What do you think?
Rate this book
Rampart Worlds #3
The Sagittarius Whorl
Two centuries into the future, the Hundred Concerns, a group of powerful corporations that dominate galactic commerce, have pressured the Commonwealth of Humans into signing a pact with the Haluk, a conquering alien race with nefarious designs. Among the few people who recognize the malevolent intent of the aliens is hotheaded maverick Helly Frost.
To prove that the Haluk have created demiclones--genetically engineered individuals who are perfect human replicas--Helly travels to the Sagittarius Whorl, a fearsome region of the galaxy hostile to every form of life. But he must find crucial pieces of evidence that will expose the Haluk plot. Instead, he discovers something far darker than he had ever imagined. . . .
To prove that the Haluk have created demiclones--genetically engineered individuals who are perfect human replicas--Helly travels to the Sagittarius Whorl, a fearsome region of the galaxy hostile to every form of life. But he must find crucial pieces of evidence that will expose the Haluk plot. Instead, he discovers something far darker than he had ever imagined. . . .
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
11 people are currently reading
252 people want to read
About the author
Julian May
201 books591 followersJulian May was an American science fiction, fantasy, horror, science and children's writer who also used several pseudonyms including Ian Thorne, Lee N. Falconer and many others.
Some 1960's and 1970's biographies and children's science books may belong to Julian May (the science fiction & fantasy writer) profile but no reliable source has been found
Per Encyclopedia.com, May wrote juvenile science non-fiction along with the science fiction novels for adults. (https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/edu...)
Some 1960's and 1970's biographies and children's science books may belong to Julian May (the science fiction & fantasy writer) profile but no reliable source has been found
Per Encyclopedia.com, May wrote juvenile science non-fiction along with the science fiction novels for adults. (https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/edu...)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 20, 2018
This final part to the trilogy which began with Perseus Spur is very good read, though not quite the sparkling performance I'd expected when anticipating the finale from the vantage point of the middle book of this trilogy (Orion Arm). Sagittarius Whorl is fast-paced, always interesting, colorful, creative, and recommended ... but I can't go for that fifth star because there are two or three major detractions. You'll spot them yourself soon enough; you don't need me to belabor the points -- I'll just mention them very briefly and return to what worked for me.
May has a writing habit (not a good one) of "telegraphing" upcoming action, which tends to defuse the tension in almost every "wallop!" scene. Something that ought to kick like a mule will still be interesting and entertaining, but the huge rush you should get from a thriller doesn't happen when she semaphores enthusiastically, "Big Upset On Next Page!!!" Add this to the unfortunate story structure which, for Sagittarius, starts the plot in the middle as a teaser then leaps back in time to depict lead-up events, and you have a double-tier problem. We know the first half of the book is all flashback, so there's no real suspense ... obviously Helly gets through, because he winds up in the very predicament we saw in the prolog! Finally, the closing part of the book is told in shorthand: essentially, May passed along the notes for about 250pp's worth of of crash-bang, slam-wallop action, but didn't show us the very events for which space opera fans have been hanging on. As Helly would say, rats. Sagittarius should have been 650pp, if "done properly," but the author clearly ran out of steam. :/
Along the way, however, there are vast amounts of interest in the form of characterization, breakaway cultures, weird or exotic locations, and the kind of full-throttle planet-hopping I adore from the Golden Age stories (confession: I have a shelf full of Ace Doubles. Call them "cheesy" if you like, but there's a gloriously naive sense of fun in them that's been almost absent in SF for decades now. The genre grew up with movies like Blade Runner, Alien and so forth, and as it lost its innocence -- perhaps its virginity! -- it also lost a great deal of the simple fun that had drawn legions of fans for many years). This trilogy is very much a Golden Age plot dressed up in almost-contemporary clothing. In the 20 years since it was written, just a little of the predictive tech has come unstuck, almost always in the area of computers ... and be fair, folks: the cyber world changes so fast, nothing will remain "current" for long. I'm more than prepared to turn a blind eve to minor drifts in cyber tech, and focus on aspects like the way (hee hee!!) the whole galaxy is ruled from Toronto. Not London, New York or Tokyo. Toronto! And there are cowboys in space -- you gotta love it. Parts of these books have a kind of "honkey-tonk blues" flavor, all dusty Stetsons and rattlesnakes, while planet-hopping in incredible starships. Nice.
So -- four stars it is, and I'll heartily recommend it, because though it loses its edge through a degree of mis-management (can't believe May's agent and editor let her get away with it), this trilogy remains a damned entertaining read. It would have been five star, with some extra work, but who knows how agents' and editors' brains work? Not like yours and mine, that's for sure ... yet they're the ones in the fancy offices, pulling down telephone-number salaries, nudge, wink.
