Rating: 
Summary: A masterpiece? No. Good? Yes.
Review: Another reviewer said this is a masterpiece and compared it with the Honor Harrington series. Far be it from me to tell another reviewer what to say, but this book is not in the same league as Weber's Harrington series. That's not to say it isn't a good book, because it is. There are very few books to compare to the Harrington series, not being one of them is no shame.Cherijo is now living aboard the Jorenian ship Sunlace on her way to Joren--her adopted people's homeworld. but her evil father and creator isn't giving up that easy. League warships and mercenary vessels constantly attack the Sunlace trying to retrieve Cherijo, while aboard the ship itself there is a series of murders. Time is running short for Cherijo as she struggles to patch up the injured Jorenians while dodging attempts on her life. She has more than enough to do, but it seems she is the only one who can solve the mystery of who is sabotaging the Sunlace and killing her crew. A good book, but the series does benefit from reading them in order. Do read Stardoc first. Mark E. Cooper
Warrior Within (ISBN:0954512200)
Rating: 
Summary: Did I mention that you should BUY this book!
Review: Dr. Cherijo Torin had come to terms with finding out she was a clone of her "father". She learned to adjust to the fact that her Jorenian lifemate, Kao Torin, was dead. She was even doing well as a Healer among her adopted Jorenian race on the ship Sunlace. But the ship had been sabotaged and the Jorenian Warriors were out for blood! The culprit would be found and the right of ClanKill would take place! This meant the guilty one would be disemboweled (while he still breathed) by Jorenian claws. The Jorenians had many different decorations made out of the entails before the body was displayed as a warning to others not to hurt anyone of the Clans! Since Cherijo had been the Chosen of Kao, she was now of Clan Torin. Thus, any harm to her meant death by ALL of the Clans. Reeves from Kevarzangia Two (book one) returned as well. So he is among the fighting when Dr. Grey Veil and the League (and bounty hunters and merchs, etc) come with weapons blazing! ***** This book is just as WONDERFUL as book one was! It has several surprises and twists to keep the reader off center. I especially recommend it to all the Honor Harrington fans out there! Cherijo's story is a masterpiece and S.L. Viehl will (if not already) become a huge name in Sci-Fi/Fantasy circles!
Rating:
Summary: Just as wonderful as the first book in this series, StarDoc!
Review: Dr. Cherijo Torin had come to terms with finding out she was a clone of her "father". She learned to adjust to the fact that her Jorenian lifemate, Kao Torin, was dead. She was even doing well as a Healer among her adopted Jorenian race on the ship Sunlace. But the ship had been sabotaged and the Jorenian Warriors were out for blood! The culprit would be found and the right of ClanKill would take place! This meant the guilty one would be disemboweled (while he still breathed) by Jorenian claws. The Jorenians had many different decorations made out of the entails before the body was displayed as a warning to others not to hurt anyone of the Clans! Since Cherijo had been the Chosen of Kao, she was now of Clan Torin. Thus, any harm to her meant death by ALL of the Clans. Reeves from Kevarzangia Two (book one) returned as well. So he is among the fighting when Dr. Grey Veil and the League (and bounty hunters and merchs, etc) come with weapons blazing! ***** This book is just as WONDERFUL as book one was! It has several surprises and twists to keep the reader off center. I especially recommend it to all the Honor Harrington fans out there! Cherijo's story is a masterpiece and S.L. Viehl will (if not already) become a huge name in Sci-Fi/Fantasy circles! ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
Rating:
Summary: viehl does it again...
Review: Everything StarDoc had, this first sequel has more. More non-stop, page-turning action. More thought-provoking ethical issues. More terrible adversity to be overcome. More colourful characters. More reasons to love Cherijo despite more moments of complete irrationality. More of Reever's compelling weirdness. More of everything that made the first book such a wonderful read.
