Odd Girl Out ~ Timothy Zahn

• Title:  Odd Girl Out
• Author:  Timothy Zahn
• Series: Quadrail #3
• Genre:  Science Fiction
• Format: eBook
• Source: Own copy
• Reviewed by:  Snarktastic Sonja
• Rating: 4 out of 5

Description: Former government agent Frank Compton can’t catch a break. After a successful mission against the Modhri, the coral polyp-based group mind that is attempting to take over the galaxy, Frank arrives at his New York apartment and has to turn away another request. Young Lorelai Beach points his gun at his face, and asks his help to rescue her sister Rebekah 10 from New Tigris planetary settlement. Only four hours later, her head is half-blown off, and Frank is charged with double murder.

Expert spy Bruce McMicking posts his bail and meets him in New Tigris. Frank’s partner and friend Bayta is human, but her Chahwyn symbiote donates extra stamina, activates sole artifact disabling kwi weapon and links telepathically to their metal Spider creations that run interspace Tube transit and, unable to fight themselves, secretly help fight against Mohdri. Rebekah has to get out – along with boxes of coral – and reach the hidden outpost of rebel Melding to safety.

Review:  I am continuing my re-read in preparation for reading the 5th and final book in the series. As it is always hard to write a review for the middle book in a series without spoilers and the overall feeling that you are still in the middle of a story, this review is short and sweet. 🙂

After reading the 2nd book in this series, and being a tad bit disappointed, I happily devoured this one. I really felt as though this one returned to the feel of the first novel in the series. The twists and turns all felt natural and necessary along with the usual non-stop action.

Better than the last – more like the Timothy Zahn I adore . . . this one gets 4 stars again.

The Third Lynx ~ Timothy Zahn

• Title:  The Third Lynx
• Author: Timothy Zahn
• Series: Quadrail #2
• Genre:  Science Fiction
• Format: eBook
• Source: Own copy
• Reviewed by:  Snarktastic Sonja
• Rating: 3 out of 5

Description: Former government agent Frank Compton foiled a plot to enslave the galaxy in Night Train to Rigel. But the Modhri, an ancient telepathically linked intelligence, has walkers, unwilling hosts that can be anywhere, anything…and anyone. And Compton is the only man who knows how to fight them, as they wage a secret war against the galactic civilizations linked by the Quadrail, the only means of intra-galactic transit.

Accompanied by Bayta, a woman with strange ties to the robot-like Spiders who run the Quadrail, and dogged by special agent Morse who suspects him of murder, Compton races the Modhri from station to station to acquire a set of valuable sculptures from a long-dead civilization. What the Modhri wants with them is anybody’s guess, but if Compton can’t outwit it, the whole galaxy will find out the hard way.

Review:  This was a re-read for me. I am re-reading books 1-4 in preparation for reading the 5th and final book in the series.  And, the title of this book confuses me every time . . . It is the second in the series but the third lynx . . . really? must you make even *that* confusing? (Simple minds . . .)

I have really enjoyed most Timothy Zahn books I have read. They tend to be fast paced and constantly twisting. Yet, this book really frustrated me. Even though this story starts with a bang, I still struggled to get into the story. 

There were several twists and turns and you never really knew which way the story was going. However, here it felt as though the twists and turns were thrown in just for the sake of twisting and turning. And, there was just so much of it, I got motion sickness! Ok, not really, but even when the book was completed, I wasn’t really sure which twist was the right turn. 

In my opinion, Mr. Zahn writes better than this. For that reason, I rated this one less than the last at 3 stars.

Night Train to Rigel ~ Timothy Zahn

• Title:  Night Train to Rigel
• Author:  Timothy Zahn
• Series: Quadrail #1
• Genre:  Science Fiction
• Format: eBook
• Source: Own copy
• Reviewed by:  Snarktastic Sonja
• Rating: 4 out of 5

Description: HUMANITY’S LAST HOPE

It begins when a man delivers a message for former government agent Frank Compton–only to fall dead at his feet. The message is a summons from the Spiders, the exotic and mysterious creatures who run the Quadrail, an incredible transportation system connecting civilizations across the galaxy. The Spiders believe that someone or something is preparing to attack their entire network and the worlds it serves, by smuggling battleships through the Quadrail–something that should be impossible to do. Compton, with the aid of a beautiful but enigmatic agent of the Spiders, is their last hope.

Because nobody else has been able to find the elusive enemy who seeks to enslave the entire galaxy…and Earth is its next target.

