Razor's Edge

Razor's Edge is the fourth novel in the Sholan Alliance series, following Fire Margins. In the previous volume, Kiad formed a Triad with Carrie and Kusac and they have walked the Fire Margins. This trance state has taken them back in time to just before the Cataclysm, where they have met ancient Sholans, including one who will become the god Vartra. They have also sent Tallinu, a young cub who will become Kaid, forward in time to be raised as a foundling and have brought back the Valtegan General, Kezule, and his dupe Kyak to Khezi'ipik, the ancient Valtegan hatching grounds. Kyak has been faced with the Valtegan who had pretended to be his god and caused him to raise a jihad, the Elders have declared Kyak a false prophet, and the desert tribes have repudiated the Kezule worshippers. Kaid has Challenged Ghezu, Guildmaster of the Brotherhood, for his treasonous acts. The Fire Margins have advanced Carrie's pregnancy, so Kaid and Kusac have delivered the cub in an aircar on the way home from the desert.On Jalna, a Keissan team, with Sholan support, has penetrated Lord Killian's castle to find the contents of a wrecked Valtegan shuttle. There they accidentally release two Sholans, Rezac and Zashou, from a stasis capsule where they have been trapped since the time of the Cataclysm. Before they could escape, the team was detected and held captive by the Jalnians.In this novel, the recon team on Jalna pretends to rebuild the shuttle laser system while awaiting rescue and Rezac has vivid dreams of his life prior to the Cataclysm. On Shola, the Brotherhood interrogates General Kezule and plants an agent, Keeza Lassah, in his cell. The En'shalla Clan is formally recognized by the Clan Council and is ceded the long abandoned Valsgarth estate; Kusac and Carrie are the Clan Lords and the clan members include all current and future mixed Leska pairs as well as the Vartra Brothers previously assigned as guardians for such pairs. Kusac formally registers Kaid as the third of their Triad and the three of them start planning for a rescue operation on Jalna. Kiad is troubled as his early childhood memories resurface and, having more visions of Vartra as both the man and the god, he moves to Stronghold to resolve his conflicts. A human archaeological team moves onto the estate and supervises the monastery dig.This novel bridges the transition from the personal problems of the En'shalla clan members to the interstellar problems of the Sholan Alliance. Now that the immediate problems are solved, or at least being managed, the En'shalla Clan begins to fulfill their function as special operatives for Alien Relations. Obviously, their first mission will be to Jalna.A reviewer has noted that story lines start in one book and are resolved in a later volume. First, this is a technique used by accomplished writers to ease the readers into situations instead of dropping them -- kerplunk -- into a new complication without warning. Second, this technique mirr

I'm also a little surprised by some of the negative comments. I have read the first four books in this series in a week and a half -- I just couldn't put them down! The only reason laundry is getting done is because I done yet have the next one...You definitely need to start at the beginning, though. This series is not one of those where you can pick up a book in the middle of the series and have any idea what's going on. It's more like one really long book -- don't expect things to be resolved at the end of each book.Yes, there is a lot about relationships. Yes, there is love and romance. So what? There is also political intrigue. And just enough mystery. I'm sick of SF books which are so technical you need an engineering degree to have a clue about what is going on. There are a lot of characters, but if you start with the first book, they are introduced slowly so it's not confusing.Bottom line: I haven't been sucked this deeply into a series since...well, ever. I can't wait until I get the next one!

I have read some of the other reviews on this book and was really shocked! Well here it is! I loved the charactors and the plot.So many times I read a book and think, "Is this all there is? What happened to-Whoever or whatever? Very few authors have the Guts to carry a storyline this many booksand still have me pre-ording the next one as soon as it comes out!-and rereading the prior books to more enjoy the new book! Lisanne- Please keep the books coming! These books in your Sholon series reminds me of the phrase,"Where do you want to go today?" They are a lovely escape for a quiet moment to relive stress and bring a smile! Keep Up The Good Work!

Lisanne Norman's books are a recent discovery. Luckily, I began with "The Turning Point", the first book in the series. It's the typical theme of "boy meets girl" handled with imagination. The boy is a handsome alien feline who crash lands on the human girl's newly colonized world; a world that has been recently conquered by a race of alien reptiles. I could hardly put the book down and was eager to see how Carrie and Kusac would handle the challanges that awaited them on Kusac's home world of Shola in "Fortune's Wheel", the sequel. I was not disappointed. "Fire Margins" and now "Razor's Edge" were even better than the first two books. With each new book, Ms. Norman continues to develop believable characters who show personal growth in complex situations. Add to that the detailed descriptions of the Sholan world in which they live combined with an epic story line and you have a great adventure series. Enjoy!

Only the strongest of the strong can survive the taboos of a cross-species relationship. Carrie (a human telepath) and Kusac (a Sholan telepath) are getting the opportunity to test this resolve as they must stand up to both of their people, who try to manipulate or destroy them. The other member of their unique Triad is Kaid. The trio are struggling to come to grips with their unique arrangement, but also with what they have learned from their travel through the FIRE MARGINS. However, rest and absorption are not on the menu for this intrepid threesome. They travel to the planet Jalna in an effort to rescue Sholans and humans being held prisoner. None of the trio are prepared to meet the dangerously insane people who have incarcerated members of their races. Unknown to any of them is that the natives are long time plants from their enemy, the Valtegans. The fourth novel in Lisanne Norman's "Sholan alliance" is a fascinating science fiction work that provides in-deptg insight into various species inhabiting the universe. To Ms. Norman's credit, all the species seem very authentic and the story line is fast-paced and fun to read. Fans of cultural exploration of otther worlds will enjoy this entire series. Harriet Klausner