Customer Reviews

Plague of Memory: A Stardoc Novel

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After Rebel Ice, I swore I wasn't going to buy the next StarDoc novel. I hated it so much- I actually felt a little betrayed, as a loyal reader, that Viehl would ruin one of my favorite series of all time. My feelings toward Rebel Ice haven't changed, but . . . I loved Plague of Memory. In fact, I consider this the best one since Shockball.

In this latest StarDoc novel, Viehl is thankfully back to writing in the first person. There are no surprises, unlike last time, as to which character we're reading about. Cherijo, however, isn't really present in this book. She was basically reborn on Akkabarr with a new personality named Jarn that seems as opposite from Cherijo as she can possibly get. For the first fifty pages or so, I wasn't so sure if I liked the change in personality. I still had some residual anger and I was positive that Jarn was a terrible idea. Pretty quickly, I changed my mind.

In Plague of Memory, Jarn is slowly learning to adjust to a new world with vastly different customs and where she knows no one and everyone knows her. They expect her to act and react in the ways they are used to and hardly listen when she tells them- repeatedly- that Cherijo no longer exists. Meanwhile, the Jorenians receive word that a mysterious plague has stricken a Hskskt planet and that Jarn's help is required. She and her namesake, ChoVa, spent most of the book struggling to find a cure for this plague that utimately causes its victims to be extrememly violent and suicidal.

The other part of the book and, for me because I'm such a romantic, the more interesting part was Jarn's and Duncan's romance and their struggle to come to terms with their marriage. We have the opportunity to see their relationship from Duncan's point of view and we learn that their marriage may not have been as great as it seemed. Ultimately, I ended up hoping Jarn would not get Cherijo's memories back because I didn't want her to revert back to treating Duncan like she had before. In Plague of Memory, S.L. Viehl once again manages to surprise us several times, but thankfully they're all enjoyable surprises. As for the ending, I found it to be a much more satisfying conclusion without the obvious sequel cliffhanger like the last. I truly enjoyed this latest addition to the StarDoc series and I definitely recommend it.

Cherijo is back with husband Duncan and daughter Marel on the Jorenian spacecraft Sunlace, but she's not Cherijo anymore. Her name, she insists, is Jarn, born on the ice world Akkabarr. Traveling on the Sunlace, the Joren must visit the Hsktskt homeworld to cure a plague spreading amongst the barbaric reptilian species that once enslaved her.

The Hsktskt are dying, many at their own hands, as they slowly go crazy from an unknown source. It's up to Cherijo/Jarn to find the cure before time runs out. Complicating her drive to help the Hsktskt are the discriminations against their species, which Jarn doesn't remember.

I still like Viehl's writing, but I don't see any way possible for her to bring Cherijo out of the hole she's dug for one of the most interesting heroine's ever. Cherijo is gone. Viehl destroyed her in the previous StarDoc novel 'Rebel Ice', and rather than bringing her back in 'Plague Of Memories' she's tried to meld the new persona 'Jarn' with the old Cherijo. It didn't work.

In my humble opinion, the only way out of this fiasco is a "Dallas" move, making Rebel Ice and Plague Of Memories a dream and bringing back the heroine we left in book five, 'Eternity Row'. Cherijo was feisty and likable, Jarn is close-minded, combative, subservient, and ... well ... stupid. With the unexpected return of Maggie's presence, plus a plot-weak partial regeneration of both Kao Torin and SrrokVar, this novel felt like it was grasping at the straws of the past to fulfill its future.

The book did flesh out Squilyp's haughty mate, Garphawayn, making me like the female Omorr even more. And, it returned much of Cherijo/Jarn's medical investigations. But overall, there's not much to recommend here. Once again, I find myself waiting for the true return of Cherijo Grey-Veil Torin Reever, and wondering if she can ever be resurrected.

I was very disappointed in this book. Unlike many others, I gave its predecessor - Rebel Ice - a decent review. I felt the story was a good one. I considered it a set-up for major character development of Cherijo Grey Veil. I was looking forward to its sequel and the re-establishment of the original character, with all the dramatic shenanigans that would entail.

Imagine my bafflement - and my rising frustration - to realize this novel was more about establishing the new character of Jarn instead of the slow re-emergence of Cherijo.

Jarn is an obvious set up to foil Cherijo Grey Veil in every possible way. She's unemotional, rigid, simple, cold, predatorial and considers herself to be inferior to the male gender. In short, if you liked the character of Cherijo Grey Veil - which if you've stuck by the series this far, you obviously do - then everything about this character should set your teeth on edge. And it does. She has exactly zero percent of the sympathy, guts, humor,intelligence and dedication of her predecessor. And she is exactly that much fun to read about.

It was horribly disheartening, therefore, that the author is writing as if this character is here to stay. To read characters being forced to acknowledge Cherijo is no more; to call this new person "Jarn" and to regard her completely differently.

Most disturbing is the re-establishment of the relationship with Duncan Reever. The man has always been portrayed as psychologically damaged, part of which manifests as an unhealty attachament to his wife. Now Duncan Reever declares himself loved and in love, at last and fully, with Jarn - no longer Cherijo. And Jarn declares herself full willing to discard other commitments and devote herself to him.

