Customer Reviews

Uncharted Stars

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I found this to be a most enjoyable book to read after I finished reading The Zero Stone. It continues the search of Eet and Murodc for the source of the Zero Stone. It reveals more of the stone's power. And, after rescueing the Zacathan from raiders, how they are able to trace the stone to it's source and the final outcome of Murdoc and Eet is surprising. I do hope that they continue with the tale of Murdoc and Eet.

Uncharted Stars (1969) is the second SF novel in the Murdoc Jern series, following The Zero Stone. In the previous volume, the crew of the Vestris set them adrift in space. At least the Free Traders provided them with air supplies to keep them alive for a while. Then the zero stone drew them to a derelict spaceship and they used its life boat to land on a forested world. There they encountered both the Patrol and the Thieve's Guild.

In this novel, Murdoc and Eet are back on a civilized world. At the suggestion -- and with the assistance -- of Eet, Murdoc has bought an old, yet functional, starship from a scrapyard near the spaceport on Theba. The ship has been serviced and waits at the port for a pilot. Murdoc doesn't have the skills and Eet cannot operate controls of the ship, so they try to hire a licensed pilot to no avail.

Murdoc is preparing himself for an excursion into the seamier part of town to locate a black-listed pilot when a Patrol agent suggests an alternative: they will furnish a pilot. But Murdoc suspects that the Patrol is responsible for their lack of a pilot and rejects the offer.

Eet has found a pilot at a dive in the worse section of the Out-port. Kano Rysk is a Free Trader pilot and a fash-smoker. Fortunately, fash is expensive and he hasn't smoked any for a long while. Murdoc and Eet manage to smuggle him into their ship without anybody -- other that a Patrol watcher -- noticing their presence.

In this story, Murdoc has Rysk take them to Lorgal, where he trades for zorons. Unluckily, another gemtrader is there before him and gets the better gems. Worse yet, Akki is heading for Rakipur, the same world that Murdoc has intended as their next stop.

Murdoc decides instead to go to Sororis. Rysk is familiar enough with that world's reputation to avoid the only spaceport. Still, Murdoc was not planning on landing the ship itself, but taking the lifeboat down to Sornuff.

After trading for greenstones, they space to Lylestane and its auctions. But Murdoc finds that he is listed and cannot legally sell his gems. Then they learn of a Jack raid and arrive too late to save most of the Zacathans at the archaeological site. Still, they find that the Jacks are heading toward Waystar and Zilwrich -- the only survivor -- has the coordinates.

This tale leads Murdoc, Eet and their associates to the notorious den of pirates called Waystar and beyond. Murdoc acquires new powers and finds that Eet has other powers of his own. Then they discover the source of the zero stones.

This story is not among the author's best works, but it is still worth reading. Murdoc and Eet overcome some daunting challenges in their search for the zero stone source. Enjoy!

Recommended for Norton fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of far star systems, future societies, and a determined young man.

-Arthur W. Jordin

Okay Norton fans, we're on a strange planet but in otherwise familiar territory: a young outcast pitted against the mighty Patrol and the mysterious, unsavory Thieves Guild. Our hero, Murdoc Jern, an apprentice gem dealer, companions a telepathic pseudo-cat named Eet. In their first adventure, "The Zero Stone," the two discovered that their mysterious Forerunner artifact is an endless source of energy (a sort of space opera perpetual motion machine). Now they are trying to trace the Zero Stone to its source.

Murdoc is also trying to rectify the master-slave relationship with Eet that developed in the previous novel. He purchases a battered old space yacht with his reward from previous adventures and tries his hand at purchasing gems on one planet and selling them for a higher price on another. He decides to purchase Zorans on Lorgal, sell them on Rakipur to the priests of Mankspher, in order to buy the pearls of lonnex crabs. Et cetera. Of course his first venture is almost a complete disaster when another trader shows up and beats him to the market. Murdoc, his drug-addicted pilot, and Eet must chart a new course.

Through a series of hair-raising adventures, including the rescue of a dying Zacathan archeologist, Murdoc and Eet end up on Waystar, the mysterious stronghold of the Thieves' Guild. They are taken prisoner while on the hunt for the source of the Zero Stone, and also for the archeologist's stolen artifacts.

Where better to hunt for treasure than in the great galactic storehouse of loot, and property stolen from current and long-vanished stellar Empires? Of course, Murdoc and Eet must somehow stay alive in this flamboyant and dangerous den of thieves in order to achieve their objectives.

"Uncharted Stars" takes place in the fantastically populated universe of Norton's Free Traders and Forerunners. Wandering the fabulous storerooms of Waystar with this author makes up for any traces of antiquity in her science or tough-guy jargon. Eet serves as a sort of deus ex machina whenever Murdoc gets himself into really serious trouble, and there is a satisfying surprise ending for those readers who have followed the intrepid gemologist and his mutant cat through "The Zero Stone" and its sequel.

Uncharted Stars

In book one, [[ASIN:0451451627 The Zero Stone], Murdoc Jern met up with a feline mutant cat-like creature called Eek. The two fought the Thieves Guild and struck a somewhat coerced bargain with the Space Patrol. Now they have to deal with the consequences of that.

