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Stardoc #2
Beyond Varallan
Dr. Cherijo is living the perfect life--if you think that finding out you're a clone, then being declared "non-sentient" by your father/creator is your idea of perfect.Things could be worse. But when the Human League comes after her, with bounty hunters of every race trying to bring her in, Cherijo figures it can't get any worse...
Until someone begins stalking her dreams.
Praise for StarDoc:
"AI? just loved it. Don't miss this one." --Catherine Coulter"Continuously surprising... deviously written...and splendidly full of new characters." --Anne McCaffrey
Until someone begins stalking her dreams.
Praise for StarDoc:
"AI? just loved it. Don't miss this one." --Catherine Coulter"Continuously surprising... deviously written...and splendidly full of new characters." --Anne McCaffrey
407 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 2000
27 people are currently reading
351 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 74 reviews
February 22, 2021
This series took a weird direction.
And considering the basic premise is a genetically manipulated xenobiological medical doctor proficient in operating on aliens, that’s really saying something. This second installment had a lot of issues. I didn’t hate it, but it stole some of my confidence that the author would be able to sustain me for an entire series.
The first issue was extremely erratic decision making by the main character. She was almost idiotically irrational at times throughout the book and I could argue that most of the senseless conflicts derived solely from her weird behavior. It just didn’t make sense. And that’s one thing that always drives me crazy in books. Now, as it turns out, there was an explanation for some of her actions, which alleviates my annoyance a little, but it was probably too little too late. It seemed a tad early in the series to be messing with the character profile so much because to a degree you’re still trying to establish character and endear them to your audience. The person I read about in this book was vastly different than the one in the first book and I most decidedly did NOT enjoy her new POV. The author took a risk and unfortunately I don’t think it paid off.
The plot was equally all over the place. I quite enjoyed the mystery – it’s the consistent through-line that kept me reading when I was unsure about a lot of other things. But all of the other storyline components were just friggin weird. A lot of the traditions and laws of the alien species hosting the MC seemed like mere constructs contrived solely to prolong the conflicts of the story (because they didn’t make any sense). There continued to be a theme of personal violations and “almost” rape scenes. And the back and forth between the main character and one of the aliens was so unnecessary and ridiculous that I kept wondering why she was being so stupid by not removing herself from the situation. It was hard to read.
So why didn’t I DNF with all of those objections? Setting aside the fact that I already own the entire series and DNFing means I’ve been hauling them around for 20 years for nothing, I truly love reading about all of the medical procedures performed on aliens. It was so cool! And quite realistic and thorough. The author has a surgical background and it definitely shows. It’s the main selling point of the story for me and one of the main reasons I might actually still continue with the series (for at least one more book – the first book was great, so I’m hoping this one was a fluke). The author managed to pull me back in just enough at the end to give the benefit of the doubt going forward.
Recommendations: this book was a flop compared to the first one, but had just enough good moments to keep me reading til the end. I recommend at least the first one for readers who love scifi with excellent alien creations and world building. The jury is still out on the series as a whole. Stay tuned…
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
And considering the basic premise is a genetically manipulated xenobiological medical doctor proficient in operating on aliens, that’s really saying something. This second installment had a lot of issues. I didn’t hate it, but it stole some of my confidence that the author would be able to sustain me for an entire series.
The first issue was extremely erratic decision making by the main character. She was almost idiotically irrational at times throughout the book and I could argue that most of the senseless conflicts derived solely from her weird behavior. It just didn’t make sense. And that’s one thing that always drives me crazy in books. Now, as it turns out, there was an explanation for some of her actions, which alleviates my annoyance a little, but it was probably too little too late. It seemed a tad early in the series to be messing with the character profile so much because to a degree you’re still trying to establish character and endear them to your audience. The person I read about in this book was vastly different than the one in the first book and I most decidedly did NOT enjoy her new POV. The author took a risk and unfortunately I don’t think it paid off.
