The second of five Vicky Bliss mysteries, Street of Five Moons is one of Elizabeth Peter's best. Well, in my opinion the whole Vicky Bliss series is excellent. But in this novel, not only do we revisit the beautiful and brainy Vicky, but we meet the handsome and suave Sir John Smythe. The quick wit and banter of Vicky and Sir John is extremely entertaining. I literally laugh out loud when reading these novels. As for the plot, after discovering a forgery of a piece antique jewelery on a corpse, along with a scrap of paper with five cresent moons drawn on it, Vicky decides to go to Italy to investigate. An amateur sleuth, Vicky searches numerous areas until at last she gets caught. Will Vicky survive? What will transpire between Vicky and Sir John? You have to read this excellent book to find out.

Our protagonist, gorgeous and brainy, Vicky Bliss is again on the move when she and her boss from the National Museum of Munich discover that someone is making excellent copies of the most famous jewels in the world. In this case it's a replica of the Charlemagne talisman. Vicky's who has a PhD in Art History and Medieval European History is also an amateur sleuth. With the only clue that she has, she goes to Rome to locate the street of the Five Moons where she hopes to find a connection to the thieves. Well, of course she gets into trouble and is rescued by a "dangerously exciting young Englishman." Sir John Smythe is truly charming and the chemistry between he and Vicky is terrific. This is a lovely romantic mystery and the second book in the Vicky Bliss mystery series.

Another great story by Elizabeth Peters who is also Barbara Michaels!

I was looking for another mystery series that would actually get BETTER with each book and this does! The first book in the series lets you get to know Vicki and go on an adventure with her. This next one is also VERY exciting and incredibly funny. I found myself saying "been there, done that" in some instances where she feels the most foolish. All the characters are well described and fleshed out. They are fully rounded, especially Pietro. They have the the different sides as we all do.

The tension is terrific and the chases keep you on the edge of your seat.
I was always either laughing or biting my nails!

Despite Kirkus' lukewarm review, my daughter (age 3, adopted from China) likes this book and asks for it often. I think she likes the dragon pictures. I appreciate the fact that the protagonist is Asian, female, and gutsy.

Not just our son, the whole family loves it. Everything about it. The pictures, the story ( inviting to eat veggies). What a wonderful mind Elizabeth and John have! I read so many books to my son, mostly uncommon and unusual ones, jet this one still stands out.

In this magical story, a tiny girl takes on a great adventure, climbs a web to the moon, and saves the world by befriending the moon dragon.

Set in the future (though the book never specifies when), when medical advances has made autism a thing of the past, this is the story of Lou, a highly functioning autistic man - one of the last autists in existence. When Lou is given the choice to undergo treatment to become "normal", he must decide whether to venture into the unknown, or remain his familiar, but flawed, self.

Elizabeth Moon is a mother of an autistic child herself, and you can tell she knows the condition inside and out by the way she tells her story from the viewpoint of an autist. The Speed of Dark poses the question: How much would you do to become normal and accepted? How much would you sacrifice of your true self? And then Ms. Moon sets out to answer that question in the guise of Lou Arrendale, who is at once likable yet, at times, infuriating. The book is exhausting to read - I can't imagine how exhausting it must be to live with autism! And at the end of the book, we are given some answers... but also left with one final question: What, exactly, is normal?

Most fiction writers portray people with autism as freaks and highlight the spectrum's most extreme behaviors. In *The Speed of Dark*, Elizabeth Moon accurately identifies and addresses the real issues that autists face through the point of view of an autistic man, Lou.

Lou has learned to function well enough within "normal" society to hold a job and to live independently. His company recognized that people with autism often have an unusual talent for pattern-recognition and created an autist-friendly division in which Lou and other people with autism work. Problems arise when a new supervisor questions the cost-effectiveness of the program and suggests (in a most coercive way) that Lou and his coworkers undergo an experimental procedure which may "cure" them of their autism.

As the parent of two children who fall on the autism spectrum, I commend Ms. Moon's grasp of the major issues and their implications. She clearly understands the limitations that sensory integration disorder (the inability to efficiently and accurately process sensory input) places on life skills, the need for routine, and the feeling of living in an alien environment while surrounded by humanity. In fact, what I found most compelling was Lou's continual analysis of his every action, his need to evaluate and reevaluate, so as to appear "normal". Each day required thousands of decisions, decisions most of us make intuitively and without thought. The most mundane activities--walking through airport security, asking a woman out, deciding where and what to eat--become trials for him.

