Book Review -- Blood Line, by Lynn Ward

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Blood Line by Lynn Ward

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Heartsick over her son’s death years before, treading water as Security Chief on the biologically important backwater world Krhyllan, Lauren Pell is one of the few who have learned the language and customs of the technologically primitive, ritual-obsessed natives. Once her son and the crown prince played together. Now, she spends her days keeping up appearances for the alien, god-fearing Krhyllans and also for the Pan-Galactic order – a power that can help Earth expand into the galaxy or stop it cold.

Suddenly, a tiny act of political tinkering by her lover, doctor Peter Chen, becomes the seed of war and even genocide. Turns out the Krhyllans may not have high technology, but primitive they aren’t. Their history is not forgotten, their society is a house of cards, and almost everything they have ever told Lauren Pell – and all Terrans – is a lie.

Now Lauren Pell and Peter Chen are all that stands between the crown prince and death. In a society where the most powerful entity is a secret cult of assassins, and it’s almost impossible to figure out who hired them – and who can stop them – a young man may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice to save an entire society.

It’s been a while since someone has woven an alien culture as convincing as this one. This is a first novel that fans of cultural SF should check out. Blood Line tightens slowly, precisely, like a well-built watch, and then springs to a wonderful finish.


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