Vigilant [Hardcover]

James Alan Gardner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1999

Two species lived in peaceful coexistence on the planet Demoth until a deadly plague wiped out millions of the winged Ooloms while leaving humans untouched, helpless to do more than ease the suffering of their alien friends and neighbors. Faye Smallwood saw the horror firsthand, caring for the plague victims in her fahter's hospital. She was there when he discovered the cure that made him famous. She was also there when a freak accident killed him.

Desperate to escape her past, Faye joins the Vigil, a band of fiercely independent monitors charged with rooting out government corruption. To help in this struggle, her mind is linked to the powerful datasphere that regulates the planet...and suddenly, she receives a cryptic vision promising peace and healing. Instead, Faye becomes the target of unknown assassins in a sinister conspiracy that threatens to unleash a new and more deadly outbreak.

For humans and Ooloms were not the first species to inhabit Demoth. Somewhere in the ruins of long-abandoned settlements, something was left behind: an alien technology of unimaginable potential to build--or destroy. Enemy agents will stop at nothing to find it. Some of Faye's own people will kill to uncover its secret. With no one else to trust, she turns to the one person who can help unravel the mystery: Festina Ramos--explorer, outcast, ever-vigilant champion of those whom society deems expendable.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Faye Smallwood, a new member of the universal monitoring agency known as the Vigil, becomes a target for assassination as part of a conspiracy to conceal a secret source of technology located on her homeworld. The latest novel by the author of Commitment Hour (LJ 3/15/98) features a quick-witted heroine whose self-deprecating narrative lends a personal touch to this blend of mystery and high-tech thriller. For most sf collections.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

Two species lived in peaceful coexistence on the planet Demoth until a deadly plague wiped out millions of the winged Ooloms while leaving humans untouched, helpless to do more than ease the suffering of their alien friends and neighbors. Faye Smallwood saw the horror firsthand, caring for the plague victims in her father's hospital. She was there when he discovered the cure that made him famous. She was also there when a freak accident killed him.

Desperate to escape her past, Faye joins the Vigil, a band of fiercely independent monitors charged with rooting out government corruption. To help in this struggle, her mind is linked to the powerful datasphere that regulates the planet ... and suddenly, she receives a cryptic vision promising peace and healing. But instead, Fay becomes the target for unknown assassins in a sinister conspiracy that threatens to unleash a new and more deadly outbreak. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: San Val (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1417710322
• ISBN-13: 978-1417710324
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,910,508 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better Than I Expected, May 10, 2000

By 

Fosky Bob "human" (Vacaville, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vigilant (League of Peoples, Bk. 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

I disagree with the previous reviewer, Greg Dufner. Greg says that the book doesn't get going until page 268. I enjoyed the first 200+ pages. This is my first James Alan Gardner book, so I lapped up every word on this interesting universe that he's created. Perhaps Mr. Dufner found it dull because he was already familiar with the setting.

I enjoyed every page of this book. It's got action. It's got neat sci-fi thingamajigs. It's got a cool alien race. The only flaw I found in this book was the slightly whiny protagonist. Faye likes to put herself down. Poor Faye..Bad Faye..does get old. But in the end I found I'd read a very enjoyable book.

Recommended.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Uneven, but overall a very good book, June 7, 2000

By 

Karen Williams "Karen Williams" (Silicon Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vigilant (League of Peoples, Bk. 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Gardner delivers another of his fine science fiction novels, set in the same universe as his previous two and including the return of Festina Ramos, the heroine of "Expendable." "Vigilant" concerns Faye Smallwood, daughter of the doctor who found the cure for the plague that wiped out most of the Oolom, the other sentient humanoid species on the planet Demoth, when she becomes a member of the Vigil, a government oversight body. She is paired with Tic, an elderly and eccentric Oolom Vigil member, when her original partner is murdered under suspicious circumstances. As she and Tic try to find out what really happened, she is drawn deeper and deeper into other mysteries, regarding her father, the plague, and the nature of the universe itself.

While this book was very good, Gardner tended to be uneven in his characterization of Faye. From time to time he fell back on breezy pseudo-characterization, and the story itself didn't start until page 56, after 55 pages of background information in this same breezy style. It's worth getting to page 56 and beyond, though, because Gardner delivers.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gardner strikes gold with another fine Festina Ramos yarn!, December 25, 2000

By 

Hank Schwartz "banjo & SciFi" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vigilant (League of Peoples, Bk. 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

I am pretty much stuck on Festina Ramos, formerly an "Expendable" Explorer and presently a problematic Lieutenant Admiral of the futuristic Outward Fleet. She's tough, sharp, well trained and effective, and gets herself into righteously outrageous situations and, happily, out again.

I felt that Gardner's previous Festina tale, "Hunted", was not up to snuff, but this one had me fully in its grip! We learn about the Ooloms and the Freeps in this one as well as the "Peacocks", alien races all and vividly realized by Gardner. A mysterious phenomena on the planet Demoth has felled most of the Ooloms and threatens more horrendous disaster unless our new heroine, Faye Smallwood, can survive and conquer the many forces aligned against her. These include her own personal ghosts as well as vicious government agents and various other enemys.

I very much liked the personal side of Faye, her relationships with her human friends and "family", with Festina and with her alien friends and coworkers. Her personal development is a major factor in this story and is expertly handled by Gardner.

The action is enticing and exciting, driven by very interesting concepts and by characters that we really care about. The frequently humorous style and dialogue enhances this energetic ride to a most satisfying conclusion.

HIghly recommended, and I'm definitely looking forward to more of this series from Gardner.