The entire dynamic is what I can only desribe as anti-feminist. The reader can only infer that Duncan Reever was all along more "in love" with controlling his wife than anything else. Given a new mate eager to supplant her desires to his, he is finally content, his "needs" fulfilled now that someone gives him the "attention" he thinks he should have gotten all along.

It's a truly horrifying twist to what was formerly a strong female character. To see this character supplant the old, and for Duncan Reever to fall in love with her is just a slap in the face.

I will also say that I am noticing a common theme in all this author's novels: a very strong romantic component, which has the lead male being controlling and obsessive and the lead female becoming subservient. If you read, for instance, Blade Dancer and BioRescue, it is essentially the same characters under different circumstances. They have all the hallmarks of bad romance novels. It seems S.L. Viehl is turning into the Linda Howard of sci-fi.

Whatever plot was left over in the wake of this, I barely registered. It was very soap-operatic; the clone of an old lover, the reunion with old enemies and the threat of a plaque.

The plot is certainly not what drove this series. It was the characters. So with the old character apparently on the outs and this new distressing doppelganger taking her place, I can't see myself maintaing much more interest.

I will concede, however, among my overwhelming disappointment, there was a bright spot. With the use of a predicatable plot device, some memories of Cherijo Grey Veil did surface, along with some tiny bits of old habits.

So perhaps there is hope.

Plague of Memory is the seventh book in the StarDoc series (in order StarDoc, Beyond Varallan, Endurance, Shockball, Eternity Row, and Rebel Ice). The main character in the series is Dr. Cherijo Torin/Jarn, a bio-engineered, alien tampered human. In Rebel Ice, Cherijo had a "little mishap" and lost her memory among other things. Plague of Memory is the first step in her journey to meld her two pasts together.

A mysterious plague has started on the Hsktskt homeworld of Vtaga and TssVar (StarDoc, Endurance) has requested Cherijo's assistance. Cherijo, Reever, and a team of Jorenians land on the surface and discover that this is not a "normal" disease. The plague itself does not appear to the deadly, but the dementia accompanying it is. Many of the plague victims are committing suicide or harming others. As a last resort, victims are placed in cryogenic sleep, which is not compatible with reptilian physiology. Complicating matters, some outlaws lead by someone who appears to be a Torin lead raids planet-side, Marel keeps running off with her new playmate CaurVar (TssVar's youngest), Maggie is back in her head, and a nasty character last seen in Endurance makes his triumphant return as the villain. Don't you just love space opera, anything goes.

I'm a bit disappointed in the reviews that Plague of Memory and, yes, even Rebel Ice have received. The StarDoc series, in its entirety, is a good, if not great, example of the space opera genre. I can't say for sure, but it seems as if this more space opera series (Anne McCaffrey, Arthur C. Clarke, Frank Herbert, Steven Harper, Karen Traviss, David Weber , Lois McMaster Bujold, Simon R. Green, etc...) is being confused with something more Sci-Fi romance (Linnea Sinclair, C.E. Murphy, S.L. Viehl's Bio Rescue series, Patricia Waddell, Patti O'Shea, etc...). If I was looking for a pure Sci-Fi romance, I'm not sure that I would like this book or Rebel Ice either.

Let me preface this by saying that I am a big fan of SL Viehl's science fiction books. I've bought them all, even the hardcover non-Stardoc ones. I liked Cherijo a lot, and enjoyed the first five books of the series.

And all I can say is, what happened?

Summary: we rejoin Jarn as she struggles to cope with living on the Joren ship with Reever and Marel and everyone who "wants her to be someone she's not". Then a plague erupts on the Hsktskt homeworld and they want Cherijo. Well, of course Jarn goes. Complications (quite contrived--esp appearance of the look-a-like) ensue and 'adventure'...

I'm sorry, but what is the logic of, as an author, taking the character that your readers (and you, yourself) have invested so many books and pages in, and erasing her completely? NOT only that, but then creating such a negative picture of her?

If you haven't read this book yet, I would say measure the decision to carefully. If you are a normal reader--i.e. get connected to the main character, you might be dissapointed. Viehl not only doesn't bring Cherijo back, but she writes a revisionist perspective of Cherijo that will ruin--or at least negatively affect your re-readings of the earlier books. They will for me. You get a side of Duncan never really alluded to in earlier books and a really negative portrayal of their relationship.