The plot was equally all over the place. I quite enjoyed the mystery – it’s the consistent through-line that kept me reading when I was unsure about a lot of other things. But all of the other storyline components were just friggin weird. A lot of the traditions and laws of the alien species hosting the MC seemed like mere constructs contrived solely to prolong the conflicts of the story (because they didn’t make any sense). There continued to be a theme of personal violations and “almost” rape scenes. And the back and forth between the main character and one of the aliens was so unnecessary and ridiculous that I kept wondering why she was being so stupid by not removing herself from the situation. It was hard to read.
So why didn’t I DNF with all of those objections? Setting aside the fact that I already own the entire series and DNFing means I’ve been hauling them around for 20 years for nothing, I truly love reading about all of the medical procedures performed on aliens. It was so cool! And quite realistic and thorough. The author has a surgical background and it definitely shows. It’s the main selling point of the story for me and one of the main reasons I might actually still continue with the series (for at least one more book – the first book was great, so I’m hoping this one was a fluke). The author managed to pull me back in just enough at the end to give the benefit of the doubt going forward.
Recommendations: this book was a flop compared to the first one, but had just enough good moments to keep me reading til the end. I recommend at least the first one for readers who love scifi with excellent alien creations and world building. The jury is still out on the series as a whole. Stay tuned…
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
February 19, 2016
For a general overview of the series, see my review of Stardoc.
I liked this best of the three books of the series I've read, mostly because I thought it was most satisfying in exploration of immersion into an alien culture, though ultimately the Jorenians are pretty similar to humans.
Unfortunately, the relationship dynamics were even more annoying here, with Cherijo's various male suitors guilty of truly outrageous heights of manipulation, stalking, mental invasion, possessiveness and dishonesty--I expect and (to a degree) tolerate this in dark romance/erotica, but here it felt exploitative, inconsistent with the book's overall tone and themes and the portrayal of the heroine's primary challenges.
Once again, the strongest part of the book concerns Cherijo's adventures as a doctor handling various crises. I'll also add that I really liked how the book explored Cherijo's professional relationships, especially with female mentors, something that is shown far too rarely in any media, and was equally present and refreshing in the first book.
I liked this best of the three books of the series I've read, mostly because I thought it was most satisfying in exploration of immersion into an alien culture, though ultimately the Jorenians are pretty similar to humans.
Unfortunately, the relationship dynamics were even more annoying here, with Cherijo's various male suitors guilty of truly outrageous heights of manipulation, stalking, mental invasion, possessiveness and dishonesty--I expect and (to a degree) tolerate this in dark romance/erotica, but here it felt exploitative, inconsistent with the book's overall tone and themes and the portrayal of the heroine's primary challenges.
Once again, the strongest part of the book concerns Cherijo's adventures as a doctor handling various crises. I'll also add that I really liked how the book explored Cherijo's professional relationships, especially with female mentors, something that is shown far too rarely in any media, and was equally present and refreshing in the first book.
June 29, 2017
Good, but with some annoying plot twists. 3.5 stars.
August 10, 2011
The plot of the story was good. It kept me interested in finding out who the killer was until the very end. However, the character of Cherijo is not strong enough to keep me interested. I don't think I will finish the series. After the mystery was solved the ending spiraled into an abyess of multiple betrayals that I thought were unnessary. Cherijo is to sporadic of a character to stay involved with.
July 1, 2012
Why did she marry that creep? Why did she marry BOTH of those creeps? Why am I reading these books?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2019
Not as fond of this book as I was the first. What happened to the woman in the first book? This one is always ragging on her coworkers and just a b*tch. I chalked it up to all the recent changes in her life but all is explained by the end...until another bomb is dropped on her. So glad I had the next book and didn't have to wait.
Enjoyed the hell out of all the alien medical issues. Kinda sick of all the rape attempts. But I can't stop. :)
Enjoyed the hell out of all the alien medical issues. Kinda sick of all the rape attempts. But I can't stop. :)
March 23, 2022
A couple scenes remind you that this was written 20 years ago and lean heavily on some things that were... acceptable tropes to use back then. Other than that, I find this series gripping and well written and, by and large, good reading.
