Rating: 
Summary: One of the greatest books I have ever read
Review: After I read the first two books in the series I thought that it was a good series. But after this book I thought this was a great series. Now I cant put the fourth book down.
Rating:
Summary: Becoming a Triad
Review: Fire Margins is the third novel in the Sholan Alliance series, following Fortune's Wheel. In the previous novel, Vanna has saved the lives of Carrie and Kusac when they suffer Contact Deprivation and Kaid has saved Carrie from an impulsive assassin. Carrie interrogates a Valtegan prisoner, who promptly commits suicide. Carrie, Kusac, Kaid and Vanna are taken to Shola, where Carrie meets Kusac's family...and his betrothed, Rala Vailkoi. Carrie becomes pregnant, but loses the fetus in a duel with Rala. Vanna is then kidnapped by Dzaka and taken to view a Valtegan skeleton found among Sholan ruins.Carrie and Kusac, and the other Leska pairs, are being used as political tools by the Telepath Guild, the Brotherhood of Vartra, and the Sholan military. They have found temporary protection with Alien Relations, which mandates all mixed Leska pairs to be housed on the heavily secured Aldatan estate. However, they need to establish independence from the Guilds and Clans. To do this, they decide to visit the Fire Margins and become the En'shalla -- in the hands of the gods -- Clan, but several events, including the wounding of Carrie and Kusac during the duel, have precluded this effort. The Fire Margins are not a physical place, but a situation encountered in a trance. No telepath has every returned from the Fire Margins, but Carrie and Kusac believe that telepaths who are able to fight will have a much better chance. However, they need a third person to form a triad and they choose Kaid. This novel begins to explore the role of the Sholan gods in society. It includes several direct contacts between the characters and the god Vartra. What is Vartra and what do the Fire Margins have to do with him? (...). Moreover, the control that Sholan females have over conception almost totally eliminates unwanted pregnancies. Indeed, the Sholan males are completely dependent upon the good wishes of the females if they want to have cubs; even rape doesn't work against a determined female. I can see where that would bother many males in our society, as evidenced by the deeply felt opposition to birth control. Once again, this series dwells on the doubts and conflicts among the main characters. This novel focuses on Kaid more than the others, but Carrie, Kusac and other characters have problems of their own which they must work out on stage. Recommended for all Norman fans and anyone who enjoys psychological motifs in a SF setting. -Arthur W. Jordin
Rating: 
Summary: 700 pages of... not much
Review: First off, let me say that the two star rating is for the storyline, or lack there of. If I were giving a rating for characters, I'd give it four stars, but unfortunatly, the story is really lame. The improvment over the last book, "Fortune's Wheel", was that a lot of the soap opera dramatics have been toned down, but they're still there. Also, characters do a much better job of communicating, for the most part, and avoid a lot of petty arguments that plagued the last book. However, it's still very melodramatic and silly, with subplots that really become irritating after awhile. There is entirely too much going on at the same time, and the cliffhanger ending is a total cheap shot. Part of what I find so troublesome is the whole telepathy thing that seems to know no boundries. Anything can be achieved through telepathy. When it gets to teleportation and (shudder) TIME TRAVEL, well, it's gone a little too far, and the whole time travel storyline causes the entire plot to colapse within its own paradox by the end. I'm really getting sick of all the telepaths and Leskas. Isn't there anyone else on this planet besides telepaths? And speaking of Sholan society, this was another huge problem I had. Actually it was more of an uncomfortable feeling than a problem. The sexual freedom that the sholans have was just unnerving and it didn't work for me. They don't have any problem with sleeping around, in fact, they do it a lot. When the Sholans aren't grinning, flicking their ears, or drinking c'shar, they're having guilt free sex. I'm sorry, but creatures who are capable of every single human emotion except jealousy is just stupid. Their concept of love is totally warped in this area. So why did I finish reading it? Well, like I said, in spite of myself I liked these characters. I've grown fond of them and have been willing to put up with the insipid story line because of that. I like Kusac, Carrie, Vanna, Garras, Konis, Merral and the rest. There is a real sense of honor and friendship among them. I even grew to like Kaid by the end, eventhough I pretty much couldn't stand him for most of the time. But by the end he finally cracks and starts to show some emotion. I grew to like him the same way I grew to like Konis in the last book. I don't know if I'll read the next one. I can't take much more of these rediculously stupid plots. The books are also much longer than they need to be, because for over 750 pages, there just wasn't a lot of content inside.
Rating: 
Summary: What a way to destroy an excellent Story
Review: I absolutely loved Turning Point and Fortune's Wheel. I liked Carrie and Kusac, and even Kusac's family. Even Kaid. All that has been destroyed in this book for one main reason. Carrie and Kusac had a wonderful relationship, and there was no reason to destroy it, along with the story, but destroy it has been done. By allowing Carrie to have an approved affair was absolutely disgusting, the worse because it was sanctioned. There was no need for that. Not only that, I tortured myself by reading the later books and it only got worse. Read the first two books and STOP THERE. The rest of the books are not worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: What a way to destroy an excellent Story
Review: I absolutely loved Turning Point and Fortune's Wheel. I liked Carrie and Kusac, and even Kusac's family. Even Kaid. All that has been destroyed in this book for one main reason. Carrie and Kusac had a wonderful relationship, and there was no reason to destroy it, along with the story, but destroy it has been done. By allowing Carrie to have an approved affair was absolutely disgusting, the worse because it was sanctioned. There was no need for that. Not only that, I tortured myself by reading the later books and it only got worse. Read the first two books and STOP THERE. The rest of the books are not worth your time.
Rating: 
Summary: OK for a long plane ride, but not one I'd take home.
Review: I found Norman's writing to be excellent at picturing what was happening, but so many things were left unsaid that I was lost as to _why_ things were happening. Character development was deep for a couple of the main players (Kusac, Carrie), but more shallow than I would have expected for the major supporters (Konis, Noni, ...). While I did enjoy this book for the plot itself, it does not stand alone outside of the trilogy very well.
Rating: 
Summary: great book should've started at beginning of series though
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I thought the idea of Leska links and the culture of the Sholans was original and very inventive. I do wish I would've started this series in the beginning though, because some the book can be difficult to understand in the beginning if you don't. However, I just bought the entire series and will read Fire Margins again so that I can get the entire feel of the book and understand it more.
This book was a good piece of literature and I hope she continues writing.
Rating:
Summary: The author spins a wonderful story :)
Review: I'm 13 years old, and I loved this book. It spins adventure, action, and romance together into a wonderful story. The relationship between Kusac and Carrie is constantly changing, adding a wonderful texture to the book. I can't wait for the next book in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Depiction of the World and the Charachters
Review: I've read all three books in this series, and I loved all of them, but especially this one. It brings out the best (and sometimes worst) characteristics in all the people in the books. It delves even deeper into the history and culture of Shola. Lisanne Norman depicts her story so well that I can visualize all of the people and places so well that I can draw them. I highly recommend this book, especially to cat lovers
Rating:
Summary: hooked!
Review: i've read the first four novels in the series, am almost finished with Dark Nadir. my only dissapointment is that the next book is not yet available. believable aliens, great heroes! i can't wait for stronghold rising! please hurry, ms. norman!
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