There are, unfortunately, more of the flaws as well as the strengths. More impossibly bad luck for the heroine. More vaguely iffy science. More homogenous alien cultures. More plot twists that seem forced. More violence. More sex-related violence. If these things bothered you in the first book, I suggest putting this on your list of books-to-read-eventually-but-there's-no-rush. If, however, like me, you were so caught up in the action and fabulous characters of StarDoc that you barely registered the flaws, then you probably don't need to be told to hurry up and read this one.
So the science is only so-so. You can't expect hard science from space opera. Besides which, this book, like its predecessor, rides not on the science, but the characters. Cherijo is one of the most thoroughly likeable heroines I've come across. She's strong, noble and brave, but not annoyingly so. Certainly, as we see more in this book than in the first, she is not without flaws. Sometimes irrational, completely tactless, and with a decided lack of insight as to the natures of her relationships with some of the other characters. In this way, she is real. She's like your tough-talking friend, who, behind the loud mouth, is the most loyal and trustworthy person you know.
Reever is still strange, still unknowing of how to behave like a human, and, I'll admit it, I really like him. It's hard not to, as it becomes increasingly obvious that Cherijo has feelings for him, though she cannot, or will not, see that. The Chakacat Alunthri is back and as appealing to cat lovers as ever. Rogan makes his appearance and still harbours a vicious, illogical hatred toward Cherijo. New characters, including several Jorenians and the grumpy doctor Squilyp, are every bit as entertaining as those left behind on K-2.
Yes, the ending is the worst kind of cliffhanger, the kind that not only leaves you wondering what's going to happen, but also asking, 'what happened?' If you give in to the urge to read this book as fast as you can, it will take some thought to piece together the events that lead to the final, shocking (unless, like me, you made the mistake of reading the back of the next book before finishing this one) betrayal, but, looking back, the pieces were all there. At first, I was horrified, heartbroken even, by the ending, but the truth is, the more you think about it, the more it makes sense, and maybe, just maybe, isn't as bad as it seems. Be prepared to be left hanging.
Rating:
Summary: viehl does it again...
Review: Everything StarDoc had, this first sequel has more. More non-stop, page-turning action. More thought-provoking ethical issues. More terrible adversity to be overcome. More colourful characters. More reasons to love Cherijo despite more moments of complete irrationality. More of Reever's compelling weirdness. More of everything that made the first book such a wonderful read.
There are, unfortunately, more of the flaws as well as the strengths. More impossibly bad luck for the heroine. More vaguely iffy science. More homogenous alien cultures. More plot twists that seem forced. More violence. More sex-related violence. If these things bothered you in the first book, I suggest putting this on your list of books-to-read-eventually-but-there's-no-rush. If, however, like me, you were so caught up in the action and fabulous characters of StarDoc that you barely registered the flaws, then you probably don't need to be told to hurry up and read this one.
So the science is only so-so. You can't expect hard science from space opera. Besides which, this book, like its predecessor, rides not on the science, but the characters. Cherijo is one of the most thoroughly likeable heroines I've come across. She's strong, noble and brave, but not annoyingly so. Certainly, as we see more in this book than in the first, she is not without flaws. Sometimes irrational, completely tactless, and with a decided lack of insight as to the natures of her relationships with some of the other characters. In this way, she is real. She's like your tough-talking friend, who, behind the loud mouth, is the most loyal and trustworthy person you know.
Reever is still strange, still unknowing of how to behave like a human, and, I'll admit it, I really like him. It's hard not to, as it becomes increasingly obvious that Cherijo has feelings for him, though she cannot, or will not, see that. The Chakacat Alunthri is back and as appealing to cat lovers as ever. Rogan makes his appearance and still harbours a vicious, illogical hatred toward Cherijo. New characters, including several Jorenians and the grumpy doctor Squilyp, are every bit as entertaining as those left behind on K-2.
