepare to fire. The Forerunner fleet quickly assembles and begins attacking the renegade Halos, quickly destroying three of them, but a gigantic slipspace portal opens and seven other rings begin escaping through them. Born's ship manages to escape through the portal before the rings detonate, wiping out all Forerunner life in that part of the galaxy. Born is knocked unconscious during the slipspace jump and recalls Didact's memories: Mendicant Bias was an AI tasked with safeguarding the Halo constructs and overseeing their firing systems. After a test-firing over a human world, Mendicant Bias and the Halo disappeared with a long-feared creature held deep in a Precursor facility the humans had built over. Soon after, their ship arrives at The Ark. There he meets the Librarian, who sees him as her husband now. According to her, the Master Builder had the Didact executed shortly after triggering the Halo above the San'Shyuum homeworld. They hypothesize that the creature that escaped from the Precursor prison somehow corrupted Mendicant Bias, who attempted to gain control of all the Halos but only succeeded with five. The rest, as well as The Ark, were co-opted by the Librarian as vessels on which numerous life-forms across the galaxy could live. The novel ends with Born recalling the Didact's contact with the captured lifeform: it revealed itself to be the last of the Precursors and was planning revenge on the Forerunners who wiped them out in ages past.

A somewhat good novel, despite the slow and often repetitious scenes of the first-person point of view style that Greg Bear adopts for this book. I, personally, can't stand first person POV novels and I really had to force myself to finish this book in three days because the Honor Harrington review I did took way to long to read and write. Still, it's a good addition to the Halo universe and helps to build up the Forerunners before they "ascended." Fans of the Halo novel, graphic novel, and game series will love this one.

Book Review: The Wess'har saga: City of Pearl SPOILERS!

In March 2004, EOS published Karen Traviss's first novel, The City of Pearl. It's a story of a cop on an alien world, playing politics to keep probing scientists, the human colony, marines, and three aliens at peace, but time is running out. Synopsis: Three separate alien societies have claims on Cavanagh's Star. But the new arrivals—the gethes from Earth—now threaten the tenuous balance of a coveted world. Environmental Hazard Enforcement officer Shan Frankland agreed to lead a mission to Cavanagh's Star, knowing that 150 years would elapse before she could finally return home. But her landing, with a small group of scientists and Marines, has not gone unnoticed by Aras, the planet's designated guardian. An eternally evolving world himself, this sad, powerful being has already obliterated millions of alien interlopers and their great cities to protect the fragile native population. Now Shan and her party—plus the small colony of fundamentalist humans who preceded them—could face a similar annihilation . . . or a fate far worse. Because Aras possesses a secret of the blood that would be disastrous if it fell into human hands—if the gethes survive the impending war their coming has inadvertently hastened.

Environmental Hazard Enforcement officer Shan Franklin, on what's supposed to be her last job, is asked by Foreign Minister Eugenie Perault to lead a joint government and commercial reconnaissance team--comprised of marines and scientists--to Cavanagh's Star to find out something from Constantine colony. She doesn't remember because of Suppressed Briefing. Her mission was crammed into her head and only specific thoughts will unlock the hidden data. Upon arrival in Cavanagh's Star, the spaceship breaks down du to a (as we later learn) wess'har energy barrier. Everything except life support is shut down. Josh Garrod, the leader of the Christian colony of Constantine, allows only Shan to land. They talk and let the scientists and marines land, so long as the scientists don't harm or kill the plants/natives, meaning some non-obtrusive scans and photos and journals. The camp is set up and Shan breaks the news to the scientists. They aren't happy, especially when they learn about the aquatic race, the bezeri, and the wess'har and an invading race, the isenj, are out there. A couple of the scientists see why when out on an excursion. 

The camp accidentally shoots Aras Sar Iussan--a wess'har with c'naatat (a virus that keeps reorganizing its host and keeps them alive--out of the sky. Shan and Josh go to rescue him and Shan helps Aras get out of the downed ship. The camps defenses are taken down. The next day, Shan meets with Josh and Aras. They talk, during which Shan offers Aras food, an intimate gesture in wess'har society and culture. Aras shows Shan the bezeri council, in pods that are underwater. After a couple of days getting to know each other, Aras tells Shan that the bezeri want to meet with her and to have her people build her an underwater suit. Surendra Parekh--one of the scientists--brings a juvenile bezeri back to camp and, after Shan and the reporter Eddie tel her to put it back, experiments on it. The juvenile bezeri dies painfully. Shan restriscts Parekh to quarters. She tells Aras, who tells Shan to give him Parekh because she has to die for her crime. Shan gives Aras her pistol and Parekh. Aras kills Parekh; this causes a rift in the scientists. A second ship, Actaeon, arrives from Earth. They're allied with the isenj. Aras tells Shan. She tells him she needs the farmers food gene bank. She finds out about the c'naatat and what it can do. 

