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Crossing the Line

By: Karen Traviss
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Eos
ISBN: 0060541709
ISBN-13: 9780060541705
Released: 01 Nov 2004
RRP: £7.50
Average Rating:

Customer Reviews

decisions decisions - By: Paul Tapner, 28 Jan 2008
second in a series of science fiction novels by writer karen traviss, telling the story of shan frankland. Former policewoman sent to an alien world on a secret mission, & aras, the alien whom she strikes up an unlikely friendship with. At the end of the first book, city of pearl, shan's life was changed forever & lots of people would like to get their hands on her because of that. Now the story continues.

And whilst you could probably pick up on alll this if you've not read the first book, as the first chapter fills you in, I recommend starting with that one instead because you'll get more from the series if you do. It'll give you a greater feel for the characters as a result.

In this volume the hunt for shan means most of the main characters have to make some pretty big decisions. And there are consequences as a result. The book becomes a gripping read because of this, as events spiral out of control. & where it reallly succeeds is in the characterisation, because you reallly feel for the characters & what they go through, even one who may not deserve as much sympathy as some of the others.

Excellent reading. I'll get onto volume three as soon as I can
Second in an excellent series - By: , 21 Feb 2006
Second book in a very imaginative & fascinating series.

It is quite rare for a science fiction author to succeed in creating aliens who are both plausible & genuinely different to humans. This one succeeds better than most. It also has some positive messages about the need to respect the diversity of life which could have come over as hectoring political correctness, but don't.

The sequence is: Book One, City of Pearl
Book Two, Crossing the Line
Book Three, The World Before
Book Four, Matriarch
Book Five, Ally

Due in April 2008: book 6, Judge

The series works best when read in this sequence
Crossing the Line - a real triumph - By: Y. Hewett, 18 Feb 2006
Karen Traviss burst onto the SF scene in 2004 with City of Pearl, a story of first contact that rivals Le Guin & Cherryh at their best.

Crossing the Line picks up where City of Pearl left off, & it’s just as good. Former BioHaz cop Shan Frankland has been infected by c’naatat, the symbiont that rebuilds bodies & heals wounds, making anyone infected almost immortal. A scientist obsessed with c’naatat precipitates a trail of destruction, & Shan, & others, are forced to re-evaluate who they are, what they believe in, & what they’re fighting for.

This is the story of four species, two with a long history of warfare, plus interstellar greed & corruption, rivalries & hatreds – to say more would involve a lot of spoilers.

It’s a masterful book that takes no prisoners from the start & keeps up the tension right to the very end. Karen Traviss has a rare ability to take the reader into the unique viewpoints of her characters, human & alien, wounded, weary, cautious & just plain curious. People live in surroundings we can feel, touch, smell & taste. I want to go to the city in the caldera: it sounds beautiful. And I reallly like the ississi, diplomats & translators who look like meercats, & the way the pupils of the wess’har’s eyes change shape & they use scent to express emotion.

Traviss brings genuine authenticity to the copper, the TV journalist, the troubled protector of a helpless race, the matriarch, & the minister of the isenj who has no illusions about his government. I feel I know the personalities in each group – for better or for worse. When the fighting breaks out, it’s safest to run for cover.

I have one criticism: with three new planets, four races & a lot of terms, a lexicon would be helpful. But that’s only a minor carp. Crossing the Line is a rich & rewarding book in its own right, not just as the second part of a series. The fully-realised worlds, the groups & individuals, alll with believable, often conflicting needs, desires & motivations, are obviously part of a well-thought-out larger whole, & it makes for a deep & satisfying read.