A Thousand Words for Stranger

Rating:
Summary: Interesting mix of emotion and adventure.
Review: I have quickly become Julie Czerneda's biggest fan. I say this because she has successfully merged my favorite genre (science fiction) and my least favorite genere (romance). THOUSAND WORDS FOR STRANGER is for science fiction writing what BRAM STOKERS DRACULA is for horror film. Those of you out there who understand this connection I will say no more, for those of you who do not understand it, well, let me put it this way, it's erotic but without being sexual. Perhaps it is the voyer in us, uh, me. The relationship between Morgan and Sira is not the reason to read THOUSAND but it is part of what keeps you hooked. The story line is involved and interesting (I don't want to give anything away!) and best of all it is believable! I was wondering how I could have missed her work until I found out it was her first. I am glad I got in at the ground level and am earnestly awaiting her next book!

Rating:
Summary: A good lure into the remainder of the series.
Review: I read Julie Czerneda's first novel when it first came out. While I enjoyed it, I thought it left a good number of questions unanswered for what I assumed then was a stand alone book. After several years passed and I saw the rest of the series in the store, I realized why those questions remained. After rereading "Strangers" before reading the second and third book in the series, I appreciated Czerneda's laying of plot devices more. She does a good job of having several story lines move throughout the series with none of them becoming dominant over each book's main theme.

Overall a good, solid addition to the science fiction section of the book store shelves.

Rating:
Summary: Great Sci Fi from a Woman's Point of View!
Review: I really enjoyed reading A THOUSAND WORDS FOR STRANGER by Julie E. Czerneda. I have read science fiction since grade school (50 years!), but always by male writers: Heinlein, Bradbury, Varley, Card, Herbert, Hendrix, Williams & Dix, Poule, and so on. I was recently hunting for a new sci fi series and decided to try writings by a name new to me that just happened to be female! Don't get me wrong! The fellows write great sci fi romance too, but I can really sense the woman's touch in this terrific sci fi novel. At the same time, I think both genders will enjoy this story.

In her first novel, a real page-turner, Ms. Czerneda takes us on quite a space adventure as the lead character, Sira (actually a Clanswoman with powerful mental abilities), struggles with amnesia caused by mental power blocks (stasis) put in place by unknown individuals for unclear reasons. In addition, Sira is strangely puzzled by her growing attraction to a Human space trader, Captain Jason Morgan. All the while, Sira is running from others chasing her for reasons we only gradually find out about.

Czerneda's character development is intriguing. Included are friendly, comic, and not-so-friendly aliens, Sira's bewilderment at her own condition and emotional feelings, Sira's gradual relearning process, and the budding and development of love between the Clanswoman Sira and the Human Morgan (forbidden in Clan law). The reader feels every emotion!

The ending left me begging for more. Just what was at the root of Morgan's telepathic abilities, abilities he as a human should not have had. Isn't there more to the Sira-Morgan story? I can't wait to read the other two books in this series: TIES of POWER and TO TRADE THE STARS.

In my rating system, four stars is a WINNER(!!) Five stars are reserved for the extraordinary. However, many terrific books aren't necessarily extraordinary. I highly recommend this novel to those who want a satisfying, old-fashioned, spaceship/stow-away yarn that takes the reader, via interesting technologies and intriguing telepathic adventures, to a creative selection of alien worlds.

Great reading for all science fiction fans!!

Rating:
Summary: Great Sci Fi from a Woman's Point of View!
Review: I really enjoyed reading A THOUSAND WORDS FOR STRANGER by Julie E. Czerneda. I have read science fiction since grade school (50 years!), but always by male writers: Heinlein, Bradbury, Varley, Card, Herbert, Hendrix, Williams & Dix, Poule, and so on. I was recently hunting for a new sci fi series and decided to try writings by a name new to me that just happened to be female! Don't get me wrong! The fellows write great sci fi romance too, but I can really sense the woman's touch in this terrific sci fi novel. At the same time, I think both genders will enjoy this story.

In her first novel, a real page-turner, Ms. Czerneda takes us on quite a space adventure as the lead character, Sira (actually a Clanswoman with powerful mental abilities), struggles with amnesia caused by mental power blocks (stasis) put in place by unknown individuals for unclear reasons. In addition, Sira is strangely puzzled by her growing attraction to a Human space trader, Captain Jason Morgan. All the while, Sira is running from others chasing her for reasons we only gradually find out about.

Czerneda's character development is intriguing. Included are friendly, comic, and not-so-friendly aliens, Sira's bewilderment at her own condition and emotional feelings, Sira's gradual relearning process, and the budding and development of love between the Clanswoman Sira and the Human Morgan (forbidden in Clan law). The reader feels every emotion!

The ending left me begging for more. Just what was at the root of Morgan's telepathic abilities, abilities he as a human should not have had. Isn't there more to the Sira-Morgan story? I can't wait to read the other two books in this series: TIES of POWER and TO TRADE THE STARS.

In my rating system, four stars is a WINNER(!!) Five stars are reserved for the extraordinary. However, many terrific books aren't necessarily extraordinary. I highly recommend this novel to those who want a satisfying, old-fashioned, spaceship/stow-away yarn that takes the reader, via interesting technologies and intriguing telepathic adventures, to a creative selection of alien worlds.

