Customer Reviews

The Dawn Star

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

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this futuristic romp through space. Filled with warm and unusual characters, more that a hint of spice, and plain ole fashioned good story telling I anxiously await the next two books in the series. Stobie Piel has proven to me her capacity to find warmth, humour and passion in every situation

The Dawn Star is a quick read (I read it in one sitting), and enjoyable if seen in that light. Do not dig any deeper into the story if you want to enjoy it. Though Ms. Piel tries to make a "rebirth" story for our hero, I felt she fell a bit short of her mark. Everything moves so quickly, that reading the story gets uncomfortable. From what I can pick up, the entire story takes place in about a week, yet there is no way all that happens could possibly happen in that time frame. At one point, our heroine's brother (Dane) is beaten to a pulp, broken ribs and eyes so bruised he can't see, yet the next day he is up and about putting together a spaceship. Or the idea of converting a member from a "subspecies" to act like what passes for royalty whithin a day...mind probe or not. Our hero, Senecca, tries to convert his overweight, scientific people into Martial Arts experts within days, and succedes (never mind the fact that it took him YEARS to accomplish the same thing).

The moral of the story, that you need harmony and balance in life, seemed way too obvious and was pounded continuously into our heads. The Evil Uncle storyline was contrived and only seemed to bog down the story, I think the same story could have been accomplished without this subplot. If you want to read this story as a sci fi light read, its not too bad (especially knowing that there is a sequel in the works), but if you are looking for a saticfying romance read, you might want to look elsewhere.

After reading a short story by Stobie Piel, I went to my UBS and found The Dawn Star. Though I normally avoid fantasy romance, I tried this one (the cover looks suspiciously historical in tone), and I have to say - I loved it! The Dawn Star has a tone which has qualities from both contemporary and historical novels - a rich tapestry of 'otherworld' history, combined with fast-paced dialogue and modern characters. I loved Nisa's strong-will and her underlying dedication to her people, and Seneca was to die for! If you've hesitated before trying a futuristic romance, this is the one to buy!