Hunted [Hardcover]

james gardner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2000

For the children of Admiral Alexander York, perfection wasn't just expected, it was guaranteed - written into their DNA before they were born. But while Samantha grew into the physical and mental marvel their father had bought and paid for, her twin brother Edward proved a disappointment. His body was just as perfect as hers, but his brain was less than brilliant.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 327 pages
• Publisher: Harper Collins; First Edition edition (2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0739411705
• ISBN-13: 978-0739411704
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,816,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Science Fiction Adventure, August 2, 2000

By 

Renee Brosius - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hunted (League of Peoples, Bk. 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

As the book "Hunted" begins, Edward York is leaving an isolated moonbase around the planet Troyen and, he thinks, finally going home. He is so happy to be leaving, he doesn't question the circumstances of the sudden reprieve from exile. After twenty years away from the rest of civilization, he is having enough trouble simply coping with the flood of attention from the ship's women. But the ship that rescues him never gets to take him home. Instead, Edward finds his innocent ride home was not so innocent at all, and he is suddenly thrown right back into the heart of the intrigue and politics he thought he'd left behind twenty years before. In those days, Edward served as the bodyguard to his genetically perfect, diplomat sister, Samantha-the only job he could get since HIS genetic engineering inexplicably failed to provide him with the intelligence his sister received. When a diplomatic mission to Troyen, the homeworld of the Mandasars, went sour and erupted in civil war, Samantha was killed and Edward banished to an isolated moon outpost by his Admiral father. Edward is convinced this is because his father blames him for his sister's death, and is embarrassed by his "retarded idiot son". With little to do over the past twenty years other than wallow in guilt over his sister's death and contemplate his father's contempt for him, Edward's self esteem is practically nonexistent. He considers himself ill prepared to take on the tasks he is faced with after he leaves the moonbase. But with the help of Admiral Festina Ramos and a collection of Explorers and amusing aliens, Edward will find himself trying to unravel a conspiracy that began twenty years before and that is the source of strife on Troyen . I loved this book. It keeps a brisk pace and the plot is full of surprise twists and turns. Gardner's universe, the same as in other "Expendable" books, is richly-detailed and full of colorful aliens, interesting technologies, and complex politics. The book's characters are wonderful. I always like to cheer for the noble underdog and Edward York is a fabulous character. He is completely convinced of his own uselessness at the opening of the book, yet decency and bravery are so much the core of his personality, the reader cannot help but like him. As the book progresses, he begins to realize that perhaps he is more than just Admiral York's "retarded idiot son". He gains confidence, but never loses his decency. Festina Ramos, familiar to readers of Gardner's other Expendable books, makes a capable and interesting partner for Edward. There is a host of secondary characters that are also very entertaining; I particularly enjoyed Tobit, the wisecracking Explorer who accompanies Edward and Festina to Troyen. If the primary characters in "Hunted" were not so good, the book would still be enjoyable simply because of Gardner's well-developed alien species. Gardner knows how to create believable and well-drawn alien people. The Mandasars become people that you are able to really care about rather than just discard as cardboard curiosities. He even manages to make the Balrog, a sentient moss with a rather malicious and twisted sense of humor, believable. It is not necessary to have read Gardner's other books to be able to follow this one. After reading this excellent offering, I certainly will read the rest of his books now. Highly recommended.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars He saved the best for last but it took a while to get there!, September 7, 2000

By 

Hank Schwartz "banjo & SciFi" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hunted (League of Peoples, Bk. 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

If you LOVE Gardner's female protagonist Festina Ramos (as I do) you'll LIKE "Hunted".

I found this book pleasant but somewhat slow going until I approached the end where it picked me up and kept me up!

Gardner again introduces us to several fascinating and well realized alien races, the Balrog and the Mandasars, and he expertly weaves the thought provoking relationships between them and our questionably "human" race.

A basic question posed in different ways throught the story is "what does it mean to be used by others"? Is it always bad; can it be beneficial to both parties. We are constantly used in our "normal" contemporary Earthly lives by the organizations that we work for, that we join, that provide us information and necessary professional services. In this complex tale Gardner brings that question to it's ultimate expression.

I continue to be fascinated by Gardner's skill as a writer and as a creator of tangible and sensible realities that include a wonderful panoply of possible different beings. I liked "Expendable" more than "Hunted", but I will surely continue to read everything that Gardner generously puts out for our entertainment and deep consideration.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Expect a good story and get it!, July 9, 2000

By 

Tatianna - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hunted (League of Peoples, Bk. 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read all of Mr. Gardner's previous novels, always coming away feeling as if his characters are people I know. Or will come across at any moment in my life. Edward York is different, not the razor wit people come to expect from a main character. Inherently decent and honorable, he is caught up in some of the horrific circumstances anyone could be expected to face. Anyone with a fully functional intelligence would be excused for going a little crazy, but Edward who had always been put down by his powerful father and treated like an amusing pet by his spectacular twin sister IS the main character. Along with James Gardener's ever popular Festina Ramos, Edward has to get to the bottom of the cover-up he was never supposed to be smart enough to detect. Murder, betrayal, fear and confusion have all been woven by Mr. Gardner into one incredibly entertaining story. I am looking forward to the next book already. :)