April 12, 2020
Eine kurzweilige Fortsetzung von "Die Seuche" (zum Glück habe ich das zur Zeit nicht gelesen xD) und mit einer geklonten Ärztin als Hauptfigur, die dem Schiff einer anderen Spezies durchs All reist, auch echt mal was anderes als was man sonst in Science Fiction häufig liest. Zumindest empfinde ich es als sehr angenehme Abwechslung, es mit einer Frau zu tun zu haben und dem Buch einer Autorin, so dass Cherijo nicht nur stereotypisch für irgendwelche Männer vorhanden ist, sondern die Handlung wirklich trägt.
Das Reinfinden war etwas schwer - die Erlebnisse aus Band 1 werden immer wieder thematisiert und aufgegriffen und da gibt es so einiges, was ich nicht mehr in Erinnerung hatte. Figuren tauchen teilweise nach 200 Seiten das erste Mal wieder auf und werden nur kurz vorgestellt, etwa dass sie ja die Nemesis von Cherijo Veil Grey sind ... angesichts des unglaublichen Cliffhanger-Endes komme ich zu dem Schluss, dass man besser die gesamte Reihe am Stück liest. Leider geht das im Deutschen nur bis zu Band 3.
Die Handlung an sich ist auch nicht wirklich überraschend, vor allem, weil die Auflösungen des Saboteurs/Mörders zwar logisch klingt, aber keinerlei "das hätte ich kommen sehen müssen" auslöst. Dafür gibt es einfach zu viele Hinweise, wo man sofort weiß "ah, das ist nicht gut, irgendwas passiert damit", aber die Erklärung an sich ist einfach etwas, worauf man als Leser nicht allein kommen kann. Zudem steht da noch diese Klon-Sache im Vordergrund: nachdem Cherijo als angeblich nicht-vernunftbegabtes Wesen die Flucht mit den Jorenianern angetreten hat, ist die Liga, angespornt von ihrem leiblichen Vater, der sie als sein Eigentum betrachtet, immer wieder hinter ihr her. Das sorgt für eine unendliche Anzahl von Angriffen von Söldnerschiffen, die eigentlich immer nur dazu beitragen, dass Cherijo ein paar neue blaue Flecke erhält, es einen stetigen Strom an neuen Verletzten für die Krankenstation gibt, und das war's. Es war trotzdem unterhaltsam, aber auf Dauer auch ein bisschen ermüdend. Zwischendurch dann noch mal ein, zwei andere Planeten, wo es natürlich auch sofort Verletzte oder Verräter und Liga-Söldner gibt. Die Auflösung kommt spät, dann sind praktisch alle Figuren um Cherijo herum gleichzeitig Verräter - dabei wollten doch so gut wie alle vorher noch sich mit ihr verloben. Ja, man merkt, von dem Handlungsstrang war ich nicht allzu begeistert, zudem ging Cherijo mir manchmal gehörig auf die Nerven. Eine richtige Entwicklung macht sie nicht durch, sie ist meist dickköpfig, arbeitet bis zum Umfallen, tut das auch häufig genug, muss dann von Vorgesetzten oder auch den Krankenschwestern oder dem Verlobten des Kapitels betäubt oder festgeschnallt werden, damit sie sich mal gegen ihren Willen erholt, was sie dank der genetischen Veränderungen auch schnell wieder tut. Außerdem fühlt sie sich für alles schuldig, weil die Liga ja immerhin hinter ihr her ist und vereinzelte Gespräche über dieses Thema dringen nicht so tief zu ihr durch, dass sich daran etwas ändert.
Interessant fand ich dennoch einzelne Ideen, etwa die Künstlerkolonie und der vernunftbegabte Kristall als Kunstinstallation, oder auch mehr über den Planeten Joren zu erfahren. Sollte mir der dritte Band mal in die Finger fallen, werde ich den noch lesen - für die restlichen englischen Bände fehlt mir wohl der Nerv, weil Cherijo naturgemäß sehr viel über Operationen und Verletzungen erzählt, wo ich schon im Deutschen nichts verstehe.