Murdoc is also trying to rectify the master-slave relationship with Eet that developed in the previous novel. He purchases a battered old space yacht with his reward from his previous adventures and tries his hand at purchasing gems on one planet and selling them for a higher price on another. He decides to purchase Zorans on Lorgal, sell them on Rakipur to the priests of Mankspher, in order to buy the pearls of lonnex crabs. Etc. Of course his first venture is almost a complete disaster when another trader shows up and beats him to the market. Murdoc, his drug-addicted pilot, and Eet must chart a new course.

Through a series of hair-raising adventures, including the rescue of a gravely injured Zacathan archeologist, Murdoc and Eet end up on Waystar, the mysterious stronghold of the Thieves' Guild. They are taken prisoner while on the hunt for the source of the Zero Stone, and also for the archeologist's stolen artifacts.

Where better to hunt for treasure than in the great galactic storehouse of loot, and property stolen from current and long-vanished stellar Empires? Of course, Murdoc and Eet must somehow stay alive in this flamboyant and dangerous den of thieves in order to achieve their objectives.

"Uncharted Stars" takes place in the fantastically populated universe of Norton's Free Traders and Forerunners. Wandering the fabulous storerooms of Waystar with this author makes up for any traces of antiquity in her science or tough-guy jargon. Eet serves as a sort of deus ex machina whenever Murdoc gets himself into really serious trouble, and there is a satisfying surprise ending for those readers who have followed the intrepid gemologist and his mutant cat through "The Zero Stone" and its sequel.
Baen is going to publish both books together as an omnibus edition entitled Search for the Star Stonesin November, 2008. Yeah, for Baen!

Highly recommended for fans of Andre Norton and science fiction.

Gunner, October, 2008

Okay Norton fans, we're on a strange planet but in otherwise familiar territory: a young outcast pitted against the mighty Patrol and the mysterious, unsavory Thieves Guild. Our hero, Murdoc Jern, an apprentice gem dealer, companions a telepathic pseudo-cat named Eet. In their first adventure, "The Zero Stone," the two discovered that their mysterious Forerunner artifact is an endless source of energy (a sort of space opera perpetual motion machine). Now they are trying to trace the Zero Stone to its source.

Murdoc is also trying to rectify the master-slave relationship with Eet that developed in the previous novel. He purchases a battered old space yacht with his reward from previous adventures and tries his hand at purchasing gems on one planet and selling them for a higher price on another. He decides to purchase Zorans on Lorgal, sell them on Rakipur to the priests of Mankspher, in order to buy the pearls of lonnex crabs. Et cetera. Of course his first venture is almost a complete disaster when another trader shows up and beats him to the market. Murdoc, his drug-addicted pilot, and Eet must chart a new course.

Through a series of hair-raising adventures, including the rescue of a gravely injured Zacathan archeologist, Murdoc and Eet end up on Waystar, the mysterious stronghold of the Thieves' Guild. They are taken prisoner while on the hunt for the source of the Zero Stone, and also for the archeologist's stolen artifacts.

Where better to hunt for treasure than in the great galactic storehouse of loot, and property stolen from current and long-vanished stellar Empires? Of course, Murdoc and Eet must somehow stay alive in this flamboyant and dangerous den of thieves in order to achieve their objectives.

"Uncharted Stars" takes place in the fantastically populated universe of Norton's Free Traders and Forerunners. Wandering the fabulous storerooms of Waystar with this author makes up for any traces of antiquity in her science or tough-guy jargon. Eet serves as a sort of deus ex machina whenever Murdoc gets himself into really serious trouble, and there is a satisfying surprise ending for those readers who have followed the intrepid gemologist and his mutant cat through "The Zero Stone" and its sequel.

Okay Norton fans, we're on a strange planet but in otherwise familiar territory: a young outcast pitted against the mighty Patrol and the mysterious, unsavory Thieves Guild. Our hero, Murdoc Jern, an apprentice gem dealer, companions a telepathic pseudo-cat named Eet. In their first adventure, The Zero Stone, the two discovered that their mysterious Forerunner artifact is an endless source of energy (a sort of space opera perpetual motion machine). Now they are trying to trace the Zero Stone to its source.

Murdoc is also trying to rectify the master-slave relationship with Eet that developed in the previous novel. He purchases a battered old space yacht with his reward from previous adventures and tries his hand at purchasing gems on one planet and selling them for a higher price on another. He decides to purchase Zorans on Lorgal, sell them on Rakipur to the priests of Mankspher, in order to buy the pearls of lonnex crabs. Et cetera. Of course his first venture is almost a complete disaster when another trader shows up and beats him to the market. Murdoc, his drug-addicted pilot, and Eet must chart a new course.

Through a series of hair-raising adventures, including the rescue of a dying Zacathan archeologist, Murdoc and Eet end up on Waystar, the mysterious stronghold of the Thieves' Guild. They are taken prisoner while on the hunt for the source of the Zero Stone, and also for the archeologist's stolen artifacts.

Where better to hunt for treasure than in the great galactic storehouse of loot, and property stolen from current and long-vanished stellar Empires? Of course, Murdoc and Eet must somehow stay alive in this flamboyant and dangerous den of thieves in order to achieve their objectives.

"Uncharted Stars" takes place in the fantastically populated universe of Norton's Free Traders and Forerunners. Wandering the fabulous storerooms of Waystar with this author makes up for any traces of antiquity in her science or tough-guy jargon. Eet serves as a sort of deus ex machina whenever Murdoc gets himself into really serious trouble, and there is a satisfying surprise ending for those readers who have followed the intrepid gemologist and his mutant cat through "The Zero Stone" and its sequel.