Great reading for all science fiction fans!!

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful read
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it took me places I haven't been to in a long time. It was wonderful to read, I never knew what I would encounter on the next page. Ms. Czerneda takes you into Science Fiction in a totally new way, very refreshing.

Rating:
Summary: Two stars for the effort
Review: I thought this would be a promising book when I read the first chapter of the book. Great writing and a good start for a worthwile read.

Alas, the story quickly became tedious and boring. Semi-techno babble about telepathy, two people falling in love (yo!, this should be sci-fi!!), and some mystery surrounding one of the main characters. I was quickly lost as to where all this was going and even had to put it down for a couple of week, because I could not care less what happened next. My advice: pass this one up, it is not worth your effort.

I recently discovered this book was the first in a trilogy...?

Rating:
Summary: Good first effort, confusing ending
Review: I was given this novel as a gift. It was certainly an interesting read, and I think most people who like science fiction literature would enjoy it. The ending was very confusing, and I'm still not sure exactly what happened. The ending is the only reason I wouldn't give this book 5 stars, though. Definitely worth the read, and I hope the sequel clears up some questions I have.

Rating:
Summary: Give this book a try!
Review: I'll admit that when I first read the plot synopsis of this book, I wasn't all that enthusiastic about it. After all, a main character with amnesia who has to discover the secret of who and what they are is a bit of a science fiction cliche by now. However, I decided to read this book anyway, and I'm glad I did.

In many stories of this kind, the poor amnesiac hero or heroine is basically passive, like a football that gets kicked around by the other characters until they reach the resolution of the story. It's hard to sympathize much with a football. But Sira, the protagonist of _A Thousand Words for Stranger_, displays a remarkable amount of courage and decisiveness. She doesn't let the other characters push her around. This not only makes her a more interesting and sympathetic character, it also makes for a few surprises when Sira does something that neither the other characters nor the reader expect. In fact, the plot of the book in the later half is riddled with surprises and twists as we learn more about Sira. So although the book starts a bit slowly, as it progresses it becomes much harder to put down.

The books is also peopled with several different types of aliens, some of which feature prominently in the story, others of which are more in the background. I sometimes found myself wishing that the book would tell me more about some of these alien species, but it's clear from what it does tell that Czerneda has some talent for creating interesting cultures. I'm looking forward to seeing what she comes up with in her next book.

Rating:
Summary: Nice. Shows great potential
Review: In my personal rating system, 3 stars is the equivalent of a "C" grade. A Thousand Words for Stranger really deserves a "B-", but four stars would seem to imply that it was nearly perfect, and that is an exaggeration. Julie Czerneda has created a universe here (the Trade Pact Universe) that has hints of depth, rich histories and fascinating characters. Rather than recap the story, which others here have done already, I can add to their observations a few insights that stuck out at me as I read.

The beginning of the novel focuses on the amnesiac protagonist's struggle to survive amid some confusing and frightening events, aided by a mysterious stranger who takes her in as crew on his starship. This first half reads like a very lukewarm sci fi/romance hybrid. It would have lost me soon, but I pride myself on finishing what I start, and so my attention held until Czerneda finally began to showcase her ability to world-build and plot. Then, we start to see more dimensions to Sira, her relatives, and Justin Morgan.

I found myself tantalized by the possibilities for future Trade Pact universe novels, but as a whole, this one just didn't deliver on the promise of the second half of the novel, which is when it really began to take off and lead me through interesting plot twists. The conclusion, while it wrapped up many loose threads, did not resolve enough of them: it was like eating half a meal. But by the end of the book, the author did her job well after all; I was hooked to try the next one. If Czerneda can maintain this level of interest in all the subsequent Trade Pact Universe series, she will be a writer to reckon with indeed.

Rating:
Summary: Nice. Shows great potential
Review: In my personal rating system, 3 stars is the equivalent of a "C" grade. A Thousand Words for Stranger really deserves a "B-", but four stars would seem to imply that it was nearly perfect, and that is an exaggeration. Julie Czerneda has created a universe here (the Trade Pact Universe) that has hints of depth, rich histories and fascinating characters. Rather than recap the story, which others here have done already, I can add to their observations a few insights that stuck out at me as I read.

The beginning of the novel focuses on the amnesiac protagonist's struggle to survive amid some confusing and frightening events, aided by a mysterious stranger who takes her in as crew on his starship. This first half reads like a very lukewarm sci fi/romance hybrid. It would have lost me soon, but I pride myself on finishing what I start, and so my attention held until Czerneda finally began to showcase her ability to world-build and plot. Then, we start to see more dimensions to Sira, her relatives, and Justin Morgan.

I found myself tantalized by the possibilities for future Trade Pact universe novels, but as a whole, this one just didn't deliver on the promise of the second half of the novel, which is when it really began to take off and lead me through interesting plot twists. The conclusion, while it wrapped up many loose threads, did not resolve enough of them: it was like eating half a meal. But by the end of the book, the author did her job well after all; I was hooked to try the next one. If Czerneda can maintain this level of interest in all the subsequent Trade Pact Universe series, she will be a writer to reckon with indeed.