Amazon.com
In the year 1863, a primitive village is raided, the men killed, and the women and children captured. The survivors find themselves chained in the dark, filthy hold of a ship crossing the ocean to the New World, where they are sold into slavery. The powerful master of a vast Southern plantation purchases the 11-year-old Irish lad Aidan O'Dere. Yes, you read that right--in this alternate America, the South was colonized by black Africans, and the North by Vikings, who sell abducted Celts and Franks to the Southerners. Through his brilliant inversion of our history, author Steven Barnes examines the complex evils of slavery in a new light with Lion's Blood, an intelligent and exciting novel of freedom and bondage, battle and intrigue, sex and love, set in an America threatened by total war as Aztecs, Zulus, Moors, and whites clash.

A Hugo Award and Cable Ace Award nominee, Steven Barnes has written 15 novels and 15 teleplays. --Cynthia Ward Book Description
In the year 1863, a primitive village is raided, the men killed, and the women and children captured. The survivors find themselves chained in the dark, filthy hold of a ship crossing the ocean to the New World, where they are sold into slavery. The powerful master of a vast Southern plantation purchases the 11-year-old Irish lad Aidan O'Dere. Yes, you read that right--in this alternate America, the South was colonized by black Africans, and the North by Vikings, who sell abducted Celts and Franks to the Southerners. Through his brilliant inversion of our history, author Steven Barnes examines the complex evils of slavery in a new light with Lion's Blood, an intelligent and exciting novel of freedom and bondage, battle and intrigue, sex and love, set in an America threatened by total war as Aztecs, Zulus, Moors, and whites clash. A Hugo Award and Cable Ace Award nominee, Steven Barnes has written 15 novels and 15 teleplays. --Cynthia Ward ... Read more

Customer Reviews (57)

Ah, the poor Irish
It seems the poor Irish can't catch a break, even in an alternate universe.

Great idea, good book.
I felt the plot was more along the lines of young adult fiction. Good reading for high school and college students.
Speaking color-blindedly, there was really nothing new here: two young boys finding their way in the world that is in the end very much the same, only colored differently.It was a good story, lushly told with some interesting tidbits of islamic culture thrown in.The Vikings and Aztecs were a very interesting part about the novel. I wish the author would write a story about each of them.

Steven Barnes establishes himself.....
If there was any question of Steven Barnes ability to write a great novel on his own, those questions are answered by LION'S BLOOD. In this powerful work of speculative fiction, Steven Barnes creates an alternate history where Carthage destroyed Rome, and the New World has been settled by Islam. With Europe still in a tribal state (this book takes place in the mid-1800's) the conquering Islamic states have taken to the practice of importing white slaves from the barbaric (to them) European nations. One of these slaves is young Aidan O'Dere who witnesses his family torn apart and everything he knows and holds dear is ripped apart as he becomes a slave on the plantation of Dar Kush.

Through strong character development andthe complexity of their social interactions, Steven Barnes has crafted an absolute winner of a novel.Combined with tremendous research and knowledge of the characters social and religous beliefs and values, makes this a book of depth and resonance that will have you turning pages and stay with you long after you have finsished it.Despite what the one reviewer stated about Steven Barnes just reversing the roles of slaves and owners, the truth is that this novel is a wonderful example about the nature of the human condition and that as Harry Turtledove states it "people are people, and chance, not skin color, makes them what and who they are."In our post 9/11 society perhaps we need to remember this a little more often. If you have the oppurtunity to read this book - don't miss it. Highest recommendation.

If CHarles Murrary wrote these books
If Charles Murray wrote 'Lion's Blood' and its sequel he might have made Bilalistan more like Poul Anderson's Ythri or the fliers in 'A Stone from Heaven'; a bunch of smart touchy individualists. Mechanical advances resulting from a lot of quarrelsome lone tinkers, not one centralized effort. I'd have liked to see more about the dirigibles in the first book, too.
That's what Steve Sailer's idea of Charles Murray might have written. If Steven Barnes loathesome, politically-motivated reductionist had slimed his trail across some innocent word keyboard-
Different story.
What would Charles Murray's idea of Charles Murray have written?

Nice but not incredible
The prose is lush, some of the characters have a good amount of depth, but there's something missing.It seems like your standard novel about slavery, only the slaveholders are Black Muslims instead of White Christians.There are a few departures-- like the battle scenes, but when it comes down to explicating the history (especially when it comes to the difference between the Norse slavers and the Celtic slaves, or the Jews, etc) the work falls flat.

As a story about two boys ripped apart by the societal forces during the time of slavery it works just fine, and is, yes, a magnificent example of a well-done story in the genre.The problem is that all the author has done is switch the color of the protagonists' skins, without giving us any insight on how the religious/cultural differences could change that dynamic (which is, in essence, what I read alternate histories for.) ... Read more

Book Description
A powerful thriller of redemption, hope, and courage that overcomes all obstacles.It began well - an experiment in techniques to teach high-risk children - poor, minority, children - the life-strategies that will allow them to succeed in life. And not just succeed, but overcome the odds and become wildly successful. They chose as their model a man who had done it all - Alexander Marcus; a black man who raised himself up from poverty to become one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in America. The imprinting is effective. The children are focused, driven. They are inventive, intelligent, and love learning. But there is a mysterious darkness to them - a ruthlessness that is surprising. Renny Sand first met the children as a journalist covering the sensational trial of a preschool operator. There were terrible charges of sex abuse, but the thing that stayed with Renny was the strange poise and power of a group of eight year old children. That, and the face of the mother of one of them, Vivian Emory.Now the children are thirteen years old, and one of them has been killed in a mysterious hit-and-run accident. Renny Sands sees the possibility of big story, a human interest story, a story that might jump-start his flagging career. He'll do a follow-up on the preschool scandal; and he might get a chance to restart his love life as well - Vivian Emory has divorced her husband in the five years since he met her. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Sort of slow
I feel that Mr. Barnes is an excellent writer and a good story teller.However, I had a few problems with the story.One, I am not sure who pen this story as a sci-fi.It is not, though I am not a fan of the genre.Secondly, for me it took too long for me as reader to have any understanding of what was going on.I think it was around the two hundreth page that I began to have an inkling of what had happened to the children.Thirdly, the implied event under the bridge with the motor cycle crew and the guys from the gay bar did not give me any idea of what happened, though I suspected.Mr. Barnes characters kept alluding to the incident.However, it was about the 240th page before he specifically spelled out what happened.

The story took too long to unfold.He did not give enough imformation for me to follow the story until I have read over half of the book.

The story unfolded towards the end.But before than, I was annoyed as a reader at the pace and the amount of vital information to understanding the story took ages.

