Customer Reviews

The Crimson Claw (Lucasfilm's Alien Chronicles)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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"The Crimson Claw" is impressive and I enjoyed it a lot. Israi, Ampris and Elrabin embark on new adventures and lives as they painfully grow up to the realities of a crumbling Viis Empire. Well, maybe Elrabin and Ampris are rejoicing that fact, but Israi as the new Kaa or Imperial Mother is in danger. I can't wait to read "The Crystal Eye" and I hope it comes soon to my small area!

This book is very good.I can't wait to read the next book,sadly I can't find it anywhere.:-(I'll find it though.

The Crimson Claw picks up near where The Golden One left off, with Ampris now fighting in the gladiatorial circuit, from Viisymel to Mynchepop to Shrazak Ohr. Ampris has turned from a soft, pampered imperial pet to a tough-as-nails, battle-hardened warrior with blood on her hands. Forced to fight in the circuit, she eventually crosses paths with Elrabin, her brief acquaintance from the previous novel, and reaffirms her desire for freedom for the abiru from the oppression of the Viis.

Out of the trilogy, The Crimson Claw is the most action-packed and twisting; many times, you wonder how a character is going to get out of this mess or that mess, or how Ampris will succeed in her dreams, or how things could get any worse - or, at times, any better. Though at times Ampris's undying faith in the good of sentient beings will make you want to hit her over the head, all in all it is refreshing to see this sort of characterization, coupled with a primal side that turns her into a cold-blooded killer when the time is right, in modern novels. Elrabin is still as cowardly yet street-smart as ever, and from time to time one is able to see both the good and the bad, not only of the Viis in general, but of Israi herself. Her vanity and chunen desires have turned her into a ruthless, though still three-dimensional, character whom you equally despise and adore, if only for her mastery of language and lies.

The book's pace never drags, and characterization never falters. Hints and foreshadowing run rampant, though you likely will not pick up on them until after the third novel is completed. A must read for any lover of The Golden One, and a definite read for any lover of science fiction, fantasy, action, or adventurer. Or, better yet, all four.

The Alien Chronicles by Deborah Chester are among the finest books I have ever read. The journey that the characters undergo is so epic and far-reaching that once you experience them, you will feel as though you have lived an entire life within this alien universe. The characters are well-defined, rich and provocative. The story itself is so much more than what it seems to be. Even though those living within these tales are fantasy species with abnormal customs, they are so unbelievably human. The trilogy revolves around the quest for freedom. The abiru -- a race of slaves who possess no rights whatsoever -- are considered greatly lesser than their Viis superiors. They are beaten, sold and killed at the whim of their owners, echoing the horror of our own history of human slavery. The oppression of the Viis leads to in-fighting and betrayal amongst the abiru, making it nearly immpossible to trust another untouchable. But even amongst this reign of distrust lies the hope of long-lasting, beautiful frienships -- as demonstrated by the wily Kelth thief (Elrabin) and the lovely and powerful Auron pet/gladiator (Ampris). The bond that develops between them is almost instantaneous even though it takes Elrabin years to realize how much Ampris means to him. They share a sort of unrequited platonic love. Unrequited in that it's not what they say to each other but what they do for each other. There are also strong antagonists, from the fear driven mad-gladiator Ylea to the tempermental spoiled sri-Kaa Israi (whose ascension to power is far from pretty). She is such a fantastically written villian that you will find yourself wanting to jump inside the book and slap her silly. The decisions she and those before her make in regards to the abiru are often times disturbing and haunting. (The period Ampris spends in the medical testing facility of Vaas Vess is particularly horrifying.) In summation, this book she be heralded as so much more than dime store science/fiction. It should be placed among books such as 1984 and Animal Farm. I know I will be recommending this book to everyone I meet henceforth. Even those who would never think of picking up a science fiction novel. Deborah Chester should be lauded immensely.

Deborah Chester's "Crimson Claw" is a sci-fi novel with a definite historical feel to it. While the story was about the conflict between the slave races and the master race,set on a different planet in a different time, I always got the feeling I was reading about the Gladiators of the Roman Empire. This is not a negative criticism, just that the story had a very real flavor to it.