Yes, the ending is the worst kind of cliffhanger, the kind that not only leaves you wondering what's going to happen, but also asking, 'what happened?' If you give in to the urge to read this book as fast as you can, it will take some thought to piece together the events that lead to the final, shocking (unless, like me, you made the mistake of reading the back of the next book before finishing this one) betrayal, but, looking back, the pieces were all there. At first, I was horrified, heartbroken even, by the ending, but the truth is, the more you think about it, the more it makes sense, and maybe, just maybe, isn't as bad as it seems. Be prepared to be left hanging.
Rating:
Summary: The mindlessly pleasant journey with Dr. Grey Veil continues
Review: I am again embarrassed to admit that I chewed this book up in a very short period of time; immediately following the first book in the series. First of all, you need to read StarDoc first in order to capture the mood and intent of this second novel in the series.
I will repeat that this is not great fiction, but one of the most pleasant fictional journeys I have made in awhile. Mostly Sci-Fi, the StarDoc novels surprisingly cross genres in a pleasing way. Space travel, fantastic aliens, medical thriller, murder mystery, romance, and comedy all come together in that rare way seldom achieved to bring us readers this un-mind-cluttering escape from our mundane everyday lives and suck us into the fantastic and unpredictable world of Dr. Cherijo Grey Veil. Again, read StarDoc first, without it you will be lost. After being rescued from her predicament on K2 by her adopted HouseClan, Cherijo travels with her HouseClan of Torin on their huge ship called The Sunlace. He is headed towards her betrothed's home plant of Joren, with some stops and surprises along the way. She immediately befriends the Senior Healer on board, and becomes fast friends with the older female. There is a clash with a fellow resident, resulting in a physical confrontation. Her ClanBrother Xonea becomes obsessed with protecting her, and further confrontations with her fellow Terran Duncan Reever are forthcoming. All while the League is still pursuing her, sending mercenaries after her consistently, while there is a betrayer on board that is killing off her Clan members in bizarre and brutal ways. Cherijo must deal with Xonea's over-protectiveness extending even to the point of his Choosing of her to protect her, the enigma of Duncan Reever, the unresolved mysterious murders, a cacophony of injuries including her own, a hostile co-worker who will eventually become an ally, plus a huge new family when she has never known familial love before. Light, entertaining, exciting; this is one of those series you will read for the pure unadulterated pleasure of reading. Life doesn't always have to be heavy. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: I'm Enjoying it.
Review: I don't often get the opportunity to read good science fiction, where the characters are well-developed, consistent, and evolving. It is additionally interesting to now follow the main character out of a planet-bound environment and on to a starship- from a Deep Space 9 environment and on to moving Enterprise space ship. It provides more room for the author to develop plot twists and character growth. I particularly like this series because it focuses on a female- a group that often gets short-shrift in the genre. She is mysterious, powerful in her own right, but also acting and thinking in a feminine manner. This is not simply a book written by a male author where the heroine is female in body only, going out and courageously kicking alien butt, acting and thinking in everyway like a man. It is good to get into her head, as the book is all written from her perspective, as the author considers how this genetically engineered woman might respond to different developments. And this Veihl does very well. At one point, for a good portion of the book, I started to be disappointed with Veihl. The characters she had so well portrayed in the first book, and in the beginning of the second, seemed to not be following their previous descriptions. They lacked credibility. It seemed that Veihl lost her touch. But stick with it- the explanation is convincing, when it finally comes. Unfortunately, there is less thematic philosophical development in this book, compared with the series originator. I was hoping for more exploration of the ethical ideas involved in Dr. Grey's decision to clone, and the ramifications of slavery and ownership. Perhaps it is something that will be seen in the next book.
Rating:
Summary: I'm Enjoying it.