Masterly. Horrible.
Since the fifties psychology books have said extroversion is related to sadism. Without Freudian necromancy--the more outgoing you are, the more your kindness and cruelty affects people. Self-help books claim to make you more outgoing.
Suppose there was a self-help technique that worked?
In 'Charisma', Steven Barnes -lifelong follower of Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, Tim Piering; creator of 'The Five Minute Miracle'- Steven Barnes wraps mass-murder mystery muscles and skinless bloody horror around a self-help saga skeleton. It's an acheivement not seen in SF since Heinlein's juveniles fused True Confessions with Boys Life and space adventure. Larry Niven hasn't extrapolated this tightly this close to the present since a couple of his early short stories. It's a Hell of a ride.
It's also a betrayal of Barnes' life's work. I've bought his
'Five Minute Miracle'. I've even DONE some of the exercises. What if I turn into Charles Manson?
In that case, blame it all on Steven Barnes

A solid and pleasureable thriller
Because Barnes is known primarly as a science fiction author, this book is often mistakenly found on the Sci-Fi shelf at book stores, instead of with the thrillers or general fiction where it belongs.So science fiction fans beware - there's very little for you here.

What is here is a solid story that does a plausible job of getting us inside the head of an adolescent of above normal intelligence.I especially liked the character of Renny Sands, a man who is re-energized by the possibility of a career-making story.

If the book has a weak point, it is the instant attractions that various characters feel towards each other.I'm all for love at first sight, but the frequency with which two people know everything they need to about one another eventually became a little distracting.

Quibles aside, the plot is fascintating and the character interesting.I definintely recommend it.

A very satisfying multi-genre thriller
Those who only know Barnes through his collaborations with hard sci-fi master Larry Niven should be pleasantly surprised by this genre-esque novel about a group of highly intelligent and amazingly motivated children from small-town, USA.There are elements of horror, romance, mystery, western, and yes, even a touch of sci-fi, but the result is none of the above, but rather a basically mainstream story about what makes successful people tick.

Although one may question the characters' motivations, and there's at least one scientific point that seems like quite a stretch, there's no denying the power of this engrossing mystery.The kids tend to steal the spotlight, of course, especially when we see how they play the system and manipulate the adult world as they see fit.Renny Sand is the inquisitive reporter who covered an infamous scandal that shook the town years earlier.He returns now, after some reversals, driven by his desire for Vivian, the beautiful mother of one of the boys.And while Sand is a pleasant and engaging enough character, he ultimately doesn't seem to have much to do in this novel.We think he's being set up as the hero of this tale, but when all's said and done, it's really the gun-slingin' grandma who saves the day, and the sections featuring her and her husband seem slow and largely irrelevant until the climax where all the pieces come together.Barnes probably should have dropped these two altogether and made Sands the hero.

That quibble aside however, this book is a serious page-turner, with mysteries at every turn: the Aristotle project, the pre-school scandal, Sheriff D'Angelo's secret, and the late great Alexander Marcus' weakness, are all explained in good time, but not so quickly that we lose interest in the story before it's been played out.A very entertaining and altogether satisfying read, but not yet the masterpiece we're hoping for from Barnes.

www.SFReader.com Review
Review by Lynn Nicole Louis

Steven Barnes has been around a while, having penned some collaborations with Larry Niven in 1981 and 1982, with Stretlethal, his first solo out (at least according to his web site) being released in 1983. Other books of his I've read and enjoyed include Gorgon Child, FireDance, and Blood Brothers. Lately though, it seems he's been very busy, with numerous book being released over the last few years. You can find reviews on www.SFReader.com of his recent novels Lion's Blood and Zulu Heart.

Well versed in martial arts, Barnes characters are often unique and intense individuals caught up in violent struggles. He's one of the best action/fight writers out there, with a special ability to create characters that are at once strong and vulnerable. His books reflect the abundant energy that Barnes obviously possesses. He also seems fascinated with the concept of the Japanese term Bushido, or The Way of the Warrior; that undeniable Warrior Spirit that pushes some people to the peak of their potential, be it for good or evil. I've enjoyed everything of his I've read, and Charisma is no exception.

The magic of childhood, the gritty reality of growing up, love, honor, ambition, redemption.... You'll find all that and more here in a book you won't want to put down.

Lynn Nicole Louis
Read the full review at www.SFReader.com ... Read more

Book Description
Streetfighter, fugitive, hero....Aubry Knight is now a powerful man with powerful friends. And someone wants to kill him.Their opening shot is the death of one of Aubry's dearest friends. Their next attack is on Aubry's child. Knight is drawn inexorably toward New Africa, toward the mysteries of his own past, and toward a future that may take him far from Los Angeles and the only life he's ever known.To win this battle, and save his family, Aubry Knight must defeat himself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

One of the best books i've ever read
Firedance is the last book in a trilogy (the others being Streetlethal and then Gorgon Child), and boy does it go out with a bang! The whole series is jam-packed with action and intrigue, which in itself is perceptive commentary on human nature.

This book completes the story of Aubry Knight, a born and bred warrior, who throughout the series reluctantly finds himself at the forefront of persecuted humanitarian organizations. This particular book tells the story of Aubry Knight seeking revenge for someone assassinating his friend. The story takes him across continents where he finds himself as an assassin of a head-of-state, in a zero-gravity fighting championship and finally finding out the identity and whereabouts of his birth family (he was orphaned at a young age).

Two books, same title
There are two books with the same title confused here. One was written by Steve Barnes, and all the information given here applies to it, as do three out of the four reviews. I wrote the other one. Amazon never reacted or replied when I informed them of this several years ago, but it just occurred to me that it couldn't hurt to put the information in the form of a review.

I gave the book(s) five stars mainly because a review has to have stars, partly because any less would be a disservice to Steve Barnes, and partly because I actually think I wrote a good book (not to mention the fact that it makes me feel good when people buy my books). Feel free to disregard the rating.

Don't Be Fooled By The Cover
Just like the old axiom...this book gathered dust on my shelf until I was in the mood to read it...the lurid cover was a turn off. Particularly, the martial-arts-fighter-hero main character really seemed typical. I was wrong. This book is a deeply textured morality tale about power, politics and technology. The action, superb, is just part of the story. This has all the trademarks of cyberpunk with a solid story. The fact that I read the third book in the trilogy was not a problem, in fact, it just made me determined to track down the other two. Greg Davies/Toronto

delight for your mind and inspiration for the rest of you
This book combines excellent action writing with fascinating, deeply researched information on the body and mind typical of all of Barnes' work.This is one of his best.

Praise, comment, plea
Firedance is one of the most amazing books I have ever read.Its notion of reality is so far off our own that it is a very difficult read.I am therefore not surprised it is no longer available.Such fantasies can be accepted on their own terms, however, as long as they are internally consistent.This one is, remarkably so, for a book that must have extraordinarily difficult to write.If I can ever get a copy to replace my beat-up one, preferably in hardback, I would would be most pleased.Rafti lives ... Read more

Book Description
Thirty thousand years ago, in the heart of the African continent and in the shadow of the largest freestanding mountain in the world, lived the Ibandi. For countless generations they nurtured their ancient tradition, and met survival’s daily struggle with quiet faith in their gods. But when brutal intruders arrived from the south, a few brave souls dared the ultimate quest–to climb the Great Mountain, seeking answers and a way into the future.

