This story takes place on an alien planet ruled by felinoid aliens on the verge of an industrial revolution, who less than 100 years earlier have discovered and enslaved humans. The main character, Heao, is an Academe, one who studies and uses what we consider accepted scientific methods to advance society, who often find themselves at odds with the guardians, who try to conduct their lives based on pseudo-religious beliefs.

Heao meets up with Baltsar, a merchant, and after interacting with his slaves and studying them for a time, she concludes that the slaves are more intelligent than was previously believed. Unfortunately, her findings prove to have unanticipated political consequences that cause her to be shunned by her society, even some of her closest friends, in a sort of Galilean persecution, even as she and her associates seek funds for an expedition that might shed some light on the issues. The story takes a surprising turn as the situation is played out. The book is very thought provoking in issues of slavery, and of how science and religion sometimes conflict with one another.

Khan is a considerable surprise, coming from Felice. Like all Felice novels, it presents complex alien cultures and alien-human interactions. The characterizations are also complicated and engaging. One cannot easily predict how each character will react as with so much SF. And one cannot predict the outcome of this novel by reading other Felice. An alien contact story first, Khan narrates the gradual learning process that links a psionic race with a seemingly primitive culture with non-psionic, but technologically advanced humans who have come to investigate this sparsely settled planet. The alien leader, Rukmani Khan, true to form for a culture which is based on our illusions of the Middle East, is interested primarily in a young woman in the epedition, Sindon Liang. She encourages this intererst in order to do in-depth anthropological/sociological research and the result is predictable, especially when we add the factor of this race's persuasive powers, telepathy and telekenesis. Rukmani apparently promises, and delivers, a heighted sexual experience that enslaves Sindon to the point where she abandons the humans and goes with him to bear a daughter, Tara and see her to young womanhood. Of course, there is a serpent in the garden, in the form of Khan's loving wife.

Jan Bogstad

This is a good book and I had fun reading it. But there were some parts that I didn't understand, like what Mercury was. The rest of the book was really great. All the parts about all the fish got me really excited(I even asked my mom to take me fishing). I learned alot about new kinds of fish, new ways how to fish and many new different kinds of bait and lures. This is a good book for kids and grownups that are into fishing.

This book was very interesting. I was always guessing what would happen next. I would have never guessed the ending. DeFelice, the author of the book, writes with a unique style. She finds a way to put a twist in the ending. I also liked this book because of the main character. To really understand the ending, you first have to understand the character. Ben is a character that people can relate to. Even though his problem would not happen to anybody else, a person can relate to his inner struggles. Reading this book did not take long for me. Although it was only 95 pages, I did not want to put it down. A very well put together book, you must read it.

We had to read this book in school and I was glad that the school finally picked a good book for us to read! The author makes it so realistic and you can't put the book down because it is so good. The author has a way of getting you interested and it keeps you guessing until the end. This is a great book for people who like to read and people who don't like to read.

When was the last time you read a book that keeps you in suspense? Well, let me recomend the book Weasel by Cynthia Defelice. This book keeps you in total suspence as the characters encounter different situations.

Cynthia Defelice's powerful look on surviving in the wilderness with a killer on the run is very exciting. The character Nathan never would have expected that this could happen to him, but it does. The dreams that haunt him of a killer named Weasel were true, until a man named Ezra came along. His silence leads to discovering, who weasel was, and why he never spoke a word. If you like exciting books that keep you on the edge of your chair, you will enjoy this book.

This book called weasel was about a boy named Nathan, determined to [do away with] a killer named Weasel. It takes place in Ohio in 1839 in the forest. Weasel is not an animal. He is a killer who is said to be a blood thirsty half man half animal. The government had hired Weasel to drive the Shawnee (indian tribe) off the land, but then he (Weasel) starts to [do away with] everyone for no reason at all but for the sport of it. Nathan befriends the character Ezra. Ezra has no tongue because Weasel cut it off. Nathan meets Ezra when Nathans Dad goes out hunting and doesn't come back for 6 days. Ezra comes to their door with something of their Dads. Will Nathan and his younger sister molly go with Ezra? Nathan will go through many twists and turns but you will be suprised the way this story ends ( even though the last chapter is very corny).