Review:  I just re-read this book in preparation for reading the final book in the series. I have a very hard time writing a book review on a re-read as I think having had the anticipation removed hinders (at least to some degree) the enjoyment of a novel. And, based on my set criteria, I rarely cannot put a book down when I know how it ends. That being said, I originally read this book when it first came out and enjoyed it enough to read each succeeding book. The final book in the series came out late enough that I wanted to remember the entire series more vividly before I finished it. (Is that enough qualifiers?)

I really like Timothy Zahn, though I refuse to read the Star Wars books. I really liked this book. And, I still liked it – even on re-read. I remember the first *gotcha* upon reading the very first clue. I totally forgot the 2nd gotcha – which is, I assume, where the next book goes. I have read it as well, but I do not remember it. (A short memory is a blessing when reading books . . . makes re-reads more interesting!) I am reading this series in a buddy read into which I dragged others along for the ride, so I am not continuing until March.

And let it be said . . the first book was published in 2006 – not so very long ago – and LOOK! 6 years later (and 5 books) the series is complete. It CAN be done. Even on a re-read, I give this one 4 stars.

 

Judgment at Proteus ~ Timothy Zahn

• Title:  Judgement at Proteus
• Author:  Timothy Zahn
• Series:  Quadrail #5
• Genre:  Science Fiction
• Format:  eBook
• Source:  Own Copy
• Reviewed by: Sonja
• Rating:  4 out of 5

Description:  In Timothy Zahn’s Judgment at Proteus, the Quadrail that connects the twelve civilizations of our galaxy has been the flashpoint of a battle for dominance fought mostly unnoticed by humankind. But Frank Compton of Earth, aided by the enigmatic woman Bayta, has fought on the front lines, using every bit of his human ingenuity and secret agent skills to outwit the Modhri, a group intelligence that would control the minds of every sentient being it can touch.

Following a trail of deception and death to Proteus Station, Compton has discovered a conspiracy that threatens all life in the galaxy: the Shonkla’raa, an ancient enemy thought to be long dead, is rising again. So serious is the danger that the Modhri, the enemy of his enemy, may now be his friend, as the burgeoning threat of a race of invincible soldiers emerges.

If Compton and Bayta can’t stop them, the Shonkla’raa will decimate all who oppose them, destroying the Quadrail and billions of lives throughout the galaxy.

Review:  This is the final book in Timothy Zahn’s Quadrail series. It did not disappoint me.

This one picks up right where the last one ended. I mean right where it ended. Frank and Bayta are at their quadrail destination, ready to move forward in the war – no longer with just the Modrhi – and accompany and protect a young, pregnant teen into who knows what – whether she likes it or not. And, things are not going well – poor Frank is arrested immediately upon – for lack of an easier term – going though Customs. (They’d have that even on other planets, right?) Luckily for him, they put him basically on house arrest – though not with any mundane ankle bracelet, but, rather, two dino-pups (my term). These are ‘dogs’ with armor and some sort of telepathy that the Filos’ are able to control in such a way that the dogs act as wardens of a sort and accompany Frank everywhere and (supposedly) prevent him from doing harm to others. Which is useful, because Frank is still Frank – which means he does not stay out of trouble for long.

Judgment at Proteus is beyond a doubt my favorite book in this series. To me, it combines all of the elements that makes the first 4 books enjoyable, but does them all better. We still have the quadrail, we still have Bayta, we still have a vast assortment of planets with a vast amount of species (all of which are true unto themselves), we still have the Modrhi, we still have a mystery to solve unique to this book, and we still have a war to win. But, Judgment just flows best to me. We follow Frank through his jailtime and off planet and we travel to other planets – but, even though there are the typical twists and turns, this book seems to flow best and be more easily followed. AND – it brings all the other books and plots together and comes to a very satisfying conclusion.

Despite the fact that I really loved this, there were just a couple things that really bugged me. Firstly, Frank says repeatedly that if has been taken over by the Modrhi or any thought viruses, they were all doomed anyway – like without him, the war is lost. But, there is never any reason given as to what makes him so special that no one else could win this war. The only other slightly unsatisfying part is that while the IS a conclusion, I was left a bit with the feel that it isn’t all over . . . It ends, to me, with a very similar feel to the very first novel, Night Train to Rigel. Nonetheless, it does conclude, and that is a win for me.

I give this book – and the series – 4 stars. I really enjoyed it, and Timothy Zahn does not fail to entertain.

