"Reminiscent of early Heinlein"
Three hundred years ago, the Colony starship was launched
to colonize the world of Tau Celi but when they arrived,
there was no habitable world to colonize. Some of the
passengers felt they should continue but those who wanted
to return home took command of the ship. They land on what
used to be Melbourne and plan to commit genocide on the
genetically inferior humans that survived. Welkin Quinn is one of the first groups of Skyborn sent out
to reconnoiter the area and he falls in with a clan of
Earthborn who want to unite the people into a cohesive
group so they can do more than survive. Welkin learns that
the Skyborn have fed him misinformation and throws in his
lot with Sarah and her group. Enemies surround them from
the Skyborn to the barely human ferals to the roaming gangs
of jabbers who work with the Skyborn to destroy the
Earthborn. This is Paul Collin's first book published in the United
States and it is easy to see why this Australian author is
a hit back home. The story line is fast paced but does not
skimp on character development. The hero learns that his
ship's elders had an agenda to stay in power when they got
to Earth. He inserts himself into a group of Earthborn
survivors that have a chance of uniting the various disease
free factions on Earth if they can figure out a way of
appropiating technology only available on the Colony. This
is the first installment in what looks to be a great new
series Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted April 5, 2003
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