Turning Point

Lisanne Norman's Sholan Alliance series is worthwhile. It is politically complex, intricately imagined in both physical and psychological detail, and full of compelling action. The catlike Sholans are not simply humans with fur, but neither are they so different that they require hugely different spheres of reference, which is a good thing in my opinion. That having been said, beware! This series seems to be interminable, having already run to six more fairly thick novels (at least 600 pages), with more in the works. This is a saga of titanic political and religious forces and their impact on a small cast of characters who play a starring role in forming the history of billions. Turning Point is by far the shortest entry, but consequently is a very quick and fun read. It introduces Carrie, a young Human woman on Keiss, an Earth colony planet newly overrun by Valtegans, lizardlike alien oppressors. She forms a telepathic bond with Kusac, a Sholan male who crashlands on the colony while seeking out the Valtegans, who have destroyed two of his species' planets. The delicate relationship between Carrie and Kusac is handled with imagination for the real species differences and miscommunications; the characters are not static figures. Because this short entry ends leaving you wanting more, I recommend having the next volume, "Fortune's Wheel," close to hand. I have tremendously enjoyed these books. Enjoy!

If you like Si-fi and futuristic romance, then these series will NOT let you down.The first book in the series is Turning Point. Carrie's Twin syster Elsie is dying and taking Carrie with her when Kusac "grabs" Carrie and saves her live.In later books the writer introdues the reader to the Sholan Alliance and the many species that abound in the galaxy. The reader gets to know new persons, and at the same time keeps following Kusac, Carrie, Garras, Mito, Davis and Vanna...Best is to start reading the series from Turning point and then Fortunes Wheel and so on...It is really only one book or one story...The only problem is how long the wait is for the next book in the series...

I think this was a really great book. Honestly. If you are mature enough to understand it, and you are patient with the story, it will come out good. I read the other reviews, and I was appalled to see that so many people didn't like the book. I was very surprised. The first book made me want to read the second, third, fourth, and last book. I'm currently reading Fortunes Wheel and so far it is great. I think that the first book went rather slow, I do admit that. But the places where there are dangerous situations or interesting parts, makes the book very unpredictable, and interesting. I've always loved to read books with intellegent cats, alien or not, that have some sort of special "Talent". For anybody who likes science fiction, plot twists, cats, and aliens, etc, this is a good book to read. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series! Even if one book is bad, that doesn't make the whole series bad. Not that I'm saying a bad book has been written. My advice with this book, is to read it, and if a slow book does come along, (I don't yet know if one will) don't stop in the middle of the series, bear with it and keep reading! I guarantee you, it'll be worth it. And for all of you who stopped after the first book, read the second book, and you'll love it. If you're thinking of skipping a book, the one after it won't fill you in. So take my advice, read them all.

First of all, I have to start off by saying two things: 1) I am one of the biggest sci-fi/fantasy buffs I know (hehe) and 2) I accidently started this series with Fire Margins. Not a smart idea. I finally read Turning Point, and loved it. Fire Margins is a good book, but I was confused because I missed the books that came before it. Starting with number one and going to number 5 (I believe its up to 5 now) is the best way to read this series. I'd rank Ms. Norman right up there with Brian Jacques, Andre Norton, Piers Anthony, etc. Turning Point is a fine book and I encourage everyone to read it!Ryan Gustafson

I would have rated this book a 10, except that the rest of the series only gets better. In Turning Point Ms Norman has provided an intricate look at what could happen when two telepathic species meet and join forces. It explores all the classic sci-fi themes (xenophobia, diplomatic relations, war) and still did it so well that I had no idea what would happen next. I stayed up half the night to finish it! I would recommend this book to anyone who like sci-fi in the tradition of Anne McCaffrey. Ms. Norman has a very similar knack for combining adventure, romance, and aliens in engrossing situations. Beware! You won't want to wait to go back to the bookstore for the next books in the series!