Customer Reviews

Lanterns Over Demner

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

 

 

Although this book seems to be the first by this author, it's a pretty solid effort.

It seems to me that writing a satisfying mystery story would be difficult enough, but add to that the equally difficult demands of writing a believable science-fiction story, and the task seems daunting indeed.

Ms. Kagan tackles the task with great gusto, and by and large does well.

For the science fiction fan, there are a corps of telepaths, and two distinctive planets, each with its own alien race (as different from one another as each is from the humans who are the major characters).

For the mystery fan, there is murder, smuggling, and kidnapping.

There are also many interesting characters and unique action scenes, and enough startling plot twists to hold interest to the end.

It was a little slow getting started, with the first quarter of the book largely composed of lengthy flashbacks. But stay with it. The pace picks up very quickly after that. Think of that first quarter of the book as the long slow climb at the start of a roller coaster ride.

The ending seems to imply that the author plans more books set in the same universe, if not necessarily with the same characters. I look forward to them.

Fans of science fiction and/or murder mystery will love LANTERNS OVER DEMNER. This fast-paced book blends technical innovation along with the idiosyncracies and personal qualities of human beings to tell its story. Agents from Earth's Special Forces Council are dispatched to Planet Dauropa after receiving word that a fellow Councilman has been found dead. The agents encounter Governor Eccles, the sultry Hawken Eccles, mystical Wendnagel, Free Trader Tennyson, suave Renate Ramon y Cabal, and others.

The plot thickens with psychic overtones, political intrigue, romance, and modern mindgames. The agents become involved with smugglers and alien creatures from the Planet Julag as they travel through the universe in an attempt to uncover the truth. Readers bond with the various characters as they weave their way through this well-written novel.

Can the Special Forces Council maintain their health and sanity and solve the mystery? Will they discover the secret surrounding the stolen cargo?

Dale A Kagan's debut novel will delight younger and older readers. Get it for yourself or give it as a gift.

I have tried to read LANTERNS OVER DEMNER three times over the past two years, and find the book completely baffling. There is so little characterization of the numerous players in the story that I found myself not caring in the slightest about any of them or their goals. It is a relatively thin book, and looks as if it suffered badly at the hands of a merciless editor: What remains has no beauty in the writing, no substance to the characters, no atmosphere to the setting, no philosophical underpinning to the motives, and nothing to catch and hold this readers interest. Or maybe it wasn't there in the beginning. The prose is telegraphic, dry and dense, and more work to read than most collegiate textbooks. Every time I turned a page it seemed there were new characters to keep track of, and eventually I became hopelessly lost just trying to keep track of all the minutiae. I'm sorry Ms. Kagan, but the book reads more like a technical document than novel, and the LAST thing I would want to do is impose this book on my friends. For personal reasons, I really wanted to read and enjoy this book--yes, I was biased in its favor from the start--but now I think I'd have more fun scouring my sink.

This is a great book for a brand new writter. It will hold you from start to finish.

Fans of science fiction or murder mystery will love LANTERNS OVER DEMNER. This fast-paced book blends technical innovation and the idosyncratic personal qualities of human beings to tell its story. Agents from Earth's Special Forces Council are dispatched to Earth-colonized Planet Dauropa after after receiving word that a fellow Councilman has been found dead. Councilwoman Lim and her son Pasha encounter Governor Eccles, the sultry Hawken Eccles, mystical Wendnagel, Free Trader Tennyson, suave Renate Ramon y Cabal, and others.

The plot thickens as psychic overtones, political intrigue, romance, and modern mindgames weave their way through this well-written novel. The investigating agents become involved with smugglers and alien creatures from the Planet Julag in their efforts to uncover the truth. The action shifts among several locations in the universe as the reader bonds with the characters present in each locale.

Can the Special Forces Council members maintain their health and sanity and solve the mystery? Will they discover the secret surrounding the stolen cargo?

Dale A. Kagan's debut novel will delight younger and older readers. Get it for yourself or give it as a gift.

Fans of science fiction or murder mystery will love LANTERNS OVER DEMNER. This fast-paced book blends technical innovation and the idosyncratic personal qualities of human beings to tell its story. Agents from Earth's Special Forces Council are dispatched to Earth-colonized Planet Dauropa after after receiving word that a fellow Councilman has been found dead. Councilwoman Lim and her son Pasha encounter Governor Eccles, the sultry Hawken Eccles, mystical Wendnagel, Free Trader Tennyson, suave Renate Ramon y Cabal, and others.

The plot thickens as psychic overtones, political intrigue, romance, and modern mindgames weave their way through this well-written novel. The investigating agents become involved with smugglers and alien creatures from the Planet Julag in their efforts to uncover the truth. The action shifts among several locations in the universe as the reader bonds with the characters present in each locale.

Can the Special Forces Council members maintain their health and sanity and solve the mystery? Will they discover the secret surrounding the stolen cargo?

Dale A. Kagan's debut novel will delight younger and older readers. Get it for yourself or give it as a gift.