Redline the Stars

Rating:
Summary: A good character-driven story
Review: A worthy addition to the Solar Queen saga. True, there are some differences to the earlier books. In this one, the point of view is not solely Dane's, but we get to see through the eyes of the other characters. As such, more time is spent on each character's view of what is happening. This is a boon for fans of character-driven science fiction, as we get to know the characters better.

The multiple POV format means that, unlike previous books, "Redline" is not Dane-centric. However, we do get to see Dane grow in confidence and competence in his profession, and even act the hero. We also get to see Dane deal with feeling threatened over a new crewmember's competence in his field. Readers will definitely see growth in this character as the book progresses.

The biggest change is the addition of a new crew member, Dr. Rael Cofort, a welcome female addition to the Queen's formerly all-male crew. Her personality shaped by surviving a prolonged disaster, one that as a child she was powerless to prevent, Rael compensates by working hard to be good at everything. Unfortunately, she also tends toward harsh self-criticism when she loses a patient. Rael is a worthy addition to the Queen's crew.

Rating:
Summary: I grew up reading the original Solar Queen adventures
Review: I grew up reading the original Solar Queen adventures - they were my introduction to science fiction (if you don't count the Edgar Rice Burroughs Mars books). I loved Norton's books for their thumping good plots, exotic, yet believable aliens, and most especially for her finely drawn portraits of the crew. Many of the fantasies that got me through a boring English Lit or Government class involved flying off into the wild, black yonder aboard the 'Solar Queen'.

Unfortunately, our library only carried the first two books in the series, but I finally located the two 'Solar Queen' novelettes and read them, too. They weren't quite as good - Norton was concentrating on fantasy by then, and somehow it didn't quite mix with the crew of the 'Solar Queen'. However, I never lost my original affection for the series.

Then, decades after the publication of the original novels, I found 'Redline: the Stars'. I couldn't wait. I bought it in hardback rather than holding out for a cheaper edition. The fact that it had a second author's name on it was worrisome, but I assumed I'd be reading mainly Norton.

Not true.

I read the book from cover to cover, hoping to find at least a trace of Norton and a trace of the original 'Solar Queen', then hurled "Redline: the Stars" into the wastebasket.

I felt totally cheated. I usually give up my non-keepers to the library and loan my keepers to my friends, but I couldn't pass this one on to some other poor, unsuspecting Solar Queen fan.

I am pretty sure that all Norton wrote was the introduction to "Redline: the Stars". The original characters were passive, uninteresting shadows - even the Captain and the Cargo Master!. I felt like I was reading someone else's adolescent fantasy of the 'Solar Queen' and her crew that never should have been published under Norton's name. Nothing seemed 'true to life' (if I can use that phrase about something that was a novel to begin with). It was a horrible reading experience - the literary equivalent of visiting an old friend who has advanced Alzheimer's Disease. I don't recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Spare yourself the aggravation and skip this one
Review: I was warned about this book by a friend, but I was so desperate for a new Solar Queen story that I ignored her. That was a big mistake. I wasn't even halfway through the book before I was wishing someone would toss Rael the Wonderful out the nearest airlock. Later I started fantasizing about even worse fates for her. I was masochistic enough to finish the story, but I've been soured on any of the new Solar Queen books as a result.

The introduction of a female character made sense for a book written in the nineties, but why create one so offensive? Why not one better thought out? Why did Rael have to dominate the story, being the miracle cure for all problems, while whining way too much about how tough life has always been on her in spite of all the magical advantages she had?

Nonetheless, awful as Rael is, the book might have been tolerable if the other characters hadn't been pushed into the background and marginalized. The old main character (Dane) spent most of his time as a resentful nitwit. The shipboard niche Rael supposedly filled (medic) was already capably occupied by another character, who got shunted aside in her favor. The others were similarly treated. The only old character that got halfway decent treatment was the captain, and he was reduced to the role of Rael the Wonderful's love interest and sidekick. Gad.

I have to agree with the reviewer who described this book as "someone else's adolescent fantasy." That's exactly what it was. It's rare to see such a blatant case of "self-insertion of the author's fantasy self" in a pro novel. I can only attribute this nonsense to P.M. Griffin (whose other work I am unfamiliar with), since other Andre Norton books that I've read don't display this reprehensible trait.

For all you budding writers out there, this book is a perfect example of what *not* to do, unless you want to alienate your audience.

Rating:
Summary: Spare yourself the aggravation and skip this one
Review: If you just want something to read and you do not want to work too hard this is the book for you. I found it a fast read, exciting, but not too challenging. The main characters are never really developed. The minor characters all clump together with no distinct personality so you don't need to worry about knowing their names. The plot was always on the verge of great - but never really got there. The ending was tidy, but not powerful.

I enjoyed this book and went on to read the next in the series. It reminded me of the Star Trek original book series in that it takes reading several books for you to get to know the crew, and several books for you learn about why the Solar Queen is special. That is not immediately obvious in this book. But there is lots of action.

I recommend this book for teen readers who may be new to scifi and need to be "gentled" into it. No radical offworld ideas are set forth here. Good and bad are clearly identified, and sex is nowhere to be found.

Rating:
Summary: Don't read this book
Review: This book is bad. It is very, very bad.

I like the Solar Queen books before this one. The ones after are readable. This one is not.

To start with, the writing is just plain bad. From the looks of it, neither Norton nor Griffin bothered to reread or rewrite; all the characters sound like each other and the narrator sounds like them, too. It's hard to tell who is speaking, and after a while, hard to care.

And then there is Rael. A female character seems like a good idea. But Rael is not a good idea.

To start with, I LIKE Dane. He's fallible; he's earnest, he's growing into his place on the Solar Queen, and he's been the more or less main character from the start. I was looking forward to more of his adventures & those of the rest of the crew.

Instead, I got Rael, who is completely infallible and takes over the book entirely. She solves every problem, dots every i, crosses every t, and wins the Captain's heart. She's the Main Character and the One Who Can Do No Wrong, and what is she doing on this ship?!

Not even the next book, where she's more or less ok, has made me forgive her for her role in this one.

Do NOT read this book. Buy all the others--they're fun reads & worth the time and money, but don't even open the cover of this one.