Das Reinfinden war etwas schwer - die Erlebnisse aus Band 1 werden immer wieder thematisiert und aufgegriffen und da gibt es so einiges, was ich nicht mehr in Erinnerung hatte. Figuren tauchen teilweise nach 200 Seiten das erste Mal wieder auf und werden nur kurz vorgestellt, etwa dass sie ja die Nemesis von Cherijo Veil Grey sind ... angesichts des unglaublichen Cliffhanger-Endes komme ich zu dem Schluss, dass man besser die gesamte Reihe am Stück liest. Leider geht das im Deutschen nur bis zu Band 3.
Die Handlung an sich ist auch nicht wirklich überraschend, vor allem, weil die Auflösungen des Saboteurs/Mörders zwar logisch klingt, aber keinerlei "das hätte ich kommen sehen müssen" auslöst. Dafür gibt es einfach zu viele Hinweise, wo man sofort weiß "ah, das ist nicht gut, irgendwas passiert damit", aber die Erklärung an sich ist einfach etwas, worauf man als Leser nicht allein kommen kann. Zudem steht da noch diese Klon-Sache im Vordergrund: nachdem Cherijo als angeblich nicht-vernunftbegabtes Wesen die Flucht mit den Jorenianern angetreten hat, ist die Liga, angespornt von ihrem leiblichen Vater, der sie als sein Eigentum betrachtet, immer wieder hinter ihr her. Das sorgt für eine unendliche Anzahl von Angriffen von Söldnerschiffen, die eigentlich immer nur dazu beitragen, dass Cherijo ein paar neue blaue Flecke erhält, es einen stetigen Strom an neuen Verletzten für die Krankenstation gibt, und das war's. Es war trotzdem unterhaltsam, aber auf Dauer auch ein bisschen ermüdend. Zwischendurch dann noch mal ein, zwei andere Planeten, wo es natürlich auch sofort Verletzte oder Verräter und Liga-Söldner gibt. Die Auflösung kommt spät, dann sind praktisch alle Figuren um Cherijo herum gleichzeitig Verräter - dabei wollten doch so gut wie alle vorher noch sich mit ihr verloben. Ja, man merkt, von dem Handlungsstrang war ich nicht allzu begeistert, zudem ging Cherijo mir manchmal gehörig auf die Nerven. Eine richtige Entwicklung macht sie nicht durch, sie ist meist dickköpfig, arbeitet bis zum Umfallen, tut das auch häufig genug, muss dann von Vorgesetzten oder auch den Krankenschwestern oder dem Verlobten des Kapitels betäubt oder festgeschnallt werden, damit sie sich mal gegen ihren Willen erholt, was sie dank der genetischen Veränderungen auch schnell wieder tut. Außerdem fühlt sie sich für alles schuldig, weil die Liga ja immerhin hinter ihr her ist und vereinzelte Gespräche über dieses Thema dringen nicht so tief zu ihr durch, dass sich daran etwas ändert.
Interessant fand ich dennoch einzelne Ideen, etwa die Künstlerkolonie und der vernunftbegabte Kristall als Kunstinstallation, oder auch mehr über den Planeten Joren zu erfahren. Sollte mir der dritte Band mal in die Finger fallen, werde ich den noch lesen - für die restlichen englischen Bände fehlt mir wohl der Nerv, weil Cherijo naturgemäß sehr viel über Operationen und Verletzungen erzählt, wo ich schon im Deutschen nichts verstehe.
April 19, 2019
The second, solid book in the series does what I really hate, leaves you with a cliff hanger, and although the next book has long been out, it isn't available on a Kindle so at this time my enjoyment of the story is diluted by the lack of closure. Cherijo has found sanctuary on the Jordenan ship with her new clan-family but there is a traitor on board, someone who wants to kill her, or at least make her suspect of the killings it is committing. And then there is the League - Cherijo's "father" still wants her back and has the apparently unlimited funds of the League to make it happen. The ship is attacked again and again, from without and within and Cherijo doesn't know who to trust, other than herself and the final betrayls, when they come, are stunning and devestating. The book is well written with many interwoven, overlapping subplots that never let your attention flag. A hard to put down book, just too bad about the lack of closure.
