Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great and Complex Story, October 3, 2007
This review is from: The Bretton Katt Alliance: The Lorrondon Cycle Book One (Paperback)
The Bretton Katt Alliance by Margaret Garside
A Review by Seth Kerin
A little over four hundred years in the future, many things have stayed the same in the world of The Bretton Katt Alliance. Certainly, there are many new technologies, aliens, new planets and distant colonies, but there is still murder and war and intrigue - just on a larger scale.
The story revolves around the family of Anna Helsak, a crafty politician and matriarch who throws the proverbial monkey wrench into just about everything for her own personal aims. The rest of her family consists of an array of characters, some who are strong and independent, and others who seem to pander to the will of their mother. Throw into the mix the interesting human-but-not-quite-human alien, Rusorin - Anna's former friend - and Rusorin's life-long cat and mouse game with a powerful enemy, and you have all the ingredients for a riveting novel of political and familial intrigue.
Like many good books, The Bretton Katt Alliance starts out a bit slow. There's an awful lot of layers of family background and strife to sift through, but the pseudo-family tree at the beginning makes the task less daunting.
The characters are all well fleshed out, each with their own unique motivations and goals. Some have grandiose plans, while others are content with their lives, but each have their part to play in the tale. As a fellow English major, I can particularly relate to one of the primary characters, Rob, and his annoyance with people who ask him how he plans to make a living as an English major. Many of the younger students reminded me a great deal of the student resistance in Les Miserables, talking the talk, but quickly realizing that things change fast when violence ensues.
At times I found myself wishing for a little more sci-fi-ness, as the future presented is very familiar and it was easy to forget that the novel is set more than four hundred years ahead. That is a minor personal quirk, however, and overall I greatly enjoyed The Bretton Katt Alliance, and I am looking forward to part two.
I would highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a good read and an engrossing story.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good book! Interesting, entertaining, and unpredictable., November 14, 2007
This review is from: The Bretton Katt Alliance: The Lorrondon Cycle Book One (Paperback)
Margaret Garside's intriguing family saga opens in another world on the planet Bowman IV, one of twelve unstable planets under one government. The story slowly gains momentum with exquisite details and family accountings backed by reader-friendly references. Favorite and not-so-favorite characters quickly emerge from two diverse cultures, the Terrans and Neorans. The character, Anna Lorrondon-Helsak a Neoran, is the relative we don't want, but all know someone like, who wrestles with good versus evil and might sell out for the right gain. But is war worth her goal? Soon, I was immersed in blackmail, murder and conspiracy delivered through well-crafted, lively dialog and uncluttered, easy to read writing that moved the plot along at a comfortable pace. I don't want to give away a couple of my favorite aspects of the book, but will say that I liked the motto of the city of Bretton Katt, and also their library! While reading, I began to think that this would make an awesome audio book. I would love to hear the story read with all the emotions and inflections. I look forward to seeing where Margaret Garside takes these characters in the next installment in The Bretton Katt Alliance series.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
And Book Two is due out when?, October 22, 2007
This review is from: The Bretton Katt Alliance: The Lorrondon Cycle Book One (Paperback)
Though classified as science fiction, The Bretton Katt Alliance has all the feel of a high fantasy. While aliens and space travel abound, they are secondary to the epic fantasy feel of this story. On a fateful January morning in the year 2441, Anna Helsak, Chancellor of the Bowman Pact, puts into play her plan to not only not renew the treaty, but also hand over the Free City of Bretton Katt to her enemies. This decision sparks a chain of events that places her old allies, her family, and her new alliance in jeopardy.
Margaret Garside has written a massive political chess match of sorts, with each character carefully planning his or her respective move. Garside provides intricate details for the inner workings of the governments and organizations in this deadly game, and readers find themselves trying to predict each player's next move. But more important that the political game is the emotional toll the story takes on the characters. Helsak's friend Rusorin struggles to both stop Helsak's plot while trying to understand why she betrayed everyone. She forms an alliance with Helsak's son, Rob Lorrondon. But after Helsak's betrayal can she trust him?
There are a few points early in the book where the story gets bogged down with too many characters, and sorting out everyone's place is a bit cumbersome. But once the reader can assign the mental nametags to everyone, the story begins to flow with a wonderful fluidity.
The Bretton Katt Alliance is Book One of the author's Lorrondon Cycle. Garside does an impressive job of bringing her universe to life, and it should be interesting to see where this series goes.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