Weasel was a very intense book. It takes place in a little town in Ohio around 1839. The main character, Nathan Fowler, is about 13 years old and his sister, Molly, is about 9 years old. Their Pa went out hunting for a couple of days and hadn't come back. Nathan and Molly were starting to worry, for they know there was a mean villain in the woods where Pa is hunting. His name is Weasel. The government hired Weasel to drive off all the Indians. Now, since all the Indians are gone, Weasel has turned on the settlers.

One night a man comes to the Fowler's door and asked Nathan and Molly to follow him. They only go because they think he knows where Pa is. The man takes them to his home, where Pa is lying on the bed and his leg has been stitched together. They find out that the Indian who came to their door is named Ezra. Ezra couldn't talk because Weasel had cut off his tongue, so he knows how dangerous Weasel can be. Ezra had found Pa lying on the ground after Weasel had stolen his gun, captured him and left him there for dead.

Nathan then goes back home to feed the animals. Once he got there, he realizes that all the animals were either dead or gone. Nathan suspects Weasel, since he is known for killing and stealing. On his way back to Ezra's house, where Pa is, Weasel captures him!

This book is a great one for those who love action-packed thrillers and non-stop action. When I checked this I thought it would be horrible but once I read it I thought it was one of the best books ever.

My book was Lostman's River. The author is Cynthia Defelice. The main caricature is Tyler MacCuley how was hiered by a man ro be his guide. But somthing goes teribly wrong. If you want to find out read this your self.It is a good book for 5th graders.

This is the second book Ive read by DeFelice,and although I liked Weasel, This book was even better. Tyler and his family live on this river in Fla. Tyler likes the simplicties this life has brought. One day a stranger arrives and basicly tricks Tyler and his family to expose a exotic bird rookery. The stranger ended up being a poacher. Others arrive while Tyler and the stranger are at the rookery, and a deadly confrontation takes place. Tyler then has to get out alive and must decide how to deal with the events that have taken place. There are no simple answers to these questions, and the book does not have a happy ending, but a realistic one. Great story for young and old alike!!

This is an excellent book. Lostman's River will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end of the story. Why are Tyler, Carrie, Mama and Papa in Florida? Why did they leave New York in the first place? These are all questions that will be answered when you read the story. The MacCauley's or shall I say the McLeod's haven't had any visitors in many years. Why are they all of a sudden recieving so many visitors now? All of these questions and many many more that will spur in your mind will be answered i f you decide to read this book. Cynthia DeFelice is an excellent writer who knows how to bring imagery and emotions to life. She has written many novels and most of them have won awards. Weasel is another wonderful book byu Cynthia DeFelice.

It's sort of like a "mystery caper" movie.

This Sci-Fi world of the near future is ably created and the revealing of the details of this future definitely helps to drive the story.

But, it's the characters, their realtionships and, in particular, the loveable heroine who really make you happy to keep reading.

A light, fun yarn.

I loved Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog. Light Raid was no different. I began reading it in the morning on the way to work and found it so entertaining that I simply could not stop reading it. I finished it in one day.

Light Raid is a simple, yet exciting novel about a young woman who finds herself in the middle of a spy ring involving her own family. It takes place in a future where wars are no longer fought on the ground, but rather with laser beams directed by satellites.

Light Raid is a light and fun read, full of mystery, suspense, wonderful characters and even a healthy dose of romance. Willis has a great knack for being able to draw the reader into the story from page one.

This is an interesting story that takes place a few years (centuries?) into the future. Water has become an altogethor different resource, and it has caused the restructuring of North America. The culture is at once recognizable, and yet bizarre and takes place in places that don't strike many people as action centered. Like a chase scene in Victoria, British Columbia or references to the "Prince of Saskatchewan"!!! There's family and "Family" dynamics going on, spying, romance, fun and tragedy. Entertaining and interesting

Water Witch isn't big literature, but it provides an enjoyable few hours in another universe. Initially, the book gives you the impression that this will be fluffy entertainment, but it delivers much more. You bite into cotton candy and find, say, a lemon meringue pie. Just a *little* more depth than you'd expected.

