Asaro, Catherine
CATCH THE LIGHTNING
Catherine Asaro
TOR 1996
Pb 309 pages
ISBN# 0-812-55102-8
This is for Asaro's Skolian Empire Fans. Though a stand-alone, it is recommended that the reader begin this series with PRIMARY INVERSION followed by THE RADIANT SEAS (for Romeo & Juliet fans), &/or THE LAST HAWK followed by ASCENDANT SUN (for readers hungry to read about a yummy hunk of a man). Then, for chronological understanding (and a great story), read THE MOON'S SHADOW, then read this one.
The main characters in CATCH THE LIGHTNING are the biomeched Secondary Jagernaut pilot Commander Althor Seli Skolia and the woman with whom he falls in love. Basically, the main storyline begins in 1987, in an alternate universe Los Angeles where our heroine is living the normal life in the slums where knives and gang murders are common. That she is descended from the Maya and has empathic tendencies are not traits she brags about. In comes Althor (named for an uncle), son of Kelric and Soz's brother Eldrin, an inbred Rhon prince just surviving an assassination attempt. Not only does he have to figure out how to get back to his own universe and time, he also has to find out who tried to assassinate him before another attempt is made.
The book travels through time and space, giving wonderful glimpses into this
alternate Now, as well as a high-tech Allied space station, the luxurious Aristo
society, and the ruggedly beautiful Skolian planet of Raylicon where live those
with the ancient genetic link between Skolians and Earth. CATCH THE LIGHTNING
has enough action to keep this reader reading, and good romance too, per Asaro's
usual high quality prose. There are some data dumps as you expect to find in
most hard science fiction stories, but they are interesting and well placed.
Asaro's science is top-notch physics and genetics so well contrived that it will
even entertain the experts. My fascination with this storyline, however, is
Asaro's love scenes between empathic telepaths. Ahhh, now that's good
love-making! From the text: "I laid my head against his chest and slid my arms
around his waist, seeking his mind. He was a rush of emotions: worry for his
situation, desire for me, memories from a life more privileged than anything I
had ever imagined. He was older than he looked, almost fifty. His loneliness
made hollows, like empty aqueducts in the desert, so long dry that their sides
were parched and cracked. Many women pursued him, but he rarely responded with
more than casual interest. It wasn't because he didn't want more. His lovers
left him with the same emptiness I had felt with my old boyfriend Jake. He
wanted someone who could answer the touch of his mind. Someone like him."
The main tension of the story hinges on the fact that Althor and his chosen
become political pivot points in a galaxy ever on the brink of war. From the
text: "He exhaled. 'There's never been a situation like this. . . . Right now
the Traders must be screaming for extradition and demanding the Assembly honor
the Paris Treaty. Of course the Assembly is refusing. They will threaten war if
the Traders try to recover us, the Traders will threaten war if we aren't
returned, and the Allieds won't know what to do because no details are worked
out yet in our treaty.' He spread his hands. 'It's a mess. Basically, whoever
gets us first, wins.'"
CATCH THE LIGHTNING is a very nice book--flawless. If you want quality science fiction with a good story to support it, any of Asaro's Skolian Empire books will suit. This book also dips into cultural anthropology and languages in a playful, easy to read manner. Artificial Intelligence fanatics will especially enjoy Althor's Jag which has a personality of its own, an ingredient to this story that adds a real cool edge.
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