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Summary: one of my favorite books
Review: I read a lot of sf, fantasy and other forms and this is one of my favorite books. I've lost count of how many times I've re-read it. Shape-shifting is a fascinating topic and this gives two very believable implementations of it wrapped in a story that would be great on it's own.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping reading
Review: I started reading C.S.Freidman's "This Alien Shore" and simply *had* to read more of the same quality of writing. I was disappointed with "In Conquest Born" (but I can forgive that - it was the very first book Friedman wrote) but, I have to say, "The Madness Season" left me excited. Top quality writing with an intricate plot and well rounded characters. 2 massive "hits" like these have placed Friedman firmly into my top ten authors list and I am expectant for more of the same!
Rating:
Summary: Gripping reading
Review: I started reading C.S.Freidman's "This Alien Shore" and simply *had* to read more of the same quality of writing. I was disappointed with "In Conquest Born" (but I can forgive that - it was the very first book Friedman wrote) but, I have to say, "The Madness Season" left me excited. Top quality writing with an intricate plot and well rounded characters. 2 massive "hits" like these have placed Friedman firmly into my top ten authors list and I am expectant for more of the same!
Rating:
Summary: The Madness Season
Review: I'm just finishing this book. Like her other SF, The Madness Season is space opera with sophisticated concepts underlying the action. I like the way she's rationalized folk beliefs about vampires and shape shifters in an sf context instead of fantasy. The strength of this book lies in the complexity of Friedman's ideas.
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Summary: Vampires vs. The Insect Men From Outer Space.
Review: Most people would pass this book up if they saw the above title (I would, if I saw it on a shelf). But then, a lot of people who bother to examine the plot of those Grade B Science Fiction movies would come to the same conclusion: those hackneyed plots are gems in capable hands. And Friedman certainly is capable! The Tyr, an alien hive-mind race, has already dominated humanity and much of the universe. Unexpectedly, they come upon a vampire who doesn't succumb to their normal soul-breaking tactics. This vampire (who, it should be noted, is never referred to as a vampire throughout the book) is humanity's salvation - he and another alien being known as a Mara fight a battle of intrigue against their captors. The Tyr undergo a dangerous and unpredictable transformation to improve their breeding chances with their queen, and the protagonist must unlock the secrets of their race if he is to survive. The ending will surprise you (and gross you out), but it's well worth the read. A rare find in science fiction and vampire novels alike.
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Summary: A fantastic book
Review: Some of the things in this book are a little weird - like the main character's shape-shifting ability, which doesn't seem to fit into a sci-fi book. But it becomes essential to the story as you will see as you read the book. This is an absolutely gripping book. The first-person narrative really helps the story. The cruelty and strangeness of the alien Tyr is fascinating. Friedman really has a unique ability to make you believe in her stories, no matter how wild they may be.
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic book
Review: Some of the things in this book are a little weird - like the main character's shape-shifting ability, which doesn't seem to fit into a sci-fi book. But it becomes essential to the story as you will see as you read the book. This is an absolutely gripping book. The first-person narrative really helps the story. The cruelty and strangeness of the alien Tyr is fascinating. Friedman really has a unique ability to make you believe in her stories, no matter how wild they may be.
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Summary: Friedman's best book yet
Review: The earth lay in ruin, it's history being rewritten under the singular oppression of a new ruling race. One man remembers, the truth and the glory of the earth he knew, for though the conquest occurred many decades ago, he was there, alive as a vampire, surviving on blood synthetic's of his own creation.
Now he exists in hiding, remembering and dreaming of the world he once knew with no hope of restoration, until now. Discovered by the conquering host he must find a way to free not only himself, but also the civilization he once knew.
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Summary: The Pinnacle of what Science Fiction should be.
Review: The Madness Season is an almost unbelievably good example of excellence in writing. The story is incredibly complex yet woven together with such delicacy that you become one with the story. I've read it twice and look forward to savoring it again in future years. It's in my Top Ten lists of all time favorite Science Fiction and belongs on every believers shelf. Like few books of its genre it hurts to put it down. The plot developments are logical and yet challenging. This is imagination that I will ever envy and appreciate. You cannot fail to like this fascinating chronology of an immortal from a conquered Earth facing his emminent demise at the hands of the ruling alien force who are not aware of his "secret" and how old he really is. At the core she takes an old concept which I thought I was going to hate and completely mesmerized me. I have been searching for a hardcover copy for myself . Should one buy it? It's unthinkable not too! I wish I were reading it for the first time.
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Summary: C. S. Friedman is the best!
Review: The Madness season is naturally another triumph for C. S. Friedman. It has everything that makes a science fiction classic: interesting aliens, themes to get you thinking, new but believable concepts, plot twists that leave you guessing until the end, and that good old message about the strength of the human spirit. And yet it is so different I won't even try to compare it to another book. The Madness Season is a must-read. What more is there to say
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