Review: I don't often get the opportunity to read good science fiction, where the characters are well-developed, consistent, and evolving. It is additionally interesting to now follow the main character out of a planet-bound environment and on to a starship- from a Deep Space 9 environment and on to moving Enterprise space ship. It provides more room for the author to develop plot twists and character growth. I particularly like this series because it focuses on a female- a group that often gets short-shrift in the genre. She is mysterious, powerful in her own right, but also acting and thinking in a feminine manner. This is not simply a book written by a male author where the heroine is female in body only, going out and courageously kicking alien butt, acting and thinking in everyway like a man. It is good to get into her head, as the book is all written from her perspective, as the author considers how this genetically engineered woman might respond to different developments. And this Veihl does very well. At one point, for a good portion of the book, I started to be disappointed with Veihl. The characters she had so well portrayed in the first book, and in the beginning of the second, seemed to not be following their previous descriptions. They lacked credibility. It seemed that Veihl lost her touch. But stick with it- the explanation is convincing, when it finally comes. Unfortunately, there is less thematic philosophical development in this book, compared with the series originator. I was hoping for more exploration of the ethical ideas involved in Dr. Grey's decision to clone, and the ramifications of slavery and ownership. Perhaps it is something that will be seen in the next book.
Rating: 
Summary: It is a sequel, reads like a sequel
Review: I wouldn't say Beyond Varallan is any less entertaining than Stardoc. Its a good sequel packed full of comical moments, murder mysteries, new lovable characters, and the omnipresent Duncan Reever. And what book is ever boring when living on a starship with a warrior clan of 7 foot tall smurfs who have will swear Clan Kill in the blink of an eye? Granted, the murder mystery plot was weak. Instead of leading you to suspect everybody, nobody seemed to have the slightest motive to be going on a killing spree and the murder weapon had no scientific validity whatsoever but of course this book's strength is still in the fun characters. Cherijo's new nemesis is Dr. Squilyp whom she unwillingly usurped to be Chief Medic of the Sunlace. Their wrangling leads to a hilarious challenge to a physical match. Kao Torin swears to be Cherijo's chosen to protect her from the murders AND from the suspecting crewmembers. Reever creeps around the ship seemingly in a jealous fit. Why these two are so drawn together, I don't know. Talk about intimacy problems. The mystery gets solved and the outcome, in my opinion was very surprising. Eventually the League catches up with the Sunlace and the book ends on a cliffhanger. As aggravating as it was, it worked - I went straight out to get Endurance, which by the way is the best of the series so far. S.L. Viehl has churned out yet another entertaining romp, good detail on new characters, and the adventures of Cherijo Grey Veil, perfect human clone continues.
Rating:
Summary: A good book which has too much cliff in its ending...
Review: In "Stardoc," we met Dr. Cherijo Grey Veil, modified clone of a brilliant and arrogant man, enhanced to be better than a typical human, and on the run from said egocentric moron. She is sarcastic, raw, blunt, and a real joy to read.
Still recovering from the death of her "Chosen," Cherijo has been adopted by his people, the Jorenians, and the book mostly takes place with Cherijo on the Jorenian ship 'Sunlace,' interacting with the crew and those few characters who carried over from the previous novel.
The mystery is good, but not stellar: a series of murders seem to be potentially aimed at Cherijo, and the Leage is still after her as a nonsentient, trying to blow the 'Sunlace' out of the sky, causing chaos and death on a regular basis througout the novel. Cherijo's struggling to cope with a Euthanasia-Positive culture is very well written, as is her wrestling with the guilt of being the cause of all the attacks on the ship.
Where the story breaks down is the ending. I'm all for a cliffhanger ending, for the most part, but not one that is a dramatic total reversal that leaves you blinking, with no explanations, and then a fade-to-black. "Beyond Varallan" does this, and it was not appreciated by this particular reader, though it wasn't enough to make me not buy and read "Endurance."
For the strength of character in this book series, I'd give this one a go. The exporation of present day issues clouded in the alien cultures is similar to that of Star Trek, and handled at least as well. It really is very good, but the ending is likely to leave you frustrated, and feel a little like you've been blunty forced into continuing in the series to see "what next?"
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