Vor: Hell Heart (Vor: The Maelstrom)

In the far distant future, Earth no longer revolves around the sun since the Maw Maelstrom pulled the planet through its vortex. Thousands of other planets with almost as many species are also yanked into this strange area.Some of the new neighbors retain a belligerent nature and have evolved more advanced technology than that of earth. Two of these groups are the zombie-like Pharon, who uses the undead as slaves and the crystal-like Shards who use their own bodies to help themselves transport through space.Both feral groups want to control a piece of the Maw that has broken away from the main body. They see the capability of the Maw as a weapon of mass destruction. The Mote lands in Central America where a cruel local warhas devastated the countryside. However, with the Shard and Pharon using this area as focal point to capture the Mote, the civil war has become the site of an interstellar battle that could destroy earth as a by-product of the fight.This novel is based on the computer game from FASA, but it is not just a simple advertisement for its parent company. Instead, HELL HEART is space opera at its finest as it turns a local squabble between two brothers into a unified alliance against the alien intruders. Readers will enjoy this work and want more novels inside Vor: The Maelstrom.Harriet Klausner

First off, a bit of truth in advertising -- I wrote this book.That said, I think it is fast-paced with intriguing characters, has a storyline you're not likely to see elsewhere dealing with Chiapas and an alien invasion, and works well as a tie-in for the Vor:Maelstrom game.Give it a read. It was fun to write and I certainly hope it will be fun to read.