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Star*Drive
Starrise at Corrivale
Gabriel Connor is up against it. Expelled from the Concord Marines and exiled in disgrace, he's offered one last chance by the Concord to redeem himself. All it involves is gambling his life in a vicious game of death.
380 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 6, 1998
1 person is currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Diane Duane
167 books2,412 followersDiane Duane has been a writer of science fiction, fantasy, TV and film for more than forty years.
Besides the 1980's creation of the Young Wizards fantasy series for which she's best known, the "Middle Kingdoms" epic fantasy series, and numerous stand-alone fantasy or science fiction novels, her career has included extensive work in the Star Trek TM universe, and many scripts for live-action and animated TV series on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as work in comics and computer games. She has spent a fair amount of time on the New York Times Bestseller List, and has picked up various awards and award nominations here and there.
She lives in County Wicklow, in Ireland, with her husband of more than thirty years, the screenwriter and novelist Peter Morwood.
Her favorite color is blue, her favorite food is a weird kind of Swiss scrambled-potato dish called maluns, she was born in a Year of the Dragon, and her sign is "Runway 24 Left, Hold For Clearance."
(From her official website)
Besides the 1980's creation of the Young Wizards fantasy series for which she's best known, the "Middle Kingdoms" epic fantasy series, and numerous stand-alone fantasy or science fiction novels, her career has included extensive work in the Star Trek TM universe, and many scripts for live-action and animated TV series on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as work in comics and computer games. She has spent a fair amount of time on the New York Times Bestseller List, and has picked up various awards and award nominations here and there.
She lives in County Wicklow, in Ireland, with her husband of more than thirty years, the screenwriter and novelist Peter Morwood.
Her favorite color is blue, her favorite food is a weird kind of Swiss scrambled-potato dish called maluns, she was born in a Year of the Dragon, and her sign is "Runway 24 Left, Hold For Clearance."
(From her official website)
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 20, 2021
Starrise at Corrivale is the first book in the Harbinger trilogy by Diane Duane. I have read several reviews that state that the book starts out very slowly. While this is true the first few chapters impart quite a lot of information about the main character, Gaberial Conner, that will have a great bearing on the story later on.
The plot is an old standard, "the disgraced hero, Gaberial Conner, must redeem himself by finding and exposing those who framed him." It is well done, however, and the mystery surrounding the book's events is maintained very well. The characterization of the interactions between the humans and aliens, the Fraal and Sesheyann, was generally very good. After a slow start, the action picks up and continues to the end of the book. The ending leaves you wanting to read the next book in the trilogy, Storm At Eldala, which I intend to do next.
The plot is an old standard, "the disgraced hero, Gaberial Conner, must redeem himself by finding and exposing those who framed him." It is well done, however, and the mystery surrounding the book's events is maintained very well. The characterization of the interactions between the humans and aliens, the Fraal and Sesheyann, was generally very good. After a slow start, the action picks up and continues to the end of the book. The ending leaves you wanting to read the next book in the trilogy, Storm At Eldala, which I intend to do next.
February 26, 2023
This is the first book in the Harbinger trilogy. There are questions left unanswered for the later books, but for readers who don't want to continue, most of the plot points are resolved, and stopping at this point shouldn't cause any problems.
This does come under the genre of gaming fiction, as it is set in the default universe for TSR's Alternity role-playing game from the 90s. Helpfully, there is a 10-page glossary provided at the end of the book to fill in the gaps for readers who aren't familiar with the Star*Drive setting.
As expected from Diane Duane, this book has more meat in it that is typical for novels associated with games settings. It starts fairly slowly, but there is a lot of backstory being delivered, which does become important later in the book.
While the plot - our hero is wrongly convicted of crimes and has to clear his name - is certainly nothing new, Duane handles it pretty well, and she does do well at creating interesting characters.
This does come under the genre of gaming fiction, as it is set in the default universe for TSR's Alternity role-playing game from the 90s. Helpfully, there is a 10-page glossary provided at the end of the book to fill in the gaps for readers who aren't familiar with the Star*Drive setting.
As expected from Diane Duane, this book has more meat in it that is typical for novels associated with games settings. It starts fairly slowly, but there is a lot of backstory being delivered, which does become important later in the book.
While the plot - our hero is wrongly convicted of crimes and has to clear his name - is certainly nothing new, Duane handles it pretty well, and she does do well at creating interesting characters.
