Nightsword

Rating:
Summary: Better than the first!
Review: A gorgeous book all the way through. You know those really rare evil characters that have a past that makes you want to cry? Targ's one of them. Unlike many evil characters, he is very deep and not technically evil. Jeremy Griffiths is starting to get the hots for Merinda Neskat, which leads him to make some pretty stupid mistakes.

After reading the first book, I had to read this one. While the first book was only good after the first half, this one was sweet from cover to cover. It's a must-read for all sci-fi lovers--and for all you others, too.

Rating:
Summary: Worth the read... but a bit of a let down
Review: As a long time fan of Weis & Hickman I have read nearly everything they have released. Nightsword is classic Weis & Hickman, but it is not their best work. It continues the story from the first Starshield novel, but does not quite reach the power or intensity of the first novel.

I waited well over a year for this book to be released so perhaps my anticipation made it somewhat anti-climatic. I had hoped to continue the space-opera drama of the first book that combined a wonderful sci-fi view of the universe and an epic fantasy world of action and drama. Instead I was treated to the standard fare of W&H characters, a minor bit of drama, and an overinflated sense of "epicness".

The characters are familiar from the first book, as well as from their other books (while W&H don't vary character's much they do have good characters to start with, so it's a fair trade). I loved the Starsheild universe in the first book, and was a bit let down by it here. The exposure to the universe was not as grand and the hostility of the galaxy was almost missing.

I have trouble saying whether it was a good book or not because I enjoyed reading it, but was disappointed by so many aspects - perhaps this is a testament to W&H's writing in that even their bad books are still good.

This novel was reminiscent of the final books of the Death Gate Cycle (by W&H) which seemed to lose the power for the first several books in the series. Starshield started strong in the first book but is already tapering off.

For W&H fans, this is a good book to read. For non-W&H fans, try some of their earlier paperback series or the Death Gate Cycle. I'll withhold judgement on the whole Starsheild series until further books have been released, but I am a bit worried at this point. I wonder if W&H have lost their focus on story telling in the effort to launch business with their books.

Rating:
Summary: wild Mix
Review: Despite the cheesy title, i bought this book on the strength of MW & TH's previous books, which are excellent. I read this, however, and wondered if their hearts were really in it. The plot was a predictable, off-the-shelf, race to the ancient artifact. The characters were weak, they had odd and changing motivations, and trite dialogue. Parts of the book make no logical sense. Most dissapointing was the setting. The starshield universe held a bright promise for mixing scifi and fantasy, but there is little to no science here. The authors seem to have fallen back to their old material and use only d&d creatures. The setting might just as well have been the forgotten realms. And obviously someone is hung up on sailing and sailing terms. Do your self a favor, skip this book, and hope for better in the future.

Rating:
Summary: A unique gem of unknown number of facets
Review: The first Starshield novel introduced us to a galaxy that was beyond our wildest imaginations, literally. Fantasy stories that have come close to integrating technology into the story line is such stories as the Darkover novels. But, even Darkover used psionics and crystal lattice technology. This new "Starshield" universe is one that starts out with a bang that is followed by the sonic boom in its wake. It integrates the principles of "mysticism" and "technology" to create a universe that is at once both magical and technological. In this world, you can have the technologically savy spy and also have the great sorcerer in the same person. Combining the aspects of fantasy adventure with the grand space fleets of space opera. This is a collaborative book and somehow I think that the authors used everything they learned from their previous 9 book series, "The Death Gate Cycle", to improve upon their new series.

Explaining how such a "universe" composed of both magic and technology is difficult, but not impossible. This book certainly requires a new level of belief, that the fantasy or sci-fi genre has already created.

The second book of the Starshield series starts off with a prologue of events 53 years before the end of the first book. Then it continues immediately after the first book in the Chapters of Alpha. The Mantle of Kendis-dai is real and therefore logically the Nightsword and the Starshield are real also. This is a story of the mad and somewhat enigmatic quest of 6 factions striving to retrieve the Nightsword in its last resting place. Along the journey, the book recounts various tales and legends which fill in the gaps left out in the history of the first book. Various questions about the "quantum wave fronts" are answered like how exactly does one travel from one quantum wave to another with several types of engines? The story is along the same lines as a treasure hunt, with secret maps with the X that marks the spot, to various betrayals for the treasure. Except this is a treasure that everyone wants, the power to shape reality itself. This book also explains why Griffiths, one of the protagonists of the story, has met only humans among the stars so far. The hands of various contributors are seen in this story, in addition to the authors. The people at the Starshield website has helped add their own views to the story, thereby enriching it. Many subtle mysteries are in this story, which replaces the gap caused by the rather lack luster plot line as compared to the first book.

A fine sequel to "The Mantle of Kendis-dai".

Rating:
Summary: Can't wait for more!
Review: This second installment of the Starshield series is a stunning achievement. Now that the reader is familiar with the nature of the Starshield universe one can fully appreciate the story.

While not as well known as Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance saga, this series has all the promise of being as epic on a stellar level.

The secrets revealed in the final pages of this book are such that I cannot wait to read the third installment. Unfortunately, I have heard no news of the next book being written. It would be a shame to kill the series on such a power and gripping novel.

I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: A good read for the open minded
Review: _Nightsword_ does, infact, deliver more on the Story of the Starshield Universe. _Nightsword_ is a powerful novel whose universe is based on Quantum Physics, making a dynamic medium with which to work in.

_Nightsword_ follows _The Mantle of Kendis-Dai_ beautifully, adding the ideas of others into the plot, making it a living work. The Mythology behind the Starshield Universe is also expertly revealed: from hints at Earth's involvement in the Galaxy's distant past to Lokan's Crusade to stamp out racial diversity, literally.

I say that anyone interested in reading this book should do so, but only after you've read the first one first. Or you would be lost.

Rating:
Summary: Nightsword is a success!
Review: _Nightsword_ does, infact, deliver more on the Story of the Starshield Universe. _Nightsword_ is a powerful novel whose universe is based on Quantum Physics, making a dynamic medium with which to work in.

_Nightsword_ follows _The Mantle of Kendis-Dai_ beautifully, adding the ideas of others into the plot, making it a living work. The Mythology behind the Starshield Universe is also expertly revealed: from hints at Earth's involvement in the Galaxy's distant past to Lokan's Crusade to stamp out racial diversity, literally.

I say that anyone interested in reading this book should do so, but only after you've read the first one first. Or you would be lost.