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Rating: 
Summary: Intriguing world--confused action
Review: Man has met alien species in space, but greed, corporate corruption, and violence have not been overcome. Even within the Lyhhrt race of telepaths, the theoretical unity of the species is incomplete and factions battle for power. GalFed agent Ned Gattes learns of a proposed invasion and arranges to join the mercenaries being assembled. Assisted by his cybernetic-psychic friend Spartakos and a Lyhhrt, he infiltrates the mercenary training base--but then finds himself trapped within a plot to kill everyone including himself. Hasso, a noted archivist, finds himself fascinated by a woman being held captive by her new husband. And Lyhhrt agents battle amongst themselves to recover remnants of the power of the fallen corporation Zamos--maker of clones. Author Phyllis Gotlieb puts together a powerfully intriguing set of worlds, peoples, and powers, yet somehow fails to deliver a complete story. Although much is at stake, the novel's emotional intensity falls flat. Until relatively late in the novel, none of the characters seems to have a truly personal stake in the outcome of the battle. Gotlieb's frequent scene shifts end up distracting the reader and make it difficult to follow the plot thread.
Rating: 
Summary: strong multi-alien science fiction
Review: The collapse of the octopus-like Zamos Corporation has left several voids in the interstellar system as well as leaving individuals in various state of isolation. The big bang impact of the disintegration of Zamos, actually a crime family, is quite shocking. Pugilist Ned Gattes has no gambling halls to ply his trade and no one needs an ex-boxer. Telepath Lorrice also finds no one in need of her mental abilities. Alien legal scholar Hasso only wants to ply his profession, but every Tom, Dick and Khagodian wants to fill the Zamos emptiness. Then there are the Lyhhrt, splintered by Zamos from the oneness of their race, losing their touch with reality. When they complete their downward spiral into insanity, these renegades will cause havoc as never seen before because with a thought they can stop a heart or eradicate a thought. The players line up for a confrontation on Khagodis where events are already spinning towards a bloody clash of several alien life forms. MINDWORLDS completes Phyllis Gotlieb's strong multi-alien science fiction trilogy. The story line is loaded with plenty of action on several fronts that converge on Khagodis, but never fully consolidate into the prime plot. Still the tale is fast-paced and very imaginative, as each alien species seems real as if Ms. Gotlieb had a drink at the Star Wars cantina. As the book asks, "How can you stop a conspiracy of telepaths?" Easy read the novel and its delightful predecessors because science fiction fans will fully enjoy this book that ties up loose ends from FLESH AND GOLD and VIOLENT STARS yet can stand alone. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: strong multi-alien science fiction
Review: The collapse of the octopus-like Zamos Corporation has left several voids in the interstellar system as well as leaving individuals in various state of isolation. The big bang impact of the disintegration of Zamos, actually a crime family, is quite shocking. Pugilist Ned Gattes has no gambling halls to ply his trade and no one needs an ex-boxer. Telepath Lorrice also finds no one in need of her mental abilities. Alien legal scholar Hasso only wants to ply his profession, but every Tom, Dick and Khagodian wants to fill the Zamos emptiness. Then there are the Lyhhrt, splintered by Zamos from the oneness of their race, losing their touch with reality. When they complete their downward spiral into insanity, these renegades will cause havoc as never seen before because with a thought they can stop a heart or eradicate a thought. The players line up for a confrontation on Khagodis where events are already spinning towards a bloody clash of several alien life forms. MINDWORLDS completes Phyllis Gotlieb's strong multi-alien science fiction trilogy. The story line is loaded with plenty of action on several fronts that converge on Khagodis, but never fully consolidate into the prime plot. Still the tale is fast-paced and very imaginative, as each alien species seems real as if Ms. Gotlieb had a drink at the Star Wars cantina. As the book asks, "How can you stop a conspiracy of telepaths?" Easy read the novel and its delightful predecessors because science fiction fans will fully enjoy this book that ties up loose ends from FLESH AND GOLD and VIOLENT STARS yet can stand alone. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Mindworlds - Wow!
Review: This book really wowed me, and that's hard to do. I am a picky and experienced reader of SF and I know what I like. Phyllis Gotlieb delivers a story I really enjoyed, full of what she does best - sex, intrigue, a fair bit of violence and lots of fabulous alien and human characters. I am madly in love with her hero Ned Gattes and can picture him being played by Russell Crowe in the movie version... The last in her trilogy of Flesh & Gold, and Violent Stars, Mindworlds took me in new directions as well as satisfying my curiosity as to "what happened next" in the first books. Thanks Phyllis, for writing a novel that's both fun and challenging to the imagination!
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