May has a writing habit (not a good one) of "telegraphing" upcoming action, which tends to defuse the tension in almost every "wallop!" scene. Something that ought to kick like a mule will still be interesting and entertaining, but the huge rush you should get from a thriller doesn't happen when she semaphores enthusiastically, "Big Upset On Next Page!!!" Add this to the unfortunate story structure which, for Sagittarius, starts the plot in the middle as a teaser then leaps back in time to depict lead-up events, and you have a double-tier problem. We know the first half of the book is all flashback, so there's no real suspense ... obviously Helly gets through, because he winds up in the very predicament we saw in the prolog! Finally, the closing part of the book is told in shorthand: essentially, May passed along the notes for about 250pp's worth of of crash-bang, slam-wallop action, but didn't show us the very events for which space opera fans have been hanging on. As Helly would say, rats. Sagittarius should have been 650pp, if "done properly," but the author clearly ran out of steam. :/
Along the way, however, there are vast amounts of interest in the form of characterization, breakaway cultures, weird or exotic locations, and the kind of full-throttle planet-hopping I adore from the Golden Age stories (confession: I have a shelf full of Ace Doubles. Call them "cheesy" if you like, but there's a gloriously naive sense of fun in them that's been almost absent in SF for decades now. The genre grew up with movies like Blade Runner, Alien and so forth, and as it lost its innocence -- perhaps its virginity! -- it also lost a great deal of the simple fun that had drawn legions of fans for many years). This trilogy is very much a Golden Age plot dressed up in almost-contemporary clothing. In the 20 years since it was written, just a little of the predictive tech has come unstuck, almost always in the area of computers ... and be fair, folks: the cyber world changes so fast, nothing will remain "current" for long. I'm more than prepared to turn a blind eve to minor drifts in cyber tech, and focus on aspects like the way (hee hee!!) the whole galaxy is ruled from Toronto. Not London, New York or Tokyo. Toronto! And there are cowboys in space -- you gotta love it. Parts of these books have a kind of "honkey-tonk blues" flavor, all dusty Stetsons and rattlesnakes, while planet-hopping in incredible starships. Nice.
So -- four stars it is, and I'll heartily recommend it, because though it loses its edge through a degree of mis-management (can't believe May's agent and editor let her get away with it), this trilogy remains a damned entertaining read. It would have been five star, with some extra work, but who knows how agents' and editors' brains work? Not like yours and mine, that's for sure ... yet they're the ones in the fancy offices, pulling down telephone-number salaries, nudge, wink.
January 3, 2013
Originally published on my blog here in October 2001.
Though the Rampart Worlds series was not announced in advance as a trilogy, it has turned out to be one. The second novel, Orion Arm, didn't read like a typical mid-part of a trilogy, but as a member of a longer series, in my opinion a good thing; now, though, Sagittarius Whorl seems to be a longer narrative squeezed into a single volume, which is less good.
A large part of the story is told as flashback, which reduces the suspense, until the point when this catches up, from where it is a rapid rollercoaster ride to the end. The beginning comes two years after the end of Orion Arm, at the end of a legal battle with Rampart's rival Concern Galapharma masterminded by trilogy central character Asahel Frost. He then sets off alone on a trip to verify his suspicions that the Haluk aliens are not keeping to the terms of their treaty with humanity - something which works only too well when he is kidnapped and an illegal clone takes his place.
While May's aims in this series clearly include writing something simpler than her Galactic Milieu novels, something which will be a series of science fiction thrillers, this novel in particular contains undertones relating to the history of the genre, particularly in the US. During the fifties and sixties, a lot of xenophobic literature was produced, and the idea of an alien invasion (especially when there was a human fifth column) was frequently used as a metaphor for McCarthyite fears of a Communist takeover. The plot of Sagittarius Whorl is very close to these ideas, so that May ends up working quite hard to make it seem less so, with frequent hints that not all the Haluk are evil and dangerous while some humans are. The best that can be said for much of this older science fiction is that it produced exciting stories, and the Rampart Worlds trilogy is obviously a successful attempt to reproduce this. The main way that May makes things palatable to modern sensibilities is by putting much of the blame for the way that the human-Haluk situation develops on greedy human capitalists. (Other ways to re-work the ideas have been appearing recently, an example being the scenario of the Roswell High books and TV series.)
Though the Rampart Worlds series was not announced in advance as a trilogy, it has turned out to be one. The second novel, Orion Arm, didn't read like a typical mid-part of a trilogy, but as a member of a longer series, in my opinion a good thing; now, though, Sagittarius Whorl seems to be a longer narrative squeezed into a single volume, which is less good.
A large part of the story is told as flashback, which reduces the suspense, until the point when this catches up, from where it is a rapid rollercoaster ride to the end. The beginning comes two years after the end of Orion Arm, at the end of a legal battle with Rampart's rival Concern Galapharma masterminded by trilogy central character Asahel Frost. He then sets off alone on a trip to verify his suspicions that the Haluk aliens are not keeping to the terms of their treaty with humanity - something which works only too well when he is kidnapped and an illegal clone takes his place.
