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44th out of 295 books
—
346 voters
A Thousand Words for Stranger (Trade Pact Universe #1)
by
Julie E. Czerneda (Goodreads Author)
Czerneda's debut novel. Sira is on the run. The mysterious Captain Morgan has a starship. But if she goes with him, who will be at risk? Meet the Clan, shadowy figures of unfathomable power. Meet Huido, the lobster-like restauranteur. Meet the Trade Pact Enforcers, who have their own intentions. For events are beginning to unfold that will affect them all.
Originally the fi...more
Originally the fi...more
Paperback, 368 pages
Published
October 1st 1997
by DAW
(first published 1997)
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A young woman finds herself on an alien planet with no memory of who she is or how she has gotten there. All she has is the overwhelming compulsion to find her ship and get the hell off the planet.
Before long, she runs into Captain Morgan
No, not THAT Captain Morgan, though my mind went there EVERY time he was referred to by title.
No, this is Captain Jason Morgan, sexy human space pirate man, who is a bit of a mix of this
and this
I mean, he has piercing blue eyes and drives a spaceship called the...more
Before long, she runs into Captain Morgan
No, not THAT Captain Morgan, though my mind went there EVERY time he was referred to by title.
No, this is Captain Jason Morgan, sexy human space pirate man, who is a bit of a mix of this
and this
I mean, he has piercing blue eyes and drives a spaceship called the...more
Three and a half stars, rounding up for a positive after-taste. Reminded me somewhat of Andre Norton's Witch World, only with more technologically advanced societies.
I love reading about the bird-person at the beginning, his thoughts on the mission and analyzing the trouble people had reading him due to lack of facial expression. Truly interesting, and it was sad to lose him to the main characters.
The progression of Sira and Morgan's relationship from an infatuated fixation on Sira's part and r...more
I love reading about the bird-person at the beginning, his thoughts on the mission and analyzing the trouble people had reading him due to lack of facial expression. Truly interesting, and it was sad to lose him to the main characters.
The progression of Sira and Morgan's relationship from an infatuated fixation on Sira's part and r...more
Jan 26, 2009
Sandi
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Sandi by:
Beyond Reality February SF BOM
Julie E. Czernada is an author whose books I see on the science fiction/fantasy shelves all the time, yet I've never read any of them. "A Thousand Words for Stranger" was her first novel. While I liked it, I strongly suspect that I'm not going to remember much about it a month or two from now. It took about 100-150 pages for the story to start congealing into anything that made much sense. I really disliked how it jumped from the main chapters narrated by Sira to "interludes" told by an omniscie...more
Jul 21, 2012
Karen
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
readers who enjoy a blend of science fiction and romance
I believe this is Julie Czerneda's first published book, so I'm putting my review here. There are a few authors who (so far) have never published a book I didn't love. Julie Czerneda is one of them. What makes me love all of an author's books? When they consistently deliver a good story, with vivid characters, sparkling prose, and pacing that suits me to a "t".
Of course, not everyone will love the same authors I love. Everybody has different tastes in plotting, characterization, pacing, level o...more
Of course, not everyone will love the same authors I love. Everybody has different tastes in plotting, characterization, pacing, level o...more
Sira is running—but she doesn't know why. She can't remember anything about her past; her memory has been wiped. Drawn strongly to Jason Morgan, a human telepath, Sira takes passage on his spaceship on the run from the Enforcers of the interstellar Trade Pact. As her memories return in short flashes, Sira learns that she's a member of the Clan, a race of extremely talented telepaths who disdain the Trade Pact and all other races, particularly humans whom they so closely resemble. As one of the s...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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My original interest in this book, I must admit was because of the title. It reminded me of the Inuit, and their hundreds of words for snow. Unfortunatly, about 5 chapters from the end I felt like I could map out the rest and almost re-shelved it. Something I almost never do! Of course I would have missed most of the plot by doing that, lol, but You get the picture that it felt very 'by the book'. Pun not really meant
the dedication made me smile.. in that it showed an answer more children shoul...more
the dedication made me smile.. in that it showed an answer more children shoul...more
One of the only science fiction books I have read to date. I enjoyed it. It is written by a Canadian Biologist who has written a large number of sci-fi books so far. This is the first in a Trade Pac Trilogy. It starts with a women with amnesia, various people after her, she doesn't know who she can trust. Step in the pilot of a starship. Lots of action, mind powers, an interesting world is created, populated with many interesting species.
