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Rating: 
Summary: Totally compelling
Review: C. S. Friedman is a magnificent storyteller. This novel has a wonderful suspenseful plot, and she creates an imaginative and rich sf universe. Her characters are also complex and interesting; she can sketch a minor character briefly but in a way that makes him/her seem very real, and her heroine's character and situation are fascinating. She also writes very well, with exquisite detail.
Rating: 
Summary: What HAPPENED?
Review: I LOVED C.S. Friedman's earlier books i.e. the wonderful scifi/fantasy Coldfire Trilogy. So I found this one pretty disappointing as it was just pure SciFi, but I guess that's unfair, it's probably only meant for that especiall genre's readers. I kept waiting for a Tarrant-like character to pop up, but I guess he was too original, for the characters were way different. Even though I was HEARTILY disappointed, I realize that to some this is probably a really great book since it's packed with fascinating and believable technology and a fast-paced plot. Still, the main character, Jamisia, fell short of the reader's expectations, because there are so many possibilites for a multi-personality character, and almost NONE of them are realized. I found Masad, the Geuran expert on Net viruses, the most fascinating character in the book, and it was he that kept me going. Sadly, he doesn't have many scenes. Anyway, I hope Friedman will go back to semiFantasy, or atleast put more human involvement into the story. Read it anyway.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I only discovered Ms. Friedman relatively recently (In Conquest Born, which was a great book also), and I found this book an excellent read. I admit the underlying science may be implausible, but come on! I have found very few scifi books that can seriously claim plausibility. Also, there seems to be a whiff of political correctness to the story (all God's mutants have something to contribute...), but I found the concept intriguing nonetheless The story worked for me and I enjoyed the characters immensely. The mystery aspects of the plot made it all the more interesting. Unfortunately, I have read most of the books Ms. Friedman has written, so I have to wait until she writes some more!
Rating:
Summary: Not as Good as Her Other Books
Review: I'm sorry to say that this book isn't in the same league as C.S. Friedman's other books. First of all, I have problems with the back story: originally, mankind set out for the stars but then found that the star drive they were using mutated their genes. OK. But, then, why did all the people on any given ship have their genes mutate in the exact same way so that they produced a viable, fertile species? It seems to me, you would have ended up with a lot of unique, sterile, monsters. Oh, well. But, I think my biggest problem with the book is that it just doesn't grab my attention. As I read it (and the writing, per se, is good), I basically felt nothing. Everything, including the main character, is bland. I did enjoy the book, but that was purely from a mechanistic point of view. The story and characters never really meant anything to me. I hope Friedman can raise the excitement level in her future works to match that found in her other past works. This book, for all the work she obviously put into it, is basically filler.
Rating: 
Summary: Flawed, but very much worth reading
Review: This book has many advantages. The plot moves along at a steady clip, with enough tension to keep you reading. The characters weren't bad, though I've seen much better. The best thing, though, was the setting. I found Gueran society to be utterly fascinating, and it was that, more than anything else, that made me like the book. Unfortunately, some of this future's features aren't scientifically justifiable. The concept of Hausman variants doesn't make sense as it's described here. Also, the depictions of computers were unrealistic; Friedman talks about programs as if they were physical objects that move from place to place leaving their previous locations vacant. If you can accept that C.S. Friedman does not write hard SF, you should read this. It's engaging and interesting.
Rating:
Summary: Read it!
Review: This book is one of the better sci-fi novels I've read lately. Although it has some weaknesses, such as few strong characters, over all I found it an engaging and intriguing read. C.S. Friedman creates a universe that is compelling, well developed, and full of unique ideas. I enjoyed her view of the future, and liked her treatment of everything technical, from the future of computers, to her form of interstellar space flight. The main character of the story is well developed, and the idea that diversity (and possibly madness) is essential for the success of humanity was inspiring. Possibly the weakest part of this story is how so few of the other characters are well developed. There's one or two that you really wish had been more active in the plot, and had appeared sooner. Another problem I had was that one or two of the concepts, especially the Gueran mutation, weren't explained to my satisfaction. Despite the weak parts, the story finishes with a bang, and I found myself avidly looking forward to picking it up every time I had to put it down.
Rating:
Summary: This was great
Review: This book was wonderful. Although very strange and a little out there at times this book makes you reconsideryour thinking about life, madness and human nature. The main charactor is an interesting gir, who was normal till something terrible was done to her. The story begins with her wakeing up, and her tutor telling her that she must flee for her life. She tries to question him, but he just tells her it will be explained in time. This is where the adventure starts. Oh and one more thing, Jamie hears vocies in her head. Every day. Then when she finally finds out why the vocies are there she wishes she didn't. A wonderful book.
Rating:
Summary: My Favourite Book Ever
Review: This is probably my favourite book ever. I borrowed it just on the premise of computers being interfaced with the brain but what I read far excelled anything I had ever imagined possible so I bought it, and read it several more times.
The book is a story of a girl's coming of age, a cyber-mystery, an ineresting look at future technology's impact on society, and a classic story power/domination struggle. C. S. Friedman does an excellent job of weaving several sub-plots into an overall great book.
If you enjoy reading at all then you'd probably find something to interest you in "This Alien Shore"
Rating:
Summary: A great author!
Review: This is the book that got me hooked on CS Friedman. Stunning. Original. Unlike anything I've read before. (and I've read thousands over more than a quarter century!) I went on to read the rest of her novels, and have not been disappointed!
Rating:
Summary: Interesting new author.
Review: This is the first book I read by Friedman and was very much taken with her interesting ideas and her character development. I can't wait to sample her other works!
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