science fiction

Black Brillion - Matthew Hughes Book Review

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"Black Brillion"
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Review Summaries
" Tor, Nov 2004, 23.95, 272 pp. ISBN: 0765308657 Archonate Bureau of Security Agent Baro Harkless is a rookie. Baro believes he must prove to his superiors, his peers and more so to himself that he earned the job on his own merit and not his father's reputation. He sees his opportunity when notorious con artist Luff Imbry arrives in Sherit. Baro arrests Luff the but the rookie agent is shocked when his boss Arboghast liberates the felon and assigns him as a partner to Baro in an effort to find evidence to bust master criminal Horselan Gebbling, the Old Earth's greatest conman. Gebbling insists he has the elixir to cure the wealthy of Lassitude, a new disease. However, to obtain the cure, one must buy passage on a cruise sponsored by Gebbling. Harriet Klausner "
Harriet Klausner, Resident Matthew Hughes 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 - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%




Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Spying & Investigations Yes
What is main char. doing? - investigating theft/fraud
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - police/lawman
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - long-lived adults
Profession/status: - thief/con artist
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Earth setting: - medium future 22-24th century
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed
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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