In this breathtaking blend of imagination, anthropology, and sheer storytelling magic, Steven Barnes takes us to the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro and into the realm of our own ancestors, who lived, hunted, celebrated, and died side by side with roaming herds of wild animals and great golden clouds of migrating butterflies. A people whose skin was the color and smell of the earth itself, the Ibandi formed a hierarchy based on strength of limb and spirit. In this extraordinary novel, we follow the adventures of two of the Ibandi’s chosen ones: T’Cori, an abandoned girl raised by the powerful and mysterious medicine woman Stillshadow, and Frog Hopping, a boy possessing a gift that is also a curse.

Though the live in different encampments, Frog and T’Cori are linked through the revered and powerful Stillshadow, who has sensed in them a destiny apart from others’.

Through the years, and on their separate life paths, T’Cori’s and Frog’s fates entwine as an inevitable disaster approaches from the south–from the very god they worship. For as long as there have been mountain, sky, and savannah, there has been a home for the Ibandi. Now, in the face of an enemy beyond anything spoken of even in legend, they must ask their god face-to-face: Do we remain or do we depart?

Great Sky Woman not only brings to life the world of prehistoric man but also shines a brilliant light on humanity itself. For here is a story of rivalries and alliances, of human fear and desire, of faith and betrayal . . . and, above all, a story of how primitive man, without words or machines, set in motion civilization’s long, winding journey to the present. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Myths or Beliefs or Facts?
Excerpt:
"Was it possible the only reward for a lifetime of work and risk was deterioration and disease?The naked eye of death seemed to fix him, the terror that none of his fellows seemed to fear, because unlike him, they believed.And if that was true, then who was really more alive in the mind?He who saw through the tricks and lived in constant fear?Or one who succumbed to the mirage and lived his life in joy? And if there was nothing but the struggle of life, then what good was it all?"

These words slapped me across the face harshly.I can relate to the turmoil of Frog Hopping.When you see things as they really are, rather than living in a world of belief and fantasy, life can be quite interesting.You don't have too many illusions, and facts, not belief, generally rule your existence.However, at the same time, you may feel envious of people who live in a world of illusions and fantasies and myths, because they seem to have joy from believing, than knowing.As they say "ignorance is bliss", and when you are no longer ignorant, the world can be quite painful.Is having knowledge freeing or imprisoning?I think it is both - painful and freeing.

I feel that the story of T'Cori and Frog Hopping nem was a very interesting read. The author has done some serious research to write such a book.The book is well written and takes one's mind to another place and time.

The Ibandi are fictionalized and are the first humans to stand erect.They are most likely the ancestors of us all.The Msk may be the Neanderthals, being partial ape and human, not having evolved to full human status. These half humans posed an enormous threat to the Ibandi.They were bigger and stronger. Eventually the Neanthrals died out.

Places that I never gave a second thought, now they are firmly etched in my memory.Mt. Kilimanjaro now has a permanent place in my head. Mt. Kilimanjaro is situated in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest freestanding mountain on earth. Mr. Barnes story has encouraged me to know more about the mountain and the people and/or original inhabitants that live in its shadows.This is the sign of an excellent writer.

I generally don't like to give detail information about a book.I prefer to give the reader an idea of why I like a book. This is a book that I know I will read again.If you want a great story, I would highly recommend Great Sky Woman.

The great mountain
Steven Barnes in GREAT SKY WOMAN tells the story of two youngsters of the Ibandi people living below Mt. Kilimanjaro, which is known to the Ibandi as Great Sky. T'Cori, abandoned to wild animals by a father who thinks she is blind, is rescued by a mystic, Stillshadow, who teaches her to be a dream dancer. Frog Hopping, an undersized teenager who is being raised by his Uncle Snake, is attempting to prove his worth as a great hunter. Frog Hopping realizes he also has premonitions that let him know what is about to happen. After a brutal and hairy group attack the Ibandi people, the hunt chiefs who are left and the dream dancers must climb Mt. Kilimanjaro to set things right.

Steven Barnes has spun a wonderful tale of life during prehistoric times in Africa. He delves deeply into the religious beliefs, the customs and cultures of the Ibandi people and what they must do to survive in the harsh region on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The suspense keeps you tense and wondering what is going to happen next. How can even extraordinary teenagers survive the many tribulations that beset them and their people? The story has many twists and turns that confound you before a possible solution is discovered. Barnes is a wonderful writer well worth reading again and again.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Great., Great Novel...
I have been a fan of Steven Barnes work for the past 4 years.Thisnewest novel of his is wonderful.It reads like a history novel, you can imagine these very events happening so clearly.Yet you can almost forget you are reading a novel set 30,000 years in the past as it contains elements true to this day. T'cori and Frog dared to question the unquestionable. Its what youth has always done and always will. It always frightens the elders who don't take change in their beliefs too lightly. If you decide to pick this up be prepared to expand your mind and think.Think about what might have been and what might actually be.

excellent
I am ashamed that this is my first Steven Barnes novel, as I have been meaning to "get into" his work just as I have with that of his wife (T. Due). With that said, this is an excellent novel and I agree with the editorial review. His attention to detail and sense of place and time are outstanding, as is his pacing: the novel covers a good near-20 years yet progresses seamlessly. For those who are interested in both good writing and humanity's ancient history, this is a must for you. I hesitate to compare it to anything, but I'll go ahead anyway and say that it more than on par with "Clan of the Cave Bear," and even more relevant for those of us with African Ancestry (which ultimately is actually everyone).

Great Sky Woman Gives Voice and Power to the Science Fiction Genre and African Americans
As always, Barnes has written another phenomenal, detailed piece of fiction that allows African American's to feel like we are truly a part of mainstream literature.When I read Barnes, I feel as if I have a story too--one that is rich with details, hope and beauty.Something that is fiercely lacking in most other literature.The new craze among writers to depict us as one demensional sex-craved vixens and thugs is neither uplifting or representative of what I believe most African Americans want when they go to a book store.We fought too hard for the voices of Langston, Zora, Alice and Toni to be heard to now have them silenced by this new generation of writers that have started "selling themselves" to the highest bidder.

T'Cori (the nameless one) is an orphaned girl raised to be a Dancer. Frog is a young man raised to be a warrior.The two, whose path cross in a way that is unimaginable, allows both T'Cori and Frog to become greater than the selves they started out to be.Both rely on the other's strengths and change their history and the history of their people.We need literature like this.One that allows us to see ourselves as the beginning not the end of what makes this civilization of ours great.

I appreciate writers like Barnes, his wife Ms. Due and the late great Octavia Butler.They allowed us to be a part of the science fiction genre in a way that challenges the status quo and gives credibility to the fact that African American readers want to be challenged and put in the forefront of the literature that is written about us in a way that is classy and multi-layered.Thank you again, Mr. Barnes for another wonderful work of literature.I look forward to the sequel to this book(if rumor proves correct). ... Read more

Book Description
Austin Tucker was a Green Beret, a man with lightning reflexes and the training to use them. But his life was shattered one Thanksgiving night when strangers invaded his home and killed his son, his daughter, and his wife.Derek Waites was once an outlaw computer hacker, the infamous Captain Africa. Now he designs computer games. Someone has just tried to kidnap his son, while his daughter cried a strange warning and burst into flames.The two men can have nothing in common-Tucker is a white man from the suburbs, Waites is a black street-hustler trying to go straight. But they are brothers in the same cause. If Tucker and Waites can resolve their differences long enough to work together, they can defeat an ancient evil. Between them they have the skills and the knowledge to break an ancient cycle of supernatural predation, and save the lives of a generation of children. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Lacks some things...
Although this book has been released for quite some time I am just now reading it and I was initially excited to read this novel.It is the first novel that I have read by this writer.

