Trickster (Silent Empire) [Paperback]

Steven Harper (Author)

Book Description

Series: Silent Empire | Publication Date: November 4, 2003

The third novel in Steven Harper's critically-acclaimed science fiction saga continues... The telepathic communications net, known as "The Dream," has been shattered. And the majority of the Silent who used it are unable to reenter. But Kendi Weaver has more pressing concerns: finding the family that slavers tore from him more than a decade before...

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In the third novel of the Silent Empire, Father Kendi Weaver and his comrades on the Poltergeist have mounted a shoestring search-and-rescue mission for missing family members, including Kendi's own parents and siblings. Apart from slender resources, the searchers have to deal only with such minor problems as a disintegrating interstellar economy, a variety of rogues, and slaving rings, who may be responsible for how the sought went missing and who want to make the Poltergeist crew go missing in the same manner. The characters, including the two gay ones, were introduced in Dreamer (2001) and Nightmare [BKL O 1 02]--fine for old readers, but not quite so for new ones. The action remains fast, furious, and absorbing, though, and a cliffhanger ending implies at least one more book. Frieda Murray
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Roc (November 4, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451459415
• ISBN-13: 978-0451459411
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,910,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steven Harper Piziks was born in Saginaw, Michigan, but he moved around a lot. Currently he lives with his wife and three sons near Ann Arbor, Michigan.

His novels include In the Company of Mind and Corporate Mentality, both science fiction published by Baen Books. Writing as Steven Harper for Roc Books, he has produced The Silent Empire series. He's also written movie novelizations and books based on Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and The Ghost Whisperer.

Mr. Piziks currently teaches English in southeast Michigan. When not writing, he plays the folk harp, dabbles in oral storytelling, and spends more time on-line than is probably good for him. Visit his web page at http://www.sff.net/people/spiziks or find his LiveJournal at http:spiziks.livejournal.com/

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars believable world building science fiction, November 7, 2003

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Trickster (Silent Empire) (Paperback)

Slavery is common and legal on certain planets in the universe. The most valuable of all is the Silent because they can enter dreams and send communications as well as conduct commerce over several light years. When the Despair came and over ninety percent of the Silent could no longer enter the Dream, they become ever more valuable. The children of Irfar, a silent nomadic order, is trying to rescue as many of the lost silent as possible.

Father Kendi Weaver, temporary captain of the spaceship Poltergeist, intends to rescue two of his family located on the planet Drin. Before he makes that attempt, he snatches his crewmate's son out of slavery. When they arrive on Drin, they discover his brother and sister have been kidnapped by a mega conglomeration Silent Acquisitions. Kendi and his crew have to figure out a way to rescue them, an almost impossible task but one that can be accomplished by those ready to risk everything on one roll of the dice.

This is the third book in the Silent Empire series and it continues the stories of characters of the previous two books. Kendi and Ben are now a couple; Kareen has her son restored to her after her spouse sold him into slavery; and Kendi has a chance of reuniting with part of his family. All is not roses because Ben discovers his true biological heritage and unless someone can figure out a way of bringing the Silent back into the Dream, a futire civilization will cease to exist. Steven Harper is a genius when it comes to believable world building.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast Pacing, Absorbing Storytelling, July 15, 2009

By 

Carol G - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trickster: A Novel of the Silent Empire (Kindle Edition)

The Silent communicate through the Dream, a telepathic communications network. Now tragedy has shattered it, and the few remaining Silent struggle to survive in a new universe. Meanwhile, Kendi Weaver has discovered the whereabouts of his brother and sister, long ago sold into slavery. He creates a risky, intricate con game to win them free.

The Silent Empire series continues its powerful theme of family survival combined with breakneck plotting. The book never stops moving, and the characters are so well developed, they seem to breathe. And the tricks the characters play are truly fun read about. The con game in the alien brothel was by itself worth the price of the book.

4.0 out of 5 stars A rescue mission against time, November 2, 2008

By 

Benjamin (UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Trickster (Silent Empire) (Paperback)

Trickster, the third book in Steven Harper's Silent Empire series, is set shortly after the Despair, in which the majority of the Silent lost the ability to enter the Dream. During the turmoil of the Despair the presence of Kendi's brother and sister as well as Harenn's son was detected, and now they are on a mission to rescue them, but they have a limited time window in which to complete their mission. No sooner does Kendi discover the precise whereabouts of his brother and sister than the two are taken by a secret "cult" intent on using them for their own purposes. It will take all the cunning and ingenuity Kendi and his loyal crew can muster if they are to free them.

Trickster maintains the same high level of suspense and imagination of the earlier books; and sustaining the human interest Harper further develops his main characters. Kendi is now promoted to Father, and his relationship with Ben is strengthened; but unfortunately we see almost nothing of Sejal. Purley as a matter of interest, there is a reference to the characters from The Catch Trap by Marion Zimmer Bradley, an all time favourite of mine.

Like the previous books, this makes for a most pleasurable read, with an intricate plot and a few surprises and twists. I do feel though that the quality of the writing lapsed occasionally, especially when filling the reader in on information from previous stories, Harper's method lacked subtlety. Despite this it is a worthwhile and rewarding adventure.