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Review of A WORKING OF STARS by Debra Doyle and James D. MacDonaldMAGEWORLDS SERIES
TOR, April 2002
The sus-Peledaen space-merchant family is using both its economic power and outright piracy to destroy competition. Associated with the family, rogue elements are attempting to explore dangerous sciences--sciences where Mage magic is being perverted and the Mages' attempts to reconstruct the galaxy is threatened. Powerful magic is required to meet the threat, yet powerful magic requires pain--or even death.
Authors Debra Doyle and James D. MacDonald (see more BooksForABuck.com reviews of novels by this author) deliver a complex and fascinating universe where magic and science work side-by-side to reach and rule the stars. Sophisticated DNA technologies and star-travelling merchant ships coexist with Mages who use staffs to control their magic and to physically attack their foes.
When the sus-Peledaen destroy the sus-Dariv fleet, the sus-Dariv heir seizes the opportunity to flee to the mages--yet will her efforts result only in destruction for both? Doyle and MacDonald deliver an exciting conclusion.
A WORKING OF STARS represents sophisticated world-building, yet the novel starts painfully slowly, only gradually building momentum as its characters are introduced, brought into conflict, and finally sent into exciting motion. I found A WORKING OF STARS to be interesting and enjoyable but certainly not 'among the premier space operas of current SF' as stated on the cover.
Two Stars
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