The basic premise sounded interesting...black and white related through blood who have to unite and put aside their differences in order to defeat a great evil.

Well I felt that alot of the plotted storyline was forced in order to advance the story.I hate to say it but it was like Barnes was too lazy to exercise his creativity and create a way that made more sense to connect some points in the story.Some parts were just too tidily handled.He wasn't creative in the way that suspense in the story was resolved either.You're on the edge of your seat trying to figure out how they are going to get out of the conflict this time and then something happens that is just too tidy and too convenient to really suspend disbelief.

Also, this is not necessarily Barnes's fault, probably more the editor(s), but the book was full of typos.And some words were overused in the story.It was hard to follow sometimes who was speaking during the dialog scenes as well.Again, more the editor(s) fault?

The character development was "okay."Barnes was overconcerned I felt with physical descriptions of the characters but he did a fairly decent job from time to time of getting the reader into the character's head.

All in all, I know I will probably not read another Steven Barnes novel.My time is limited to read though this is one of my favorite pasttimes.I hate finishing a novel that I am not really all that impressed with feeling like it was a colossal waste of time and that I could have been spending my time reading something more worthwhile.

Twists-Turns-Plots & Sub-Plots
This was one of the best books I've read since discovering this author.The flow and style will grab you and you'll never see or guess what's coming on the next page.Two words sum up this book: "Read it!"

Great mixture of action and mysticism
This was a great read! As so many of Barnes' novels, Blood Brothers tackles a series of human issues. The story essentially centers around two men who could not be more different: A black former computer hacker; divorced and still dealing the the pain of his split family. And a white, former special forces/martial artist serving a life sentence for the murder of his family...oh, and he is involved with the Aryan Nation in prison.

What makes this story so interesting is not how different these men are, but how truly similar they are. The two are forced to work together to unravel a mystery that is over a hundred years old. As always Barnes does a masterful job of getting his reader to 'become' each of the characters. In my opinion, great writing is about people, not about deep storylines, and Barnes pulls the reader in from the first page, making them truly empathize and care about all the characters.

A great read with lots of twists and turns.

What a great Will Smith- Jada Pinkett movie this'd be!!!
This book reminds me of Toni Morrison's _Beloved_ and Octavia Butler's _Wild Seed._(This is very high praise, in case you didn't know.) None of these are hard sf -- if that's what you want read Arthur C. Clarke instead. They are mythic fiction, speculative fiction, horror, literature, historical fiction, urban fantasy, who cares what the genre is called? (Hint: no star ships here.) What Butler, Morrison and Barnes have in common is that their characters during slave times must make truly *terrible* choices to preserve their families. In the present Derek Waites, Austin Tucker and Dahlia Washington have to make similar bargains to keep their families intact. I have read Barnes' earlier work which is (for me) too reliant on physical violence.This book which has the thoughtful Derek and the kinesthetic Tucker is much more enjoyable. In fact, I couldn't put it down.That the backdrop for the story in the present is the Rodney King riots is visceral.
So-- when will Smith and Pinkett make this as a movie?!!!

Great book
This was a very good read, I do believe that it is a book that is a mixture of science fiction, horror and mystery all rolled into one. It also addresses the issues of race relations. All in All I enjoyed it. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Girl meets boy. Girl falls in love with boy. Boy turns out to be an oldman impersonating his own grandson. Girl discovers diabolical plot to sterilizethe Third World. Boy erases girl's memory. Intrigue upon intrigue unfolds,involving an army of ninjas, talking sharks with arms, the peculiarities oftelegraphy, and a virtual Rex Stout detective who lives in an old Macintosh.

And that's just the setup for this well-developed, whip-smartmystery-thriller-love story from duo Larry Niven and Steven Barnes. But it'shard to imagine going wrong when you team up Niven's technology-loving optimismand legendary chops with Barnes's eclectic résumé (the guy's beeneverything from a karate columnist for Black Belt magazine to ascriptwriter for The Twilight Zone). Probably their best collaborationyet, Saturn's Race matches the pacing and unpredictability of KenMacLeod's The Stone Canalwhile evoking the anything's-possible, shiny sleaziness of a Snow Crash near future.

