Deluge by McCaffrey and Scarborough
Deluge by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. Book Three of The Twins of Petaybee. New York: Ballantine Books, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-345-47006-5
OK, so now we have two completed trilogies in this series. The first trilogy consisted of Powers That Be, Power Lines, and Power Play. This second trilogy includes Changelings, Maelstrom, and now, Deluge. The basic plot line, you may recall, involves a sentient planet that works to protect its now indigenous human population, which it recognizes as its useful ally in preserving the natural nature (how's that for a repetitious redundancy?) of the world, while working against any humans that come with the intent of despoiling or exploiting the natural resources found there.
One of the leading humans on the planet, named, Petaybee (which name comes from pronouncing aloud the initials of the words “Powers That Be,” i.e. PTB), Sean Shongili, just happens to be a silkie, a human being who turns into a seal, once he enters the water. And the second trilogy, The Twins of Peytabee, focuses on the adventures of his children, who inherit the silkie shape changing ability. Their mother, Yanaba Maddock-Shongili, was formerly a colonel in the enemy Company Corps, was won over to the side of Petaybee in the very first novel in the series.
In this tome, the twins are off to another planet, traveling with the alien water city that gradually came to light in previous volumes. Off they go, trying to drum up support for Petaybee off world, since the Company and its private army, keep on trying to interdict and conquer the native population. They end up on a Company prison world, which, a little too coincidentally, just happens to turn out to be the original home world of the aliens. Many adventures are had along the way, but a happy ending is had just in time.
If there is any complaint about these stories, it is that everything is a little too pat, too trite, and too nice. The bad things that happen along the way are too obviously temporary, and we are never in any real state of alarm or worry about how it will all turn out. Still, entertainingly written, this latest book is definitely recommended for anyone who has been following the series from its inception. And it seems very likely that more volumes will follow, which I will probably also read, should it prove convenient to do so. Which is to say, I might not go out of my way to read more of them, but if I see them at the library, I probably won't try to resist.
OK, so now we have two completed trilogies in this series. The first trilogy consisted of Powers That Be, Power Lines, and Power Play. This second trilogy includes Changelings, Maelstrom, and now, Deluge. The basic plot line, you may recall, involves a sentient planet that works to protect its now indigenous human population, which it recognizes as its useful ally in preserving the natural nature (how's that for a repetitious redundancy?) of the world, while working against any humans that come with the intent of despoiling or exploiting the natural resources found there.
One of the leading humans on the planet, named, Petaybee (which name comes from pronouncing aloud the initials of the words “Powers That Be,” i.e. PTB), Sean Shongili, just happens to be a silkie, a human being who turns into a seal, once he enters the water. And the second trilogy, The Twins of Peytabee, focuses on the adventures of his children, who inherit the silkie shape changing ability. Their mother, Yanaba Maddock-Shongili, was formerly a colonel in the enemy Company Corps, was won over to the side of Petaybee in the very first novel in the series.
In this tome, the twins are off to another planet, traveling with the alien water city that gradually came to light in previous volumes. Off they go, trying to drum up support for Petaybee off world, since the Company and its private army, keep on trying to interdict and conquer the native population. They end up on a Company prison world, which, a little too coincidentally, just happens to turn out to be the original home world of the aliens. Many adventures are had along the way, but a happy ending is had just in time.
If there is any complaint about these stories, it is that everything is a little too pat, too trite, and too nice. The bad things that happen along the way are too obviously temporary, and we are never in any real state of alarm or worry about how it will all turn out. Still, entertainingly written, this latest book is definitely recommended for anyone who has been following the series from its inception. And it seems very likely that more volumes will follow, which I will probably also read, should it prove convenient to do so. Which is to say, I might not go out of my way to read more of them, but if I see them at the library, I probably won't try to resist.
Labels: Anne McCaffrey, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, Petaybee, seals, Shongli, twins
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