[.ca] Turning Point (ISBN 0886775752)

Showed a bit of potential, could have been better:
This book gets a 2 because it is not re-readable, though I was able to finish it. A 3 is a solid book that's worth a re-read sometime before being traded for used book credit; a 1 is dreck I wasn't able to finish reading; 4 and 5 are books on which I am willing to spend precious shelf space. I really wanted to like this book, but by the end I was left thinking, "That's it?" The story is a Romance with SF trappings, similar to the _Stardoc_ series by S.L. Veil. Another reviewer mentioned the _Rowan_ books by Anne McCaffrey, which I would also recommend, along with _Psion_ or the other Cat books from Joan D. Vinge (one of my favorite writers). What bothered me most was the odd development of the relationship between the lovers. It develops from almost nothing into full bloom close to the end of the book. There is some kind of half-hearted attempt to "explain" this as an effect of their telepathic link, but it reads like she's trying to head off the reader's question of, "Where the heck did this come from?" There are some interesting traits that never seem fully developed in the characters. The main character's codependency and hate/fear of the conquering aliens is never fully explored, being mentioned several times, but not shown and developed. Her furry lover's character was basically a cipher aside from showing protectiveness toward her and a reluctance to use violence except to protect her. Too much of the writing is surface, not enough character building or basis for motivation. I would love to see some development of these characters since they seem to have some potential. I would also have liked some exploration of the culture of both the invading aliens and the catlike potential ally race. We are shown next to nothing of their cultures and so we have nothing to go on in explaining their actions. For instance, what would a reptilian species find attractive in a mammalian species? Why would they ever want to have sex with hairy, sweaty, stinky monkeys that have awkward fat deposits under their repulsively soft doughy skin? I also have some questions about the human culture, like: Why spend precious resources and time--as well as space on the colony ship--on tobacco? Even if it's been modified to do nothing harmful (the author does not mention such a modification) there are a ton of other plants that would be a lot more useful to bring with you. If you want dual-use pleasure/practical plants, coca, cannibis, and opium are less addictive, have far fewer debilitating side effects, and can be used for healing, unlike tobacco which is useful only for causing addiction and cancer. In this book, it seems like "one damn thing after another" with the action, consequences, and development coming late or not at all. Most of the first half of the book needed to be either completely developed and integrated into the larger story, or just cut. I may try the second in the series sometime, but unless it was done better than this one, I may never finish it.

The first of a good (but lengthy) series...:
Lisanne Norman's Sholan Alliance series is worthwhile. It is politically complex, intricately imagined in both physical and psychological detail, and full of compelling action. The catlike Sholans are not simply humans with fur, but neither are they so different that they require hugely different spheres of reference, which is a good thing in my opinion. That having been said, beware! This series seems to be interminable, having already run to six more fairly thick novels (at least 600 pages), with more in the works. This is a saga of titanic political and religious forces and their impact on a small cast of characters who play a starring role in forming the history of billions. Turning Point is by far the shortest entry, but consequently is a very quick and fun read. It introduces Carrie, a young Human woman on Keiss, an Earth colony planet newly overrun by Valtegans, lizardlike alien oppressors. She forms a telepathic bond with Kusac, a Sholan male who crashlands on the colony while seeking out the Valtegans, who have destroyed two of his species' planets. The delicate relationship between Carrie and Kusac is handled with imagination for the real species differences and miscommunications; the characters are not static figures. Because this short entry ends leaving you wanting more, I recommend having the next volume, "Fortune's Wheel," close to hand. I have tremendously enjoy these books. Enjoy!

The best series yet!:
If you like Si-fi and futuristic romance, then these series will NOT let you down. The first book in the series is Turning Point. Carrie's Twin syster Elsie is dying and taking Carrie with her when Kusac "grabs" Carrie and saves her live. In later books the writer introdues the reader to the Sholan Alliance and the many species that abound in the galaxy. The reader gets to know new persons, and at the same time keeps following Kusac, Carrie, Garras, Mito, Davis and Vanna... Best is to start reading the series from Turning point and then Fortunes Wheel and so on... It is really only one book or one story... The only problem is how long the wait is for the next book in the series...

A solid series kickoff:
This is the first book in a series, still incomplete, which now stretches to about 7 volumes. "Turning Point" is a quick read, under 300 pages; the remaining installments are mostly considerably longer. Carrie Hamilton is a resident of a colony world in its first stages which has recently been conquered by the alien Valtegans. She is also a psychic with a powerful link to her twin sister; but the psi skills make her seem bizarre in the conservative farming community she lives in. After her sister dies, she forms a new link. She soon discovers that her new connection is also a first contact with a non-human, Kusac, a trained psychic of the feline Sholan species, which also has had colonies overrun by the Valtegans. The resulting story is filled with familiar elements: dangerous treks, mutually suspicious allies, and a dramatic mission into the planet's main Valtegan base. The story does explore a theme which is relatively rare in written SF, the problems of interspecies sexuality. The greatest weakness of the book is the villains, undeveloped and uninteresting. The Valtegans are mysterious nasties about which we learn almost nothing; presumably this is remedied in the sequels. The other villain, a xenophobic Sholan, is equally bland and not especially formidable. THe weaknesses are significant, but the main test of a series starter like this is whether it draws me in enough to be interested in the subsequent volumes. I do want to read more about Carrie and the Sholans, so the book gets a good, if not exceptional, rating.

A Telepathic Bonding:
Turning Point is the first novel in the Sholan Alliance series. It is the story of two telepaths: the human Carrie Hamilton and the Sholan Kusac Alda. Carrie is a colonist on the planet Keiss, which has been conquered by the alien Valtegans. Carrie is tightly linked to her sister, Eloise, so much so that she takes away Eloise's pain. When the Valtegans torture Eloise to death, Carrie not only feels the pain, but displays the wounds inflicted on Eloise. When Eloise dies, the mind link is transferred to Kusac, a fifth class telepath in the Sholan fleet. Kusac is a castaway on Keiss, his ship having been shot down by the Valtegans. When Kusac was wounded by Valtegans at the crash site, his shipmates left him behind to follow at his best pace. In his dazed state, Carrie's mind link has drawn him to her house, where she tends his wounds and nurses him to health. Carrie, with a little help from his talent, does not recognize that he is an alien, rather believing him to be a native forest cat. Neither does she associate the peculiar thoughts appearing in her mind with the wounded creature. Carrie is being forced into an unwanted marriage by her father. Rather that submit, she runs away with her forest cat. When she is attacked by Valtegans in the forest, she discovers that the cat is definitely not native nor is he very tame. Once she recognizes him as a thinking person, Carrie join forces with Kusac to rejoin his crew and to alert his mothership of the presence of the Valtegans on Keiss. This novel is very much like Andre Norton's SF in scope, plot and characterization. An alienated human with psionic talents bonds with an alien with psionic talents against just about everybody else. The sexual content, however, is much more explicit than Norton was allowed to explore. While this book was not as polished as the sequels, I did find it to be mostly enjoyable. Check her out. Some reviewers have said that this novel is the worst that they have ever read. They must not have read some of the dogs that I have tried to read; this work may be somewhat rough, but it doesn't have glaring errors of fact, terrible syntax, and deadly dull dialogue. I enjoyed it despite its minor flaws and I have also enjoyed the sequels; what more could I ask for than good entertainment? Recommended for Norton fans and anyone who enjoys a strong couple of telepaths fighting for their own place in the universe.