Our protagonist--the boy-cum-grandfather--works on Xanadu, an OTEC-poweredisland-city floating just off Sri Lanka, part of a supranational corporatesuperelite. He's teamed up in a love triangle balanced by the girl who's mind hewiped and his ex-wife, a feisty security officer straight out of Stone Age Java.The population-control plot succeeds ("We can fight their grandchildren for airand water in thirty years, or we can reduce their numbers now"), but who knowswhat the puppet master behind Xanadu's all-powerful Council is really up to?--Paul HughesBook Description
ISBN: 0312867263 TITLE: Saturn's Race AUTHOR: Niven, Larry; Barnes, Steven EXCERPT: 1June The sun had fled the sky hours ago, and with it, Xanadu's winged children. Before it dipped beneath Bombay's horizon, a thousand kilometers to the east, Lenore Myles had taken one last dive from the central tower. She trusted her reflexes and balance less than the central computer that kept her and a dozen others dancing on the thermals.One long, perfect arc followed another, swooping out to the breakwaters, a kilometer distant from Xanadu's core. Sensors at the edge of her hang-glider's batwing read winds and temperatures, coordinated their data with weather satellites sensitive enough to detect a gust of warm breath. Slowly she began the return journey, high above the ring of orchards and gardens, the beaches and ponds, the flowered parks of the floating island called Xanadu.The roofed, tiered hexagons extending from the central tower were each about two hundred meters in diameter. Eight concentric rings, rising toward the center, afforded four million square meters of potential landing room. She had sufficient lift to make it to a little park, four rings out from the central tower.A pair of late picnickers applauded delightedly.Even encumbered by artificial wings, Lenore managed to bow. The couple, an Asian woman and a man with a British sergeant-major's mustache, were all smiles. UC Berkeley?'' the woman asked.Los Angeles,'' Lenore replied. She shrugged out of the wings and gazed out over the rooftops, down toward the parklands below. Her fellow students were beginning to cluster down there. With the setting of the sun, festivities would begin. She glanced at her watch: just time to take a shower, change, and get down there for the party.She triggered her rented hang-glider's pickup beacon and waved good-bye to the couple, who had returned to their cheese and wine. Probably waiting for moonrise, she mused. Tropical breezes, perfect weather....A night for romance, and adventure. She felt loose and tingly all over. Adventure's promise had been kept, and the aftertaste was delicious.Stars and a crescent moon silvered a restless ocean. At the rim of Xanadu's southwest lagoon, eight hundred of the UCLA science department's most recent graduates sipped champagne or sparkling fruit juice. Just beyond the breakwater, impossible human shapes walked upon black and silver waves and offered the Council's greeting.Welcome to Xanadu,'' a titanic blond woman roared. Your minds and hearts are the hope of the world. Today your path of intellectual achievement has reached a crossroads.'' Her words echoed among Xanadu's towers. Albert Einstein said, We should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality.' Contrast this with the words of French philosopher Michel Foucault: The work of an intellectual is not to mold the political will of others....' ''Lenore debarked from one of the little robot carts and found a waiter with a tray of champagne glasses. The reception was jumping by now, covering one of the promenades between the outer breakwater and the containment ponds, vast arcs of water extending beyond the central ring of floating hexagons. Here parks and playgrounds swarmed with parents and children. A little farther out, fruit trees provided a lilt of citrus on the night breeze.She searched the crowd as she sipped, looking for a particular friendly face. She barely noticed the special effects show, although many of the other graduates gawked. Through some optical trick, the titanic blonde seemed to make intimate eye contact with each individual. Who shall lead us to the future, if not the pride of our universities? And what tool will blaze your way, if not intellect? We salute you: your hearts, which brim with courage and commitment, your bodies, so strong and filled with the promise of youth, and most especially your minds, which this day have fulfilled your academic potential. Welcome to Xanadu!''Welcome to Xanadu!'' the other titans chorused, and the looped greeting began again.Lenore's not-so-distant ancestors would have dropped to their knees at such a display. Her reactions were a grudging admiration for the technology and a mild resentment of the Council's sheer power and ego.The twelve most powerful people on Earth......Her mood brightened as she spotted a short, rounded shape, her roommate and best friend, Tooley Wells. She nudged Tooley from behind and whispered, What do you think? Do they really look like that?''Tooley turned, hoisted her glass in greeting, and arched a dark eyebrow. Some do, some don't. And I never trust a man prettier than me.'' Tooley was six and a half feet of energy compressed into a five-foot chocolate container. For three years she had been Lenore's roommate and closest confidante. Joe Blaze is fiction, of course. The blond goddess....Shannon, is it? She was that age when she married Halifax ten years ago.''Then the image came right off the Playboy Channel.''With clothes added. Halifax looks ugly enough, but that Medusa coiffure is a program. But look at the tattooed lady over at the end....''The woman to the right looked Bengali or Sri Lankan, with dark skin but Mediterranean features, a hefty shape even discounting her five- story height. She would be Diva, representing Asian labor interests. A traditional red tilik mark upon her forehead watched them like an unblinking third eye. Her hands and lips were laced with spider webs.One of the scandal nets.'' Tooley wrestled with a memory. One of those one-name shows with an exclamation point. Vince! Or something like that. AnyVince! said that Diva was the real thing, but the tattoos are only half finished. The rest are overlaid with a paint program. He had pictures.''Those came out of a computer too.''These twelve Councilors controlled the most powerful corporations and unions in the world, with greater power than most geopolitical governments, save only three: China, the United States, and Greater Germany. In a world too dangerous for any sane person to desire celebrity, anonymity was a greater wealth than gold. There was good money in crafting virtual images to carry one's presence on the Network or in virtual business meetings or public speeches.Synthetic images were protected and regulated like brand names or company logos. (Lenore remembered her Greek. Logos: a principle that stands as an intermediate between divinity and mortality.) Whoever the real rulers of the Council might be, these twelve were the only faces known to the general public.Lenore wondered which were here present.--The world is ever growing and changing,'' spake Joe Blaze, Energy's international logo. Joe was a darkly tanned blond with a six-pack belly and a blazing smile, impossibly handsome in a late-twentieth- century Malibu fashion. Lenore agreed with Tooley: She wasn't entirely certain she would enjoy meeting such a man. Rather perversely, she fantasized that Joe's flesh-and-blood counterpart was a dissipated sixty- year-old with liver spots and a sagging gut.The primary interest of the Council is the prevention of future wars, a hideous waste of human and natural resources....''Joe Blaze made her feel downright homely, not an easy thing to do. Lenore Myles was a bit over five and a half feet tall, with brown hair and eyes and perfect skin to match. Her cheekbones were high and lovely enough to earn her occasional income modeling. Artists liked her faintly challenging smile and the touch of Asia in her northern European features.Lenore Myles watched as her fellow graduates dispersed, arms entwined with spouses or lovers. For them, the evening promised romance and easy camaraderie. At another time she might have felt regret, or loneliness, or isolation. Tonight she bubbled with self-confidence.An hour's assisted gliding and a second glass of champagne were helping her to slough off four years of brutal discipline ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

Very disappointing
Don't waste any time reading this one.It started out OK and then fell apart in the middle.It is not worth my time to write more than this.

Not Niven as I know him
Okay, I'll admit up front that perhaps I should not write a review of this book, because I never finished it. I got as far as Page 73 and simply could not stand it any more. Stopping in the middle of any book is rare for me, but the boredome was unbearable. In fact, I only got that far because I am a great fan of Niven, which gave me hope. His "Mote in God's Eye" with Pournelle may be my all-time favorite novel. Maybe it's just because he has a different writing partner in this book, or maybe it was just an off time for him. But the spark is not there. The plot and character development were slow, tedious, and completely unrewarding.A painful read, at least the first 73 pages.

Boring
This seems to have been written for money only, i.e. without inspiration. The characters stay flat. The story is boring. The technology described sounds like it could have turned into something interesting, but even that stays flat. The big conspiracy introduced is only marginally interesting. The computer-science is bogus, like in bad cyberpunk.

My advice: Spend your money and more important time on something else.

Not For Niven Fans
Perhaps this is a decent cyber-punk SF novel.I wouldn't know because these reviews mark the first time I've ever heard the term cyber-punk.But I do know that as a long-time Larry Niven fan, this is the worst book by him that I've ever read.

Gripping
This is some of the best fiction I have read from Niven and Barnes.It is a long novel, but went by so quickly. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Super Reader
In a future California that has been busted up, Santa Monica someone sort of survives cataclysms, water, and all that stuff.

Aubry Knight is a cyberpunk style bodyguard type, and has a falling out with his boss. Knight ends up crusading against the crime lord types to stop them and their drug plot.

Much bashings.

Great example of "Don't judge a book by its cover."
...because the COVER of the Ace Original 1983 paperback edition really doesn't do the book justice (it's crappy!).I thought I was going to be reading a P.O.S. pulp sci-fi for laughs, and ended up crying at the end, having read the whole book cover to cover in one sitting.If you're a sci-fi fan at all, you'll dig this one.It's great.

Funny how it's getting an average of five out of five stars from people who have read it, and yet it's out of print, and used copies are going for pennies.

best ive ever read
i am not what you would call an avid book reader but on a greyhound bus trip that was to take over 24 hours i found this book in the luggage rack. from the 2nd page i was totally engrossed and finished it before i arrived at my destination.
the character aubry knight is an absolute winner. i lost this book and searched for two months until i found a copy. that is when i found the other two aubry knight stories. i have read all 3 books 3 times apiece and have just started them again after 2 years of sitting on the bookshelf. i cannot reccomend them more
if i was sitting there speaking to you all directly. pick them up, you will not put them down. 20 ********************

I loved it!
I loved this book!Need I say more?Well, ok, if you really want me to, I guess I will.This book had brilliant description of surroundings that Aubry was in.And, as and avid martial artist, I loved the extensive descriptions of the hand-to-hand fight scenes and the warrior/fighter philosophy instilled by the teacher character of the story.A great book making the reader seem to be there as Aubry goes from fighter to warrior, in a metamorphosis that the reader hopes will keep Aubry alive until the end.I enjoyed it immensely.

