Avalanche Soldier [Mass Market Paperback]

Susan R. Matthews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1999

Salli is an avalanche soldier. As a member of the elite paramilitary force she is responsible for prtecting the religious shrines scattered throughout the mountainous silderness regions of the troubled state of Shadene. As a devout member of the Orhodox Dreaming she freely accepts the faith that life is a dream, and that true believers will one day be awakened by the coming Messiah. But there is another faith on Shadene that preaches heresy-and its existence has sparked horrific acts of terrorism and civil unrest.

And suddenly Salli's life has been ripped in two. Her brother-vanished under a cloud of suspicion-is believed to have embraced the false religion. As a soldier sworn to safeguard Orthodox interests, Sali must track him down and return him to the fold. But as a disciple of the one true Messiah, she must confront the crisis that now assaults her conscience and her creed. For there is a woman in the enemy enclave who inspires fervent devotion-a personage of great power who impossibly, yet undeniably, shows signs of being the prophesied One.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for Susan R. Matthews' previous novels:

"One of the best SF books of the year...presented with clarity, consistency, and readability...a well-rounded, sympathetic character."--Starlog

"Very good...she will stand out in a field dominated(in numbers if not in stature) by mediocre imitators...very satisfying."--Analog

"A brilliant author. A new SF star has risen."--David Feintuch, author of Patriarch's Hope

About the Author

After earning an undergraduate degree in psychology, Susan R. Matthews was commisioned into the United States Army, where she was the operations and security officer for a combat support hospital specializing in nuclear, biological, and radiological warfare. Currently working as an auditor for an aerospace manufacturer, Susan lives with her partner in Seattle, Washington.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Eos (HarperCollins) (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380803151
• ISBN-13: 978-0380803156
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,081,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Susan R. Matthews has been a Seattle area resident since 1967 (with two years out for active duty in Virginia). She's been writing since her teens, and sold her first novel in 1997 ("An Exchange of Hostages"). Since then she has published another seven novels, including her latest, "Warring States," from Meisha Merlin (February 2006).

Susan lives in Seattle with her spousal equivalent of 25+ years, Maggie Nowakowska, and two Pomeranian dogs who will always be puppies. She works for a local defense contractor that also makes large commercial aircraft.

Scott versus Amundsen: Amundsen
Peary versus Cook: Cook
Seahawks versus the world: Seahawks
More versus RIII: RIII
Paper versus plastic: whatever's handy will do fine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Avalanche soldier - for the non-mainstream, February 9, 2000

By 

Blake Moorcroft (Windsor, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Avalanche Soldier (Mass Market Paperback)

Another excellent book, though not in the same venue that one would expect from her previous works. After reading this, I was struck by the total focus of the book upon the primary character. Everything seems to come from Salli's perspective, even though none of the story-telling is in the first person. You're caught up in the changes of her life as if it were her telling you the story itself. In that regard, I see it as being non-mainstream, leaving the safe beaten track that some authors tend to tread, with different elements and persons all interconnecting for their "share" of the story. In this case, those elements and people are just portions of the total story, and that story is Salli.

Susan doesn't pull any punches here, just like her previous books. Her characters don't have quick easy fixes in their lives and not everyone lives happily ever-after as they struggle to survive and move on amidst the forces at work around them. Nothing is set in stone, life is malleable and moves on of its own accord whether the character wants it to or not. That of itself makes the characters more believable, more real and more dimensional - and therefore, a good read.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Bad. Period., December 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Avalanche Soldier (Mass Market Paperback)

Ugh! I loved Susan Matthews' three previous novels, but Avalanche Soldier is hideously amateurish -- did she write it a long time ago, and only publish it now? The writing is choppy; the plot color-by-number; the emotions unconvincing; the religious backdrop derivative; the characters unengaging. I lost count of how many times the stupid heroine lost consciousness, and how many important plot points happened while she was unconscious. My disappointment was such that I tossed the book right in the wastebasket upon finishing -- and I only finished it as a result of nagging incredulity: how could this drivel be written by the same woman who'd written the wonderful Prisoner of Conscience, etc.? SHAME on the author and publisher for fobbing off genuine fans with this rubbish.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Avalanche Soldier, January 28, 2000

By 

S Covington (San Francisco, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Avalanche Soldier (Mass Market Paperback)

I bought Avalanche Soldier without giving it second thought sure in the knowledge that, since it was written by Susan Matthews, it would be good. Unfortunately, I am very dissapointed: this book is not in the same class as her extraordinary Anrej Koscuisko series (An exchange of Hostages; Prisoner of Conscience; Hour of Judgment).

The story takes place on a planet with a confusing religious system and a violent society stratified due to poor quality scientific assumptions. The plot revolves around a religious teacher, Varrick, who is held by many, including the heroine, Salli, to be the prophecied "Holy One," but who belatedly insists she is just another teacher. This religious leader claims to be divinely inspired, but at the same time, denies divinity; she works miracles, both spiritual and physical, while having at the heart of her dogma the premise that the days of miracles are past, in spite of the prophecies she expounds. Varrick is a dissapointment, if only because of the great expectations I had for her. I did like the Holy Fool, however.

The protagonist, Salli, is a nice enough lady, a member of a paramilitary force/forest ranger organization that patrols the mountains, rescues lost hikers, and stops terrorists all in a single bound. It was never quite clear why there were so many terrorists, but Salli is good at what she does, until she stops doing it to go AWOL to chase after her empty headed brother the cop and jerk first class. I guess the career didn't mean much to her after all. If the religious side of the story wasn't quite convincing, the career side should have been easier to pull off. No such luck.

As to the relationships between the characters, Salli and her brother Meeka start out simple enough, but their relationship grows absurd towards the end without adequate explanation. The kinda sorta unrequited love angle is nice, but the story is very unsatisfying with a big letdown at the end. I suppose a sequel is possible, but..., why bother?

This blooper probably won't stop me from buying Ms. Matthews' next book: she does have great talent, but I will be more cautious the next time.