Rating: 
Summary: ATWfS is one of the best dang books that ever did live!
Review: This fantastic novel starts up with a character devoid of all her memories, she soon meets a dashing space captian, and goes on the adaventure of a life time. The characters in this book are loveable and real, but it's the world of the Trade Pact Triology that really makes this book worth buying. Czernede's background in biology combined with a wonderful imagination lead to fantastic planets with unique cultures and citizens. My own personal favorite character Hugo is a gigantic beetle-type alien with a personality not unlike a terran italian or greek. This action packed novel is sure to become a favorite of all sci-fi fans!
Rating:
Summary: A Thousand Words for Stranger
Review: This is one of my all-time favorite books. I read it over and over again, and every time I enjoy it more than I remember having enjoed it before. It is a book filled with adventure, suspense, love, and everything that the perfect happily-ever-after book absolutely must have. If you're looking for a great book, this is where you'll find it.
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Summary: I want more!
Review: This is one of the best books that I have read lately. I checked it out from the library and then went and bought all three books in the series. The characters are well developed and it takes very little effort or thought to allow yourself to empathize with them. I am currently reading the sequal, "Ties of Power," and it is just as excellent as this one. If Czerneda, (How do you pronounce that?), is able to end this series as well as she began it then this will be among the best that I have ever read.If this book is a true representation of her work, then I place her up there with Lois McMaster Bujold, David Weber, L.E. Modesitt Jr., and Octavia E. Butler, all authors whose work I read again and again.
Rating: 
Summary: A Strong First Effort
Review: This is very good scifi. It's not quite Dune or Ringworld, but it is impressive for a first book. Let me start by saying that I am not generally fond of stories that rely on special mental powers (i.e. telepathy) to further the plot, and in this book, such powers are central to the story. However, the author sticks to the idea of writing an ordinary story rather than an apocalyptic description of the ultimate fate of the human race. And her "ordinary" story is pretty good. It keeps the reader guessing as to exactly who is doing what to whom right up to the end, with many twists and turns along the way. Further, her main characters are engaging. You find yourself rooting for Sira, the main character, as she seeks to recover the pieces of her missing past and to understand her relationship to the other principal character, Jason Morgan. The author seems to subscribe to a "Star Wars" vision of the universe, with multitudes of alien species (sentient and otherwise) and easy transport and communication between habitable planets. This may be unrealistic, but for the purpose of a story, Niven's concept of a gigantic ringworld is the only thing that surpasses it when it comes to providing an endless opportunity for cultural and biological variety. All in all, this is entertaining reading and 4+ stars in my book.
Rating:
Summary: Science Fiction with depth and character(s)
Review: Though a wonderful and complete story itself, _A Thousand Words for Stranger_ is also the start of a wonderful series. I've long been an SF fan, but I find SF books on my "to read" table less and less often. For too many writers, it seems, the idea is the story and the characters surrounding the story plod along as required to drag the plot to the writer's climatic conclusion. Yet in _A Thousand Words for Stranger_ Ms Czernada brings a story not only rich in traditional SF themes but also rich in character -- and rich in wonderful characters. The collection of beings that populate this book (and the series) have a wonderful depth. They are driven by emotion as well as intellect, which means they don't always do the smart thing. In other words, they're human -- even the aliens (smile). She has a full array of well thought out alien creatures and civilizations that develop in this series, aliens that not only have species characteristics but individual characteristics as well. That a lot of background development went into these civilizations is obvious in the writing; they work. All in all, an SF story with a touch of mystery, a touch of detective novel, a touch of romance, a touch of intrigue, touches of humor, and just plain interesting and fun to read. It makes you want more, and luckily that is readily available in the books that follow. I enjoyed the entire series very much.
Rating:
Summary: Science Fiction with depth and character(s)
Review: Though a wonderful and complete story itself, _A Thousand Words for Stranger_ is also the start of a wonderful series. I've long been an SF fan, but I find SF books on my "to read" table less and less often. For too many writers, it seems, the idea is the story and the characters surrounding the story plod along as required to drag the plot to the writer's climatic conclusion. Yet in _A Thousand Words for Stranger_ Ms Czernada brings a story not only rich in traditional SF themes but also rich in character -- and rich in wonderful characters. The collection of beings that populate this book (and the series) have a wonderful depth. They are driven by emotion as well as intellect, which means they don't always do the smart thing. In other words, they're human -- even the aliens (smile). She has a full array of well thought out alien creatures and civilizations that develop in this series, aliens that not only have species characteristics but individual characteristics as well. That a lot of background development went into these civilizations is obvious in the writing; they work. All in all, an SF story with a touch of mystery, a touch of detective novel, a touch of romance, a touch of intrigue, touches of humor, and just plain interesting and fun to read. It makes you want more, and luckily that is readily available in the books that follow. I enjoyed the entire series very much.
Rating:
Summary: Astounding piece of sci-fi/fantasy
Review: What can I say? This book had me hooked from the blurb. Intriguing characters, a plot which twists and turns so you never know what's going to happen next and alien races which demand interest. There was a fine balance between action and character development with a dash of suspense thrown in as well. I heard the author is planning a sequel due out in 1999, I'll definately be the first to read it!
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