SOJALS rating:

Mediocre (2/5)

I first read this in November 2001.

A wormhole, a gate to another part of the universe, has opened near Jupiter. After some investigation, humanity sends a manned craft, the Lightbringer, through the wormhole in search of its builders.

It proves very hard to find the builders, but an alien race is found on a nearby planet. The largely-military expedition wants to ignore these in favour of searching for the builders. However, one outspoken and obsessive scientist forces them into involvement with the planet's inhabitants.

These aliens are really alien, which is what one would expect but rarely finds. Their senses, society and morality are very different from the human equivalent. Although apparently civilised, sophisticated and peaceful, they have a warrior caste and even our scientist acknowledges that there must be a reason for this, especially when she and her friends see them in action.

When things go wrong, as they always must, the military react with military might and our scientist with careless enthusiasm.

This is rather good. I believed in the heroine, Taria, mixed-up and obsessive though she is, and found myself rather rooting for her. I liked the aliens, "Makes" and "Strikes", though for entirely different reasons. The "watersingers" ere very impressive. I also appreciated the odd dabs of Mandarin.

It was good, well written and pretty exciting. Almost no sex though.