While May's aims in this series clearly include writing something simpler than her Galactic Milieu novels, something which will be a series of science fiction thrillers, this novel in particular contains undertones relating to the history of the genre, particularly in the US. During the fifties and sixties, a lot of xenophobic literature was produced, and the idea of an alien invasion (especially when there was a human fifth column) was frequently used as a metaphor for McCarthyite fears of a Communist takeover. The plot of Sagittarius Whorl is very close to these ideas, so that May ends up working quite hard to make it seem less so, with frequent hints that not all the Haluk are evil and dangerous while some humans are. The best that can be said for much of this older science fiction is that it produced exciting stories, and the Rampart Worlds trilogy is obviously a successful attempt to reproduce this. The main way that May makes things palatable to modern sensibilities is by putting much of the blame for the way that the human-Haluk situation develops on greedy human capitalists. (Other ways to re-work the ideas have been appearing recently, an example being the scenario of the Roswell High books and TV series.)
July 29, 2011
While the Exiles Saga and the Galactic Milieu Trilogy are among my favorites, May has for a far less grandiose approach here. The characters are well rounded and her elegant prose flows smoothly. Unfortunately, the story is not very engaging. Still worth a read, especially as the third book is qualitatively above the first two. My main problem with the novels is that May is just a bit too in love with the main character, and he seems to be good at everything. There’s never any big question that things are going to be all right. Fun though.
Perseus Spur
Orion Arm
Sagittarius Whorl
On a side note, the covers are simply magnificent, especially on the UK edition.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=935
Perseus Spur
Orion Arm
Sagittarius Whorl
On a side note, the covers are simply magnificent, especially on the UK edition.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=935
June 15, 2024
And so, sadly I’ve reached the end of this fantastic trilogy, first read nearly thirty years ago, and it’s as good as I recall, packed with May’s trademarked dense plotting, surprising twists and label-loving. The finale of the Haluk plot to infiltrate the capitalist rulers reaches its conclusion with a classic manhunt in the snowy Canadian wilderness.
And how sad it is that the authoress is no longer with us. This trilogy doesn’t get the attention her great opus - the Galactic Mileau and its predecessors - gets but it’s every bit as good, and maybe I’ll one day see it optioned for tv adaptation as a much tighter prospect for that.
One can hope.
And how sad it is that the authoress is no longer with us. This trilogy doesn’t get the attention her great opus - the Galactic Mileau and its predecessors - gets but it’s every bit as good, and maybe I’ll one day see it optioned for tv adaptation as a much tighter prospect for that.
One can hope.
April 9, 2018
Crazy chapter construction ruined the flow
The most exciting thing in the book happens in the first few pages, then dead ends immediately into a cliffhanger. You must wade through about 50% of the story wherein nothing happens before the excitement continues. Sadly the interesting parts don't continue long.
The most exciting thing in the book happens in the first few pages, then dead ends immediately into a cliffhanger. You must wade through about 50% of the story wherein nothing happens before the excitement continues. Sadly the interesting parts don't continue long.
December 31, 2025
For me, this series got stronger as it went along. While there is maybe an excess of protracted phone conversation scenes, overall the book is paced well and kept me with a balance of action and intrigue.
September 10, 2023
Really enjoyed this whole series.
So easy to read, I like Julian's style.
Probably 4 1/2 stars for the whole series.
So easy to read, I like Julian's style.
Probably 4 1/2 stars for the whole series.
March 19, 2015
Two hundred years into the future, the great corporations of Earth dominate all life in our Galaxy. But their endless pursuit of wealth and power has opened the door to a malevolent alien race, intent on engulfing the Commonwealth of Human Worlds. Rampart Starcorp has achieved an unprecedented David versus Goliath court victory against rivals Galapharma, making them the most powerful clan in the Commonwealth Worlds. Life should be good...But Helly still believes there's a dangerous lie hidden behind the Haluk ambassador's declaration of peace and friendship, and with Galapharma's insane boss, Alistair Drummond, missing presumed dead, Helly can continue his search for evidence of a planned invasion. The investigation leads him to Phlegethon, the sleaziest smuggler port in the universe, in search of information from the only man ever to return from the Haluk worlds alive. But the price of this crucial lead will be very high indeed. Discovering too late that no one is who they seem, and trusted friends may be deadly enemies, Helly finds himself alienated and on the run. With time running out, it appears there is nothing he can do to prevent the Haluk invasion of Earth.
Sagittarius Whorl is an adrenalin-fuelled adventure full of high-speed thrills, intrigue and sharp-edged humour, which delivers an entertaining and compelling finale to the Rampart Worlds trilogy.
Helly's a bit of a laugh. A good, entertaining read. I've enjoyed the whole series.
Sagittarius Whorl is an adrenalin-fuelled adventure full of high-speed thrills, intrigue and sharp-edged humour, which delivers an entertaining and compelling finale to the Rampart Worlds trilogy.
Helly's a bit of a laugh. A good, entertaining read. I've enjoyed the whole series.
July 10, 2008
More twists in the final book in the Rampart Worlds trilogy. This book got off to an exciting start, and the main character continued to be likeable.
April 1, 2017
A good end to the trilogy.
September 3, 2014
Oh, nice! I always loved her books. The hero in these books reminds me of Alistair Maclean's invulnerable hero but with a ironic twist. Exciting, colourful and intelligent
July 21, 2023
This is part of a series, and while I didn't read any other books in the series, I was able to pick up the story easily. It's kind of a si-fi crime who dunnit type book, but an enjoyable read
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews