This tale of psychic-physicians is the fifth in a series of stories featuring the psychically talented members of the Hyllis family. Hundreds of years after a plague induced apocalypse collapsed civilization back to iron and horsepower, the Hyllises have a genetic tendency to inherit “talents.” Eva Hyllis and her ancestors became healers because their talents let them feel inside their patients. This helped them diagnose the underlying causes of many illnesses. Eva’s children Tarc and Daussie have inherited telekinetic and teleportation talents. Their cousin Kazy’s a telepath. Telekinetic pressure can stop bleeding, teleportation can remove arterial plaques, and telepathy can provide anesthesia and correct psychopathy. In this book, they keep finding more and more medical conditions their talents allow them to treat. And, it turns out that the dye chemists in their new town are good enough to synthesise chemicals as complex as antibiotics. Eva’s long held dream of teaching and practicing medicine full time is coming true!
I was born on the island of Cyprus where my dad was employed as a mining engineer. We moved to the Philippines (more mining) when I was three and then to Arizona when I was 9. I went to med school at the University of Arizona and did a residency in Orthopaedics at the University of Kansas. I taught Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill until I retired in 2017.
I've always loved science fiction and it's been great fun getting to write some. I also like music and have a little home recording studio. You can read more, listen to some music and look at some of my art, at http://laury.dahners.com/ if you like.
If you want to contact me, or be put on my email list to be notified when new books come out, just email me at ldahners@gmail.com
it's ironic that the Hylis series is the last one I tried, it's grown into my favorite. only problem with Dahners books is the end comes too soon. A must read, but start with the First. also most of his books are Kindle Unlimited now. warning block soon time if you start any of his long series you'll end up all night reading. Many a time after midnight said ill just read a few pages of the next book and then go to sleep, only see dawn rise
Like your characters most and the consistent style. Ell Donsai was my favorite but Vaz and Tiona were fascinating. Even the Hyliss are an interesting bunch. You were the first author I followed on Amazon kindle. Thanks for giving an old vet some interesting entertainment.
Not as good as the previous stories and there are more things that I am starting to dislike. The author is getting much more complex with his diagnosis at the same time making everyone else so much more stupid. One of the patients had a brain bleed and it was found that there was an aneurysm. Instead of just leaving it at that, the person ( I forget which one) noted that it was around the Circle of Willis, because they read it recently in the ancients books. That isn't really something someone could have understood from just reading a book. What made it worse is when that person was trying to explain about bleeding in the brain and someone asked what a brain was? I also am getting tired of the " pay whatever you feel like it is worth". When someone offers a lot of money, Ava always returns most of it. They also don't charge unless the problem is solved? It also seems weird the Ava is always telling everyone to study, but when there is a very sick patient, Tarc and Daussie are the ones that come up with all the ideas for treatment and Ava just sits around saying " I never thought of that".
I love this Universe so much. More and more I read of it, the more I like it! The characters, the atmosphere, the set-up of the plot... all great! I especially like all of the medical stuff. Through all of the books the medical set-up of the plot is developing so much, and I like how diverse it became in this book specifically. As well as the ending when "The Caravan" came in - I was sooo Happy!!! Can't wait to read the next one, hope the Audio version will become available soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I really like this series and to me it just keeps getting better. I'm glad I finally figured out that the author is a retired doctor because the technical medical nature of the series now makes a lot more sense.
I'm listening to the audiobooks and from reading other reviews I believe it has made for a better experience to listen to the series rather than read it. However, if I never heard any person say the phrase "snorted" ever again I'd be happy.
Now I'm dreading book six because I read the narrator changes in that book, and changes not only to another reader but from a man to a woman. After five long books the sounds of the characters voices are so set in my head I can't imagine such a big change being an easy thing to take. I would have the same issue if the first five had been read by a woman and they changed to a man. But, I'm going to go listen to it now so wish me luck!
I wanted to refer you to another review but I can only access three (in time it will probably drop to zero but that is an Amazon choice). While the three are enthusiastic, they run short on detail. Once more into the breach, dear friends.
What I thought would be a nice personal record of writers to avoid or seek out, became a nasty something else. Please read my review of "Dark Horse", a really good story by Diener or Powers of the Earth (a silly book) and the comments by Claes Rees, Jr/cgr710 (a self-identified NeoNazi) and friends upset by my review of the book. It was an experience that crossed lines that I assumed would never be crossed. I was wrong in my assumptions about Goodreads and the english language science fiction corner especially.
GLORY TO UKRAINE !!!
The books have a solid foundational universe and the characters are drawn well. In the past, I would have given five stars in comparison to the many hundreds of science fiction books that I tried from Amazon. It is sad that meeting the standard expectation for a novel, has to be rated as exceptional work. The reality is that the writer put in the effort and gave us a good picture of the setting and the cast.
The plot flows naturally and it follows a good medieval societal structure with all the opportunity and challenges appropriate to that world. From useful and measured dialogue to world parameter restricted options, the series seems a nicely done piece of work. All of this is a description of the minimum skill, style and effort that a reader should expect, even from much of modern science fiction.
There are no interventions by the plot gods to avert a disaster that a child could have foreseen nor sudden gifting of (not previously mentioned or hinted) powers or abilities to the protagonists nor sudden obstacle/challenge removal explained only with REASONS. This again should be the minimum expectation from a good novel or set of novels.
The above is the minimum that a writer of any fiction should deliver but most US science fiction writers do not even make the attempt. Yet no matter how little, a publisher somewhere has paid them for barely legible manuscripts or books that advance some libertarian, fascist, or meritocratic fantasy. That's a political agenda or worldview with a spaceship on the cover. I do not think that most readers picked up a book for that content. We are maybe looking for entertainment and a little thoughtful criticism of current social structures and/or an exploration of the shape of some possible futures, whether pleasant or not.
The rating scale and this site does not allow me to distinguish between an interesting story and a train wreck. I am not alone in having members who do not write reviews, do not defend the books but attack reviewers, sometimes being merely rude and others even threatening. The comments to some low rating reviews will astound you. Science fiction in this corner of Goodreads is an ugly place.
I am saving my five and four stars for Stapledon, Ann Christy, Cherryh and Verne. That being said, against Amazon selections a two star science fiction rating is equal to four stars in literary or other genre work. Long winded, I know but one of the only two sane questions that I received over about four years, was to do with the difference between my rating and my enthusiasm for some book. I dropped a reply at the time but this is the more complete explanation for my judgement. I still do not believe that any one does or should care but I am willing to write this once on the off chance that it makes a difference to someone.
I am not reading much science fiction, unless to reread the top tier writers Weber, Drake, Mixon, Bujold-McMasters or older writers like Silverberg, Butler, Gibson, McCaffrey, Turtledove or Baker. The streaming services provide a good option to low and no effort science fiction. Netflix with its large and multinational collection has an overall more cosmopolitan selection. I did not demand much of Goodreads, except that I not be harassed by the occasional incel or Nazi. After my experiences with Goodreads, I moved to YouTube for science fiction news, reviews, etc and discovered the wonderful world of booktubers, history and other channels plus the educational video sites. Some of my favorite channels are.
Ben and Emily, Tom Nicholas, Novara Media, Some More News, Munecat, Tara Mooknee, Eleanor Morton, Chugging Along, What Vivi did next, EarleWrites, Art by Annamarie, Cruising Alba, Tiny Wee Boat, Boat Time, Ship Happens, Lady of the Library, Sort of Interesting, The Armchair Historian, Tulia, Second Thought, Adult Wednesday Addams, Driftwood Folk, Weir on the move, Camper Vibe, Philosophy Tube, Owen Jones, Useful Idiots, We're in Hell, Sabine Hossenfelder, Cover in French, Chloe Stafler, Karolina Zebrowska, Jill Bearup, Sarah Z, Noah Sampson, Autumn's Boutique, Lilly's expat life, Jabzy, IzzzYzzz, Zoe Baker, Hailey in Bookland, Bookleo, Thirdworld Booknerd, Cruising Crafts, The Mindful Narrowboat, Northern Narrowboaters, Lady knight the Brave, Hello Future Me, The Great War, World War Two, Real Engineering, Tibees, Book Odyssey, A Cup of Nicole, Serena Skybourne, Rebecca Watson, France 24, Joe Scott, May Moon Narrowboat, The Carpenter's Daughter, Linguoer-Mechanic, Prime of Midlife, Emmie, Brittany the Bibliophile, Rowan J Coleman, The Radical Reviewer, History Line, Tank Archives, History Scope, Jadyn Rylee, The Templin Institute, Caspian Reports, James Ker-Lindsay, Richard Wolff, History Scope, Artificial Intelligence Universe, Overly Sarcastic Productions, Mark Felton, Chris Animations.