November 22, 2024
Cherijo is such an idiot... Her character really doesn't make any sense. She knows all these scientific things (only because the author does) but sadly the author doesn't know how to write her as a person... She is weak and wishy-washy and too nice. A Mary Sue as they say. I only picked up the second book because I liked all the medical stuff and aliens, but Cherijo ruins the story for me every time. I also hated how much domestic violence was in this book and Cherijo attitude about it. Viehl is sending the wrong message to women about what actions they should take when someone hits them. It's never ok. And this just reinforces how weak and horrible her main character is. I seriously doubt I will continue this series as I have learned that Viehl doesn't know how to write characters or plots...
June 11, 2017
I don’t understand this author, she creates an interesting character then goes out of her way to make Cherijo pathetic and annoying at crucial moments, especially around Reever.
AND I really, really don’t comprehend her fascination with the Reever character. The author has some strange attachment to this abusive slime ball. The thought of having to read about Reever again means I don’t want to read any more of these books, even though I still want to find out what happens to Cherijo and would love to find out that Reever gets killed off, hopefully slowly.
AND I really, really don’t comprehend her fascination with the Reever character. The author has some strange attachment to this abusive slime ball. The thought of having to read about Reever again means I don’t want to read any more of these books, even though I still want to find out what happens to Cherijo and would love to find out that Reever gets killed off, hopefully slowly.
March 19, 2011
What an ending! It kept me up literally for hours and had me crying just thinking about it.
Cherijo is on her way to the Joren planet as an adopted daughter. On the way, they're attacked repeatedly by the League mercenaries. She also has to fight a Choice (engagement) forced on her, a doctor who doesn't like her, her feelings for Reever who appears not to reciprocate. I loved the first book, this one was better.
Cherijo is on her way to the Joren planet as an adopted daughter. On the way, they're attacked repeatedly by the League mercenaries. She also has to fight a Choice (engagement) forced on her, a doctor who doesn't like her, her feelings for Reever who appears not to reciprocate. I loved the first book, this one was better.
April 22, 2012
I really wanted to like this book but couldn't get over my disbelief at all the problems that revolve around Cherijo and are solved by her. She solved medical, engineering, relationship, and cultural problems all in a single bound. She felt too much like a mary sue to me. I don't think I'll be continuing the series.
March 31, 2012
I enjoyed the mystery part and even some of the character interactions with the new resident, etc. Cherij can be a bit annoying with the "this is all my fault" guilt trip. Also, the forced-into-marriage thing is getting old. That's almost made up for by the pacing and popcorn-entertainment value of the book.
August 17, 2018
The independent, brave heroine of the first book didn’t show up. From the start she was jealous, negative, and whiney. And the job she got promoted to, well, not really. Then the author has her suddenly be wanton (the opposite of her self-control of last book) and with the guy she hates...I was done.
July 22, 2019
This is the second Stardoc book. Totally unbelievable, but very engrossing and fun. Not quite as good as the first one. I was furious at Cherijo for letting herself be forced by the cultural practices of a different race into a relationship she didn't want.
May 16, 2019
Beyond Varallan(A Stardoc Novel)by S.L. Viehl
This is the second in a series of at least ten books so far I've gotten to 4 and they have several things in common. One is that they are very close to the same size which is somewhere around 150K words and that's somewhat more than the normal for this type of novel but not too far out of the ball park. Another is that unfortunately the main character does not seem to me to change very much, though lots of things happen to her that should push her in new directions. Also her romances, possibly because of the nature of her existence, are rather strange and as I've said before they seem schizoid in nature.
In the first novel Cherijo escaped her father and Earth, a place that is deliberately prejudiced against aliens: and seems quite xenophobic. She escapes to a planet where the understanding of many aliens is that humans have a distasteful habit: they spit. This made it hard for her to integrate; and it became worse when she bonded with a Jorenian, a race who mate for life; and she became part of her partners clan before her partner died. From there it is evident that these stories become an ongoing struggle of manners and customs between her and the aliens she has to live with and operate upon.