Good book, but one writing flaw.
I thought this book was a wonderful cyberpunk book.It had great action, vivid descriptions of the city and the life of the characters and bystanders.The taste of the cyberpunk genre was very strong and very real.The story and plot were just absolutely impeccable as well as interesting.However, I found one very irritating aspect about the writer's style.Every time Aubry gets into a fight the author becomes rediculously overengrossed in describing the exact methods of how the fight progresses.For a while I tried to envision how these fights were taking place while I was reading them, but the author's descriptions made that tedious and impossible.He overdescribed every hand-to-hand fight scene that took place in that book.If he had made those sections shorter and sweeter, this book might have gotten a "10.&quot ... Read more

Book Description
It's the American Revolution all over again. But this time it's a ragtag band of space colonists vs. the United States. And the fate of the world hangs by a thread--200 miles above the earth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The Descent of Anansi
In the not-so-distant future, Falling Angel Industries is headquartered ona Lunar-orbiting space station, constructed from used STS External Tanks.FA has just produced 1,400 kilometers of the strongest cable everproduced-single-crystal iron suspended in an epoxy matrix, .8 millimetersthick. Two companies- Brazil Techimotores-Electronics and OyamaConstruction have bidded for the cable, and Oyama has won. Transporting thecable from Falling Angel to LEO via the Space Shuttle Anansi/Ion Drive TugGabriel, the six-day voyage gives BTE enough time to join forces with agroup of Iranian terrorists. Stealing and launching a Soviet Prometheusground-to-orbit missile, they destroy the Gabriel and cripple the Anansiand cable re-entry pod, also killing an Anansi crewmember. With the Anansistranded in orbit, with no way to re-enter and no way to get back toFalling Angel, BTE launches two Space Shuttles. Their mission: retrieve thecable, and finish the job that the missile didn't complete . . . . Destroythe Anansi and her crew.

Readable
I had a bit of trouble following some of what was going on.The romance seemed a bit forced to make the story more interesting.

Great read!
Wonderful book ! Pay no attention to other carping comments.The book thatmade me understand about tides. It has believable characters, great plot,tension--this should be made into a movie. I'm already casting theprincipal characters in my mind...

decent read
This book is a fluffy but fun read about some Brazilians going to the moon.It has a large cast of characters with difficult names.It reminds one of "Outland" more than any known space books.What the heck...it's a hoot.Not much substance but an entertaining airplane book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

excellent book by steven barnes

I found this book better than the first of the series in dealing with race, class, and gender.It also manages to kick serious butt like Streetlethal.

Anti Hero
Aubry Knight is without a doubt the best anti hero I've ever read. This was my introduction to Steven Barnes and so I didn't realize that the rest of the series wasn't as well crafted. (since reading this I've found other great books by Barnes but none of the of the others stand up to Gorgon's Child.) In the days pre XXX and Fight Club. Gorgon's Child showed how to be a man, and how being a man could make a hero out of the most unlikely subject.

I enjoyed it from beginning to end.
It was a book that I could not put down after hours of reading the description kept me in the story with the characters, Icould almost invision being there.I read the book when it first came out and to this day it stays in my mind as one of the more compelling books I ever read.Although I can not say much for "Streetleathel" since I have never read it.It was not until just now that I knew that "Gorgon Child" was a sequal.

Very good book, a few flaws.
See my review for Streetlethal.The same review could apply here, except the ending of this book really did not seem believable.I think the main characters got a little overly lucky considering the situation they were in when the book ended ... Read more

Book Description
Iron Shadows....an exciting, fast-paced thriller about a charismatic cult with a dark underside, a riveting adventure filled with passion and danger.Cat Juvell has a black belt and a knack for solving difficult cases. She and her partner have been hired by a wealthy industrialist to retrieve his sister--and the family's millions--from the control of a mysterious cult known as the Golden Sun.The cult's young leaders, twins Joy and Tomo, are said to have miraculous powers to heal and transform--and the cult's inner circle are rumored to perform erotic rituals in a quest to reach a higher consciousness.But there are suggestions of darker practices, and a whispered phrase-Iron Shadows-that hints at a long-slumbering conspiracy of terror. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

OUT STANDING
This was an outstanding story.It was good to see a related story about the children of "The African" in Blood Brothers.Not to mention it appears that a government is also keeping tabs of some sort on the occult.

An interesting Topic written with Barnes usual flair
Steven Barnes has a beenpersonal favorite of mine ever since I read "Streetlethal". Barnes is an avid Martial Artist and student of eastern philosophy whose considerable knowledge in both of these subjects shows in his stories. If you are interested at all in either of these subjects you will definitely enjoy this book. On a story level, Barnes' plots are usually not too complex; however he is a master at characterization and he really makes you care what happens to his characters. I loved this book and have already pre-ordered a copy of "Lion's Blood".

An intiguing & darkly mystical action/adventure tale
Steven Barnes has written alot of good, solid science fiction over the years -- and he uses that experience here to build a contemporary mystical fantasy adventure that entertains, intrigues and engages you completely. Iron Shadows makes forays into the darkly mystical world of cults & sexual magic, while maintaining a James Bondian plotline and reaching deep into the frailties of human interactions. The erotic tension and gripping issues make this a hard book to put down. My only amazement is that in all the explorations of human sexuality -- the only character that crosses over the standard straight stereotypes is the "evil" villain. Trite, but it doesn't destroy the quality of the remainder of the novel. Highly Recommended. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Hard to Put Down
"The Kundalini Equation" is one of Steve Barnes' early solo ventures and for those who are even half as passionate about human development as the author is, this is one of the best.

The story centers on a typical computer nerd that through chance and/or brilliance recreates through a powerful combination of yogic breath work, visualization, martial arts and diet a mind/body technology that evolves him from human to super-human. After a series of gruesome murders, the question soon becomes: Is he more than human or something less? This self-directed evolution idea seems to be one of Steve Barnes passions and the idea is evident in almost every piece of work that he writes. Frankly, I never tire of this and anxiously wait for everything that Barnes writes. His interests are so similar to my own, but much more than this, Steve Barnes is one of the best writers in the business. He has a great style of writing and an obvious passion for the written word, but more importantly Barnes knows people, their motivations, their lightness and darkness (and oddly seems to like them anyway).

If you can find a copy of Kundalini Equation read it and enjoy it.

Bravo Mr. Barnes.

GREAT book!
I first read this quite a few years ago but reread it nearly every year - starting to wear it out actually.Barnes clearly did the necessary research to make the tale feel real.The story line and character development make this one of the best in the fiction world (I would love to see this turned into a screenplay).

A challenging and excellent read!
This book is not for the faint-hearted.It will make you take a look into yourself and others, and see what is deeply hidden there.Although the journey through the book is challenging, it's well-worth the effort!One of my favorites from Steven...

