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Stardoc #4
Shockball
Beginning with Stardoc--a novel hailed as one of the best science fiction books of the year by Science Fiction Chronicle--S. L. Viehl's smart, savvy surgeon Cherijo Torin has ventured across the universe in and out of danger and love, driven by two great forces--her sworn duty to heal the sick, and her constant fear of the demented man who created her...Having freed themselves from the Hsktskt slave traders, Cherijo and her husband Duncan wanted to start looking for a nice, quiet part of the universe where Cherijo's Creator, Joseph Grey Veil, wouldn't find them. But Joseph Grey Veil never gives up...
Now the newlyweds are living underground with the help of a renegade band of alien-human half-breeds. But when Duncan is forced into their deadly shockball games, and Cherijo is used to keep the players healthy, safety becomes its own kind of imprisonment, and Cherijo learns that she cannot merely run from her past--she must destroy it...
Now the newlyweds are living underground with the help of a renegade band of alien-human half-breeds. But when Duncan is forced into their deadly shockball games, and Cherijo is used to keep the players healthy, safety becomes its own kind of imprisonment, and Cherijo learns that she cannot merely run from her past--she must destroy it...
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2001
24 people are currently reading
270 people want to read
About the author
S.L. Viehl
31 books225 followersAlso see Lynn Viehl, Gena Hale, Jessica Hall and Rebecca Kelly.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
November 6, 2019
Although I get irritated with Cherijo's stubbornness, these books are still addictive. This story was a lot more interesting than the previous one and I am liking Reever better. It was fun to see some previous characters return and learn more of Cherijo's "family". On to the next!
August 7, 2021
I enjoyed this book, I loved picking up the story of Cherijo and Duncan. The new story thread was engaging, fast paced and had some great characters. Looking forward to the next installment.
July 26, 2019
TW: Violence, some sex mostly tasteful.
[25 July 2019]
Fourth installment of the Stardoc series, and my least favorite so far. Not as exciting as the first three, and it seemed rather contrived. Cherijo and Reever are kidnapped by a group of outcast Native Americans (who the author calls Indians) that live in abandoned tunnels under New Angeles. But they don't seem very real to me. The ending especially did not seem to make sense, although the very last bit was a very pleasant surprise, totally unexpected. Until that last surprise I fully intended to abandon the series, but now I'm rethinking that.
[25 July 2019]
Fourth installment of the Stardoc series, and my least favorite so far. Not as exciting as the first three, and it seemed rather contrived. Cherijo and Reever are kidnapped by a group of outcast Native Americans (who the author calls Indians) that live in abandoned tunnels under New Angeles. But they don't seem very real to me. The ending especially did not seem to make sense, although the very last bit was a very pleasant surprise, totally unexpected. Until that last surprise I fully intended to abandon the series, but now I'm rethinking that.
May 8, 2011
Cherijo and Duncan, I like them together more and more. They get kidnapped and sent back to Earth and her psycho dad. She finds out dad made her not just for his kid, but for his wife - sicko! He experiments on her and when they try to free themselves, they're rescued by a group of people who have been living in the mountains. She and Duncan try to figure out how to get out of this new situation because it doesn't look like they'll let them leave either. Cherijo learns more secrets about her "family". This is a great series that I'm surprised I didn't know about. This book is from 2001! Maybe it was the cover of the first book, I would have passed it just for that. Anyway, it's a great sci-fi romance series.
May 16, 2019
Shockball(A Stardoc Novel)by S.L. Viehl
Shockball is the forth in the series and has the most reveals for the ongoing threads. There still seem to be some loose threads and I haven't gotten far enough through the series to say yes or no to the rest being solved. This novel deals with Cherijo's dysfunctional family and probably the reason she has such a strange way of handling her relationships.
In this one; while trying to stay away from her father Duncan and Cherijo end up using the ship that was gifted to them by her father and it, of course, turns out to be a trap. But this is not before Cherijo apparently loses their baby because her body's strange chemistry rejects it. She's made a decision as regards the future of children and tries, throughout the whole book, to keep it a secret from Duncan.
Duncan and Cherijo are brought to Earth where her father tells her his insidious and somewhat creepy incestous plan. Duncan's future is being used as an inducement. But there is a secret underworld (like way underground) movement that breaks into her father's lab and generously help Cherijo and Duncan escape. It comes at a price when they are trapped below the ground and Cherijo becomes doctor to a bunch of hybrid Shockball players; while Duncan is enlisted on the team and continues as the inducement for Cherijo to stay there as a prisoner doing what the leader of these people wants.
Cherijo finds out that there were more children in her family; though most of them were destroyed by her father, as failures. There might be one still alive.
Each of these novels has come out in a similar format. They are all approximately 150k words and almost four hundred pages. I would almost guess that the others in the series might come out the same because it's beginning to look like some sort of pattern.
This novel is a great place to read to get most of the answers to all the burning questions and even a bit more information than one might want, about some few other things. A lot gets resolved and finally leaves the main characters in a better place. Even if there are still some warm questions hanging in the wings.
SSF for fans of the Sci-Fi type and those that like Romance and perhaps a bit twisted family stories.