 

The Domino Pattern ~ Timothy Zahn

• Title:  The Timothy Pattern
• Author:  Timothy Zahn
• Series:  Quadrail #4
• Genre:  Science Fiction
• Format:  eBook
• Source:  Own Copy
• Reviewed by: Sonja
• Rating:  4 out of 5

Description:  Frank Compton used to be an agent for the security forces of Earth, but that was a piece of cake compared to what he’s had to deal with working for the aliens who run the Quadrail, an interstellar transportation system connecting a dozen civilizations across the galaxy.

 He’s been trying to end the domination of an alien lifeform called the Modhri. This enormously powerful creature wants to rule the galaxy by controlling the thoughts of all its citizens. It does so by having parts of itself “infect” others on contact, and act as agents for it without them being aware they’re being manipulated. When Frank and his assistant Bayta journey to investigate a connection between the Modhri and the Filiaelians, they come up against a conspiracy on the Quadrail.

Passengers are being murdered…but something besides murder haunts the Quadrail. A plot is brewing that even the Modhri fears. And once again, Frank and Bayta may be the only ones who can stop it.

Review:  All the books in this series have the feel of Murder on the Orient Express, but none more than this one. It takes place entirely on the Quadrail – murder after murder – aboard the train that Spiders prevent any type of weapon. So, how on earth – er train – is someone able to commit murders?

This is my favorite so far in the series. In the previous books, Frank does a lot of travel back and forth and a lot of mind games. This, to me, made them a little bit too twisty and difficult to follow – more that totally necessary – even though I did enjoy them. This one is much easier to follow – we only have the plot twists instead of the travel – I mean, they are on a train. And, there is no way off.

Other than this, the story is pretty typical of the earlier books in the series. I still didn’t see any of the twists coming. But, I actually followed them all this time. For that reason, this is probably my favorite in the series up to this point. It reads pretty much like a noir detective story. Though, as usual, the Modrhi is up to its? their? normal tricks.

Really hard to say more than this about the book without revealing spoilers. So, suffice it to say, if you have enjoyed the previous installments of the series, you will also enjoy this one. I give it 4 out of 5.

The Third Lynx ~ Timothy Zahn

• Title: The Third Lynx
• Author: Timothy Zahn
• Series: Quadrail #2
• Genre: Sci-Fi, Space Opera
• Format: eBook
• Source: Own Copy
• Reviewed by: Soo
• Rating: 3 out of 5

Description:  Former government agent Frank Compton foiled a plot to enslave the galaxy in Night Train to Rigel. But the Modhri, an ancient telepathically linked intelligence, has walkers, unwilling hosts that can be anywhere, anything…and anyone. And Compton is the only man who knows how to fight them, as they wage a secret war against the galactic civilizations linked by the Quadrail, the only means of intra-galactic transit.

Accompanied by Bayta, a woman with strange ties to the robot-like Spiders who run the Quadrail, and dogged by special agent Morse who suspects him of murder, Compton races the Modhri from station to station to acquire a set of valuable sculptures from a long-dead civilization. What the Modhri wants with them is anybody’s guess, but if Compton can’t outwit it, the whole galaxy will find out the hard way.

Review:  Frank and Bayta are approached by a well clad stranger for assistance on a private matter. Due to prior plans, Frank declines the offer and puts the encounter out of his mind. Matters become more serious when the stranger is found dead and an ESS Agent declares Frank to be the prime suspect of the murder. Frank and Bayta crisscross galaxies as events snowball into a race against the enemy for answers.

I’m sad to say that book two was not better than book one. I had minor expectations of character growth, plot thickening and a twist or two to keep me on my toes. While I wasn’t exactly bored by the first 100 pages, I did feel like I was reading a rudderless story with an unnecessarily long setup. In the first book of the series, I was thrown into a fast moving plot with likable, mysterious characters. Only the last third of this novel read along those lines and I feel disappointed in not getting a bigger view of Frank and Bayta.

I feel that reading this book is important to the overall series. I’m sure there are several important elements have been plopped into the storyline here.

My favorite part of the novel are the scenes where Frank interacts with other species or classes. It’s cool to get a little insight into the races, cultures and habits by how everyone talks and acts. It gives an added flourish to the story and colors the world more in my mental play.

A note: Frank is a Ladykiller!

True or False? You have to read the story to find out.

The story has lots of clever moments, a few twists that took me a while to catch up on and the over arcing point–well, I was surprised!

Frank is a great detective and I’m glad to have seen Fayr in action.

Perhaps the novel is a stepping stone to the next book. I’ll find out soon how it pieces together.