Fantastic story - interesting concepts
This author has done his research. I am amazed at the level of detail borrowing from martial arts, NLP and other disciplines - keeping everything real.

This story is hard to put down as well.

It's hard to believe thequality that is in this little paperback - but make amazon find you a copyand buy it.

If you are at all interested in martial arts, transhumanism,eastern philosphy, or good stories - this is for you.

An Avid Reader's Favorite Book
This is one of the best books available to read.It is great writing.As well developed as a Stephen King Novel, with the plot drive of Thomas Harris.There is little this book doesn't offer.Martial Artsappreciation a plus, but not a requirement.Stephen Barnes is a master.Ihave read James Patterson, Richard Matheson, Stephen King, Robert Ludlum,Thomas Harris, Umberto Eco, Richard Bach.This book is a postmodernmasterpiece. ... Read more

Book Description
Dream Park, the ultimate in amusement parks, was about to embark on the greatest Game ever: the California Voodoo Game. Across the world bets were being placed; fortunes and reputations hung in the balance. Gaming careers would be made--or destroyed. And the most advanced software package ever invented was going to be tested.
But one of the players was a murderer--and worse. Only Alex Griffin, head of Dream Park Security, and Game Master Tony McWhirter guessed the extent of the treachery tainting the Game. Somehow, they had to catch the killer--but above all, the Game must go on.... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Not Free SF Reader
Again, a murder is committed in Dream Park, and this time the deceased is Alex Griffin's girlfriend. That was probably a mistake.

The California Voodoo Game is massive, involving several teams of top class players, and five Gamemasters, including Tony McWhirter.

Griffin again has to join the game, but this time as a NPC guide. Eventually they discover a complicated, very clever game of industrial espionage is being played within the Voodoo Game itself.

Not as good as the original
If you're already a fan of Dream Park, this is a decent read.Don't expect it to be as good as the original, but it's worth the cost for a light, entertaining read.

That Voodoo That They Do
This second followup to the cult hit "Dream Park" is not as good as its inspiration, but is mounds better than its predecessor, "The Barsoom Project".I'll save my Barsoom bashing for another review, though, and just talk about "The California Voodoo Game" in this one.

This novel has everything that was good about "Dream Park", but still manages to be a tedious, less interesting version of the original.Most of the familiar characters are back, Griffin, the tough-as-nails Security Chief with the heart of gold, Acacia Garcia, the tough-as-nails gamer with the squishy insides, Tony McWhirter, the hacker criminal made good.They're all tossed into the Dream park salad to play a game called "California Voodoo", which would be fine if not for the fact that - DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUHHHH - someone get's murdered before the game and the Dream Park staff must infiltrate the game in order to catch the killer without setting off the alarms, spooking the gamers or losing their merchandising rights.

Just like the other two novels.

Sadly, this outing picks up a little of the creaky, world-weariness of the second book and keeps none of the rollicking, out and out fun of the first.The concept of Voodoo magick played out in a gigantic, ruined building is at once interesting and limiting.The authors, for all their bibliographic citations, show only a rudimentary understanding of vodoun and its many variations.The random appearance of loa is distracting and confusing.

The thing that was most fun about "Dream Park" was the fact that Griffin had to join a game as a player and track his prey from under cover; this meant the reader got to experience the game much as the players did.Here, the real focus is on the investigation.Too much takes place outside the game, too little explanation goes into the game and the authors don't really support the world they've created within the walls of Dream Park.

Frankly, the mystery just isn't that compelling.While the outcome may have cost Dream Park's parent company a ton of dough, I just didn't care.While the villain had murdered someone in the beginning of the book, I just didn't care about the victim or the methods used to catch the killer.What I DID care about was The Game.And there just wasn't enough game to go around.

The writing duo's prose this time around is more accessible than in The Barsoom Project and those reading the series for the first time will not be too disappointed to finish here instead of there.But overall, the magic feels like it's gone.

What a waste!
There was a time that I read every book that Larry Niven was involved in, until this book came out.I haven't read a single one of his books since.After reading Dream Park, I thought I'd give him one more chance.Then came this book, and I decided that if he was going to write such tedious books, I just wouldn't waste my time.
The book involves several teams of players in an imaginary game in which some things are real, and some are just kind of projected into that reality.Meanwhile, some people are trying to play the game, while some are trying to circumvent it.It was simply too much effort to keep track of what was real, what was projected, who was playing, who wasn't playing, and who was just pretending to play.Plus, when you find out, their motives are implausable.
The worst thing about this book is it serves no purpose.Science Fiction should provide the reader insight about science, human nature, possible worlds, or the direction of society.This was just a silly reason to tie some characters together and publish a book.

An Enjoyable Romp Through a Simulated Wonderland
When science fiction like this emerges, it brings a sense of wonder, a moment of shock."This Isn't Far Away!".California Voodoo Game tip-toes the fine lines of modern technology to bring a tale that is intriguing and imaginative.When role-players of our present meet and adopt the virtual reality technology of the near-future, then the world of this novel isn't far away.

The cast of characters is vast, and often we don't get a very indepth vision of them.The Game, which takes on a life of its own for the players, is the most fully fleshed of the "characters".The Game, virtually painted over a huge and somewhat hazardous real-world, is made even more risky when some of the players are playing for higher stakes and breaking every rule.

Okay, so the plot and the writing wasn't the greatest in Sci Fi Fiction today.The characters won't glow in godly pop-culturdom for years to come.But--the technology, the fantasy of this not-so-distant future is so compelling, it makes this book a near perfect escape.

Gaming geeks of the world..rejoice!This one is for you.To the future of gaming..closer than we imagine. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Zulu Heart returns to the 19th Century of Steven Barnes's justly acclaimed novel Lion's Blood, a brilliant alternate history in which black Africans have colonized the New World with white Europeans as their slaves.

As Zulu Heart opens, New World nobleman Kai ibn Jallaleddin is a senator of New Djibouti, an envied plantation owner, and a loving family man. His ex-slave and friend, the Irishman Aidan O'Dere, is on the Ouachita frontier, helping other ex-slaves build a settlement for themselves. But ex-slaves are always at risk, and an angry mob threatens Aidan, his family, and his entire village with slaughter or re-enslavement. Meanwhile, Kai is entangled in intrigues among not only his fellow senators, but the lords of Egypt and Abyssinia, who have sinister plans for the New World colonies. Pharaoh takes Kai's sister hostage to manipulate Kai, even as Aidan discovers his twin sister, lost since childhood, is the property of a powerful foe of New Djibouti. Aidan has a slight possibility of rescuing his beloved sister, and of helping Kai thwart his enemies, but the only chance of achieving these near-impossible goals requires that Aidan go undercover--a slave once more. --Cynthia WardBook Description
Set in the late 1800's in an alternate universe in which Africa colonized the America's, ZULU HEART continues the stories of two men from very different backgrounds. Kai is a politically important Ethiporan nobleman; Aidan, a white Irishman who was until recently Kai's slave. But just as the promise of freedom has separated these two men's fates, racial discourse is about to reunite them. A rebellion is building toward civil war. Loyalties are being drawn along the lines of homelands, namely Egypt and Ethiopia, and causing the New World to be torn into a North and a South-with Kai and Aidan caught in the crossfire. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Impressive
Zulu Heart is a stunning achievement demonstrating scholarship not often found in fiction. However, despite the thickness of the volume, the story itself is rather thin. I have the feeling that Barnes needed to say all of this, not just to show off, but to set us up for future tales. Its well worth the read regardless and along with Lions Blood constitute an alternative history that puts to shame anything Turtledove has written. Also noteworthy is that Barnes is married to Tananarive Due. This has got to be SFs first family.