I'm taking a slight break from them for now; though I do have Blade Dancer, which takes place in the same universe. These are excellent books for someone with a voracious appetite for reading SFF.
J.L. Dobias
Shockball is the forth in the series and has the most reveals for the ongoing threads. There still seem to be some loose threads and I haven't gotten far enough through the series to say yes or no to the rest being solved. This novel deals with Cherijo's dysfunctional family and probably the reason she has such a strange way of handling her relationships.
In this one; while trying to stay away from her father Duncan and Cherijo end up using the ship that was gifted to them by her father and it, of course, turns out to be a trap. But this is not before Cherijo apparently loses their baby because her body's strange chemistry rejects it. She's made a decision as regards the future of children and tries, throughout the whole book, to keep it a secret from Duncan.
Duncan and Cherijo are brought to Earth where her father tells her his insidious and somewhat creepy incestous plan. Duncan's future is being used as an inducement. But there is a secret underworld (like way underground) movement that breaks into her father's lab and generously help Cherijo and Duncan escape. It comes at a price when they are trapped below the ground and Cherijo becomes doctor to a bunch of hybrid Shockball players; while Duncan is enlisted on the team and continues as the inducement for Cherijo to stay there as a prisoner doing what the leader of these people wants.
Cherijo finds out that there were more children in her family; though most of them were destroyed by her father, as failures. There might be one still alive.
Each of these novels has come out in a similar format. They are all approximately 150k words and almost four hundred pages. I would almost guess that the others in the series might come out the same because it's beginning to look like some sort of pattern.
This novel is a great place to read to get most of the answers to all the burning questions and even a bit more information than one might want, about some few other things. A lot gets resolved and finally leaves the main characters in a better place. Even if there are still some warm questions hanging in the wings.
SSF for fans of the Sci-Fi type and those that like Romance and perhaps a bit twisted family stories.
I'm taking a slight break from them for now; though I do have Blade Dancer, which takes place in the same universe. These are excellent books for someone with a voracious appetite for reading SFF.
J.L. Dobias
August 25, 2020
Shockball is the fourth Stardoc novel by SL Viehl. Cherijo and her husband have freed themselves from the Hsktskt faction and are back on board the Sunlace but their safety doesn't last long. Her super-fast healing abilities make carrying a child to term impossible and while she's dealing with a miscarriage the ship is attacked and damaged, They fall into a trap and from there she and her husband are made prisoners of the League and dragged back to Earth where they are turned over to her creator, Dr Joseph Grey Veil.
It's not all bad as there are secrets hidden in his house that she needs to know, secrets that may one day explain her origins, but along the way one of her closest friendships is damaged, maybe permanently. Earth is one trap after another and escaping her creator's lab only puts her in an even more dangerous situation when she's captured by a tribe of underground dwelling half-humans who are trying just as hard as she is not to be caught by Earth's government.
With aliens being forbidden to live on Earth, even those with an Earth parent get deported when caught so a life of secrecy, or looking human enough to blend in are their only options. And to do that they do need her medical skills. She's put to work helping the half-aliens appear more human so they can play Shockball.
She also has to patch up the numerous injuries from the dangerous sport. And when her husband's life is threatened he's forced to take part in the dangerous game too. More secrets about her creation come to light when she finds out she wasn't the only baby to survive after all, and Joe's plans for her were never paternal. If she's going to escape Earth without landing back in his clutches she's going to have to trust people she thought were her enemies.
Once again Cherijo manages to amaze me. She comes off as so human and relatable. The medical scenes are realistic, and her role as doctor is the center focus of this book, like many others. Even though she's a woman wanted badly by pretty much everyone, the author never falls into that trap of making the character seem like 'the chosen one'. Dr Grey Veil has a tiny bit of a redemption arc in here, but honestly I don't think anything could truly redeem him.
There is a bit of repetitiveness starting to show up in the series with her being constantly captured and escaping from one group or another, but honestly it doesn't really irritate much because you just get so into the story. Definitely recommend!
It's not all bad as there are secrets hidden in his house that she needs to know, secrets that may one day explain her origins, but along the way one of her closest friendships is damaged, maybe permanently. Earth is one trap after another and escaping her creator's lab only puts her in an even more dangerous situation when she's captured by a tribe of underground dwelling half-humans who are trying just as hard as she is not to be caught by Earth's government.
With aliens being forbidden to live on Earth, even those with an Earth parent get deported when caught so a life of secrecy, or looking human enough to blend in are their only options. And to do that they do need her medical skills. She's put to work helping the half-aliens appear more human so they can play Shockball.
She also has to patch up the numerous injuries from the dangerous sport. And when her husband's life is threatened he's forced to take part in the dangerous game too. More secrets about her creation come to light when she finds out she wasn't the only baby to survive after all, and Joe's plans for her were never paternal. If she's going to escape Earth without landing back in his clutches she's going to have to trust people she thought were her enemies.
Once again Cherijo manages to amaze me. She comes off as so human and relatable. The medical scenes are realistic, and her role as doctor is the center focus of this book, like many others. Even though she's a woman wanted badly by pretty much everyone, the author never falls into that trap of making the character seem like 'the chosen one'. Dr Grey Veil has a tiny bit of a redemption arc in here, but honestly I don't think anything could truly redeem him.
