a forgotten place at the very edge of the galaxy, a dying planet where people lived by luck alone. This was the number-one stop for Rheba, the Senyas fire dancer, and Kirtn, her Bre'n mentor, as they sought to fulfill their promise to return a whole shipload of ex-slaves to the widely scattered worlds they called home.
Twice Rheba and Kirtn had achieved the impossible -- first surviving their own home system's fiery doom, then escaping the lair of the evil Loo-chim, bringing with them the odd assortment of beings who were now their shipmates. Having blasted free of the Loo-chim, Rheba and Kirtn assumed the worst was over. Then they landed on Daemen....
Ann Maxwell has written over 60 novels and one non-fiction book. There are 30 million copies of these books in print, as well as reprints in 30 foreign languages. The novels range from science fiction to historical fiction, from romance to mystery to suspense.
Writing as Ann Maxwell, she began her career in 1975 with a science fiction novel, Change. Since then, seven of her nine science fiction novels have been recommended for the Science Fiction Writers of America Nebula Award; A Dead God Dancing was nominated for what was then called TABA (The American Book Award).
In 1976 Ann and Evan (as A. E. Maxwell) collaborated with a Norwegian hunter and photographer, Ivar Ruud, on The Year-Long Day, a nonfiction work that was condensed in Reader's Digest and published in four foreign editions and three book club editions. In 1985, the first A. E. Maxwell crime novel featuring a couple called Fiddler and Fiora was published by Doubleday. The Frog and the Scorpion, received a creative writing award from the University of California. The fourth book in the series, Just Enough Light to Kill, was named by Time magazine as one of the best crime novels of 1988.
Ann and Evan (writing as Ann Maxwell) have published four suspense novels, the most recent of which is Shadows and Silk. These novels appeared on nation-wide bestseller lists.
In 1982, Ann began publishing romances as Elizabeth Lowell. Under that name she has received numerous professional awards in the romance field, including a Lifetime Achievement award from the Romance Writers of America (1994). Since July of 1992, she has had 30 novels on the New York Times list. Her most recent book is BLUE SMOKE AND MURDER.
When we last left Rheba (our fire-twirling psychic gal) and Kirtn (her big tough alien bodyguard), they had just blown up a massive slave-trading operation on the pleasure planet Loo. But they didn't just escape by themselves—they brought a whole cargo hold full of freed slaves with 'em. Being good country folks at heart, Rheba and Kirtn make a solemn vow to drive this cosmic school bus across the galaxy and drop every single one of those ex-slaves back off at their rightful doorsteps. Their very first stop is a miserable, dying planet called Daemen, sitting right out on the ragged edge of the universe. Now, Daemen ain't a place you visit for a nice vacation. The planet is falling apart, and the folks who live there don't have laws, rules, or a town council—they live entirely by luck. It's a world run by cutthroat gamblers, shifty back-alley dealers, and ancient, dangerous secrets. The minute Rheba and Kirtn roll into town, they get tangled up in a high-stakes web of cosmic corruption. The local bosses realize Rheba has that rare, explosive fire-dancing magic, and every greedy gambler on the planet wants to use her as their ultimate good luck charm to cheat the system. Rheba has to keep her emotions locked down tighter than a pressure cooker, because if she loses her temper in a place this volatile, she'll ignite the whole planet like a dry hay barn. Meanwhile, the slow-burn romance between Rheba and Kirtn is getting hotter than a stovepipe in January. They are head-over-heels for each other, but because of his strict warrior oath and her volatile powers, they have to try real hard to resist their "forbidden feelings". It's a whole lot of heavy sighing and staring across the campfire while dodging alien assassins. To save their shipmates and get off Daemen alive, the duo has to out-gamble the ultimate cheaters, unleash some serious psychic firepower, and rely on a little bit of old-fashioned country luck. A fantastic middle chapter that expands the world and ramps up the tension. If you like high-stakes space casinos, forbidden romance, and watching good folks stick up for underdogs against a bunch of card-sharks, this pulp treasure is a real winning hand.
The Dancer Series has long been a favorite. I've had the paperback in my library for years. Wish there were more of the stories of Reba and her crew. I think the author was ahead of her time with this series.
The Firedancer series is one of my all-time faves and I re-read it frequently. Even through the author didn’t finish the series, every book in this trilogy is a delight.
The last fire dancer of a vanished planet, Rheba and her guardian-mentor, Kirtn, pledge to return a shipful of freed slaves to their respective homes throughout the galaxy and are forced to resist their forbidden feelings for one another. Reprint.
Fire Dancer, Dancer’s Luck and Dancer’s Illusion. This is why I started reading her books so many years ago. My original paperback copies are so old (from ‘82 & ‘83 and out of print), that I’m thrilled to see her finally releasing them here. I just wish she’d add new books to the series. Perhaps when she releases Dancer’s Illusion in the future, she’ll write more?
"There were no wires or other physical connections to be made-- Equality science was primitive, not barbaric" p. 37 _____ 2017 WCPLRC: A Used Book Sale Book; A Book Set In Another World; A Book Written In The Third Person