Stardoc II: Beyond Varallan

I am again embarrassed to admit that I chewed this book up in a very short period of time; immediately following the first book in the series. First of all, you need to read StarDoc first in order to capture the mood and intent of this second novel in the series. I will repeat that this is not great fiction, but one of the most pleasant fictional journeys I have made in awhile. Mostly Sci-Fi, the StarDoc novels surprisingly cross genres in a pleasing way. Space travel, fantastic aliens, medical thriller, murder mystery, romance, and comedy all come together in that rare way seldom achieved to bring us readers this un-mind-cluttering escape from our mundane everyday lives and suck us into the fantastic and unpredictable world of Dr. Cherijo Grey Veil. Again, read StarDoc first, without it you will be lost.After being rescued from her predicament on K2 by her adopted HouseClan, Cherijo travels with her HouseClan of Torin on their huge ship called The Sunlace. He is headed towards her betrothed's home plant of Joren, with some stops and surprises along the way. She immediately befriends the Senior Healer on board, and becomes fast friends with the older female. There is a clash with a fellow resident, resulting in a physical confrontation. Her ClanBrother Xonea becomes obsessed with protecting her, and further confrontations with her fellow Terran Duncan Reever are forthcoming. All while the League is still pursuing her, sending mercenaries after her consistently, while there is a betrayer on board that is killing off her Clan members in bizarre and brutal ways. Cherijo must deal with Xonea's over-protectiveness extending even to the point of his Choosing of her to protect her, the enigma of Duncan Reever, the unresolved mysterious murders, a cacophony of injuries including her own, a hostile co-worker who will eventually become an ally, plus a huge new family when she has never known familial love before.Light, entertaining, exciting; this is one of those series you will read for the pure unadulterated pleasure of reading. Life doesn't always have to be heavy. Enjoy.

And the plot thickens...Stardoc II: Beyond Varallan by S. L. Viehl. S. L. Viehl took Dr. Cherijo Grey Veil out of the frying pan and threw her into the fire! On board the Sunlace, Cherijo must deal with a jealous colleague, rogue killer, feelings of guilt. All while being hunted down by the League. As if that wasn't enough to deal with, Cherijo must contend with an escalating triangtle. This book is filled with surprising twists and turns that will leave you on the edge of your seat, biting your nails, and wondering WHODUNIT! From the beginning of the first book, to the end of this book, S. L. Viehl leaves you guessing. If you haven't read Stardo: A Novel, you should definitely pick it up. It's not a prerequisite in order to read Stardoc II, but it's a must-have just because it's darn good. S. L. Viehl brings back a cast of unigue and lovable characters to join the new cast. It's a page-turner, even to the last page, when you're wishing there were more pages to turn. S. L. Viehl leaves you guessing to and through the end and hopefully the next book will be just as tantalizing. We, readers from the South, HIGHLY, recommend this book. Go out and get it!

This book is an emotional roller-coaster-- a fast-paced, page-tuning, can't-put-it-down even-though-it's-2a.m. absoulutely fabulous book! It rates higher than 5 stars! The story continues seamlessly from where the 1st book left off. (Be sure to read the first Stardoc-- it's also terrific and sets up the 2nd book.)Dr. Cherijo Grey Veil is finding her place as a Healer on the Sunlace starship, but is wracked by guilt for the terrible danger she brings to her new family. The League won't let her alone; their mercenaries attack the ship at every turn. If that weren't bad enough, there's a killer stalking the ship, an unknown madman obsessed with Cherijo, and two men vying for her affections-- Xonea Torin, a hormonally-driven Clan warrior, and Duncan Reever, the enigmatic human who, after being raised among aliens, has little idea how to behave as a human.Stardoc II: Beyond Varallan is a wonderfully plotted book, rich with detail and well-defined characters. In my opinion, it's a definite contender for the sf Hugo award! Run, do not walk, to the nearest bookstore and get both Stardoc books. You will not be disappointed.Warning: My only complaint is that Stardoc II ends with Cherijo caught up in another impossible situation. My reaction was, "Nooooo! It can't end here! " I'm going crazy wondering what will happen next to Cheijo. I think Ms. Viehl should be chained to her word processor until the next book comes out!

After reading S.L. Viehl's first novel in this series,Stardoc, I waited impatiently for the sequel. Beyond Varallan did not disappoint! The chartacters are wonderfully described and developed - you can visualize each by her detailed descriptions. And yet with all this detail, the story moves along smoothly. I especially enjoyed Squilyp, the chief resident with a serious superiority complex, and the enigmatic Reever who seems to have multiple personalities- who is the true Reever? Throughout the novel the heroine manages to be a wonderful doctor clearly devoted to her adopted "family". I didn't want it to end! Can't wait for the next one - hurry up Ms. Viehl --PLEASE!

Danger! Danger! Danger! Don't pick up this book when you're day is already too long and you don't really have time for anything else anymore! You won't be able to put it down!The second Stardoc book from S.L. Viehl (can I call you Susan?) is magnificent. Or, as an English reviewer would say: "Pretty good". The storyline from the original 'Stardoc' novel is continued seamlessly. The rollercoaster ride continues, filled with non-stop action, emotion and excitement. The characters are rich, sufficiently deep and come with nice twists. And Cherijo, our hero, explores new sides of her character, new depths in her relationships with men and finds new angles to her mate's character. I had to sniff away an occassional tear here and there. Most definitely up there with James Gardner, Joan D. Vinge, Scott Westerfield, Valerie Freireich, B.A. Chepaitis and P.K. McAllister in the very limited space of writers very rewarding in the universes they create. Very, very rewarding. My depression was gone within a day! *grin*