Shan's horrified and tells Aras to stay away from the scientists. Actaeon arrives and Shan confines the scientists and marines to base. Dr. Rayat and Dr. Galvin flee the base, going to the isenj. Shan, Aras, Bennett, and Qureshi leave base and track Rayat and Galvin. Meanwhile, Lindsey confirms that Shan had Parekh executed for killing a kid to Actaeon's skipper. Shan, Aras and the marines find the isenj base. The isenj go to kill Aras and a fight breaks out. Galvin dies from her wounds and SHan dies after a projectile blows half her head off. The isenj die and Aras puts some of the c'naatat into Shan (depsite her hatred of it). Bennett takes a wounded Qureshi and Rayat back to base. Aras takes Shan to Constantine. Shan wakes up and soon realizes that she has c'naatat in her and rages at Aras for breaking his promise to kill her should it infect her. Shan meets with the wess'har matriarchs and they tell her to remove her charges, but Shan may stay as one of the wess'har. Lindsey rages at Shan for refusing to use the c'naatat to save her still-born son. Actaeon's CO demands Shan be brought to justice, but the wess'har relocate her to their moon. The marines, apart from Lindsey, just want to leave; Lindsey wants Shan dead. The marines, scientists, and Actaeon leave with the food gene bank. Shan and Aras look after Constantine colony.

All in all, a decent, well thought out science fiction novel that captures just how alien alien species are. Karen Traviss really proves just how good an author she is and how much attention to detail she dishes out with the world-building. Great character arc and richly detailed story for any sci-fi fan.

Book Review: Bridge of Dreams SPOILERS!

In March earlier this year, acclaimed fantasy author Anne Bishop returned to her world of Ephemera to tell a story about Lee, three women who are one, a Shaman named Danyal, and a city called Vision. Synopsis: When wizards threaten Glorianna Belladona and her work to keep Ephemera balanced, her brother Lee sacrifices himself in order to save her and ends up an asylum inmate in the city of Vision. But a darkness is spreading throughout Vision, perplexing the Shamans who protect it. And Lee is the only one who can shed any light on its mysteries...

The novel opens with a two-page epigraph from the Book of Dark Secrets as a Dark Guide plots revenge. Lee is still angry about what Michael did in Belladonna, and how he (Michael) asked Sebastian to help instead of Lee. This causes a heart rift and Lee has to leave because his heart no longer resonates with his sisters landscapes. In Vision, A Shaman named Danyal is assigned as Keeper of the Souther Asylum. Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar, a Tryad, meets Danyal and finds uot from Helper Kobrah that she (Kobrah) is meeting a strange man (Teaser) in her dreams who takes her for walks. A corrupt Bridge lures Lee to a group of wizards who kidnap Lee and abuse him, trying to get Glorianna so they can kill her. They leave Lee in the Southern Asylum in Vision where the Zhahar aspect of Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar fall for him and Danyal dismisses the man looking over Lee. Lee recovers and learns that several of the Asylum residents resonate with Glorianna's landscapes. Michael, in an attempt to rescue Lee, tells Ephemera to send Lee messages. Ephemera does so in the form of broken watches and clocks. Lee teaches the Sholeh aspect about the different demon races seen in the Den of Iniquity.

The Zeela aspect is badly wounded and it's showing on the Zhahar aspect. Lee and Danyal get help and Meddik Benham heals her, though there's not much he can do with the limited facilities at the Asylum. When Danyal and Lee discuss Ephemera, Danyal doesn't believe the landscape can do everything and foolishly wishes for gems--gems pop out of the ground. After Danyal is attacked by a Dark Guide, he ends up in the Den. An Apothecary helps Lee, Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar, Kobrah and a Knife flee to Tryadnea. Danyal tells lee's family about the situation in Vision and they agree to help, as soon as Lee is safe. Lee tells Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar's mother, Morragen Medusah a Zephyra, to say "Heart's Hope lies with Belladonna." She does and Glorianna, and Sebastian, appear and anchor Tryadnea to the Den. Morragen Medusah a Zephyra is disturbed by the knowledge that Glorianna was one aspect split in to two ways and will try and help heal her. Glorianna and Ephemera create a border that the Tryad can cross over. It leads to the Den. They all cross over. After a day in the Den, they go to Aurora. It turns out that the Zeela aspect doesn't resonate with Aurora and Zhahar doesn't resonate with the Den. Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar suspect taht Allone--a Tryad who sacrificed her sisters to love a one aspect being--crossed over and is planning on causing trouble in Tryadnea. Lee and Zhahar argue and the border to Tryadnea slowly fades away.

