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Review Summaries
"Stratos is a planet colonized by humans in an attempt to create a more stable society. The majority of the people on Stratos are clans of female clones. Unique female individuals (called variants, or "vars") and men are considered to be lower class. Men and women only come into a season of sexual arousal at certain (different) times of year. Most of the time, the genders live separately.
In accordance with tradition, Maia and Leie, two young vars, set off on their own to make their fortune. Unfortunately, due to a disaster at sea, Maia finds herself on her own, with all her plans ruined. She gets a temporary job as a train porter, but her assistant, Tizbe seems to be involved in an illicit scheme. Maia discovers that Tizbe is distributing a drug which can sexually arouse males out of "season." In hope of a reward, she attempts to report the crime to the planetary authorities.
However, in an attempt to prevent her from reporting what she knows, a conspiracy of women kidnaps Maia. Soon she realizes the conspiracy involves more than just a drug - the women have also kidnapped a solitary male visitor from space. He is the first extra-planetary visitor to arrive on Stratos since a legendary hostile invasion in the distant past, which was barely repelled.
Each political faction on Stratos wants something from this visitor, and despite herself, Maia finds herself in an alliance of friendship with this male, escaping from their captors and discovering both forgotten technology and suppressed history. "
Althea Morin, Resident David Brin Scholar
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Overall Review
Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence - 20% planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20% Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30%
Tone of book
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- science fiction story
Repressive society story
Yes
Repressive because:
- controls your sex
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Cultural problems, alien culture
Yes
Intense exploration of society's culture?
Yes
Who's a slave/repressed?
- men are slaves
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- unemployed
Age:
- a teen
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- 20's-30's
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a little/some
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body:
- humans in a futuristic society
- primitive aliens
- very controlled society
Planet outside solar system?
Yes
Style
Person?
- rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only)
- some scientific explanation
How much dialogue?
- significantly more descript than dialog
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