Still on the run from her father while in a Jorenian ship Cherijo finds herself frustrated while trying to find a way to stop all the rapid changes happening around her and possibly because of her. Her father has used his influence to send the League after her, while the Jorenians have removed themselves from the League; and while all this occurs the Hsktskt and League have gone to war with each other and the Jorenians are trying remains neutral while at the same time being pursued by the League and Cherijo’s father.
This book is a book about the strange love and ultimate betrayal of Cherijo by many that she trusts, while she consistently uses her medical skills to try to keep both friend and enemy alive. I really enjoy the development of many of the cultures and beliefs of the aliens and in many cases the diverse strangeness of many of those. But so often there are aliens that come very close to Human, because of the cross species romance, and that reads a bit like Star Trek.
Throughout the story there is that oddness with Cherijo in her relationships that almost seems inexplicable. Thankfully as the story moves on we get information from her former Nanny, possible stepmother, through some sort of implanted information that begins to unfold, for the reader, the story of how Cherijo was made and possibly why, which all figure into the way she acts: I think.
By now as a reader you either come to appreciate Cherijo and her ongoing story or you might be disappointed since this one ends a bit close to being a cliffhanger.
I'm pretty much into it for the long run as I get to know this quirky character that calls herself Cherijo.
Good solid SFF that has a rather static main character but more than surprising supporting characters that she tries to keep alive despite the fact that many deserve death.
J.L. Dobias
This is the second in a series of at least ten books so far I've gotten to 4 and they have several things in common. One is that they are very close to the same size which is somewhere around 150K words and that's somewhat more than the normal for this type of novel but not too far out of the ball park. Another is that unfortunately the main character does not seem to me to change very much, though lots of things happen to her that should push her in new directions. Also her romances, possibly because of the nature of her existence, are rather strange and as I've said before they seem schizoid in nature.
In the first novel Cherijo escaped her father and Earth, a place that is deliberately prejudiced against aliens: and seems quite xenophobic. She escapes to a planet where the understanding of many aliens is that humans have a distasteful habit: they spit. This made it hard for her to integrate; and it became worse when she bonded with a Jorenian, a race who mate for life; and she became part of her partners clan before her partner died. From there it is evident that these stories become an ongoing struggle of manners and customs between her and the aliens she has to live with and operate upon.
Still on the run from her father while in a Jorenian ship Cherijo finds herself frustrated while trying to find a way to stop all the rapid changes happening around her and possibly because of her. Her father has used his influence to send the League after her, while the Jorenians have removed themselves from the League; and while all this occurs the Hsktskt and League have gone to war with each other and the Jorenians are trying remains neutral while at the same time being pursued by the League and Cherijo’s father.
This book is a book about the strange love and ultimate betrayal of Cherijo by many that she trusts, while she consistently uses her medical skills to try to keep both friend and enemy alive. I really enjoy the development of many of the cultures and beliefs of the aliens and in many cases the diverse strangeness of many of those. But so often there are aliens that come very close to Human, because of the cross species romance, and that reads a bit like Star Trek.
Throughout the story there is that oddness with Cherijo in her relationships that almost seems inexplicable. Thankfully as the story moves on we get information from her former Nanny, possible stepmother, through some sort of implanted information that begins to unfold, for the reader, the story of how Cherijo was made and possibly why, which all figure into the way she acts: I think.
By now as a reader you either come to appreciate Cherijo and her ongoing story or you might be disappointed since this one ends a bit close to being a cliffhanger.
I'm pretty much into it for the long run as I get to know this quirky character that calls herself Cherijo.
Good solid SFF that has a rather static main character but more than surprising supporting characters that she tries to keep alive despite the fact that many deserve death.
J.L. Dobias
August 23, 2020
Beyond Varallan is the second book in the StarDoc series. The secret her father had kept from her all those years, the one that sent her fleeing across the universe is out and now she’s on the run from the League of Worlds. Joseph Grey Veil created her in a lab, tinkered with her genetics and some created a creature far superior to normal humans.
They have stripped her of all her rights, declared her non-sentient, little more than a slave, and given her back to her creator as property. Because Cherijo isn’t just a brilliant surgeon and clone. She’s also the key to unlocking immortality and they will do anything to take her back to they can find out how she works. The only problem is that they haven’t been able to catch her.
When her Joren mate died (in the first book) his clan adopts her and makes her one of them. The Joren are absolutely fanatical about protecting their family and are willing to do anything it takes to keep her safe, so it seems that things are starting to go well for her finally. She even has some of her friends with her, including Reever the strange telepathic Linguist who she has feelings for.
She takes her place as doctor on board the Sunlace, with a future as senior healer, and settles into a life among the tall blue people. But the League refuses to give up and when the threaten the Joren home world Cherijo is forced to make a terrible choice. One that will haunt her.
Things I love about this book: The realistic medical scenes, the interesting alien races that are so well thought out, the fact that the main character is POC, and how Cherijo manages to come off brilliant while still feeling very human and flawed. If you haven’t read this series, you should!
They have stripped her of all her rights, declared her non-sentient, little more than a slave, and given her back to her creator as property. Because Cherijo isn’t just a brilliant surgeon and clone. She’s also the key to unlocking immortality and they will do anything to take her back to they can find out how she works. The only problem is that they haven’t been able to catch her.
When her Joren mate died (in the first book) his clan adopts her and makes her one of them. The Joren are absolutely fanatical about protecting their family and are willing to do anything it takes to keep her safe, so it seems that things are starting to go well for her finally. She even has some of her friends with her, including Reever the strange telepathic Linguist who she has feelings for.
She takes her place as doctor on board the Sunlace, with a future as senior healer, and settles into a life among the tall blue people. But the League refuses to give up and when the threaten the Joren home world Cherijo is forced to make a terrible choice. One that will haunt her.
Things I love about this book: The realistic medical scenes, the interesting alien races that are so well thought out, the fact that the main character is POC, and how Cherijo manages to come off brilliant while still feeling very human and flawed. If you haven’t read this series, you should!
July 24, 2023
This series is so messy, but I can't help but continue reading because Viehl keeps you on your toes. These stories are essentially constructed around a mystery, this one being a straight forward whodunnit serial killer. I'm not sure if it is one of those mysteries you can solve on your own like an Agatha Christie novel because the mystery is just the conceit. The draw is the drama which is laid on top of a formula Viehl followed in the first book. Everyone is still inexplicably in love with Cherijo . Cherijo is the only suspicious one despite not being the only alien on board. Cherijo still doesn't understand Duncan Reever and Duncan Reever is clearly just trying to communicate with her . Cherijo is the hero in all situations no matter how improbable . Genocide. A colleague who doesn't respect her. The Hskskt ( who the author can't seem to decide whether or not they are Nazi-coded, or just militant aliens ).
April 14, 2025
This doctor without borders is often scrubbed up, neck high in Impermanence and exhausted. This is no disembodied voice, calmy piecing events together from breaches of privacy. This narrator is in the room, skin, bone and viscera on the line, and shouts down those wanting to tell her story for her.
This second book in the Stardoc series eluded me for months, but yesterday I stumbled on one in a 2nd hand bookshop for $5. I already found several of the the later books but havent dared to open them... clearly something shocking happened in book 2... OMG?!
This book has more bite than than the first. It is a voyage, under fire. So, events barrel along, what with a traitor on board, attacks by Earth’s forces, mounting casualty figures and three oddball planets thrown in. And then the rollercoaster leaves the rails...
All through the story I savour Cherijo’s frankness, and her rage at the deranged users of violence around her. This surgeon’s knuckles bend the Hippocratic Oath with panache. Her self-lessness often verges upon self harm, of course, but her obstreperous dedication to others shines fully through.