Another area she addressed well was the problem that people with autism and other disabilities face when their superiors, immediate or higher up the line, decide that those with special needs are not worth accommodating or resent them for their special status. While a person in a wheelchair may advocate effectively because s/he has adequate communicative and social skills, how do people whose disability lies in their inability to communicate effectively cope? What kinds of safeguards are required to ensure compliance with the law? Those of us with special needs children deal with this daily when schools fail to deliver promised services to our children. The problem continues in the workplace.

Finally, she forced me to think about "normal" and its parameters and to reassess its desirability for my children. Is it fair to make normalcy their goal, when their paradigm differs so radically from the norm? Clearly they must learn to cope with a world which is foreign to them, but should we, as a society, hold up normal as the grail? Are they flawed individuals in need of "repair" or does their orientation have validity? This book will make you think and think hard about autism and how it impacts on both the individual and society.

Set in the not so distant future, this novel explores the process that all of us go through when we risk self evaluation and change. What is it that makes us uniquely who we are? What is the difference between becoming more of who we are and changing the essence of our very self? Movement in one sphere of necessity means movement in another ~ what is gained, what is lost? Not only did Elizabeth Moon give an honest presentation of autism, but invited her readers to consider the role of technology and societal standards in the shaping of human relationships. Rich with imagery and opportunities for pondering that that linger long after the book is finished.

After the traditional 'down' of the second book of the series (our character is on the ropes), Paks becomes the Heroine she is destined to be. The believable detail and and well constructed plot deliver Paks to end of her first major quest as a Paladin. The excellent construction of this series makes the best reading (for me) fantasy trilogy of the last 20 years. No one likes to see a character written to death, but Ms. Moon, there is a lot of life left in Paks yet (not to mention Arvid and others). If you have given up fantasy for good, my loss. If not, please tell us more of Paks's story.

'Oath of Gold' is the culmination of one of the greatest science fiction/fantasy trilogies ever written. The first two books of 'Deed of Paksenarrion' trilogy were very well written, and this book is no exception. Elizabeth Moon has told this story in such a way that you can not help but fall in love with the main character. Once I picked up this book, I could not put it down until I was finished. The book is beautifully written and has a plot that will keep you involved till the very end. I found my heart breaking with each adversity Paksenarrion was put through, and I found myself soaring with joy each time she overcame her obstacles. I could go on and on giving praise to this book and to the entire trilogy. Let me just say that everyone who enjoys science fiction/fantasy needs to read the whole story of Paksenarrion from the beginning to the ending.

THIS IS MY ALLTIME FAVORITE BOOK. I have More books than I can remember and this is the best book I have ever read period. I love the whole trilogy but Elizabeth Moon just got better and better. This book riveted me from the beginning. The book is fast paced and full of adventure but is also very moving. You truly believe paks can do anything. This is a great feel good book. If you enjoy a riveting story where you know that good must!!! overcome evil read these. I shut this book and less than a minute later started rereading it. I couldn't get enough. ...

Simply one of the most fascinating books I've ever read. Easily the best invocation of what life may well have been like for our hunting and gathering ancestors, and a stupendous illustration of animistic modes of experience, and of the reciprocity between human beings and the living land. Brilliant insights into the sensorial worlds of other animals -- wolves, mammoths, and others -- as well as into mysteriously beautiful styles of thought and awareness still common among many indigenous, oral peoples. An anthropological and deeply ecological classic -- and yet its a novel! Its not forthose who like their nature sentimental and sweet, but if you care about the wild otherness so rapidly dissappearing from our world, don't miss this astonishing book.

This is the best book I have ever read about how Homo sapiens lived in an ice-age world 20,000 years ago. Superbly written, Elizabeth Marshall Thomas describes in highly dramatic fashion the struggle of a young girl to stay alive in a land where death was always near and at a time when food and warmth were incredibly scarce. Life in a clan, life among the animals and life in a supernatural state are all described in entrancing detail.

Hands down one of the best books I've read to date. I was assigned Reindeer Moon for an introductory Anthropology course a few years back, and what a treat it turned out to be! Wonderfully realistic and multidimensional characters as well as supurb attention to detail are what make this novel impossible to put down. I read Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel prior to this and was dissapointed that her main character was portrayed almost like an angel; she could do no wrong. But Thomas's Yanan is so real; complete with character flaws, impure thoughts, and feelings of uncertainty. A rich cast of characters and amazing attention to detail is what made this book soar to the top of my "favorite novels" list. Highly recommended.

