Bio Rescue [Paperback]

S.L. Viehl (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bio Rescue | Publication Date: August 2, 2005

Lieutenant Dair mu T'resa heads a squadron of SEAL (surgically enhanced/altered lifeform) pilots responsible for the security of the quadrant containing her home world of Kevarzangia Two. She finds a new calling in life as an interstellar paramedic leading the first Bio Rescue team. But the entire project faces opposition from a lupine species with a hatred for native 'Zangians like Dair...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Peace may not rule the planets, but love does steer the stars, or at least the characters, in this earnest tale of space medical rescue. Viehl (Eternity Row, etc.) presents another strong female lead, Jadaira mu T'resa, a patrol commander who switches from combat to medevac work to save refugees fleeing an interstellar war, set in the author's StarDoc universe. Working to save lives, Jadaira still finds conflicts, as her people, the aquatic 'Zangians, are culturally accustomed to abandoning their wounded rather than staying nearby where predators will gather. To honor her terran heritage, the modified, half-human Jadaira takes on the task of ferrying doctors in and patients out of dangerous situations, all while struggling with bureaucratic plots, leftover space minefields and the amorous and envious interests of both her orphaned second-in-command, Onkar, and a refugee religious leader, Rushan Amariah, of the lupine Skartesh. Love, like war, crosses species boundaries, although the most explicit scenes do stay within kind. The focus remains on the interpersonal much more than the interstellar, and the book exudes an enthusiastic naïveté that forgives the occasional overly convenient asteroid belt. The strong romance elements, along with the general youth of the characters (Jadaira loses her virginity), will appeal to young adult SF fans.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

A military crew running planetary patrols rescues a ship of refugee lupine land-dwellers called the Skartesh. The refugees seem more than that, though, for there is evidence that their ship carried an explosive rigged to blow up if they landed. The rescue scotched that. The commander of the rescuers, Dair Mu T'resa, belongs to a basically aquatic race that disdains rescues, but she is basically altruistic. Dair tries to be friendly with the Skartesh, going so far as to teach one, Shan, to swim, which causes a number of problems, for Shan is supposedly a prophet whose destiny is to return the Skartesh to their desert world and restore its water through an ultimate sacrifice. Also, the Skartesh have a taboo against so much as talking to non-Skartesh. The book's strength lies in the aquatic nature of the main species in it (though they are slowly evolving toward amphibiousness) and the issues of interspecies interaction that it raises. Regina Schroeder
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Roc (August 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451460081
• ISBN-13: 978-0451460080
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 3.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,485,068 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Kevarzangian Style Romance, July 7, 2004

By 

Arthur W. Jordin (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bio Rescue (Hardcover)

Bio Rescue is the first novel in a new sequence within the StarDoc universe. In previous volumes, the planet Kevarzangia Two (K-2) has established their independence from Earth and joined the Allied League as an autonomous planet. One of the consequences of this changed political relationship with Earth is the planetary obligation to provide for the common defense, including spatial defense.

In this novel, Commander Jadaira mu T'resa is the leader of a squadron of strafer craft flying a routine patrol which encounters a passenger freighter caught within a Hsktskt displacer blockade. The vessel is leaving a wide debris trail, but refuses assistance from the K-2 ships. Dair rescues the vessel anyway.

The pilot of the damaged vessel is Rushan Amariah, a religious personage among the Skartesh. His people are refugees from their own home world, which was rendered uninhabitable by the Hsktskt. Shan, as the Salvager, is thought to be the long prophesied savior of the Skartesh people, destined to lead them back to a restored home world.

The Skartesh are not well liked by other groups on K-2. They are often referred to as the Skittish due to their habit of avoiding physical contact with other species. Moreover, they have been gathering in enclaves on K-2 for some time and have been bringing political and legal pressure on the government to forward their own goals. They are also hydrophobic, sweat heavily in the damp climate on K-2, are prone to a fur disease somewhat like mange, and have the custom of urinating on each other. Thus, many individuals of other species are repelled by their appearance and stench.

In this story, Dair and Shan have a complicated relationship, mixing a certain amount of appeal with a great deal of repulsion. Just to make their relationship more complicated, Dair's second in command, Lieutenant Onkar, has selected her as his future mate. Sometimes Dair finds herself barely able to keep Onkar from killing Shan (and other times she herself is filled with killing rage at the Skarkesh).

