Slave Trade

Rating:
Summary: Not as explicite as it could be
Review: This is the beginning of trilogy that will look at a universe of hierarchy. In that universe, human beings are at the bottome of the ladder, used as sex slaves. However, we aren't shown alot of what that really means. Oh, there are scary emotions described but beyond some beginning lines nothing explicitedly sexual happens. That left me wondering what was so bad -- sort of like the movie "Spartacus" before the director's cut came out. Beyond this, Wright does a good job of showing the complex social and political relationships between characters, sometimes there is too much to follow and you have to slow down your reading to be clear on what is happening. A question for the publisher: what is the deal with the cover? It has nothing to do with the book.

Rating:
Summary: First Original Fiction from Great "Star Trek" Author Sizzles
Review: Until now Susan Wright has written several "Star Trek" novels and anthology entries, all of them thoughtful and original takes that stayed true to the voices of the franchise's beloved characters. With "Slave Trade" Susan remains among the stars, but travels into all new territory-truly where no "Trek" novel has ever gone. Casually racy, off-handedly lurid, and eyebrow-raising in its pansexuality, "Slave Trade" is the start of a weird and bizarre, but certainly fully realized science fiction odyssey. Critics of the novel are missing its subtle but always sly commentaries on our society's freedom (or lack there of) of sexual expression. Slavery to the sexual status quo, Susan seems to be saying, is merely a state of mind that can only lead to self-destruction. Rose Rico, heroine of the "Slave Trade" trilogy, is a young woman who is on a kinky journey of enlightenment that will (hopefully!) ultimately alter that status quo. My guess is that this wild trilogy will only get better and better.

Rating:
Summary: Fun But Sort of Disappointing
Review: Would you think a book entitled 'Slave Trade' with a writhing naked woman in bondage on the cover is going to involve something steamy? The back cover says that the book you're holding is about humans who are kidnapped and forced into sexual slavery to aliens. I hope the author is having a good belly laugh at the expense of her hapless readers because not once in the entire book was sex more than hinted at. No, the plot concerns a young woman, Rose Rico (a completely stereotypical plucky latino) and her journey into and out of the aliens' sketchily-realized empire, leading a band of freed slaves. I blame the publisher for the misleading cover and blurb, but the author has to take full responsibility for the hackneyed plot and lack of innovation. Ms. Wright's experience as a Trek writer clearly has shaped her writing chops. The aliens' different races literally are distinguished by their different wrinkled foreheads. Technology is used as a magical plot device instead of given any realistic treatment. Come to think of it, Star Trek fans will probably love this book.

Rating:
Summary: Hey! There's no sex slavery in this book!
Review: Would you think a book entitled 'Slave Trade' with a writhing naked woman in bondage on the cover is going to involve something steamy? The back cover says that the book you're holding is about humans who are kidnapped and forced into sexual slavery to aliens. I hope the author is having a good belly laugh at the expense of her hapless readers because not once in the entire book was sex more than hinted at. No, the plot concerns a young woman, Rose Rico (a completely stereotypical plucky latino) and her journey into and out of the aliens' sketchily-realized empire, leading a band of freed slaves. I blame the publisher for the misleading cover and blurb, but the author has to take full responsibility for the hackneyed plot and lack of innovation. Ms. Wright's experience as a Trek writer clearly has shaped her writing chops. The aliens' different races literally are distinguished by their different wrinkled foreheads. Technology is used as a magical plot device instead of given any realistic treatment. Come to think of it, Star Trek fans will probably love this book.

Rating:
Summary: Not a good read
Review: Yes, the cover is misleading and the actual story is misleading but that isn't what is wrong with this book. The writing is distinctly poor, character development is sketchy at best. This reads like a piece of B grade fanfiction. This is not a book to buy unless you pick it up from a used bookstore. I def think this is one the average scifi fan can skip. The plotline is neither provokative nor original.

Rating:
Summary: Not a good read
Review: Yes, the cover is misleading and the actual story is misleading but that isn't what is wrong with this book. The writing is distinctly poor, character development is sketchy at best. This reads like a piece of B grade fanfiction. This is not a book to buy unless you pick it up from a used bookstore. I def think this is one the average scifi fan can skip. The plotline is neither provokative nor original.