9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Problems with Creepy-crawlies, August 24, 2006
This review is from: Beast Master's Ark (Mass Market Paperback)
Beast Master's Ark (2002) is the third SF novel in the Beast Master series, following Lord of Thunder. In this novel, the Arkship is trying to collect genes from every available Terran species. This collection started with unauthorized samples of species used by the Beast Master Command and expanded to include all Terran species. After the flaming of Terra by the Xiks, the Ark became an official instrument of the High Command.
Tani is the niece of Brion and Kady Carraldo, the couple running the Ark. She is the daughter of a Beast Master who died with his whole team on Trastor. Tani's mother went a little crazy after his death and she has told Tani that the High Command deliberately sent her father on a suicide mission. She also tells Tani that most Beast Masters send their beasts into combat without regard for their safety. Then her mother is killed by Xiks on Terra.
Tani has been working on the Ark for her aunt and uncle as a biogenetic technician, collecting gene samples and splicing gene sequences for various species. She is a good worker, but she still has an attitude toward Beast Masters. When an effort to obtain samples from one team on Fremlyn was mishandled and a beast died, Tani blamed the Beast Master rather than her uncle.
With this attitude of disdain and distrust for beast masters, Tani comes to Arzor to collect samples from the team of Hosteen Storm. While Hosteen had been scheduled to greet the Ark crew, a local rancher reports that something is killing his frawn and asks for help from the Beast Master and his team. Hosteen finds evidence of something eating both animals and men down to the skeleton. The natives are also suffering from its hunger and are totally mystified.
When he is not present at their arrival, Tani decides that Storm is being rude toward her aunt and uncle. However, she learns to like Brad Quade, Hosteen's stepfather. After Storm arrives and encounters Mandy, the paraowl, Tani reacts defensively and abruptly asks his business. Then she foists him off to Jarro, an unimaginative prig, who snubs the Beast Master and sends him on his way.
Although Tani continues to see Storm as an arrogant and self-centered man, Hosteen learns more about her and begins to treat her as a victim of war trauma. When the mobile lab vehicle arrives at the Quade ranch, Tani relaxes her defenses and spends much time with Logan Quade, Hosteen's half-brother. They go for long rides and Logan tells her about the Norbies and other aspects of Arzor.
Then Tani starts to have trouble sleeping. When her aunt gives her something to help her sleep, she has a full-blown nightmare. From her description, Hosteen suspects that she is picking up the feelings of both the victim and its killer.
Tani grows tired of being confined to bed and decides to go for a ride. She sees a young duocorn-bred filly in the corral and makes friends with the animal. The filly is entranced by the young women who displays no trace of fear. Tani presents the riding tack to the filly and then saddles her. Although the filly is slightly startled as Tani leaps into the saddle, Tani is a good rider and the filly is soon satisfied. They walk out of the corral and they speed up a little. Finally, Tani lets out a war whoop and they take off into the brush.
Tani, the filly, her coyotes and Mandy enjoy the ride and the subsequent meal. However, Tani drops off to sleep and wakes up too late to ride back; she doesn't want to chance riding the filly at night for fear of hidden holes and obstacles. They settle down for the night. The next day four Nitra warriors appear and Tani welcomes them to her camp.
No one has told Tani about the Nitras. Since she has been told that the natives are friendly, she treats them as such. They are impressed with her lack of fear and her respect for tradition; the leader tells the others to treat her with full courtesy. One young warrior, however, tries to ride the filly without permission and the filly kills him for his arrogance. The Nitra leader accepts the death as justified for the defiance of his orders and he invites Tani to accompany them back to his camp.
This novel is an action adventure, but is also a romance. Despite the poor start, Tani and Hosteen gradually develop a deep affection for each other. Of course, both doubt that the other reciprocates such feelings, but the intimate mental linkages soon resolve such doubts.
Highly recommended for Norton fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of high adventure, alien cultures and romance.
-Arthur W. Jordin
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Another great Norton series bites the dust!, September 20, 2002
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About the new book: I have no problem with the plot focusing on a heroine rather than Hosteen Storm - Ms. Norton has done this before and very successfully, particularly in the "Warlock" series - but what a heroine! She is whiney, illogical, pouty, thoughtless, nasty,...and of course, a "troubled teen." The animals seem to love her but I can't figure out why. The very similar psychological trauma that took an entire novel to gradually resolve for Storm in the original novel is switched off for Tani by a hug and an "ah ha" moment. I always thought Hosteen was sexy but I had no idea that one hug from him could turn around 13 years of negative conditioning. What a guy! And we are expected to believe that a mature, strong, talented man of 26 is going to match-up with our childish Tani. No way.
The background and action of the book is fine - which is why it got 2 stars from me instead of one. The view of life in the Nitra village was the best part of the book - if a little too naive. "Death Which Comes in the Night" and the return of the Xik threat was a great plot device that could have taken more pages and built more tension but certainly worked.
The weakest part of the book, besides our so annoying lead character, was the dialogue. It was wooden. The short, simple declarative sentences must have been written for the virtually illiterate market. Maybe Tani wouldn't have been so bad a character if she hadn't been made to speak and think such dribble...
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