Post by Seth Kerin on Oct 3, 2007 14:50:36 GMT -5
The Bretton Katt Alliance by Margaret Garside
A Review by Seth Kerin
A little over four hundred years in the future, many things have stayed the same in the world of The Bretton Katt Alliance. Certainly, there are many new technologies, aliens, new planets and distant colonies, but there is still murder and war and intrigue – just on a larger scale.
The story revolves around the family of Anna Helsak, a crafty politician and matriarch who throws the proverbial monkey wrench into just about everything for her own personal aims. The rest of her family consists of an array of characters, some who are strong and independent, and others who seem to pander to the will of their mother. Throw into the mix the interesting human-but-not-quite-human alien, Rusorin – Anna’s former friend – and Rusorin’s life-long cat and mouse game with a powerful enemy, and you have all the ingredients for a riveting novel of political and familial intrigue.
Like many good books, The Bretton Katt Alliance starts out a bit slow. There’s an awful lot of layers of family background and strife to sift through, but the pseudo-family tree at the beginning makes the task less daunting.
The characters are all well fleshed out, each with their own unique motivations and goals. Some have grandiose plans, while others are content with their lives, but each have their part to play in the tale. As a fellow English major, I can particularly relate to one of the primary characters, Rob, and his annoyance with people who ask him how he plans to make a living as an English major. Many of the younger students reminded me a great deal of the student resistance in Les Miserables, talking the talk, but quickly realizing that things change fast when violence ensues.
At times I found myself wishing for a little more sci-fi-ness, as the future presented is very familiar and it was easy to forget that the novel is set more than four hundred years ahead. That is a minor personal quirk, however, and overall I greatly enjoyed The Bretton Katt Alliance, and I am looking forward to part two.
I would highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a good read and an engrossing story.
A Review by Seth Kerin
A little over four hundred years in the future, many things have stayed the same in the world of The Bretton Katt Alliance. Certainly, there are many new technologies, aliens, new planets and distant colonies, but there is still murder and war and intrigue – just on a larger scale.
The story revolves around the family of Anna Helsak, a crafty politician and matriarch who throws the proverbial monkey wrench into just about everything for her own personal aims. The rest of her family consists of an array of characters, some who are strong and independent, and others who seem to pander to the will of their mother. Throw into the mix the interesting human-but-not-quite-human alien, Rusorin – Anna’s former friend – and Rusorin’s life-long cat and mouse game with a powerful enemy, and you have all the ingredients for a riveting novel of political and familial intrigue.
Like many good books, The Bretton Katt Alliance starts out a bit slow. There’s an awful lot of layers of family background and strife to sift through, but the pseudo-family tree at the beginning makes the task less daunting.
The characters are all well fleshed out, each with their own unique motivations and goals. Some have grandiose plans, while others are content with their lives, but each have their part to play in the tale. As a fellow English major, I can particularly relate to one of the primary characters, Rob, and his annoyance with people who ask him how he plans to make a living as an English major. Many of the younger students reminded me a great deal of the student resistance in Les Miserables, talking the talk, but quickly realizing that things change fast when violence ensues.
At times I found myself wishing for a little more sci-fi-ness, as the future presented is very familiar and it was easy to forget that the novel is set more than four hundred years ahead. That is a minor personal quirk, however, and overall I greatly enjoyed The Bretton Katt Alliance, and I am looking forward to part two.
I would highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a good read and an engrossing story.