I wish you a gorgeous morning, a productive afternoon, an exciting evening and a glorious night.
Empathy is the measure of the man or woman. Meditation of the Dark Sisters
The Hyllis family is my favorite of all Mr. Dahners' books. I started with the Ell series and found the Hyllis based on amazon suggestions. I love the characters and their natural growth. I didn't think this series could get better, but it did. Each member of the family (blood and by adoption) brings something new to the stories. Please keep writing about this family.
The Hyllis family stories are my favorite works written by Dr Danner. All of his books are exceptional. I have been a die-hard fan of Sci Fi for at least forty-five years. Laurence Dahners is every bit as good as Isaac Asimov or Theodore Sturgeon. His intimate knowlege of the subject material gives these stories the depth that make them truly remarkable.
Once I accepted that there would be no escaping the evil, corrupt sheriff redux AND kidnapping of a heroine tropes, I enjoyed the rest of the story. The tavern relocation was fun. Except that it looks like there's gonna be another road trip so defense could be pretty iffy? Maybe Eva's sister could travel with the Norton caravan instead? But how would connecting with the info be possible?
Dahners, Laurence E. Psychicians. Hyllis Family No. 5. Kindle, 2019. This installment of the history of the psychically talented Hyllis family focuses on the matriarch’s effort to start a jack-leg medical school and exploit the resources of the stash of ancient medical equipment to which they now have access. As usual, they find new things to do with their talents. It is as readable as the rest. 3.5 stars.
Another great story by Dr Dahners. At the end I was starting to think about the next story line (involving Typhoid ferver
or something g like an epidemic that can go into public health issues. The book looks like Coopertown is the next location. I have yet to be disappointed by his tales. Write more!
Exciting, intriguing and totally entertaining series!!!!
Congratulations to Lawrence Dahners for this amazing series. It’s hard to find such an interesting and exciting author who not only writes intelligently but also provides top rated plots, characters and excitement in the stories. I’m really looking forward to the next book.
Some new characters, but the old ones as well. The story well connected to the others so you don’t lose anything between episodes. Look forward to the next one.
This was a solid entry into the series. We finally get a villain a who may have some telekinetic powers and Eva finally has a place to settle and really start making changes in qualify of life. But have the Hyllis family finally met their match?
I like all the books and looking for more. Is this the last book ? You set up the book to have another book. Did she go to her sister ? Is the school going to take over. Is there going a attack on them
I truly love Laurence Dahners writing. You'd think after so many books that there would be some signs of age. But no. Just the excellence you've come to expect
I love how you have worked the anatomy and medicine in the books. Please, you have to write more of these books. There are so many more trails the family can go down.
This book was very entertaining and made you think about how even a relatively small power could be used in both a good and a bad way. The characters are interesting and I enjoyed how the story continues to unfold in surprising ways.
I really enjoy the authors style of writing. This books starts where last book ended. I am binge reading this whole series. Well worth the cost and time to read. If you liked any of his other series you will likely enjoy this one as well.
But then why wouldn’t be. The mental abilities are believable, even they some how almost seem like magic. Then the author does a great job of initiating the suspension of disbelief
Well written. Likable characters. Unusual for a writter to focus on healing as the main theme. Looking forward to more of this series in future. Also I recommend this authors Bone setter series. He can truelly immerse the reader in the world he descibes.
Not as satisfying as most of his other books. The medical stuff started to drag. The Baron solution was lackluster and his wives choosing to stay with him... dubious.