I'm glad that I read the single trade edition rather than the three books separately. I don't think I would have bothered with Divided Allegiance and Oath of Gold if I had just bought Sheepfarmers Daughter. I laughed when I read one review about Sheepfarmers Daughter going something like "she slept she marched she fought she ate" he/she is absolutely right! I was thinking the same thing, I started to wonder if the entire single trade edition would be like that! Luckily the other two books are not. I can't say that Moon writes the best battle/combat scenes I have definitely read better, I had some trouble envisioning them. The map was also mediocre it should have had more detail, a few of the places Paks traveled to were not there which was annoying, why weren't they included? Most importantly THRERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A GLOSSARY I kept forgetting and confusing who was who etc. It's a long book, there are alot of characters and the names are unusual. Also Gird should have been explained she just went on about him and I hadn't a clue at first who he/it was. I also found that some of the adventures Paks went on held no real challenge and were not described in enough detail. Moon leaves you wondering who some of the characters were and why certain events occurred.E.g. who exactly was Macenion? Where did he come from? What was the point of the snowcat? Why bother to have it briefly in the story line? Just so Paks could be consumed by guilt over killing it? What exactly did the snowcat represent to her? It's almost as if Moon put little occurrences like that in the book(s) just because she felt she had to. I kept expecting a few of the things that happened to be tied up later on so I could see the relevance of them. I just found the way that Paks got out of the banast taig too easy. Basically the orcs cornered her and she was lucky enough to "move into the light" and to be impelled to take the blue shaped object, which took her out of the building. When exactly was the banast taig broken? When she killed possessed elf or when she grabbed the blue egg? What I enjoy most about some authors books is when their characters get into really sticky situations and reading the clever ways they get out of them and thinking wow I never would have thought of that. With Moon however I was thinking anyone could have thought of that escape. Also why did the elves that found her erase part of her memory? I also got fed up when Paks had to explain to people whatever had happened to her. Rather than saying that Paks told them Moon has Paks describe everything all over again, which is annoying because you have just read her adventure in that last book or chapter and you don't wan to read it over again.

Worth reading but not the best I've ever read

Next to the Lord of the Rings, this is the best fantasy novel ever, and if LOTR touched you, this will too. If you don't like that kind of novel, then skip Paksenarrion. However if you like a powerful and sweeping novel where common people rise to do uncommon things, then this book is for you. This is the story of how a young girl became a Paladin. From her simple beginings, to the events that slowly change her, to the ultimate test of her character, this tale will quietly charm you, and then ensnare you. It is wonderful reading, and the story has a real spiritual side to it that is rare in modern writing. If you are looking for Conan, or hack and slash excitement, don't bother reading this book (which having been a soldier myself, I can tell you is pretty true in its portrayal of war, of course E. Moon *was* a Marine..). However if you haven't found a book that made you feel the way you felt when you first read Tolkien, then read this book. You will be very glad you did.

I originally read this book in its three parts "Sheepfarmer's Daughter", "Divided Allegience" and "Oath of Gold." I must say that this is one of the best fantasy series I have ever read.

While it follows many of the sacred precepts of fantasy it is nonetheless completely original and entertaining. Moon uses a female protagonist, something that does not often happen in fantasy. It is a very realistic depiction of a fantastical world that is gritty and dark without being depressing.

The story deals with how Paks (short for Paskenarrion) joins a mercenary company and throughout her ordeals is called to the service of the Saint Gird. A wonderful depiction of the human struggle against evil and the search that all people must face to discover their true self.

Anyone besides me notice the similarities between "Sassinak" and "Citizen of the Galaxy" by Robert Heinlein? Thorby and Sassinak both become orphaned slaves at a young age, both are befriended by former members of the space navy, both are programmed with information to be disseminated only to certain designated individuals, under very defined conditions. I love McCaffrey's books, have for years, just wondering if I'm imagining things with this one...

The Death of Sleep and Sassinak are two of my favorite books. Sassinak and Lunzie are such great heroines. They join forces to destroy a conspiracy in Generation Warriors which is not as good as the other two books. For more about Sassinak and Lunzie and their adventures on the Planet Ireta, read Dinosaur Planet and Dinosaur Planet Survivors.

I have read Anne McCaffery's books for years now and this one was one of her greats. Granted there are no dragons as her books usually have but don't let that stop you. One of the best books by her that I have ever read and I have many of hers from the Dragon Riders to Acorna and out of all those books, these three are the best read of all hers. I can't say enough how much I enjoyed reading this book. I believe that I've read it about 4 or 5 times now and it still can't put it down when I start it again. A dangerous book to be sure. Enjoy!

