Falcon

Dominic "Niki" Glyndwr comes from the ruling family of Cymru, a relatively isolated planet that is not part of the Central Worlds Concorde - yet. When he returns home after a summer vacation, he finds changes on Cymru. His uncle, the Prince, is acting erratically and seems to no longer care for the people. Niki is determined to make things right and makes connections with an underground revolutionary movement. But, despite all his efforts, his planet is stolen, betrayed by agents of the Central Worlds Concorde, undercover agents he thought of as friends. His family was destroyed and his world shattered before his eyes...Dominic Glyndwr becomes Niki Falcon, an elite gestalt pilot taking part in an experiment: he has been changed into a being who can literally become his ship. And he's the last. For behind his amazing new abilities lies a deadly drug that systematically destroy's his body's defenses. So when Chyrsander Harris, a famous singer, begs him to break through the Silence imposed by the Central Worlds Concorde to return him to his native planet of Lamia, what has he got to lose? More than he could imagine...Falcon was an amazing book about a grand adventure across the stars. And a hero to cheer for. Niki is a good guy who tries hard and often makes mistakes, but always for what he feels are the right reasons. He touches the lives of everyone that he comes in contact with: Pedr, the paranoid, frantic Prince; Kitty, the Prince's beautiful, pregnant wife; Rhys, Niki's solid older brother who suddenly belives the worst of him; Jacob, the Prince's security advisor who taught Niki to shoot and defend himself; his mother, Morwenna, a famous geneticist who will destroy his world with a few angry words; Reg, the revolutionary who wants desperately to be a hero; Jhari, the woman who must make the difficult choice between Niki and her job as a Special Agent; Chyrsander Harris, the famous singer who is both more and less than he seems; and a cast of other characters, all of whom are rich and well developed.Falcon is almost two stories told in one book and there is quite a division between the two, but they link together beautifully as the reader continues to submerge deeper into the story. The plot is lovely and quite unexpected in parts, the characters were strong and weak and normal and yet not, and the writing is beautiful and wonderfully evocative. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading science fiction and/or fantasy. Take the time to find this in a used bookstore or order it used online - you will not regret it, this book is a treasure!

I decided to review this book because I want people to know what a wonderful story it tells. I find it difficult to put into words how I feel about this book without sounding like I really need to get out more. Maybe I do.I read this book years ago, when I was still in Junior High. I loved it then, but it wasn't until I discovered it again much later that I realized what profound thinking it contained. It describes family loyalty, betrayal, basic survival and above all, dignity, and does it in such a way that you feel you need to reexamine your own values. What would I do for those I care for, and how far would I go to survive? The main character Falcon is portrayed with a surprising dignity and intellegence that is not often seen in such a young character. (By which I mean young as in first novel, not age.) Halfway through the book the story takes such an unexpected turn, you think you started a different book. Yet in the end it all makes sense. Amazing.I know this sounds corny or ridiculous, or as I said, like I need to get out more. I read this myself and I cringe. Still, I have the need to share this with others because this wonderful twisty novel, with it's solid scifi shell, has at it's center a beautiful and noble story.

This is the second of Emma Bull's boks I have read and once again she has utterly astonished me. This book takes a u-turn in the middle, switching from the mechanics of a planetary government breaking down to the rushed exciting space battles that the blurb promises. I think that it is a tribute to Emma Bull's skill that these two disparate styles fit together seamlessly. A word to the wise - keep track of the details in the first half. The ending is an emotional roller coaster, but well worth the effort.

Crisp characterization and dialog, a strong sense of setting (especially in the first half, which is a sort of prequel to the second half), and a seemingly self-destructive protagonist with a weakness for lost causes make this one of my favorite space adventure tales