Still original and ambitious, but drier than "Lion's Blood"
In this sequel to the breathtakingly original "Lion's Blood," Steven Barnes returns to his alternate America, now an African colony named Bilalistan. He also brings us back to his two main characters: Kai, a mystic Sufi and younger son who has now inherited the noble title of Wakil, and Aidan, his former Irish slave who now ekes out a frontier existence as a freedman.

Supposedly, the heart of this book is Aidan's attempt to find and reunite with his long-lost sister Nessa, who was sold away from him when they were first captured as slaves. In reality, however, Aidan's search is merely a subplot, a result of Kai's political schemes rather than a driving force. This bummed me out a little, because instead of character-driven plot, angst and heroism and pointless self-sacrifice and all, we get... Politics. Oh, they're interesting politics, but I just wasn't as interested in a possible war between Egypt and Abyssinia and the secession of southern New Djibouti from the rest of Bilalistan as I would have been in the personal lives of Aidan and Kai. (Barnes seems to be invoking both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars here; New Djibouti wants its independence both from its mother country and from the industrialized north.)

Anyway, as part of all this double-dealing and war mongering (and it's pretty confusing; it might take a second reading for me to really understand where all the lines are drawn) Kai decides he absolutely must get his hand on some sort of code-breaking device. To do that, he asks Aidan to re-enter slavery as a sort of gladiator, with the hope that he can then infiltrate the home of the governor and steal the device. To entice him, Kai suggests to Aidan that he could free his sister, who is the paramour of an influential general, at the same time.

A huge part of the book, as I said, is taken up with politics. Another large chunk deals with Aidan's gladiatorial training, which incorporates some of the Sufi techniques that Kai learned back in "Lion's Blood." What we don't see in this book are characters. There's a few interesting ones, particularly some of the female characters Barnes introduces this time around. Yet the familiar triad from the last book - Kai, Aidan, and Aidan's wife Sophia - is conspicuously watered down. I just didn't care about these characters anymore, and that was disappointing.

All in all, I didn't enjoy "Zulu Heart" as much as I did "Lion's Blood". It is, however, still one of the more ambitious and original alternate histories I've ever read, and I am anxious to continue with the series. Again, I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in American and/or African history.

Outstanding Sequel
I couldn't put this book down.It was well researched and written.A compelling and excellent sequel story.I hope there's a 3rd to wrap some things up.This could definitely be a movie - better than Terminator.

Another Masterpiece
Again, I was floored by the sheer magnitude of research and imagination that it took for Steve Barnes to write this sequel to LION'S BLOOD.The intricately woven story of an alternate universe where Africans were the slaveowners of European Americans is mindboggling in its presentation.Through the stories of the young Kai and his slave/friend, Aidan, the reader is emersed into a saga that is both enlightening and unforgettable in its portrayal of the "what if" factor.

Barnes attempts the impossible and more than surpasses all expectations I had for the epic.LION'S BLOOD and ZULA HEART are two must haves for any Barnes/Sci-Fi fans.

Beyond ExcellentAdventure with Kai & Aidan
ZULU HEART continues the saga begun in Steven Barnes's LION'S BLOOD. Now Kai is Wakil and married to his late brother's fiancée, Lamiya and engaged to marry the Zulu princess, Nandi. But knowing that he killed Nandi's uncle, the great warrior, Shaka, can he trust the Zulu woman with his life? Aidan O'Dere is now free and living in a free village with Sophia and his child. But these two childhood friends, the slave owner and the slave must come together again to combat danger and intrigue. There is a war brewing between Egypt and Ethiopia and the New World colonies will be set against each other: North and South. There is a lot of intrigue, plots and danger in this novel. Enough to make the reader read the whole book in one sitting. Some things are still left open, perhaps for the next novel? This was a wonderful book with well-rounded believable characters in a fully realized alternate world. I look forward to the next novel in this series. It doesn't get better than this. ... Read more

Book Description
The gods of Olympus offered a fateful choice to the warrior, Achilles--a short, glorious life, or a long, dull one.Achilles chose glory.This is the story of the Eleventh Olympiad in the late 21st century--a contest not only for glory but for survival--and of the woman who dared to compete for the highest stakes of all.The future of humanity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Not Free SF Reader
A short, entertaining, illustrated novel.Nothing too flash about it other than that.A woman decides to compete in an all-encompassing super-olympic style competition to enter society's elite.

The only way to win is to take a drug to boost your performance.This drug will kill you in a few years, unless you do manage to win and get into the elite and get treatment.

Behind all this is a conspiracy, and the woman involved discovers there is something not nice going on.Well, not nice compared to the get rid of competitors and other repression that is already going on, anyway.

Stepping into a Painting
This was enjoyable and engaging.Niven shows us a key part of Known Space, pulling us into a story that becomes reality as we read.I found myself seeing the world, however briefly, as a land where a drug can increase awareness and intelligence, but at great cost.This is the goal of every artist- not to paint reality, but to make reality for the viewer and reader.Although this was a short story, and lacked a great deal of depth, it is encouraging to read that rare case of a Christian existing in the future, and a protagonist at that.This book is finely crafted science fiction, both believable and pulling the reader in.

A swing and a miss
Here's the deal, kids -- if you have never read any Larry Niven, go read almost anything else he has ever written or collaborated in writing or even done an introduction for.Do that, and the odds are really good that you'll wind up reading everything he's ever written, and find yourself haunting the bookstores and logging on to Amazon daily hoping he'll write something more for you.

Read this book last out of all the things he's written.

If you've already read everything else he's written, then you might as well read this and have that feeling of completion.

OK, it really isn't all that bad -- but Niven is a great writer, and other things he's done with Barnes have been very good (I have not read any solo efforts by Barnes)and so this one is just so TANJed disappointing.

Achilles Choice - Personal Choice
This novel is about love, life and sport. Based on a future Olympics where not only physical perfection is required but also extreme intelligence. It is a story where the nobel prize is inspired by elite athletes, and practical meets theoretical. It is a story of choices. Choose wrong and you may die. Either way you need to be fully committed to your descisions. If you are going to aim high in life then this is where you would be.

Achilles Choice was a light but enjoyable read. I am looking forward to a sequel.

I would recommend this novel for the age group 8-22 years of age. If you are an older reader the predictability of the storyline may be discouraging.

Don't bother
This book reads like something out of a freshman creative writing class.The dialogue is stilted, the plot is predictable, and the characters are utterly flat.

Skip it - there are plenty of other good books by theseauthors. ... Read more

Book Description
Thirty thousand years ago, in the heart of the African continent and in the shadow of the largest freestanding mountain in the world, lived the Ibandi. For countless generations they nurtured their