March 29, 2021
Good old fashioned Exploration and Self-discovery. A young soldier is falsely accused of causing the death of Diplomat and some of his fellow troopers... And he sets off to find the proof of his innocence. Along the way, he gathers a small band of fellow travelers to guard his back in a mercenary, rough and tumble Universe where he has to keep eyes open for suspicious Military Law Officers, ruthless Interstellar Corporations and a shadowy force older than all the races together. All he has on his side -- is a little quartz pebble that seems to have a mind of it's own...
Think of this as a more Up-to-date but different version of Andre Norton's 'Zero Stone' Adventure. This is a nice, lite entertaining read for a Friday or Saturday evening.
Think of this as a more Up-to-date but different version of Andre Norton's 'Zero Stone' Adventure. This is a nice, lite entertaining read for a Friday or Saturday evening.
July 10, 2023
Did not finish. I did my best but I was so lost and bored I ended up putting it away. And then I forgot about it and have no drive to restart anytime soon. Sad because Diane Duane is a good writer, there are some interesting ideas, but it didn't grip me.
December 12, 2009
This is a never again read. It takes more than a third of the 360+ pages to get past the back story to start in on the plot of this tale. Perhaps all that is needed for the trilogy but there are inherent writing errors in the material.
TSR, the publishers of Dungeon and Dragons thought they were onto something by starting a line of fiction that had nothing to do with their games. But they lacked expertise in this area, obviously. Editing of the work lacks in many areas.
As a reader, you start with great expository paragraphs, sometimes longer than a page. And these go on for many pages. As a reader you need to be interrupted with dialogue, and short paragraphs to catch your breath.
Then there is so much extra exposition that does not advance the story, in the early part of the book, that by the time the rhythm works you are uninvolved.
The premise is that an upcoming Marine officer who does intelligence work for the diplomats gets framed for their deaths. Some benevolent alien, and why, I must have missed because it seems far fetched, thinks our Marine is worthwhile and teams up with him to help him start a new life after the corp can't use him. He of course though not proven innocent, is let go on a hung decision.
We then have another third of the book, after this back story, of the Marine and Alien establishing themselves. The nefarious entity, the corporation, that set things up still is entwined in their lives, but so damn powerful that snuffing out this loose end should have been like sneezing.
The story then doesn't work, because our heroes aren't heroic enough, our enemy is too powerful and we don't understand there motivation since it is unclear and placed at the end. Don't waste your time or effort with this.
TSR, the publishers of Dungeon and Dragons thought they were onto something by starting a line of fiction that had nothing to do with their games. But they lacked expertise in this area, obviously. Editing of the work lacks in many areas.
As a reader, you start with great expository paragraphs, sometimes longer than a page. And these go on for many pages. As a reader you need to be interrupted with dialogue, and short paragraphs to catch your breath.
Then there is so much extra exposition that does not advance the story, in the early part of the book, that by the time the rhythm works you are uninvolved.
The premise is that an upcoming Marine officer who does intelligence work for the diplomats gets framed for their deaths. Some benevolent alien, and why, I must have missed because it seems far fetched, thinks our Marine is worthwhile and teams up with him to help him start a new life after the corp can't use him. He of course though not proven innocent, is let go on a hung decision.
We then have another third of the book, after this back story, of the Marine and Alien establishing themselves. The nefarious entity, the corporation, that set things up still is entwined in their lives, but so damn powerful that snuffing out this loose end should have been like sneezing.
The story then doesn't work, because our heroes aren't heroic enough, our enemy is too powerful and we don't understand there motivation since it is unclear and placed at the end. Don't waste your time or effort with this.
August 11, 2016
3.5 stars
This was somewhat unexpected, really. I've read some of Duane's other works, and I've read stuff published by WotC, and this doesn't really read like either.
It's still a basic space opera, with interstellar civilizations vying for power, the good and the bad clearly delineated, and so forth, but it was still pretty fun.
This was somewhat unexpected, really. I've read some of Duane's other works, and I've read stuff published by WotC, and this doesn't really read like either.
It's still a basic space opera, with interstellar civilizations vying for power, the good and the bad clearly delineated, and so forth, but it was still pretty fun.
March 15, 2021
Definitely like this better my second go-through.
March 31, 2011
slow in places but still decent
February 10, 2016
Good Military SiFi story. Quick and easy read. Recommended
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June 21, 2009Science Fiction
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews