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Ta
Strange forces rule the planet Ta, where power has fallen to a bizarre plant with human emotions, a mutation whose milk can be turned into food, steel, and all things vital to the life of the planet.
Soon rival forces lock in otherworldly violence. There is Kengee, the powerful warrior whose mind is inhabited by an earthling. And Tanee, the mind-traveler who thirsts for sexual exploitation. And there is Zabo, an organization run by women that will destroy any who oppose its omnipotence.
Waging the ultimate experiment in terror, all converge to subdue the planet - to control its power to conquer the planet Ta!
Soon rival forces lock in otherworldly violence. There is Kengee, the powerful warrior whose mind is inhabited by an earthling. And Tanee, the mind-traveler who thirsts for sexual exploitation. And there is Zabo, an organization run by women that will destroy any who oppose its omnipotence.
Waging the ultimate experiment in terror, all converge to subdue the planet - to control its power to conquer the planet Ta!
Mass Market Paperback
Published April 1, 1975
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 18, 2021
Exploring the John Robert Russell trilogy was quite an adventure. What he truly excels at is bizarre alien cultures, but he’s really bad at characters. They have fairly flat personalities but will break them when it suits the plot or sometimes for no good reason at all.
Sar had problems with its plot and Ta has bizarre tonal issues. For about the first half, it’s a fun action adventure but it veers off into a weird raunchy comedy and it’s hard to take it seriously. I legitimately can’t tell his views on women either. He’s somehow both misogynistic AND has the women be the most competent characters. Kengee (and all the story’s men for that matter) is constantly objectifying women but also needs rescuing by Tanee. Any real meaning is thrown out the window by the tone shifts and abrupt ending.
Russell unfortunately died several years ago, so I can’t ask him what was going through his head when writing. I wonder if he came to the conclusion that writing just wasn’t for him after the midpoint of his third book and just rushed through the rest with seductive plants and dumb jokes to get it over with. Cabu was great, Sar was a clearly rushed mess, and Ta was a huge mixed bag. He lived several decades after Ta, so he didn’t stop due to dying. He’d just said all he had to say and probably a bit more. Regardless, I’m glad to have joined him on his weird monkey and plant adventures while they lasted.
Sar had problems with its plot and Ta has bizarre tonal issues. For about the first half, it’s a fun action adventure but it veers off into a weird raunchy comedy and it’s hard to take it seriously. I legitimately can’t tell his views on women either. He’s somehow both misogynistic AND has the women be the most competent characters. Kengee (and all the story’s men for that matter) is constantly objectifying women but also needs rescuing by Tanee. Any real meaning is thrown out the window by the tone shifts and abrupt ending.
Russell unfortunately died several years ago, so I can’t ask him what was going through his head when writing. I wonder if he came to the conclusion that writing just wasn’t for him after the midpoint of his third book and just rushed through the rest with seductive plants and dumb jokes to get it over with. Cabu was great, Sar was a clearly rushed mess, and Ta was a huge mixed bag. He lived several decades after Ta, so he didn’t stop due to dying. He’d just said all he had to say and probably a bit more. Regardless, I’m glad to have joined him on his weird monkey and plant adventures while they lasted.
Displaying 1 of 1 review