Glorianna Belladonna suspects Zhahar is connected to it in some way. They confront Zhahar about the change and Zeela says it was her (meaning Zeela) that wanted to sever ties to protect Sholeh and Zhahar. Leaving that aside, Glorianna and Danyal and Yoshani go back to Vision to help the Shamans, but Lee, Kobrah, Apothecary, Knife, Michael and Sebastian follow using Lee's island. Ephemera placed makers sand in the Shaman Place of Light and Glorianna tells Danyal that he's the caretaker of a couple acres of playground. The others appear and being to settle in. Danyal goes back to his asylum and kills the wizards and Dark Guide using plants found in the Eater's former place. Glorianna and Lee help Danyal heal then return to Aurora. Glorianna performs Heart's Justice on Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar. Danyal and Lee set up a school called Seeing Heart in Vision. Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar ends up in a different part of Vision and, after training with the Knives, leave that part of Vision and travel to Seeing Heart. Danyal gives them jobs and Zhahar hopes she and Lee can find love.

All in all, a great read and addition to Bishop's Ephemera series. Wonderful prose, magic, romance, and fantasy. Any fan of real fantasy and romance will find this an enjoyable read.

Book Review: Star Wars: X-Wing: Wedge's Gamble SPOILERS!

In 1996, author Michael A. Stackpole returned to pen a second Star Wars X-Wing novel. This time, the Battle for Coruscant is the deciding blow against Imperial Forces as Rogue Squadron takes center stage ont eh metropolis world. Synopsis: Sleek, swift, and deadly, they are the X-wing fighters. And as the battle against the Empire rages across the vastness of space, the pilots risk both their lives and their machines for the cause of the Rebel Alliance. Now they must embark on a dangerous espionage mission, braving betrayal and death on the Imperial homeworld to smash the power of a ruthless foe! It is the evil heart of a battered and reeling Empire: Coruscant, the giant city-world from whose massive towers the Imperial High Command directs the war. The Rebels will invade this mighty citadel in a daring move to bring the Empire to its knees. But first Wedge Antilles and his X-wing pilots must infiltrate Coruscant to gain vital intelligence information. Capture means death, or worse--enslavement by the vicious leader known as "Iceheart," Ysanne Isard, now Emperor in all but name. And one of Rogue Squadron's own is already her slave, a traitor hidden behind a mask of innocence, working to betray both colleagues and the Rebellion itself.

The novel opens with Corran Horn and two Y-Wing bombers of Champion Squadron as they battle Imperial TIE-Fighters and the freighter Vengeance Derra IV above Borleias. The Imperials are a scouting team from Warlord Zsinj as he assesses the New Republic's forward base in the push for Coruscant. The Imperials lose and Vengeance flees. Cmdr. Wedge Antilles welcomes Capt. Aril Nunb and Lt. Pash Cracken to Rogue Squadron. Corran's suspicious of Tycho Celchu, believing him to be a spy for Ysanne "Iceheart" Isard when he was captured and imprisoned on Lusankya. The Rogues and the Katarn Commandos, led by Lt. Judder Page, break some high risk prisoners out of Kessel to aid in the taking of Coruscant: mainly Black Sun members such as Zekka Thyne, Fliry Vorru, and others, including Inyri Forge, sister of recently deceased Lujayne Forge. The Rogues are told, in groups of two, about the Coruscant campaign. Corran's paired up with Erisi Dlarit. On Coruscant, Kirtan Loor and General Evir Derricote concoct the Krytos virus and figure out how best to distribute it so that when the New Republic takes Coruscant, the aliens all die. Kirtan wants to do so without harming every species to encourage the dissident aliens to join the fledgling Galactic Empire. Gavin Darklighter, Nawara Ven, Rhysati Ynr, and Aril Nunb learn from the Bothan Asyr Sei'lar and her friends that Imperials are capturing aliens for unknown reasons. The Imps raid the place where Asyr and her friends are about to kill Gavin for being a bigot. Gavin saves Asyr from death but Aril Nunb is captured. Everyone regroups and Thyne's wounded. Corran voices his suspicion about Tycho, but Wedge tells him to leave it. Loor threatens Derricote over the fate of all Sullustans. The Imps storm Rogue Squadron's hide-hole and Thyne dies, but not before revealing to Corran that he and a Rogue Squadron member betrayed them to the Imperials. Corran suspects Tycho even further. Tycho arrives and tells Wedge that they have 48 hours to take out Coruscant's shields. The shields fall and the Battle for Coruscant begins. During the battle, Corran is shot down. The battle ends and Tycho is arrested for Corran's murder. In Lusankya, Isard taunts Corran about breaking him like she did Tycho.

One of the best X-Wing novels by Stackpole. It vividly details that entire operation to take Coruscant away from Imperial forces. A great read for anyone interested in the X-Wing series and ship fighting and stealth operations in general.