Rating: 
Summary: This book will stay with you for the rest of your life
Review: Superlatives - powerful, disturbing, uplifting, cathartic,soul-searching. I have yet to see a book that'd present man-to-man relationships in a more difficult setting with more power and depth. The richness of the cultures invented for this world should have a cult following. In this book, a glance, a stance,a small movement of a hand gains enormous significance. The incredible responsibility that Andrej, as a Prince feels for his subordinates, combined with his newly discovered sadism creates a conflict within the character that the reader will live with for the rest of his/her life.I doubt anyone can put this book down even if the house burns down around him. I certainly hope that the obviously necessary sequel will appear in the stores soon, because there's a tremendous tension in the last sentence that needs to be resolved, if the reader ever wants to get a good night sleep
Rating:
Summary: Andrej is so multi-dimensional, it dazzles the eye
Review: From the first word to the last, it is a powerful book that grabs you by the guts.For me it was about the deepest depths of the human soul that is forced to exist in faceless societies, among rules that are created to stiffle it. In this respect, this is one of the most optimistic books I ever read. The ray of hope, however slim sometimes, radiates in this dark corner of man-made misery.It is absolutely breathtaking how the author weaves a simple story: a man and a woman learning the basics of their future profession into a tight, suspenseful drama. I have little time to read with two kids, full time work, and I usually give my sleep for a book, and the hours I gave to this one proved to be the most satisfying time of my day.I'm not a science fiction affictionado, and this book was not science fiction for me. I know that the SF fans will appreciate the world created for this book, the races and all, but for me, this book plays in the very world we live in. Andrej is so multi-dimensional, it dazzles the eye.There were such characters in history with horrendous secrets and enormous drive to do good
Rating: 
Summary: You'll feel dirty for enjoying this.
Review: This book is really just a morality play with a sci-fi setting. The story really calls into question what is appropiate punishment, how far should the 'law' go in order to seek out a crime?
The main character is being instructed on how to be an adjucator (read: torturer), basically one who confronts and tortures prisoners in order to get them to confess their guilt. The twist invovles the fact is that he's a surgeon, and is also bound by his 'do no harm' vows.
However, as we progress we learn the character enjoys using his medical knowledge to harm and heal properly. So, I guess if you enjoy sadism, this book is for you.
Rating:
Summary: Promotional note from the author
Review: I would like to take shameless advantage of this feature in Amazon.com to note that the first three Koscuisko novels (currently out of print) will be reprinted by Meisha Merlin in 2005. The next Koscuisko novel, "Warring States," is due from Meisha Merlin in late 2004/early 2005.Cheers, Susan R. Matthews
Rating:
Summary: Social Crime and Punishment
Review: An Exchange of Hostages is the first novel in the Judiciary series. In the future, the Judiciary system, faced by a series of revolts and other civil unrest, has determined that torture may be used to interrogate prisoners. However, only bench certified personnel are granted the Writ to Inquire and there are strict Protocols governing the type and level of torture allowed. In addition, the Judicary have created the involuntary Bond, a form of imprisonment without walls; the prisoner is implanted with a "governor" that punishs any disallowed thoughts or feelings. The imposition of torture and creation of bond-involuntaries has been increasing in recent years. In this novel, Andrej Ulexeievitch Koscuisko is a graduate of the Mayon Surgical College with highest honors in Surgery and honors in Pharmacology. The Koscuisk family has a tradition of the eldest son joining the Fleet and, despite his desires to practice medicine as a civilian, Andrej is forced into Fleet Medical by his father. Since his father's time in the Fleet, however, the Writ to Inquire on its vessels has been taken from Security and invested in the Chief Medical Officer; that is, the CMO is responsible for the torture of prisoners under a judicial writ. So Andrej has to attend Fleet Orientation Station Medical where he is taught to torture prisoners. Unfortunately, he is good at torture and, to his shame, he enjoys it. A fellow student at the Ship Surgeon's school, Mergau Noycannir, is not a Fleet officer, but a Clerk of Court from the Chilleau Judiciary, an experiment in certifying Inquisitors who are not medically trained. Noycannir is a manipulative, controlling personality who intends to make a good impression on the staff at any cost and soons begins to hate Andrej because of his social ease and his medical brilliance. At Fleet Orientation Station Medical, Andrej is assigned a personal bond-involuntary, Joslire Curran, and has to accept his Bond until the end of the Term. This disturbs Andrej even further and he fights the system by getting to know Joslire. This novel is a dysutopia in which both the executive and legislative branches of government have been subordinated to the Judiciary. Since present society seems to be moving in that direction, the author has obviously created a satire of extrapolation to the extreme. The story is capsulated within Andrej, simultaneously a victim of this society and a perpetrator of its evils. While it is a ugly picture, there is a degree of higher truth in the situation. This novel has a Russian ambiance, probably in honor of Dostoevski's Crime and Punishment. This story explores many of the same issues, but in a social rather than a personal context. When is it permissible for an individual or a society to torture or kill its own citizens? Is it permissible for the society to do so, yet still punish such behavior by private individuals? Should the public individuals who implement such punishments feel any guilt for their sanctioned activities? How can a medical officer reconcile his Hippocratic Oath to his oath as a Fleet officer if his duties include the saving of some lives and the taking of others, depending upon his orders? The torture scenes are tastefully done, without graphic details of physical mutilation. However, they are disturbing by reference, invoking more vivid and terrifying images. Read these sections very lightly. Recommended for anyone who enjoyed Crime and Punishment or who would enjoy a tale of character development in a vile situation.
Rating:
Summary: Unorthadox
Review: This is not mainstream fiction. It is intelligent, complicated, even confusing. Matthews declines to share much of the reasoning behind character actions and words: Often, the character will know why he has done something, but will only give a half-clue -- usually buried in a reference to some cultural or historical protocol or event -- as to why and leave the reader to either figure it out for himself or give up and assume that there is no reasoning, that characterization is flawed and that the book is trash. The people in this book come from cultures radically different than ours, if only for their extremity, so understanding them is a challenge. This is also not for the squeamish. Torture, rape, sex -- it's got everything. The story is built around it. The culture is brutal, hedonistic, violent; it would be impossible to tone the book down to the point where I would want, say, a ten year old reading it and still maintain the integrity of the story. Just be prepared. The prose is unconventional. The standard rules of grammar and syntax do not apply; Matthews has invented her own dialect (although the characters seem to borrow a bit from Yoda) and a very distinct style. That was the most uncomfortable part of the book for me, because I'm a big fan of flowing writing or at least a bit more explication. It took awhile to get used to and I never did get to liking it. Consider the difference between running your hand over a smooth, varnished coffee table and running it over a piece of firewood. For all that, I enjoyed it immensely. It's original; it balances quick-witted humor and irony well against the somber, horrifying storyline; it delves deeply into the characters and challenges the reader. Bottom line: Decent book, if you're up for it.
|