Although I hadn't heard of her name before, she was a fin...more
Although I hadn't heard of her name before, she was a fin...more
This book would be greatly improved by less references to the captain's piercing blue eyes and more plot revelations. Isntead everything gets obliquely hinted at until the last twenty or so pages when everything is explained.
I honestly never really could figure out quite what was going on in this book. It was difficult to read and difficult to follow.
My introduction to the marvellous worlds of Julie E. Czerneda. This book begins the adventures of Sira di Sarc, who seems to be a lost child at the beginning of the story. You learn her secrets as the story progresses. The book is full of surprises and gripping switchbacks that lead you to the top of the mountain. The characters are very well developed, the world building is distinct and very believable, and the plotline is delightfully devious. I was in the second chapter when I decided to buy...more
A lot going for this book. It should have been four stars. It's nice to have the author assume you're smart, but sometimes I wasn't smart enough, so had to pick things up by context. It also took me awhile to get used to her switching between third person, when the main character (Sira) wasn't present, and first person when she was.
Sira starts out with her memory lost, just an inner voice that would sometimes direct her. You never knew who was using her, helping her, etc. until the end.
It moved...more
Sira starts out with her memory lost, just an inner voice that would sometimes direct her. You never knew who was using her, helping her, etc. until the end.
It moved...more
I have never read a book by Czerneda before, but now that I have finished this one, I am looking forward to the next.
I picked this book up on a whim one trip to B&N when my wife offered to buy me a book. I am glad I did. It was a really enthralling read, full of interesting characters and imaginative alien worlds and people.
I rated this book a 4, but it's actually a bit more complicated than that, so I think I will break it down.
Characterization: 4 - The main characters are well fleshed out,...more
I picked this book up on a whim one trip to B&N when my wife offered to buy me a book. I am glad I did. It was a really enthralling read, full of interesting characters and imaginative alien worlds and people.
I rated this book a 4, but it's actually a bit more complicated than that, so I think I will break it down.
Characterization: 4 - The main characters are well fleshed out,...more
Bringing an interesting twist to scifi/fantasy of evolution and alien species. It took a good third of the book for it to take off, but once the background starting to fill in it got really hard to put down. I'm not sure if it was the intent of the author or if it's something I see because of current U.S. events, but it seemed to have a bit of subtle commentary on the control of reproductive rights and a group of old men deciding the how and when of their species' reproduction. Good thing I chec...more
I try to be lenient if its an authors first book. This story has a Star Wars feel to it, and does have some entertaining moments despite its flaws. The books has some obvious "first book" snags - writing quality being one, of course. Dialogue sounds unnatural at times, and I found it hard to follow conversations (and thus the storyline) at times since characters weren't saying things to each other in a naturally-progressing kind of way. The plot could have used some work; the development of the...more
This was kind of a random pick up. Read the synopsis on a website somewhere and thought it sounded interesting. The setting took me a little to get used to, but the author handled the introduction of the world with a lack of explanation that I felt might mean additional titles in a series? But, seeing the world, primarily, through the eyes of someone without a memory makes the transition much easier than if all of the characters were accustomed to the world paired with a minimal exploration into...more
This first novel opens with a classic situation, the main character's, a young nameless woman, amnesic. Fortunately, her POV is compensated by other characters that we follow.
I had a lot of difficulties to suspend my disbelief at characters who are not only telepaths, but who can also teleport themselves, or project their mind light-years away for a little chat...
The "of course" section:
1- Of course, there had to be limitations to those awesome powers: the main character is amnesiac, wears a d...more
I had a lot of difficulties to suspend my disbelief at characters who are not only telepaths, but who can also teleport themselves, or project their mind light-years away for a little chat...
