Raptor

I love Gary Jennings....All his books are great....It is ashame that Raptor and the Journeyer are out of print....Why do you think Raptor is out of print? My guess is that because is bashes the church constantly....Great story, good history, action and wonderful characters....I would rate this book as Jennings second best after the journeyer.Thorn is a great character, with the only exception being that he can do no wrong. He never gets caught, severly hurt and appears too lucky in life.....

Now I've read AZTEC, Spangle, and Raptor! Jennings is my new favorite author. I second a previous review that Raptor is not as good as AZTEC but what a searing story, you really have to keep with it though...my goofy anology: reading Jennings is like dancing with fred astaire; you are waltzing along, spinning, then slowing then suddenly you're dropped to the floor! you get up gasping then begin again, twirling, floating and just when you get comfortable, SLAM down you go again! Read it! I'm afraid I'll have trouble reading books not by Jennings! He's that good!

Raptor is on my list of favorite books, and although it may not be everyone, everyone deserves a bit of a jolt every now and again. The story of Thorn, although difficult to imagine is extremely interesting to follow and although the reader sometimes wonders if this is plain fiction or fantasy, the reader might not care. Of the three Gary Jennings books I've finished (Aztec, and Aztec Autumn were the other two, I never got far into Journeyer) Raptor is by far the best. It may have been the history of the Goths and the decadence of Rome or the far-from-infrequent sex scenes, but regardless of why, Raptor is an astounding book.

After reading Aztec (rated 10), I looked for other works by Jennings and found the Journeyer and Raptor. Both were just as satisfying to read and also rated 10 in my opinion. While this may not be an official 'review' I must comment that I have misplaced my copy of Raptor and have been trying to find another, only to find out that the book is out of print! After noticing that other readers and reviewers agree with my high rating of this book, I have to wonder why it is no longer being published? Might it be the hermaphroditic nature of the hero? I believe that many people would enjoy this book and it's a shame that such an extensive search is needed to acquire it. While I generally tend to purchase cheaper paperbacks when possible, this is a book that I would not hesitate to buy in hardcover. Let's Start Printing It Again!!

If you're amazed by what we as a people are learning, you'll be more amazed by how much we've forgotten. Set in the fifth century, Thorn, the hermaphroditic protagonist, travels from what is now France, across Europe, down to Constantinople and beyond. What his travels reveal about his (our) history, religion, sexual mores, life, death and everything in between is staggering. So is the amount of research Mr. Jennings must have done for this book. Coming in at just under 1000 pages, it's a story you don't want to end yet you can't wait to find out how it ends. If you're at all interested in ancient cultures or even the roots of the English language, you'll have a field day with this book. Read it, love it, be amazed by it