MUTANT STAR [Mass Market Paperback]

Karen Haber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1992

With the entire world about to change, Alanna, Julian, and Rick, three young mutants living among the humans on Earth, hold onto hope for the coming of the mutant messiah.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Spectra (January 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 055329492X
• ISBN-13: 978-0553294927
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,596,497 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars New, brattier Mutants recycle the same old plot, September 15, 2001

By 

Dave Deubler (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: MUTANT STAR (Mass Market Paperback)

Volume three of the four volume Mutant Saga opens 25 years after the events of Mutant Prime. Many of the characters from the first two books are still here, but they're overshadowed by their children and really don't have much impact in this story. But without the background from Mutant Season, the entire concept of an insular strain of esp-powered mutants would probably be very confusing, as would the complex family relationships. This time around, the focus is on Melanie's twins, Julian and Rick. Julian is the good son, mutant-powered, engaged in a scientific study to see if the mutants' mental flares can be used to predict the future, and simultaneously trying to make time with his brilliant but older boss, Eva. Rick is the wild and angry son, possessing none of the precious mutant powers. Reckless and irresponsible, his relationship with Skerry and Narlydda's daughter Alanna is the core of this book.

As the Mutant Saga switches to the next generation, the overall story seems to run out of steam just a bit. The plot of Star is really very similar to that of Prime, and one wonders how much it would have hurt the larger work if one of these novels had never been published. Certainly Haber has a real gift with characterization, and that carries these books despite their weaknesses, but by virtually ignoring the characters from the previous volumes and featuring their children instead, Haber loses the benefit of our long-term emotional investment. Readers who have grown to care about Michael and Kelly may find themselves indifferent or worse to the spoiled brats who star in this novel. Couple this with a plot that doesn't so much climax as kind of fizzle out, and we have what is surely the weakest book of the series (so far). One can only hope that the final volume, Mutant Legacy, will punch up some of the lamer plot points and feature enough new ideas to bring the series back up to the high level of Mutant Season once again.