Customer Reviews

Bio Rescue

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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.

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.

First of all, I am a huge StarDoc fan, so when I first started reading Bio Rescue I felt a little let down. Don't let that feeling stop you from finishing Bio Rescue. I had to take some time to adjust to the POV of a new species, but once I did that, I flew through the book and wound out enjoying it immensely.

Jadaira is a `Zangian, an aquatic species that lives in the vast oceans on the plant nicknamed K-2 (StarDoc fans will remember this planet), who was genetically altered after her birth in order to save her life. But because the Pod rejects deformed pups, Dr. Teresa Selmar used human DNA in order to save Jadaira as a pup when Jadaira's `Zangian mother died. So Jadaira is different from the rest of her Pod.

She is also a very skilled Pilot, and along with her fellow SEAL's, (Surgically Enhanced/Altered Life-Form) agrees to become part of the new Bio-Rescue program launched by Dr. William Mayer and Administrator Ana Hansen. Jadaira shows off her skills as a pilot right off the bat when she saves a transport full of Skartesh, a wolf-like race with bizarre habits that make them disliked by most other species.

In spite of their differences Jadaira befriends the leader of the Skartesh, Rushan Amariah, unwittingly stirring up the jealously of her second-in-command, Lieutenant Onkar. Viehl paints Onkar so typically male in this story that even though he is a `Zangian like Jadaira, you couldn't help but love his masculinity and disdain his arrogance.

Jadaira has her hands full with leading the Bio Rescue unit, teaching the Skartesh to be more accepting of other races, trying to pacify her human mother Teresa, and doing all she can to dodge the insistent Onkar.

Bio Rescue has a fast paced storyline with an incredible ending, so tuck away your StarDoc novels for now and give Jadaira and the `Zangians a whirl. Enjoy!

I'm not going to gush about it. It was OK. Good for a lazy summer afternoon. There were slow bits, and there were annoying bits. The motives of Dair's mother would have been something I'd have prefered to have been explored more. The ending was rather impossible, and I get the vibe that it was rather spontaneous, sort of "Gee, I need to end this..."

Wait for paperback or get it from the library. It's not entirely worth the money for hardback.

Dair was saved at birth by Teresa, her human stepmother, doing a radical surgical procedure that combined Terran and 'Zangian DNA. Now grown Commander Dair heads up a squadron of SEAL (surgically enhanced/altered life-form) pilots. Kevarzangia Two "K-2" is the planet where Cherijo Grey Veil (StarDoc series) saved Dair's race from the Core plague. The 'Zangians are aquatic forms that thrive in the seas of K-2. When on land, Dair and her team uses lungs. When in the sea, they collapse the lungs and use gills. However, they cannot ever leave the sea for long.

Dair and her squadron provide planetary patrol for the Pmoc Quadrant. Soon they agree to team up with medical personnel as a Bio Rescue unit. They respond to off-planet emergencies. But there is opposition in the forms of Onkar, her lieutenant who is overly Alpha Male, some council members, and a lupine alien species on land. Who knew that simply piloting a medical rescue team could cause so much trouble?

***** An awesome beginning to what could easily become a series of stories involving Dair and those around her. However, as a stand alone title, it is just as superb as this author's earlier release called "Blade Dancer".

This novel catches the reader on page ONE and refuses to release the imagination until the last page has been turned. I simply cannot recommend this title highly enough. BRAVA! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

These books and the Stardoc novels that preceded them are all very well written. I enjoy Viehl's character building and plot-lines. These are books I can't put down, which makes it difficult to get work done. The main character has so far always been a very strong female character who is willing to sacrifice everything over and over for the values she believes in, yet they aren't ever "perfect" people and they have their faults. Viehl builds great alien characters, which I think is a lot more challenging than we non-writers might appreciate. Building multiple cultures that are distinctive for each race has got to be difficult but I feel like if I ever ran into a member from one of the species in her books, I would know how to avoid giving offense.

The only negative for me in Viehl's books, including Bio Rescue, is that, for some reason her strong, independent female leads always seem to get themselves into relationships with males who are domineering, repressive personalities who continually do things the women don't want done "for their own good" and in the name of love. For example, Dair, the female lead of Bio Rescue mates with someone who them immediately demands she resign her military position. He continues to undermine her authority as commander of their flight team, even escalating his efforts after they mate. He blackmails her when she's been kicked out of the military and exiled from her people, promising to restore both to her if she will agree to be his mate for life. And she agrees!!! WHAT'S UP WITH THAT!?!?!?! This patronizing, superior attitude rubs me the wrong way but what really throws me is that these women accept this behavior and allow it. They submit to it. I wish strong women could find partners who respected their strengths WITHOUT trying to diminish them. I've read all of Viehl's SF books, and this one facet reemerges over and over and it's frustrating. The funny thing is that most of these women start out with someone who is much more open minded and respectful, and willing to view them as equals, but something invariable happens to them...

Anyway, I still like these books and highly recommend them for an entertaining and engaging read.

Another book that I picked up in an airport book stand, where selection is limited, I'll admit up-front that this isn't something I'd normally gravitate towards. I haven't read any of the STARDOC series, but this is supposed to fit into the world.

In any case, the story is good and the writing is pleasant; the pages do turn and eventually you arrive at the end. There are some nice ideas here (more could be done with them) and the parts set in the sea have a nice flavor and texture.

On the other hand, several times I also hurled the book away, unhappy with the author's choices.

For starters, the characters are all humans. Well... it says that they're orca-like or dog-like or whatever-like, but they all act and react like humans, which is deeply disconcerting. The inter-species romance stuff is kind of killed by this (imagine a dog mating with a whale for a moment).

The cover story--ostensibly this is about the whale-like aliens piloting a rescue service in space--isn't really to focus of the plot, which is really about various plots and subplots involving the main character, Dair, and those around her. The ending--phooey--is very abbreviated, which is really what leads me to be so hard on the book now.

Overall, a pleasant, diverting read, but definitely beach fare.

Dair was saved at birth by Teresa, her human stepmother, doing a radical surgical procedure that combined Terran and 'Zangian DNA. Now grown Commander Dair heads up a squadron of SEAL (surgically enhanced/altered life-form) pilots. Kevarzangia Two "K-2" is the planet where Cherijo Grey Veil (StarDoc series) saved Dair's race from the Core plague. The 'Zangians are aquatic forms that thrive in the seas of K-2. When on land, Dair and her team uses lungs. When in the sea, they collapse the lungs and use gills. However, they cannot ever leave the sea for long.

Dair and her squadron provide planetary patrol for the Pmoc Quadrant. Soon they agree to team up with medical personnel as a Bio Rescue unit. They respond to off-planet emergencies. But there is opposition in the forms of Onkar, her lieutenant who is overly Alpha Male, some council members, and a lupine alien species on land. Who knew that simply piloting a medical rescue team could cause so much trouble?

***** An awesome beginning to what could easily become a series of stories involving Dair and those around her. However, as a stand alone title, it is just as superb as this author's earlier release called "Blade Dancer".

This novel catches the reader on page ONE and refuses to release the imagination until the last page has been turned. I simply cannot recommend this title highly enough. BRAVA! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

This is a difficult book to review because it was both boring - at times you want to hop out and push start the storyline - and good. S.L. Viehl creates such an interesting world you are intrigued to see where it is going, you just wish it would go faster.

Set in the StarDoc universe but with different characters etc it certainly investigates some interesting cultural conflicts etc

I wouldn't say not buy it, but probably better suited to the more science fiction reader than the fantasy.