This second book in the Stardoc series eluded me for months, but yesterday I stumbled on one in a 2nd hand bookshop for $5. I already found several of the the later books but havent dared to open them... clearly something shocking happened in book 2... OMG?!
This book has more bite than than the first. It is a voyage, under fire. So, events barrel along, what with a traitor on board, attacks by Earth’s forces, mounting casualty figures and three oddball planets thrown in. And then the rollercoaster leaves the rails...
All through the story I savour Cherijo’s frankness, and her rage at the deranged users of violence around her. This surgeon’s knuckles bend the Hippocratic Oath with panache. Her self-lessness often verges upon self harm, of course, but her obstreperous dedication to others shines fully through.
April 11, 2019
Dr. Cherijo Torin has sought refuge with the Jorenian people as she flees her father. Turns out she is a clone, manufactured in a laboratory. All she wants to do is live her life and heal people, which she can do on the star ship Sunlace along with the rest of the medical staff, Senior Healer Tonetka and Squilyp, who is also vying to be Senior Healer. As the ship travels to Joren, bounty hunters and ships from the League attempt to capture Cherijo. Not only does Cherijo have to avoid being captured by the humans, there is an assassin on board the ship, who is also attempting to kill Cherijo. Lots of intrigue and great descriptions of alien anatomy. Duncan Reever, ship linguist, is also attempting to help Cherijo come to terms with her clone nature. This is the second in the Star Doc series and it is a good read.
August 26, 2019
Welp. Next time I have reservations about the first book in a series (no matter how late in the book those reservations come), I should probably pay attention to them. Turns out the events of the first book and some stuff that happened in this one made me not care about the character at all. So I spent the last 200 pages or so regretting starting the book. :(
I can see the appeal of this book for some people, but the weirdly casual way the author treats rape and the way Cherijo then immediately tries to , just makes it hard to enjoy the relationships and the series as a whole.
So sorry to say, I will be giving up on this series, despite such a promising beginning of the first book.
I can see the appeal of this book for some people, but the weirdly casual way the author treats rape and the way Cherijo then immediately tries to , just makes it hard to enjoy the relationships and the series as a whole.
So sorry to say, I will be giving up on this series, despite such a promising beginning of the first book.
November 27, 2018
The story is ok, but the main character is kind of irritating. This book is worth reading, but there were a lot of those moments when I stopped and said, "That/He/She was stupid," or "Why in the hell didn't They/He/She do this." It was just frustrating at times because there were so many interesting thing, places, and people in this book that did not get as much attention as some of the lesser stuff.
Book ends with a giant "To Be Continued" moment, and while not exactly a cliffhanger, it is kind of annoying since I am not in a hurry to read the next one.
Book ends with a giant "To Be Continued" moment, and while not exactly a cliffhanger, it is kind of annoying since I am not in a hurry to read the next one.
March 1, 2018
Second in the series. Not bad. Held my interest to the end. Unfortunately, the book ended in such a way that the story is not complete. Although this is a series, I prefer to read books that have a complete story in them and don't try to get the reader to run out and buy the next book. Each book should stand on its own.
August 2, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Once again, the world building and character development were top notch. The pacing was great with a lot of action. There is a mystery to be solved in this book. I had it narrowed down to 2 characters. One of the characters was the culprit, the other betrayed her, so I guess I was on track. You'll have to read for yourself to see if you can figure it out.
June 4, 2025
I have read at least 1/2 of the books in this series and did love them all. This one also kept me on the edge of my seat. The author sure can make so many things happen you can't wait to see what is going to happen next!
December 27, 2016
Exciting second book in the Stardoc Series! These Stardoc books are exciting and exhausting. Very imaginative second book in the series. I enjoyed it and recommend it.
May 13, 2017
Funish light read- definitely has plot holes, but wasn't terrible.
November 21, 2020
Our heroine is undefeatable! How does she keep going and still have a good heart? What a lot of situations she gets into and out of. Except...what a cliffhanger.
April 6, 2023
I've loved every stardoc book so far. I keep thinking one will dissapoint me, or she'll run out of ideas...but I thoroughly loved each one!
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