The initial pages ramble as the author gathers all the threads begun in 'Hunting Party'. If I hadn't read the two books back to back I would have had to reread the first to know what was going on. The middle is solid and gripping, but the end, I think, sets you up for 'Winning Colors'.

The first of Elizabeth Moon's Familias Regnant novels, _Hunting Party_, was enjoyable, but the second, _Sporting Chance_, is much better. It was, for want of a fresher word, gripping. It compels reading, it's very exciting, the character are extremely involving, and it has some interesting ideas too. Heris' employer Cecelia has noticed that the Crown Prince appears to have been tampered with: he's acting unusually dull. She tells the King, which turns out to be political folly. Cecelia ends up poisoned in a scary way: she is paralyzed, still conscious but unable to communicate or convince anyone else that she is not a vegetable. She has left Heris her ship in her will: thus Heris becomes a prime suspect. The story follows several threads: Heris takes a secret mission for the King, trying to find the Prince's illegal clones; while Brun and Ronnie, two younger members of the nobility who were "reformed" by Cecelia and Heris in _Hunting Party_, take action to get Cecelia appropriate medical treatment, and Heris' new employee Sirkin deals with a foolish lover who gets her involved in some very dangerous situations. The action is pretty much nonstop, despite much of the story being told from the viewpoint of a paralyzed, incommunicado, individual, and the resolution is solid. My main quibble is that the villains are too too BAD.

This is probably one of the most satisfying books in the long series of the Familias. Though the plot unravels a little bit too fast and too easily at the end, the book is packed with action, full with non-related plots that intersect each other anyway.

There is also a comforting sense of completion at the book's end, something which is often missing from Elizabeth Moon's books (on her series).

After stumbling onto one of Elizabeth Moon's earlier books (by way of the Honor Harrington Series). I tried to get all of the books of this universe. I had difficutlies getting copies of the middle story. They were a great read, and went quickly. I love the part of Brun getting Cecilia out of the nursing home. The reader can easily picture the entire mess. While this is a reprint, it is nice to see the three stories put together and readily available.

This book is really, Hunting Part, Sporting Chance and Winning Colors all in one big book! If you love the Serrano/Suiza series this is a must have! This sets up all the history, the muder, the mystery, the politics and the past battles so that once we introduce Esmay Suiza into the circles of the Serrano navel family we know exactly where Heris Serrano has been. If you've read the books that center around Esmay Suiza, you definately need to read this book, it will give you a much clearer picture of what all is going on in the Regents Familia. This 3 books in 1 will also give you a window into why Admiral Serrano treats Suzia the way she does... SO all in all its definately worth the reading time and the cost of the book!!

Heris Serrano is an omnibus edition of the first three novels in the Familias Regnant series, including Hunting Party, Sporting Chance, and Winning Colors. Heris is a Commander in the Regular Space Service when she is framed and set up to be court-martialed, but takes the offer to resign instead. She accepts an interim job as the captain of a private yacht while she searches for a way to be reinstated. As a scion of a multi-generation RSS family, Heris has not had much contact with the ruling families and encounters a number of surprises. Moreover, there is more widespread corruption within the RSS than she expected.

In Hunting Party, Heris gets the job as the captain of Lady Cecelia's yacht, the Sweet Delight, with six guests aboard at family insistence. Heris will command the crew and Bates will command the staff, including the cook and gardener. The first voyage will be to Sirialis for the fox hunting season. On the way, Heris learns that all is not well with the ship and crew.

In Sporting Chance, the Sweet Delight returns to Rockhouse with the heir apparent aboard, along with various bodyguards and several crew replacements. The prince seems to be a little slow and Lady Cecelia brings this to the King's attention. The navigator, Sirkin, is outstanding, but wants to be with her lover, Amalie, who is by no means exceptional; Heris hires Amalie as general labor on a 30 day contract, hoping that she will shape up or that Sirkin will wise up. On top of all this, Heris expects troubles from smugglers due to events in the last voyage.

In Winning Colors, Heris gets two temporary crewmates aboard the Sweet Delight: Brun as a favor to Lord Thornbuckle and Koutsoudas as a favor to Arash Livadhi, a RSS captain and former classmate. Moreover, a court has decided that Heris now owns the yacht despite Lady Cecelia having recovered from her rejuvenation difficulties. Furthermore, Lady Cecelia decides to visit the Xavier system just as the Compassionate Hand is raiding the planet.

Winning Colors provides the first appearance of Esmay Suiza, the senior surviving officer of the RSS Despite after the crew has learned that the former captain was a traitor and mutinied against her. Her actions in the Xavier system lead to Esmay becoming the main character in the next book of the series, Once a Hero.

