- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: Roc (MM) (Oct 12 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0451458494
- ISBN-13: 978-0451458490
- Product Dimensions: 17.5 x 11.2 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 23 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #840,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
From Booklist
The Langsariks, a culture of space-living mercantile raiders, have been brought to heel by the governing power known as the Judiciary. Confined to a single spaceport town and deprived of their fleet, the Langsariks have to serve eight years of probation before they can be truly free again. A series of brutal raids now leaves evidence of being planned and carried out by Langsariks officers. Garol Vogel, the Judiciary Bench investigative officer who organized the amnesty that allowed the Langsariks to honorably surrender, has to discover the truth about their involvement in the raids. Meanwhile, a narrative window into the mind of the true perpetrator reveals a thoroughgoing conspiracy to destroy the Langsariks. When a witness to one of the raids escapes to take sanctuary rather than bearing construed false witness about the Langsarik family he hopes to marry into, a religious organization, the Malcontent, must join forces with the Bench to prevent another bloody attack. A chilling and engaging novel of false accusation and the power of personal responsibility. Roberta Johnson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Book Description
"[Matthews] brilliantly uses science fiction's freedom of creation." (The Denver Post)
"Matthews will stand out in a field dominated (in numbers if not in stature) by mediocre imitators." (Analog)
A stand-alone novel set in Susan R. Matthews's critically acclaimed "Judiciary" universe, Angel of Destruction focuses on Bench officer Garol Vogel and his attempts to make peace with the Langsarik people-the people his own Judiciary drove into a life of piracy...
"Matthews will stand out in a field dominated (in numbers if not in stature) by mediocre imitators." (Analog)
A stand-alone novel set in Susan R. Matthews's critically acclaimed "Judiciary" universe, Angel of Destruction focuses on Bench officer Garol Vogel and his attempts to make peace with the Langsarik people-the people his own Judiciary drove into a life of piracy...
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Touch of Vance in the Noir,
By lb136 "lb136" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Angel Of Destruction (Paperback)
"Angel of Destruction" is the fourth in Susan R. Matthews' "judiciary" series ("Prisoner of Conscience," "An Exchange of Hostages," "Hour of Judgment"), described by the publisher as "a stand-alone novel" in the series (which seems fair: a sequel would be fun but hardly necessary). This time out Inquisitor Andrej Koscuisko is confined to a cameo role, as the action focuses around Bench intelligence Garol Vogel (he himself had a cameo in "Judgment") who, having offered the rogue Langsariks a home of their own (while banning them from space), now has to prove they're the victims of a frameup: a group is staging bloody raids and blaming it on the Langsariks. Who are they? How are they accomplishing this? Vogel quickly forms some ideas, but proving it is another matter altogether.The tale is told in a multi-POV noirish police procedural style manner (for that matter with some alterations it could have been set in the John Ford-John Wayne west, so readers looking for Catherine Asaro-style science lessons may be disappointed). The real perps are revealed early on and the plot centers on how they will be captured, and whether the capture will come in time to save the Langsariks. In addition to Vogel himself the action focuses on the Langsarik leader Walton Agenis, her nephew Hilton Shires, her beautiful niece Modice, rogue pilot Kazmer Daigule, Cousin Stanoczk the Malcontent, and the wounded foreman Fisner Feraltz. Ms. Matthews skillfully interweaves what the characters are saying with what they are thinking, and these characters are intelligent. Ms. Matthews shows a great sense of place here. Although the novel jumps around quite a bit you'll always know where you are. Her descriptions of dwellings, gardens, warehouse facilities, and the like will give you a great feel for the locations. In one sequence, when Hilton, on warehouse duty, hears two apparent drunks talking nearby, you'll almost be able to smell the dust as he moves along the aisles trying to locate them among the stacks of merchandise. By the way: The author is perhaps paying subtle tribute to Jack Vance here (he would have loved the name Fisner Feraltz, and the Langarsarik colors are "rose gold," described as a yellow-pink), although her cleancut prose style is far less ornate than The Master's. Anyhow, it's fast-paced, entertaining, and as always with Ms. Matthews very very dark.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent addition to the Judiciary universe,
By
This review is from: Angel Of Destruction (Paperback)
I had been looking forward to this book since I first heard that Susan Matthews was going to do a novel that centered around Bench specialist Garel Vogel. Not only did I find him to be an interesting character during his appearance in HOUR OF JUDGMENT, but I was also looking forward to finding out more about the Judiciary universe, and from a viewpoint other than Andrej's. ANGEL OF DESTRUCTION didn't disappoint, and in fact I think it is some of the author's best work. The plot is complex and very well laid out, and Ms. Matthews avoids the easy shortcuts that some writers occasionally resort to in order to keep their stories moving forward. In addition, the book features several engaging and well-written characters, my favorites being Vogel and the newly introduced Cousin Stanoczk (who I hope we'll be seeing more of in the future). I enjoyed ANGEL immensely, and anxiously await the arrival of Susan's next novel.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not the best of Susan Matthews but an okay read.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Angel Of Destruction (Paperback)
Although this novel does stand on its own it does tie in with Ms Matthews's earlier novels with a brief appearance of the Fleet Inquisitor of several earlier novels. For fans of those early novels it is nice to have the tie.I don't think this novel is as exciting as some of Ms. Matthew's others but it is still a good read. It is also nice not to have the serious torture violence theme as in earlier novels.
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