The Maiden #1: Out of Ashes - Karen Koehler Book Review

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Review Summaries

" Black Death, Jul 2003, 16.00, 246 pp. ISBN: 0967922038 For centuries two factions fought for supremacy in their homeland. The result is that their orb is in the final stages of death from the devastating holocaust. However, the civil war continues unabated with the fighting continuing off planet to remote rocks like earth where the indigent populace remains ignorant that aliens live amongst them with one side planning to conquer the backwater planet. In Chicago, the cruel leader Talos poses as highly regarded human Police Commissioner Tate Taloni. He uses alien technology to direct the activities of his earthly minions. His niece Janna almost died in a confrontation with Uncle Talos. Only her loving mechanical scientist husband Ty saved her life, but at a cost of converting her into a cybernetic fighting automaton. Janna may be more machine than human, but she has two strong motivators. She remembers the love she share with her spouse and also seeks retribution for herself and all those who died and suffered atrocities by destroying her uncle and his evil underlings. Janna, Ty and two earth recruits unite in an effort to prevent Talos from achieving his latest objective, enslaving the human race. OUT OF ASHES is the powerful debut of a new series that with the high quality level of this novel will be great due to a fully developed cast and an action-packed story line. The fascinating heroine is an alien Robocop with less of the programmed safeguard restrictions and a deeper mourning, along with Ty, on what they have lost. The evil villain feels like Darth Vader from the original Star Wars. Harriet Klausner "
Harriet Klausner, Resident Karen Koehler Scholar

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Overall Review

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%

Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Lifeform altered? Yes
Kind of alteration: - turned into/from a robot/computer
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Female Alien
Profession/status: - champion of justice
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - bulging muscles

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male Alien
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Earth setting: - near future (later in 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - some scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript

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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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