"A roller coaster ride of excitement and heartbreaking love"
At first, I thought that this was going to be a fairly
formulatic story about a lost heiress. I was gladly proved
wrong. Kel and Orber, two traders see a young woman in a bar
fending off a miner demanding that the house provide free
food for him. A brawl results, and they come to her
defense. The three escape, and Kel forms a plan. He saw the
young woman's, Ten, eyes, and was reminded of the legendary
Chantreuse, the most famous singer of the world of Joppa.
Twenty years ago, she lost a daughter, though whether it
was to death or disappearance, no one is sure. Ten looks
enough like her to pull of a masquerade as the lost girl,
Fara, and claim the reward offered for her return. Despite
misgivings on his partners' sides, they go through with the
plan. Between them and Joppa lies a whole galaxy of
difficulties. More than once, someone tries to take Ten
into the life of whoredom, and at one point, she has to
rescue Kel from a similar fate. Then there is the matter of
her lack of identification. This means they cannot travel
on anything but a low class space scow. She also lacks the
grace of the people of Joppa and the musical gift they all
possess. Despite this lack, Ten is Joppan. She was to have been
killed at birth, but her nurse saves her because in the
child she sees the fulfillment of a prophecy that can save
their world. Only one who is deaf to the music of Joppa and
its singing trees can save them from the slow death that is
killing the trees, and thus Joppa itself. When she knows
this, Ten steals away to Joppa apart from her companions,
seeking to spare them for she loves them both, Ober as a
her first friend, and Kel as much more. She proves herself to her mother, but between her and her
destiny lays the strongest force in the universe, a
mother's love. The price of Joppa's salvation is the life
of the one who would save it. Once again, Kel must rescue
her, but is he saving her to go to her death? A roller coaster ride of excitement and heartbreaking love
awaits the reader in this book. Ten is a gritty heroine
with little softness, but all heart. Fans of the TIGER AND
DEL series will enjoy the interplay between her and Kel, a
hero that present many contradictions. The characters'
nobility in this book shines through, and the plot is
filled with action. The one flaw is, it could have been
longer. I would have liked to have more time to get to know
these people. Amanda Killgore / February 2002
© Copyright 2002 for
PNR Reviews
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted February 9, 2002
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