The story is fairly simple, but it would be easy to spoil the plot; forgive me if I'm circumspect. Basically, Water Witch takes place on a planet, long since settled by humans, where water is rare; only a water witch -- someone who's genetically sensitive to water and can feel its presence -- can control the precious resource. However, of the water witches have died out and the current princess, as you learn in the first few pages, doesn't have very much talent. Despite the short-of-water theme, it's definitely not a Dune knockoff, as the alien planet has several well thought out ecological resources.

The story is told from two viewpoints: Deza, the daughter of a con man, and Radi, who's engaged to the last princess of the Red City. Naturally the whole thing is a setup for a love story, and it doesn't disappoint.

All of the above makes this sound like a very serious novel, but it's a done with a light hand and a sense of humor. The humor of real people rather than silliness or laugh-out-loud escapades.

While the story doesn't have the interwoven zanyness that Willis accomplishes so well in her later work (which always makes me think of Katherine Hepburn movies like Bringing Up Baby), it does show signs of her development. The authors do a fine job of storytelling (sometimes you can tell whose hand was on the keyboard, so to speak, but it's rare), with more complex characters than in at least another one of their collaborations.

I enjoyed this book, and think it'd be a fine accompaniment on a long trip.

I read this book some years ago and enjoyed it. I lost my copy and have been looking for another one ever since.

I began reading the book because I love Connie Willis. After 20 pages, I was disappointed; after 50 or so pages, I was mad. The only thing that kept me going was the fervent hope that the unbug would get squashed after mortally wounding the shallow and obnoxious "heroine." And then, unexpectedly, I began to enjoy the story, mostly because of the science-fiction elements, and I realized that if this book were marketed for young people, it would be quite good. It's a very moral story... the wretched Delanna sees the error of her thinking, proves to be a hard worker, kind to animals both warm and cold-blooded, and learns to love a good and uncomplicated hunk of a man. And there are no scenes you would be embarrassed to read aloud to your 13-year-old daughter, who I think is the perfect audience for this rather charming but predictable story. I hope there's a sequel, perhaps written more towards adults... and this time, the unbug gets it.

Maybe it was just the right book at the right time in my life, but this book struck just the perfect chord with me. So what if you can smell the happy ending a mile away? I for one was content to relax in the capable hands of two skilled authors and let the story take me there. This wasn't what my mother would refer to as a "deep" book, but I read books for all kinds of reasons, not least of which is plain and simple enjoyment. The characters are interesting and develop in complexity as the main character grows to know them better. For all that the storyline is relatively straightforward, it's still complex enough to keep me going and surprise me now and then. I love this book. It even passed that most difficult of all tests: the re-read.

Great for anyone that doesn't like technical novels. Promised Land is incredibly light to read, heavy on the semi-subtle wit, just a tad preachy, with wonderful characterizations. Everyone knows a Sonny Tanner and the gossip mill. The vet's a bit overdrawn, but Delanna is perfect!

It is nice to see an innocent romance blossom without the lurid details, although the hints are there. The imagination is left to paint your own picture of fire-haired Delanna with her nacre-backed Cleo wrapped in her arms. (Really, it's not a bug!)

Not her best book - that honor goes to Doomsday - but probably the most enjoyable to read. I hope Willis and Felice write another.

Earth has been subjected to another ice age and the people have degenerated as they struggle to survive. Emigrants from the stars rediscover earth and decide to "help". Their help consists of taking valuable museum artifacts and selling them at huge profits. The "icemen" are considered not much above Neanderthals and are kept helpless and at subsistence levels.

The iceman hero, Michael Jivar, manages to incur a blood-debt from a highly placed official. He is maneuvered into marrying the niece of the official so that the he can win a political election.

My purpose in writing this review is to warn people that this book does NOT end happily. So if that's important to you, don't read it. I was quite disappointed. I thought that since Felice had managed to work several happy romances into her other books that she would have done so in this book. NOT SO!