Storyteller

Rating:
Summary: the choices we make
Review: Humanity has come the the planet Thalassa, but they are not the only sentient beings living there. The acquatic, telepathic harsel live in the oceans. How both come to live together in a harmony as rare as it is wonderful, is this fine story of choices, the choices humankind must make to live in peace out among the stars, to the inner choices we all make. A fine story, beautifully done, I highly recommend it

Rating:
Summary: Aunique, amazing reading experience
Review: The planet of Thalassa is mostly a water world with two million inhabitants spread out on numerous islands. The first person who lived on that world was the pilot who burned out on her last Jump and was stranded. Jumping is so addictive that the pilot wanted to die but the harsel (a sea creature similar to a whale) bonded with her and refused to let her pass away. Together they explored The Pilot's new world and when the colonists came, she was able to hide herself in plain sight.

Centuries later in a small village, the Guild storyteller Teller notices the street child Samad and informally adopts him. He learns to love her harsel Abeha, who encourages the closeness Teller feels for Samad for soon she will become a female and have her eggs fertilized. After she gives birth she will die and Abeha wants to make sure her human will not follow her by giving her someone else to love. The plan works better than anyone, especially Samad, expected.

This is a rich, in depth cultural look at a society that is not technologically advanced. Those humans that can bond with harsels form a communication web that allows an island society to stay in touch with another. It is gratifyng to watch Samad change from a frightened street kid to an adult who bears his losses and responsibilities with dignity and honor. STORYTELLER is a unique, amazing reading experience.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Aunique, amazing reading experience
Review: The planet of Thalassa is mostly a water world with two million inhabitants spread out on numerous islands. The first person who lived on that world was the pilot who burned out on her last Jump and was stranded. Jumping is so addictive that the pilot wanted to die but the harsel (a sea creature similar to a whale) bonded with her and refused to let her pass away. Together they explored The Pilot's new world and when the colonists came, she was able to hide herself in plain sight.

Centuries later in a small village, the Guild storyteller Teller notices the street child Samad and informally adopts him. He learns to love her harsel Abeha, who encourages the closeness Teller feels for Samad for soon she will become a female and have her eggs fertilized. After she gives birth she will die and Abeha wants to make sure her human will not follow her by giving her someone else to love. The plan works better than anyone, especially Samad, expected.

This is a rich, in depth cultural look at a society that is not technologically advanced. Those humans that can bond with harsels form a communication web that allows an island society to stay in touch with another. It is gratifyng to watch Samad change from a frightened street kid to an adult who bears his losses and responsibilities with dignity and honor. STORYTELLER is a unique, amazing reading experience.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: promiscuous homosexuality without consequences
Review: This could have been a really great book, were it not for the entirely irresponsible portrayal of promiscuous homosexuality. As Samad recognizes and struggles with his sexuality, he is introduced to sex at a gay nightclub, and begins to frequent it, having different sexual partners each time. There is no mention of any sort of safe-sex practices, nor does he reap any consequences for his behavior. In the shadow of HIV, I feel that the author was sadly deficient in this part of the story. At the least, Samad could have received some instruction from Teller about the dangers he had exposed himself to. This is a science-fiction story about another world, but it is supposedly populated by humans who have immigrated from Earth, so in my mind a bit more social responsibility could have been shown in the writing.