This series is very British in tone, with dashing young heroes, dinner parties and fox hunting. However, some of the dashing heroes are young women: Esmay, of course, but also Brun in another way. However, the mixture of bumbling and competence would be unbelievable if not for historical precedent; the British are famous for the success of its talented amateurs. Nevertheless, it is the professionals of the RSS that provide the solid core of competence in this series.

This series illustrates the author's talent at characterization as well as her understanding of both surface and spatial combat. The contrast with the technological level of the Paksennarion series is great, but the characterization is just as interesting. This series, however, is quite similar in tone and ambiance to the Sassinak series written with McCaffrey and Nye.

Recommended for Moon fans and anyone who enjoys space adventures with both covert operations and spatial combat.

Moon has proven herself capable in the past of providing masterful characterizations of young women (Deed of Paksennarion) and middle-aged women (Heris Seranno in Hunting Party et. al.). Here she proves herself equally adept at very old women. The basic plot involves a first contact where only one human is left. I can think of several cases where this has been used where the protagonist is a young person inadvertently or willfully left behind. In this case, the twist is that the person is a very old woman, on the order of 80. She stays behind deliberately and the early part of the book details her blossoming once she has gotten away from family oppressors. By the time the aliens arrived I was thoroughly identifying with the protagonist and really hoped for her success. This one deserves an award nomination, Hugo probably

Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon is an unusual book in quite a few ways.

To start with, the protagonist, Ofelia, is over 70 years old, and a grandmother. She's not as spry as she was, and not taken seriously by her family or community. Just a "crazy old lady". I can think of very few SF books where the protagonist is that old, unless of course they have some life-extension technology. Ofelia's people do not seriously consider the wants and concerns of an old person. Perhaps our culture doesn't either, if you judge by their (lack of) prominence in fiction.

Ofelia lives in a struggling colony on a far-away planet. She's put her whole life into the colony -- the gardens, the family and friends she has buried there, the labor of a long life. Now the corporate owners of the world and the colony have decided it is "not viable" and they are shipping their employees off to start over on another world. Ofelia decides she won't leave.

The colonists and the corporate masters leave, not too concerned about one missing old lady. Ofelia is alone. Alone means un-fettered by the needs and demands of other people. Un-concerned about what the neighbors will think of what she wears or does. Free to do sensible things which she is very capable of, and also free to make her own artwork and to sit in the sun and dream.

This is the first and perhaps largest joy of the book. It is a personal growth story about someone whose life we might have assumed to be nearly over. Left to go wild, Ofelia blossoms. She is practical and careful, but at the same time her child self is finally set free.

Of course all is not well in paradise for long. Ofelia will be presented with plenty of challenges. She was un-educated and under-valued by her society, but it turns out that a lifetime of experience at "women's work" has given her skills that she needs but barely has names for - diplomacy, conspiracy, management, teaching, practical use of social dynamics, to name a few. Through it all we enjoy Ofelia's sharp wit about the strange goings-on around her.

This is also a First Contact story. The aliens (natives actually) are quite interesting, with a very different culture and social structure than what we are used to. They do have some surprises in store for the humans. I always like well-done aliens and alien - human interactions, and this is the second joy of this book.

Remnant Population is also unusual in that there is very little violence. Elizabeth Moon has written quite a lot of military SF and swords-&-sorcery, but this book is free of those familiar combat scenes. Instead we have the joy of seeing inept corporations and short-sighted military baffled and outwitted by an old lady who understands how people work, how to resist, and how to find common ground.

Anyway, this is the best book I've read this year, and goes on my "favorites" shelf, to lend to friends and read and re-read. It's available in paperback now, copyright 1996. You should find and read this one now, before it vanishes from the publishing scene and becomes an unobtainable legend.

(This review first appeared in TANSTAAFL, the 'zine of the
Stilyagi Air Corps science fiction club.)

Remnant Population is a character-based story. It contemplates the nature of radical change, exploring its effects on an aged individual and her physical world. This book begs the questions... Is it ever too late to remake life and redefine self? Is it truly possible to change our own, and other's, social values? How stable is change, begun in solitude, when challenged with social expectations?

I enjoy novels, of any genre, that offer a platform from which readers may contemplate the mysterious depth of their own truths and choices. In Remnant Population, Elizabeth Moon has gifted her readers with a rare combination of ageless truths, introspection and a sensitivity to wisdoms most prevalent in the aged. She has also gifted me with a book I treasure and won't part with.