Fire Margins (Sholan Alliance)

Fire Margins is the third novel in the Sholan Alliance series, following Fortune's Wheel. In the previous novel, Vanna has saved the lives of Carrie and Kusac when they suffer Contact Deprivation and Kaid has saved Carrie from an impulsive assassin. Carrie interrogates a Valtegan prisoner, who promptly commits suicide. Carrie, Kusac, Kaid and Vanna are taken to Shola, where Carrie meets Kusac's family...and his betrothed, Rala Vailkoi. Carrie becomes pregnant, but loses the fetus in a duel with Rala. Vanna is then kidnapped by Dzaka and taken to view a Valtegan skeleton found among Sholan ruins.Carrie and Kusac, and the other Leska pairs, are being used as political tools by the Telepath Guild, the Brotherhood of Vartra, and the Sholan military. They have found temporary protection with Alien Relations, which mandates all mixed Leska pairs to be housed on the heavily secured Aldatan estate. However, they need to establish independence from the Guilds and Clans. To do this, they decide to visit the Fire Margins and become the En'shalla -- in the hands of the gods -- Clan, but several events, including the wounding of Carrie and Kusac during the duel, have precluded this effort.The Fire Margins are not a physical place, but a situation encountered in a trance. No telepath has every returned from the Fire Margins, but Carrie and Kusac believe that telepaths who are able to fight will have a much better chance. However, they need a third person to form a triad and they choose Kaid.This novel begins to explore the role of the Sholan gods in society. It includes several direct contacts between the characters and the god Vartra. What is Vartra and what do the Fire Margins have to do with him?(...). Moreover, the control that Sholan females have over conception almost totally eliminates unwanted pregnancies. Indeed, the Sholan males are completely dependent upon the good wishes of the females if they want to have cubs; even rape doesn't work against a determined female. I can see where that would bother many males in our society, as evidenced by the deeply felt opposition to birth control.Once again, this series dwells on the doubts and conflicts among the main characters. This novel focuses on Kaid more than the others, but Carrie, Kusac and other characters have problems of their own which they must work out on stage.Recommended for all Norman fans and anyone who enjoys psychological motifs in a SF setting.-Arthur W. Jordin

What more can I say? A truly wonderful series. I have read the first 3 books now and I hope that they carry on the same way! I tried to find book 4 here in the UK but so far I have had a fruitless search. Perhaps book 4 will be the first one I purchase over the internet.... Maybe. :)

After I read the first two books in the series I thought that it was a good series. But after this book I thought this was a great series. Now I cant put the fourth book down.

I've read all three books in this series, and I loved all of them, but especially this one. It brings out the best (and sometimes worst) characteristics in all the people in the books. It delves even deeper into the history and culture of Shola. Lisanne Norman depicts her story so well that I can visualize all of the people and places so well that I can draw them. I highly recommend this book, especially to cat lovers

Miss Norman has some wonderful talent. Her one fall back in this book seemed that she would invent the problem and invent a way to solve it. The book was becoming more of a soap opera then anything. I think explaining the problem and the solutions a little more before she finishes would greatly increase the power behind her writing. I can't wait for book #4. :