Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Zero Stone by Andre Norton ISBN: 0-441-95965-2 Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: September, 1983 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $2.50 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (4 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: An Eet and His Boy
Comment: The Zero Stone is the first novel in the Murdoc Jern series. Murdoc is the son of Hywel Jern, a former prime assessor to a sector boss of the Thieves' Guild who bought out when his patron was assassinated. Hywel migrated to Angkor and married the daughter of a local hock-lock operator. Shortly after the marriage, his in-laws. and many others in the vicinity of the port, died from disease brought by a plague ship, but Hywel and his wife survived and even performed some of the necessary governmental functions during the emergency. Some five years later, Angkor became a hub for interstellar trade in that sector and the Jern business thrived through Hywel's many off-world contacts, both legal and illegal, but he maintained a low profile, operating from the same modest hock-lock.
One day, the first officer of a spaceliner brought in a ring with a dull stone that was found in interstellar space, far from any star, on the finger of a spacesuited corpse. The crude stone is plain and cloudy, but has a remarkable hardness. The stone gives an impression of great power to Hywel and Murdoc, but not to the rest of the family. Hywel is obsessed with the stone and arranges an apprenticeship for Murdoc with Vondar Ustle, a master gemologist who searches for new sources of precious stones, so that Murdoc can search for more information on the ring and stone. Hywel is well satisfied with his life as apprentice to Vondar and, when he returns for a visit, finds that he no longer fits into his family. One evening, Hywel stays home to conduct some business while the rest of the family goes to a party. Leaving the party earlier, Murdoc returns home to find his father tied to his chair, bloody and dead. Murdoc takes the ring and stone from its hiding place and leaves his home forever.
In this novel, Murdoc and Vondar have come to Koonga City on Tanth searching for gems. They are dining in a taproom when the Green Robes, native priests, enter, spin their selection wheel to point between Murdoc and Vondar, and try to take both men. Murdoc kills one priest, fights his way clear, and then finds sanctuary with the priests of Noskald. These priests arrange for a Free Trader, the Vestris, to take Murdoc off-world. The crew treats him in a distant, but civil manner, but his only companion is the ship's cat, Valcyr. When the ship sets down on a primitive planet, Valcyr accompanies Murdoc as he explores the area. When Murdoc finds some bits of a curiously dull black substance that forms an extremely hard but fuzzy oval, Valcyr takes the largest specimen and starts to lick it. Murdoc tries to take it away from her, but gets clawed for his efforts. When a crewman tries to get the specimen, Valcyr runs off with it and hides. Murdoc and the crewman find her again, but she then swallows it.
When they return to the ship, the Medico tests Valcyr and the specimens; he determines that the black ovals are alive at a low level as if hibernating and that Valcyr is now pregnant. Since there is a possibility that Valcyr is not carrying ordinary kittens, she is locked in a cage within the sick bay. About four weeks later, she disappears from the cage and is next seen in Murdoc's cabin with a newborn animal, Eet, that is not a kitten. And then Murdoc finds himself covered with purple blotches and feeling feverish. At this point, Murdoc and Eet leave the Vestris, Murdoc in a spacesuit and Eet in a clear-sided box, to escape the plague-fearing, frantic crew.
This novel has some of the signature characteristics of the author's space adventure tales, including the outcast Murdoc, the telepathic Eet, and alien artifacts. However, this story is one of the wanderlust kind, much like Star Man's Son and the Solar Queen series, where the hero/heroine goes on to discover new adventures.
The creature Eet is rather unique in the author's space adventures, having a human level of intelligence, yet possessing an animal body. Eet combines the friendly alien, symbiotic animal, and mutated talents aspects of these tales, all in one body, sort of a highly evolved version of the meerkats in The Beast Master.
While this story is not one of my favorites, it still provides the same high level of storycraft one expects of the author. The characters are interesting but not as enthralling as some of the other tales. The relationship between Murdoc and Eet is not clear, but one feels as if Eet is much superior to Murdoc, yet is handicapped by his inadequate body. Is Murdoc a pet to Eet?
Recommended for Norton fans and anyone who enjoys space adventures involving a young hero and a mysterious alien.
Rating: 5
Summary: Read it at age 10
Comment: And missed many of the subtleties.
Norton's vision of a universe awash in ancient, eerie alien rubble, and her vivid planetscapes, are incomparably haunting.
Rating: 5
Summary: This book is so good I've read it 5 times !
Comment: This is simply one of the best stories ever told in the Sci-Fi universe. If you've never read anything by Ms. Norton then you must read this one, and its sequel 'Uncharted Stars'
 |
Title: Uncharted Stars by Andre Norton ISBN: 0451452321 Publisher: New American Library Pub. Date: March, 1993 List Price(USD): $4.50 |
 |
Title: Sargasso of Space by Andre Norton ISBN: 0441749860 Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: September, 1985 List Price(USD): $2.50 |
 |
Title: Forerunner: The Second Venture by Andre Norton ISBN: 0812513649 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 15 January, 1991 List Price(USD): $3.95 |
 |
Title: A Mind for Trade: A Great New Solar Queen Adventure by Andre Norton, Sherwood Smith ISBN: 0812552733 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: September, 1998 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
 |
Title: Secret of the Lost Race by Andre Norton ISBN: 0441758363 Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: May, 1985 List Price(USD): $2.50 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