Additionally just about all her characters seem very real and that is disturbing. I found it very difficult to hate most of her bad/evil character because she gave them so much dept. And it made a lot of their motivations very understandable. Chester has a knack for getting into all her characters heads and while the story is about Ampris, it could have also been about Elrabin, Israi, or the Kaa.

Surprisingly however, two minor characters who play a big part in the book get the short shrift. Halehl, her trainer we really know nothing about. And an early antagonist Sheri, her early bunk

mate, who I kept expecting to see in the ring.

One thing that bothered me was that Ampris's team "The Blues" were supposed to be the reigning arena champions, but they cheated big time in a number of ways. Chester gave little attention to the possibility that they could or would ever get caught. At one point in the book Halehl threatens to sell Ampris, but the thought that Ampris might reveal their cheating techniques never comes up.

Another thing that is not clear is why is the Viis empire crumbling. Sure they are not fixing things, the economy is collapsing and they are a ruthless race. But why? Their motivations for allowing all this to happen boggles my mind. Perhaps it will be more explained in the last book.

Minor quibbles' thou. The book is a very quick read and completely engrossing. And after you are finished you will want more. A book kinda sorta similar to this book is McCaffrey's "Freedom Landing" trilogy. However while that book purports to be about runaway earth slaves from a master alien race, it is really a book about colonization.

lewis@qnet.com

Better than the first in the trilogy, I read this book in two sittings. This book focuses on both Ampris and the Sri-Kaa, but I found myself growing bored with the scenes of palace intrigue which interrupt the more-compelling Ampris story line. The Viis empire starts to fall apart towards the end of this end of this novel, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion in the third book. My only other complaints are that the rescue scene at the end of the book felt rather contrived, and that too many scenes are left without detail, where depictions of gore and trauma would have made for a more vivid picture, at the risk of making the book unsuitable for younger readers.

The appeal of this book to me is that it has surprising depth. On the surface it is an entertaining and captivating tale full of neat characters comprised of many different species, which appeals to my love of science fiction and fantasy. But the underlying plot is one of struggle, and highlights the differences between the priveleged classes and the slave races that serve their needs and desires. Most of the slaves have accepted their fates and desire only to survive their situations with a minimum of abuse. I love Ampris's character because she refuses to accept what she knows to be wrong, and chooses to fight for her beliefs. Like George Orwell's '1984', I am reminded how easy it is for the masses to accept substandard living conditions while the priveleged few enjoy all of the luxuries. Even though the masses have the power to change things, they lack the faith to believe it.

The Crimson Claw reminds us to "Never say die!" Where there is desire, there is hope. Ampris has her eyes open and has a strong desire for freedom. I have to believe that she will find it for herself, and in the process, for all the enslaved races. I anxiously await the next book!

There are some places that had me going "Wow!" but overall it was not as good as the first book.

I have a bad habit of reading books out of order. The reason being my local library doesn't contain certain volumes. Even though, I started with this volume I felt as though I didn't miss a beat. When reading this book I felt that this world is waiting to be discovered and I have to say I'm proud to be one of the few that discovered it. Ms Chester has a unique way of drawing you in and wow, I felt like I was in entirely different universe which separated itself from anything out there. The whole infrastructure of the Viis empire and community was interesting. The Viis being superior to any race out there gave you an understanding of how Ambris felt. She felt supressed and seeking out a way for every race to feel equal. Even though she was a slave turned famous gladiator she stayed true to who she was and what she believed. No mattered what had happened to her especially when she gave birth to genetically experimented children she still believed in the greater good of things. Everything in this book shows how Debra Chester had great depth of knowledge of this universe. So now goes on my search for part one and part three.

I you like books that get you hooked this is one of them. You enter a new world with strange creatures. But it is writen well enough that you can almost see the creatures. This book is about a strange creature called Ampris who is forced to fight as a gladiator. Many of the fights are described including her last one were she makes a life changing mistake, in her fight for piece and freedom...