Rating: 
Summary: One of the better sci-fi books I've read lately
Review: This book is one of the better sci-fi novels I've read lately. Although it has some weaknesses, such as few strong characters, over all I found it an engaging and intriguing read. C.S. Friedman creates a universe that is compelling, well developed, and full of unique ideas. I enjoyed her view of the future, and liked her treatment of everything technical, from the future of computers, to her form of interstellar space flight. The main character of the story is well developed, and the idea that diversity (and possibly madness) is essential for the success of humanity was inspiring. Possibly the weakest part of this story is how so few of the other characters are well developed. There's one or two that you really wish had been more active in the plot, and had appeared sooner. Another problem I had was that one or two of the concepts, especially the Gueran mutation, weren't explained to my satisfaction. Despite the weak parts, the story finishes with a bang, and I found myself avidly looking forward to picking it up every time I had to put it down.
Rating:
Summary: It's good, but...
Review: C.S. Friedman is, without a doubt, my favorite fiction author and I found myself eagerly awaiting this book after reading her Coldfire trilogy and other novels. However, though This Alien Shore is still miles ahead of most of the other sci fi/fantasy on the market today, it didn't quite live up to my expectations of her work. The characters in This Alien Shore were well developed, complex, and enjoyable. The world building was incredibly believable and sucked me in completely. The first half of this book had me staying up until 2 AM waiting to see what happened. I enjoyed trying to figure out the complexity of the Guerran social codes as well as the underlying cultural assumptions of Ms. Friedman's fascinating and well-crafted society. Unfortunately, I found the ending to be a trifle anti-climatic. The two plot threads stayed divergent for just a bit too long and never really connected in a way I found meaningful. Yes, some of the same characters served as players in both, but even in the end, I found myself wondering what the two stories were doing in the same book. For me, the end of the book just wraped itself up too quickly and was a bit more pat than I would have expected from Ms. Friedman. Ending aside, I still enjoyed this book immensely and would recommend it, and all her work, over anything else on the market today. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as Good as Her Other Books
Review: I'm sorry to say that this book isn't in the same league as C.S. Friedman's other books. First of all, I have problems with the back story: originally, mankind set out for the stars but then found that the star drive they were using mutated their genes. OK. But, then, why did all the people on any given ship have their genes mutate in the exact same way so that they produced a viable, fertile species? It seems to me, you would have ended up with a lot of unique, sterile, monsters. Oh, well. But, I think my biggest problem with the book is that it just doesn't grab my attention. As I read it (and the writing, per se, is good), I basically felt nothing. Everything, including the main character, is bland. I did enjoy the book, but that was purely from a mechanistic point of view. The story and characters never really meant anything to me. I hope Friedman can raise the excitement level in her future works to match that found in her other past works. This book, for all the work she obviously put into it, is basically filler.
Rating: 
Summary: Read it!
Review: This was my first book by Friedman and I loved it. The author is a fantastic writer and made me feel like I was really there. All characters were wonderfully developed. The plot was great, it kept me guessing to the very end.
I have only one complaint about the book. At the begining of the book it seems to be telling two different stories, one about the main character and one about the Guild, towards the end they begin to fit together. But the problem was there could be fifty pages about whats going on with the Guild before the story would return to the main character. Sometimes it was a bit hard to follow what was going on with the Guild and could get a bit frustating because I wanted to hear what was happening to Jamisia(main charater) So I wouldn't recomend this book to someone who reads slowly.
Even though at the start it felt like two different stories, it really kept me wondering how the two were connected. I must say that this is one of my top 10 favorite books. I finished this book in two days. I am twelve now but I think if I read this book again when I am older I'll get more out of it. I will definitly look for more of Friedman's books to read.
Rating:
Summary: Two thumbs up for concept and accuracy
Review: I'm not really a big scifi fan, but a friend recommended C.S. Friedman, and when I saw This Alien Shore at the store I picked it up and took a look. Pretty soon I was sitting on the floor in the middle of the aisle with my nose buried in the book. (Fortunately it's the sort of bookstore where that's perfectly normal behavior)I finished it today, two trips to the bookstore later, and I think it's one of the best books I've read in a long time. The setting and history was intriguing,especially the problems caused by the FTL drive and the tensions between the variants and the humans, and the whole thing was obviously very thoroughly researched. I'm a neuroscience major, and I thought the concept of brainware was very well done, and the neuroanatomy and physiology she touched on in relation to it was quite accurate. I had a lot of fun trying to deconstruct Gueran society and attempting to figure out what disorder each Gueran had. (Masada and the other irdu are obviously autistic, but the others are harder to place) I'm glad that the author wasn't more specific in decribing the Gueran culture; it's more thought provoking to let people fill in the blanks themselves. I hope that this book doesn't take too long to come out in paperback so I can get my own copy and read it to pieces, and I hope Friedman writes a sequel or another book set in the same world(s), preferably sometime soon
Rating:
Summary: This was great
Review: This book was wonderful. Although very strange and a little out there at times this book makes you reconsideryour thinking about life, madness and human nature. The main charactor is an interesting gir, who was normal till something terrible was done to her. The story begins with her wakeing up, and her tutor telling her that she must flee for her life. She tries to question him, but he just tells her it will be explained in time. This is where the adventure starts. Oh and one more thing, Jamie hears vocies in her head. Every day. Then when she finally finds out why the vocies are there she wishes she didn't. A wonderful book.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: It really surprises me how the positive reviews are so strong and yet the negative reviews all point to the same thing "This book is not like her Coldfire books."
Well HELLO!!! This is a sci-fi book (pure hard sci-fi) and thus should NOT be compared to a fantasy book. This was one of the few books that had a VERY good plot(s). Once I started reading it, it was almost impossible to stop (except a few sections). Another good part of the book is the believable technology. There are no 'super intelligent people with physic powers' and there is no instant travel but a reasonable means of interstellar travel. The genetic mutations are probably the weakest part of the book because they really don't match the future of science. My favorite technological enhancement was the brain enhancements. The most disappointing part about this book was (a) lack of a sequel and (b) it is EXTREMELY open-ended.
Rating:
Summary: Totally compelling
Review: C. S. Friedman is a magnificent storyteller. This novel has a wonderful suspenseful plot, and she creates an imaginative and rich sf universe. Her characters are also complex and interesting; she can sketch a minor character briefly but in a way that makes him/her seem very real, and her heroine's character and situation are fascinating. She also writes very well, with exquisite detail.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as her Coldfire trilogy
Review: Not as good as her Coldfire Trilogy. The characters are a little flat and one-dimensional, ironic in that the main character has multiple personalities. It gets better as the book moves on and by the end you start to care about the story a little. I give
it a B.
Rating:
Summary: Flawed, but very much worth reading
Review: This book has many advantages. The plot moves along at a steady clip, with enough tension to keep you reading. The characters weren't bad, though I've seen much better. The best thing, though, was the setting. I found Gueran society to be utterly fascinating, and it was that, more than anything else, that made me like the book. Unfortunately, some of this future's features aren't scientifically justifiable. The concept of Hausman variants doesn't make sense as it's described here. Also, the depictions of computers were unrealistic; Friedman talks about programs as if they were physical objects that move from place to place leaving their previous locations vacant. If you can accept that C.S. Friedman does not write hard SF, you should read this. It's engaging and interesting.
| 