Sorry if I sound close-minded, but I LIKED Cherijo. I liked the space doctor. Jarn is... not interesting. But hey, I liked knowing more about Squilyp's mate

I must admit to be being a little let down by this book. I had stopped reading the series after Eternity Row because I was glutting myself on Cherijo and her tribulations, and I just couldn't take another series of bad events happening to this strangely likeable character. I thought Viehl should give the poor girl a break. Well, perhaps I was wrong. After reading Rebel Ice, I was intrigued and thought "Wow, Cherijo on board the Sunlace with no memory, that could be interesting." Well, Cherijo with the Jarn ( and the hell do you pronounce that name anyway? either way its just ugly) personality is boring, confused, subservient and passive/aggressive. I want my Cherijo back!!! Now for the story critique: **SPOILERS FOLLOW** Discovery of what causes the plague is extremely anticlimactic. I'm really getting tired of Marel's unexplained feats of wonder, and the ever present and ever close-mouthed Jxian, Maggie. That whole thing with the HouseClan Torin clone? Trite to the extreme. And if Viehl thought she was giving some insight into Reever, she was wrong. And what's the Cherijo bashing, by Reever. Reever doesn't doubt Cherijo, ok, maybe he does, but he deserves to after all the crap he put her through with no explanation. She did love him though. Their's was the kind of love you had to fight for because as inevitable as it was, it wasn't easy. All in all, the book ended with no resolution. When will Hawk and Qonja become members of HouseClan Reever? When will Cheriho have another child? Did Joseph Grey Veil really die? What's with the Jxians anyway? What happened to Shropana? He wouldn't just give up? The next book better be on and poppin' or Ms. Viehl will be hearing from me. (Yeah, like she's so scared, right?) =+)

I have to explain the depth of my disappointment -- I HATE reading first person novels. Even so, I read the first Stardoc and was hooked. Viehl's Stardoc novels are the only first person books I have completed and I surprised myself by buying more in the series. So you can imagine how disappointed I am to see that Jarn lives on. While I enjoyed the third person format of Rebel Ice, I did not like the characters (Reever is always the exception). Jarn especially is as obnoxious as other reviewers have painted her -- vicious, stubborn, subservient, stupid, cold, unemotional, and withdrawn. Cherijo was obnoxious as well -- stubborn, know-it-all, selfish, and holier-than-thou. But at least with Cherijo, there was some evidence that she could grow as a character. The only growth with Jarn is when she regains some of Cherijo's memories. The love scenes between Reever and Jarn are mechanical and cold -- there is simply no emotion in that character and her "love" for her daughter doesn't seem to be anything more than her duty as a mother. A plea to the author -- kill off Jarn and bring Cherijo back. Please, or I may have to say goodbye to the series.

As the story opens, Dr. Cherijo Torin has returned safely to her ship and been reunited with her husband, Duncan Reever, and her daughter, Marel. However, she has still not regained her memory. She does not remember anything previous to the ship wreck (in the previous book, REBEL ICE). In Cherijo's mind, she is "Jarn". Jarn has been reading Cherijo's journals in hopes of understanding the miraculous things people have been telling her about. Yet Jarn fears recalling her memories at the same time. The person Jarn once was would never have picked up a weapon, much less used it. The new Jarn proudly wears her daggers in plain sight and looks for each person's weakness to exploit rather than listening with trust. The Jorenians are nervous around Jarn due to the wariness in her eyes. Even the cats in her apartment fear Jarn. After all, on the ice world cats were vicious predators and Jarn's maternal instincts to protect Marel are not easily overcome.

The Peace Talks between the reptilian Hsktskt species and the League are now in jeopardy. The Hsktskt demand that Cherijo come to their planet, Vtaga, and help them defeat a horrible plague that is quickly killing off their race. Jarn goes and meets ChrrechoVa "ChoVa", the personal physician to the Hanar. (ChoVa is one of the Hsktskt babies that Dr. Cherijo delivered in one of the earliest books, at the peril of an entire medical facility.) The plague is unlike any known before and Jarn soon realizes that the answer may lie in the past. Jarn must probe into the past of the Hsktskt race, as well as, Cherijo's.

At the same time, outlaws are attacking various places on Vtaga. They even go so far as to kidnap Jarn. The worst part, though, is that the leader of these outlaws is almost identical in appearance to someone from Cherijo's past. It is a complication that may very well rip the Peace Talks to shreds.

*** I was ready to write off this series after the disappointment of Rebel Ice. However, the author has returned to writing in the First Person style and Jarn has grown a spine. The spine has not totally solidified as yet, but it is well on its way and things are looking up. In my personal opinion, it is time to end Cherijo's series and begin a new one on Marel's adult life. ***

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

i have read all of s.l. viehl's books and with the exception of Rebel Ice enjoyed all of them. After reading Rebel Ice, I really had to think twice about buying her newest, plague of memory, but I am glad I did. It was more in keeping with her previous books. I hope she continues writing, just not like Rebel Ice. That one I could have done without, although I believe I understand why she wrote it. It brought out another side to the main character that would not have occured otherwise. If you have just read Rebel Ice, do yourself a favor and pick up one of her others.Plague of Memory, Stardoc, bladedancer,etc, you'll be glad you did.

I also was not sure if I would continue reading the StarDoc novels I was so disppointed in Rebel Ice. Plague of Memory is a much better novel with some of my favorite characters back in action. I miss Cherijo and I found myself growing impatient with Jarn who has taken her place. If you love the StarDoc books you will find this a pleasing read but if you were waiting to get the old fiesty Cherijo back then you will be disappointed. The novel does have a good storyline.