"Thrilling SF"
Though they have pretty much conquered the planet Kundala
after a century plus of resistance, the victorious aliens
V'ornn remain in combat with the locals. The natives
believe their Messiah, the "Dar Sala-at" will save them.
Just the Kundalan belief that their legendary savior will
help them overthrow the V'ornn invaders has lifted the
spirits of the natives and helped them resist the
intruders though how someone can join two spirits from
opposite poles of the universe as the fabled champion
will do seems hard to fathom especially by the V'ornn. However, the impossible occurs when a Kundala female Riane
contains her own soul and that of the dead Annon,
ironically a V'ornn; the merger of two essences from
opposite sides of the universe. The Kundalans believe
that Riane is the Messiah who will vanquish the
conquerors, but to do so they must obtain the mystical
Pearl that only the true Dar Sala-at can yield its power. Part humor, part military science fiction, and part
fantasy, the third Pearl tale is a gem of a novel that
uses amusing satirical slapstick moments to ease some of
the major tension. The story line is action-packed and
filled with adventure as series fans will delight in the
rebellion but especially with the paradox of Riane-Annon.
New readers will enjoy the tale as it is a stand alone,
but even greater understanding especially with the V'ornn
will occur by reading the delightful previous two epics
(see RING OF THE FIVE DRAGONS and THE VEIL OF A THOUSAND
TEARS). Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted March 31, 2004
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In Lustbader's richly imagined saga The Pearl, magic and
science clash on an epic scale. As in the Midkemia novels
of Raymond Feist, the juxtaposition shows that neither is
inherently good or evil. It is the people using magic or
science who give them meaning, and Lustbader has created
people you will never forget: Riane, the Dar-Sala-at; Eleana, the woman she loves twice
over; Kurgan, the V'ornn usurper who raped Eleana and sired
her child; Marethyn Stogggul, Kurgan's defiant sister, an
artist who joins the Kundalan resistance; Marethyn's lover,
chief trader Sornnn SaTrryn, who secretly helps the
resistance as well; and the fabulous Krystren, the Sarakkon
woman from the mysterious southern continent, who comes
north on a secret mission and will change the lives of
everyone she meets. All the while, the evil Sauromicians
threaten the world as they seek to use banestones to bind a
dragon. With each new volume, The Pearl has bloomed and ramified
like a gorgeous flowering vine. The Mistress of the Pearl
is the best yet, and those who have read the previous books
will find new sources of excitement and enlightenment, but
this is also a great place to begin catching up with the
series, as the Pearl shines ever brighter.
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