The "of course" section:
1- Of course, there had to be limitations to those awesome powers: the main character is amnesiac, wears a d...more
unfortunately, this book most definitely reads like a first-time effort. fortunately, the plot is interesting enough to smooth over some of the rough edges.
we meet Sira stranded on a planet not her own, with no idea who she is or how she got there. she has a compulsion to make her way to the spaceport, evade the authorities, stay hidden, and get off planet. the rest of the book is spent rushing from peril to peril with Sira on her quest to find out who she is and why her memory is gone. the old...more
we meet Sira stranded on a planet not her own, with no idea who she is or how she got there. she has a compulsion to make her way to the spaceport, evade the authorities, stay hidden, and get off planet. the rest of the book is spent rushing from peril to peril with Sira on her quest to find out who she is and why her memory is gone. the old...more
The moment I finished Reap the Wild Wind, I had to immediately jump back to A Thousand Words for Stranger just to remind myself of what had been previously established about the Om'ray--and of course to re-read the story of Sira and Morgan, which was an excellent little love story in general.
Re-reading this, I'm amused to find that the book actually has a fairly small cast of main characters, despite being set in a starfaring society. The spacer Jason Morgan in particular is a hub of connections...more
Re-reading this, I'm amused to find that the book actually has a fairly small cast of main characters, despite being set in a starfaring society. The spacer Jason Morgan in particular is a hub of connections...more
A friend of mine found this book in a used bookstore and once she read it gave it to me saying I had to read it as I would love it.
She was 100% correct, I loved this book, it was an amazing read. I fell in love with the characters and immediately found the rest of the series and gobbled it up.
The entire series kept me up late at night, reading away as I had to find out what happened. The books travelled with me in my purse so I could take any spare minutes to finish it.
She was 100% correct, I loved this book, it was an amazing read. I fell in love with the characters and immediately found the rest of the series and gobbled it up.
The entire series kept me up late at night, reading away as I had to find out what happened. The books travelled with me in my purse so I could take any spare minutes to finish it.
Based on Hannah's strong recommendation, shoving it into my hands and giving me that puppy dog look. Based on the two chapters I read last night this is space-opera-ish/romance-ish ... which I have no objection to at all. More later ...
UPDATE: Aaargh, having struggled (and I do mean struggled) through 150 pages of this book I am throwing in the towel. It is the author's first book and it shows in so many ways, beginning with predictability.
UPDATE: Aaargh, having struggled (and I do mean struggled) through 150 pages of this book I am throwing in the towel. It is the author's first book and it shows in so many ways, beginning with predictability.
I first read this as a teenager and really enjoyed it. She's on the last 3 books now of what will be a 9 book series. I have to say that I don't always enjoy her strongly evolutionist agenda but I really do enjoy her characters (I think she builds the best aliens!) and how closely wired a lot of her stuff usually is to science. Esen, of the shape shifter series, is my favorite character.
This was a really cool book, which is neat since it's the beginning of a trilogy. Unfortunately I can only read ebook so I'll have to wait until I can find a copy of the rest of the series. I'd really like to read her other novels as well.
I’ve never read anyone who has imagined better alien races than Czerneda. The biologies and cultures she comes up with are fascinating. Also, she mixes her sci-fi with romance, and that’s a combination I always approve of.
This is becoming an author I like more and more - mystery scifi cool stuff with telepathy (of course). Nowadays I think it's easy to guess where the twist and turn will come - but this book good and surprised me in a good way.
This science fiction book is enjoyable, but is not nearly as good as Ms. Czerneda's later works. This was her first book, and her skills have definitely been refined and developed since this writing. Parts of this were very good, but at other times when I was lost as to what was happening--it seemed very confusing to me. I really enjoyed a later series by this author, The Species Imperative, and will keep reading her books.
Nov 26, 2011
Jocelyn Mullens
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who loves futuristic novels
Recommended to Jocelyn by:
no one
This book was really well writen and its plot was unpredictable, with the surprise ending it left more for the story to be told yet creating an ending which can saisfy even the most ravenous of readers.
I quite liked this book, however I think the next in the series will probably be less entertaining. The reason: this book has a classic flaw, characters that are too powerful. This will no doubt turn the next books into a game of arm wrestling, or in this case mind wrestling. I may try the next book to see if I am wrong about this.
It took a few pages, but once I made it into the second chapter I was hooked. From then on I did not want to put this novel down.
Very typical Sci-Fi. Lots of different races of aliens, some tension between different peoples, some people have telepathy, there's a super-pretty alien girl who all the men need to save.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Erroneous description | 4 | 10 | Apr 05, 2012 10:46am |
Feb 25, 2013 08:39am
Feb 25, 2013 08:43am