Normally Dair and Shan would have little to do with each other, for Dair is a native Kevarzangian, an amphibious species who spend most of their time underwater. However, Dair and the rest of her squadron are SEALs (Surgically Enhanced/Altered Lifeforms), with bodies modified to allow them to spend much longer intervals away from the sea while on patrol.

Dair, however, is even more modified, for she had almost died with her mother after the Core infection attacked the pregnant female. Dair's mother held on to life long enough to expel Jadaira from her body, but the premature infant was kept alive only by the urgent efforts of the Terran scientist Teresa Selmar. Using available Terran biomass to supplement the immature 'Zangian organs and other body parts, Teresa created a very humanoid body for Dair.

Teresa provides a strong contrast with Dr. Joseph Grey Veil in the StarDoc series. Both saved a child's life by dint of heroic biosurgical intervention, but Doctor Grey Veil considered that such effort made Cherijo his possession. Teresa, however, felt that her efforts made Dair her responsibility. She formed a close emotional attachment to the young 'Zangian and then to the father, Dairatha; eventually Teresa became Dair's stepmother.

This story presents a series of cultural conflicts between the 'Zangians and the other species on the planet. For example, 'Zangians never try to save their injured, for the slightest trace of blood in the waters causes the sea raptors to congregate in a feeding frenzy, so the concept of a medical rescue service is a puzzlement to most of the natives. Indeed, they see little need for medicine itself.

The 'Zangians are not only puzzled by the Skartesh, but also downright offended by their mores and customs. How can they trust something that is afraid of water? Some of this confusion comes from the wide differences between a desert mammal and a deep sea amphibian, but there are also severe conflicts in religious attitudes, for the 'Zangians have little in the way of an organized religion while the Skartesh are governed by their religious authorities.

This new duology promises to be very entertaining, for social conflicts and misunderstandings abound and the Hsktskt are always waiting in the wings to tide over the dull spots. The author is not among the greats of the field, but she does keeps the reader's attention throughout the book. Hopefully this storyline will expand to more than two volumes.

Recommended for Viehl fans and for anyone else who enjoys light tales of humans and exotic aliens living together in turbulent, conflicted, yet hopeful relationships within a very mixed society.

-Arthur W. Jordin

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better and Better, July 28, 2004

By 

Elaine C McTyer "avid reader" (Dawson, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bio Rescue (Hardcover)

That surely describes the novels of S L Viehl.

BIO RESCUE is set in the same universe as STARDOC. Some of our favorite characters from STARDOC are in this one. The native species of K-2 are aquatic. But to tell you the truth I couldn't tell the difference from humans in their attitudes and ways.

That is one of the things I love about her books, these are people just like us. The way she writes reminds me of some of my favorite Andre Norton books.

Dair is a young female who has been augmented and changed in body sculpture so she can fly space fighters. In her case it was not a matter of choice, but one of life and death. Before she was born her mother's body and her's were severely damaged by the Core. A life form on this planet. Her mother died.

Onkar has lived as a rogue for most of his life. When he saves two young pups he is invited to join the Coastal Pod. He becomes second in command after Dair, of the pilot pod. You never forget that they are aquatic but you consider them friends and come to care very much for all the characters in this book.

NOt only are there dangers on their world, but even more dangers in the stars. This is such an intriging world and the politics and military plots are not subtle.

This is an adventure, I couldn't put it down. From complex relationships to the simple idea of death and renewal, we are caught in a story that touches your heart and mind. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good way to spend an afternoon.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars S. L. Viehl could do a lot better, August 17, 2004

By 

Marilyn Fisken (Brier, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bio Rescue (Hardcover)

Just finished this book, but it was a struggle to do so. Very boring in parts, confusing in a lot of others. Supposedly about an ocean race who go on medical evacuations of lost or wounded space ships. Hardly any "medical" however, and Dair seems very wishy-washy in many situations with pursuing males of two species.This is the type of "romance" where the strong, agressive males overpower the females, who finally "swoon" at their advances.Not up to her usual - plus, too much emphasis on religion and last minute miraculous saves of various characters. Not recommended.