There is a bit of repetitiveness starting to show up in the series with her being constantly captured and escaping from one group or another, but honestly it doesn't really irritate much because you just get so into the story. Definitely recommend!
May 29, 2021
This series is completely mad. I love it.
July 27, 2021
This series is completely mad. I love it.
February 17, 2022
I was up until 2 am because I couldn't put it down.
July 6, 2022
DNF at 23%
February 28, 2023
Continuing adventures of CHERIJO and her extended family. Book #4 of the Stardoc series. A Quick and enjoyable read.
September 9, 2012
It has been quite a while since I last read a book in the Stardoc series. Maybe that was a good thing because I totally enjoyed this one. Wrapped up a lot concerning Cherijo's creation and ongoing problems with her 'father' as well as solidifying her relationship with Duncan. Love the new characters that were introduced as well as some old ones who returned. Looking forward to the next book as the group heads out into space. I really enjoy Viehl's writing and look forward to more adventures with the Sunlace crew.
April 26, 2011
These are starting to get boring. The author appears to be taking advantage of this series to write whatever ideas cross her mind, rather than having a neat series planned out ahead of time. On top of that the repetitive plots are getting old, as is the increase in graphic and explicit unneccessary sex scenes.
Some series grow better with time. This one feels like there hasn't been anything new since book two.
Definitely not literature, but still mostly acceptable for complete popcorn sci-fi.
Some series grow better with time. This one feels like there hasn't been anything new since book two.
Definitely not literature, but still mostly acceptable for complete popcorn sci-fi.
January 16, 2017
I liked the ending the best. I liked the beginning and bits of the middle but the ending was the best for the nail biting ending. Will everything finally be ok? I liked knowing what was going to be next for the characters. I was glad in how the book ended but it made me wonder about the minor characters and what would happen to them next. I wonder how Hawk go to be the way he is. He would be a good character to explore.
July 7, 2011
Not as good as i thought it would be....but pretty mesmerizing nontheless.. i still love Duncan.
dind´t like that all the action happen in Terra....i like discovering other planets, what i´ve loved on the other books.
can´t wait to see what happens with Marel..XD
i totally recomend this series!!
dind´t like that all the action happen in Terra....i like discovering other planets, what i´ve loved on the other books.
can´t wait to see what happens with Marel..XD
i totally recomend this series!!
June 4, 2013
For a fourth book and one of those dollar general $1 books it was really good. As in I'd pay 8 bucks to read the another book by the same author. I really liked the characters and everything was solid as far as storyline, plot, and pacing. The ending was really cute, the only thing I didn't really like was the other books were so talked about I knew I was missing out.
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March 24, 2014These books are addicting. I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down. Then, had to pick up the next one because I loved the worlds and the characters, especially Cherijo.
She may be new favorite fictional doctor. (And I love Who, House, and Doolittle.)
I work at Penguin though that didn't influence my comments.
She may be new favorite fictional doctor. (And I love Who, House, and Doolittle.)
I work at Penguin though that didn't influence my comments.
January 15, 2015
I liked this book, but not as much as I liked the other books in the series. The first three were faster-paced and more to do with science fiction, which I liked. This fourth book seemed to slow down the action with Cherijo and her husband stuck in a single underground community for most of the book.
January 4, 2016
Really good! Loved the ending, not at all what I expected <3 and wtf!? Made me hate her creator even more than I thought possible!! We got to see her Native American background and the family plot twist! Wow just wow! And the relationship struggles between her and Duncan.. Everything and more than I thought! Why did I wait this long to read it!? ;) worth the wait!
September 30, 2010
Struggled through this book hoping for the best though the author employed every negative stereotype about Native Americans they could find. I feel certain it was not the author's intention to treat a whole culture respectfully without redemption but they managed to do so.
May 16, 2016
:sniffle: This is the first time I read this one. Somehow I missed the middle books of this series. So, now I know how a certain thing came to pass. And now I'm all like :sniffle:, but in a good way.
September 29, 2014
I started the series here which means I missed the first three books but while I found it a good read with some interesting characters I didn't find it interesting enough to continue with the series.
March 8, 2015
I think Shockball had more twist turns than the other books in the Stardoc series. It still reads like a Space Opera (Soap Opera). Not a great series but like any Soap Opera once you've been sucked it's hard to pull yourself away.
May 30, 2007
StarDoc #4
Read
August 16, 2008Shockball:: A Stardoc Novel (Stardoc) by S. L. Viehl (2001)
May 18, 2009
I'm really enjoying this series.
July 13, 2009
The space opera continues. This book was filled with interesting plot twists. Again, I will have to visit the library and get the next one.
February 23, 2010
There were some crazy crazy new developments. This book does not disappoint. And the ending...I had to reread it several times to take it all in. Loved it, can't get enough of this series.
November 29, 2011
I can't read another of these personally because i just cant deal with the same plot over and over again. If i want that, i will watch Star Trek reruns, thanks.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews